Summary
The Nintendo Switch has been around for a long time, and over the years, more games have been released for it. Nintendo consoles often have a strong suit of action games within their library of titles, despite Switch being less powerful than its industry counterparts, such as Xbox and PlayStation, which can handle moregraphically intense titlesin the genre.
Games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and the latestMonster Hunter: Wildsare all titles that do not run on the Nintendo Switch due to power limitations. Nevertheless, the Nintendo Switch can still handle some of thebest action games. The console’s first and third-party lineups are some of the finest.
Critically acclaimed action-adventure gameHollow Knighthas players exploring the vast world of the Hallownest in a glorious 2D adventure. It features some of the best action gameplay, such as seeing Hollow Knight fight a host of creepy enemies using his sword and abilities to traverse the darkness. Once Hollow Knight is defeated, players must fight their corpses to recover their lost treasure in a unique action gameplay mechanic.
The game also features some of the best art, animation, and music in gaming, making the action-adventure platformer one of the greatest games on the Switch.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Troveis one of the best 2D action-adventure platformers on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo consoles in general.Shovel Knightfeatures non-stop-action gameplay, all with an 8-bit classic retro aesthetic.
Treasure Troveincludes all the content released in theShovel Knightseries, including the original base game, DLC, and stories based on Plague Knight, King Knight, and other characters in theShoveluniverse. The game also includes challenge modes, co-op, and new game+ + features.
First released on the Wii U in 2014,Bayonetta 2,over a decade later, still stands as one of the best action games onNintendo consoles. The Nintendo Switch breathes new life intoBayonetta 2, with players able to enjoy the series' classic nonstop action with great graphics and stunning cutscenes.
Put simply,Bayonettanever looked better than on the Switch. The Switch is the best place to play this masterclass in action gameplay.
Castlevania Dominus Collectionis aCastlevaniafan’s dream compilation of classic games in a single package. Featuring three titles -Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Castlevania Order of Ecclesia, the collection is an excellent homage to these original games, brought to life on the Switch in high definition.
The package also includes a redesign of theCastlevaniaarcade game Haunted Castle. While the collection does not include a remake or remaster of these games, the action of the originals is still excellent, standing toe to toe with the best 2D action-adventure games.
Potentially a contentious pick for this article,Super Mario Bros. Wonderis a bit like chalk or cheese; you either love it or you really dislike it.Wonderflipped the idea of a 2D Mario platform on its head by adding a simple plant - the Wonder Flower, which could transform platforming courses into a whole concoction of different things, from a charging bull rush to a spacewalking level.
The game also added an elephant power-up and hilarious talking flowers that added to the wackiness of the game. While the game divided much of the Mario community, it is still a great action game, willing to take chances on the decade-old formula of Mario 2D platforming.
With a 93 on Metacritic,Hadesis one of the generation’sbest roguelike action gamesand arguably of all time. A dungeon crawler at its heart,Hadestells the story of the prince of the underworld who traverses the depths of hell to escape the clutches ofHadeshimself. Critically acclaimed for a reason, Hades features superb roguelike action gameplay that has players wielding a whole range of god-like weapons to deliver epic damage at breakneck speed to foes.Hadesis the best roguelike action role-playing game on the Switch.
Samus made her return to Nintendo consoles withMetroid Prime Remasteredin 2023. A remaster of the classic first entry into thePrimeseries, released in 2002,Prime Remasteredgained critical acclaim from critics as a brilliant modern-day remaster. The game featured updated graphics, improved sound, and other quality-of-life features like enhanced controls that madePrimesuit a modern-day gaming audience. Nothing else needs to be said aboutMetroid Prime Remasteredthan that it is a faithful remaster of an action classic with a new coat of paint and grease under the wheels.
Coming in two slots below its predecessor on this list,Tears of the Kingdomexpanded uponBreath of the Wildaction gameplay, introducing new rune abilities and mechanics, such as fusing weapons with objects for added durability. The game also included new areas to explore, both underground and far into the sky.Tears of the Kingdomis just as competent as its precursor in action despite being ranked slightly lower by reviewers.
The Mario series has always been filled with action, whether stomping on a Goombas head or spinning Bowser by his tail in Mario 64.Super Mario Odysseyis easily one of the best action games on the Nintendo Switch, as one of the franchise’s most well-regarded 3D action-adventure games. The game introduced a range of kingdoms Mario must explore based on planet Earth.Odysseyalso introduced Cappy, a cap that Mario can throw on foes to control them, as one of the series' most novel action mechanics. Like the 3D-action adventure games that came before it,Odysseywas a console seller as one of the best action games on the Switch.
TheLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildfound its success as the first trueopen-world gamein the series' history.Breath of the Wildcombined nonstop exploration with top-tieraction-adventure gameplayto give players an immersive Hyrule experience that improved on the series' core action mechanics in nearly every way.
Players could battle new and returning enemies with various equipable weapons, including swords, bows, and spears, all susceptible to shattering. Rune abilities such as remote bombs and statis were also introduced to fight foes and tackle puzzles.Breath of the Wildhas some of the best action in the series, and on the Nintendo Switch, it is one of the best open-world action games of all time.
