I really enjoy our Nintendo Switch console, and we have several games on it that I like to play, so I thought to myself “Why not write about it?” Here are the Switch games that I’ve played so far, starting with my favorite:
Octopath Traveler – This is my favorite Switch game! It’s a traditional Japanese RPG, in the same vein as the old Final Fantasy games for the SNES, but modernized. The combat has the traditional, turn-based JRPG bones of selecting an action for a character from a menu (like attacking or using a skill or item), selecting the target of that action, then watching the effect of that action. The unique mechanic this time is that after each turn each character gets a bonus action, which stores up until it’s used later in the combat. So after a few turns you can unleash 5 attacks in one turn, or use those bonus actions to empower a massively damaging spell attack. The other unique mechanic is that each enemy has several weaknesses, and hitting it with that weapon or spell type will break down its defenses, eventually causing it to be stunned and take extra damage for a turn or two. It’s a lot of fun that helps reduce the tedium that can happen with this type of game, where you will likely get into hundreds or thousands of combats by the end.
Another part of the game that I really enjoy is the music and graphics. The composer for the game, Yasunori Nishiki, has done a fantastic job making fully orchestral music tracks that still evoke the far simpler music of early video game music. There are a few excellent analysis videos on YouTube on the Octopath Traveler soundtrack, detailing how the composer was able to prevent the music from falling into the “pretty, but forgettable” category of music that so often accompanies modern video games. As far as the art design goes, it has a very interesting aesthetic of 16/32-bit sprites for the characters, NPCs, monsters, and so on, but with a very modern set of special effects (lighting effects, particle effects, fog and water effects, camera effects, etc.) that give the game a unique look. It does an admirable job of straddling the line between old-school pixel art and contemporary high definition graphics.
Finally, Octopath Traveler’s plot follows not just one main character, but actually has the player go through eight different character’s stories, that all weave in and out of the various locations you visit. I love this game, and I might go so far as to say it’s my favorite JRPG of all time… Well, maybe Final Fantasy VI will keep that crown, but Octopath Traveler is still a game I’d recommend to almost anyone.
Cadence of Hyrule – This game is basically Crypt of the Necrodancer (as I spoke about in my previous post) with a Legend of Zelda skin. Needless to say, it’s a very fun game. I think it’d be easier for a new to get into than the original Necrodancer game too, so that’s a bonus for anyone who hasn’t played the original.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – I’ve been playing the Super Smash Bros. games ever since the original game came out on the Nintendo 64. I’ve gotten better at Super Smash Bros. than any other fighting game (not even close to professional level, but good enough to win consistently against my friends), and I really enjoy the Nintendo crossover appeal of being able to fight Link against Mario, or have Princess Peach fight back against Bowser.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – I played, and thoroughly enjoyed, Link’s Awakening back when it came out on the Game Boy, so when it was announced that a remake was being made for the Switch, I was pretty excited. Now that I’ve played through it, I can say it is still a really good game!
Dragon Ball FighterZ – Dragon Ball FighterZ is a fighting game where you can pit characters from the Dragon Ball series against each other, like Goku vs Vegeta, or Majin Buu against Cell. It’s certainly the best-looking Dragon Ball game I’ve seen, with the characters, backgrounds, and special effects looking like they’ve been pulled straight from the TV show! The gameplay is frenetic, with characters dashing, jumping, flying, and teleporting all over the place shooting all sorts of energy blasts at each other, or closing in to deliver a punishing combo of kicks and punches. It’s a lot like the Marvel vs Capcom series, which I also liked back in the day, where each team has three characters that can be tagged in and out on the fly, or who can all come in at once for a devastating trio of super attacks. This game is great fun, and I really enjoyed it.
Shovel Knight – This game is a platforming game in the style of Castlevania, with the art aesthetic of an old NES game. The art style is ok (I prefer my pixel art in 16-bit SNES style), but the gameplay is tight and engaging, if fairly challenging.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – This is an honorable mention, as I haven’t actually played it on the Switch; I got it on my Wii U long before we bought our Switch. Any list of great Switch games would be incomplete without it though, and I’m sure the Switch version is at least as good as the Wii U version. Short summary: Open world Legend of Zelda game that’s one of the very best games in the franchise.
Transmuter's Tower 