The best Nintendo Switch games for 2023

There have been a handful of Metroid games since Metroid Fusion launched in 2002, but none of those games were actually direct sequels. The Metroid Prime trilogy is its own series, Metroid: Samus Returns and Zero Mission were remakes, and the less we say about Metroid: Other M, the better. That means that Metroid Dread was the first original 2D Metroid game to launch in 19 years, which is staggering to think about. Luckily, it was worth the wait. It’s one of Samus’ most memorable adventures yet and one of the best Nintendo Switch shooters to play. Metroid Dread picks up precisely where Fusion left off narratively, but it’s a much more mechanically modern title. Developer Mercury Steam, the team behind Samus Returns, heavily refined movement and combat for this game. Samus can now freely melee enemies with her arm cannon, slide through gaps, and free-aim in every direction. That allows her to move around like her Super Smash Bros. self during tough boss fights and tricky puzzles that require a mastery of movement. Dread also ups the series’ horror tendencies as Samus must escape from the robotic E.M.M.I., which stalks her like Alien‘s xenomorphs. It all comes together to form one of the scariest, toughest, and most stylish games Nintendo has made in a very long time. Take a look at our Metroid Dread beginner’s guide to get started.

For over two decades, Nintendo fans begged the company to make a sequel to Pokémon Snap. The N64 classic was a beloved hit thanks to its intuitive photography gameplay and charming use of the franchise. It was a long wait, but it was worth it in the end. New Pokémon Snap is a delightful follow-up that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch. For fans of the original, it doesn’t stray from what made that version work. It features relaxing, on-rails gameplay that lets players lay back and take some cute snaps. The sequel really shines when it comes to content. The original game was extremely short, making it a perfect Blockbuster rental. This new version is much more robust. There are over 210 Pokémon to snap, each of which has four distinct poses. There are way more courses to explore, which have several variants. Side requests give players around 200 bonus goals to complete on top of the already beefy 12-hour story. To top it all off, the game has a photo editor and an online social component where players can share their best snaps. For those who just want to live in the world of Pokémon, it’s a much more fully realized version of Snap that’s perfect for lazy Sundays on the couch.

Fortnite is one of the biggest games in the world. The full battle royale game is available on the console, and it supports cross-play with PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, Android, and iOS. Unlike the virtual analog sticks on the mobile version, however, you’ll be able to play it on the Switch with a traditional control scheme and compete against skilled players, and if you want to pop it on the big screen, you’re free to do so like you can with almost every Switch game.