Five Essential Nintendo Switch Games You should Play on the Nintendo Switch 2 (Part 3)

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. Nintendo are currently riding the wave that was the success of the Nintendo Switch. Releasing a sequel console that not only upgrades the original switch but is also backwards compatible.

In this blog I will be talking about five of the best and most essential Nintendo switch games that you can get right now and play on your Nintendo Switch 2.

1) Super Mario Party Jamboree

There's no franchise that has a party game line up like The Super Mario Bros franchise. Released in 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the latest installment to the Super Mario Party series, Lets just say this game is a great addition to a series that has been around since 1998.

Super Mario Party Jamboree sees you the player take on a range of seven different playing boards. Yes this game deep down is a multiplayer digital boardgame. Each board has a unique design, theme and gimmick that really stirs up each game, making every game extremely fun and unpredictable. For example my favourite board, known as rainbow galleria is a shopping mall theme'd level that has three floors to explore around the board. Its easily the most fun boards out of the 7 excellent mario party boards. I enjoy this one as it feels the most complex out of the boards but also the most unpredictable due to the three different floors and pathways you can take that can change the score very quickly.

Mario party jamboree also has a rule where you can aquire help from mario characters that drop in and out of the game. If you can reach them on the board in time you end up with a boss style challenge that is theme'd to that character. If you win these challenges you gain a huge advantage and a perk that will help double most things you aquire like the Power Stars that are placed around the board. The aim of the game is to collect as many randomly placed Power Stars as you can before your opponents do first. The winner is the player with the most power stars, simple. However the game will throw as many challenges, unlucky tiles and debuffs as it can at you to make sure that you do not win. It's not all bad though, because if you play your cards right you will overcome your challenges and emerge victorious.

I will also mention the games many minigames which there are 112 of them. All different and extremely fun to play. They are the ultimate friendship breaking minigames.

Super Mario Party Jamboree has also has a Nintendo Switch 2 version release where it comes with the Jamboree TV expansion which brings in entirely new minigames and game modes that utalize the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera accessory.

2) Splatoon 3

Out of all of Nintendo newest I.P's of the last 10 years The Splatoon series has been Nintendo's most successful. Released in 2022, Splatoon 3 is the third game in the Splatoon series. In this game you play as an Inkling known as Agent 3. A hybrid squid humanoid who is tasked with protecting the splatlands from the evil DJ Octavio and the Octarians. This game is as strange as it sounds, but it is brilliant. Its so much fun to experience splatoon 3's lore and world as you adventure through a post apocalyptic world that has adapted to squids evolving and becoming the prime species of earth.

So why is this game called Splatoon. Well the answer is in the name. Its a cartoony art style game where you splat surfaces and enemies with coloured squid ink. Gross.....Nintendo really went all out with the weirdness dial turned up to max when designing this series. This game is also primarily an online multiplayer game. Splatoon is easily Nintendo's online gaming powerhouse series being the answer to an online shooting game series that keeps players hooked with different game modes such as Turf War and Ranked battle.

Turf war is the most iconic game mode for splatoon as the aim of the game is to spread as much ink across the surface of the game map. With two teams competing against each other, these short battle quickly turn into chaos as one teams ink soon takes over and the other team begins to struggle to keep up their own spread of ink. Turf war isn't just a deathmatch style game mode, its also a strategic battle mode that requires great communication and knowledge of defense and offence.

Another popular game mode is the multiplayer mode known as Salmon Run: Next wave. A sequel game mode to Splatoon 2's Salmon run. In this game mode, players team up to face off against the Salmonids. This is a wave style gameplay mode where players are pit against waves of enemies with boss salmonids to also face off against. Its an extremely addictive mode and is somewhat just as fun as other wave style game modes from other popular games.

Splatoon 3 is also a game that's known for its community. Its following has evolved over the years and is now the primary community space for Nintendo switch and Nintendo Switch 2 owners. You can even show off your style, referred to as 'freshness' in game by customising your own Inkling for online modes why choosing weapons and items of clothing, each with their own perks to help upgrade your Inkling.

I highly recommend this game as it is easily the best Nintendo Produced online game out there for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It even won the best Multiplayer game award at the 2022 game awards.

3) Xenoblade Chonicles: Definitive Edition

One of the greatest games of all time, period. I don't need to say more.........okay okay I will.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a remaster of a Nintendo Wii game originally released in 2010. This Nintendo Switch Definitive Edition released in 2019 and fine tuned what was already a stellar game on the Nintendo Wii.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is the first game in a quadrilogy games under the Xenoblade chronicles title. Taking place on a world made up of two titan sized guardians known as Bionis and Mechonis. You play a gang of unlikely friends who must protect the Bionis from the rising threat of the Mechons. A race of sentient machines who want to take Bionis for its ether resource.

Welding the Monado blade, Shulk must use his aquired skills during real time combat battles, alongside your chosen party formation. Battles consist of selecting which moves you would like to use to suit the situation of the battle you are in. For example, fighting Mechons requires selecting a specific move that will allow mechons to be damaged by weapons that arn't the monado. Battles also give you the chance to build up chain attacks which if performed correctly can lead to huge levels of damage caused. This battle mechanic is extremely fun and is super useful during the more difficult battles, to which there are many of if you are under leveled and powered.

Lets also not forget that the main crux of this game is that the Monado give Shulk the power to see into the future so that you can see how you are going to be attack by your enemy before it even happens, This creates interesting JRPG combat moments as you can literally change the course of the fight with a simple change like moving to a different place, guarding or warning another member of your party.

Xenoblade chronicles is a game that really focuses on its 60 hour story. Its by far the best part of the game as the story really feels fleshed out and doesn't pull any punches. There are so many great moments within this games story and the main characters are all extremely interesting, a clear favorite being Shulk's right hand man Reyn, He's the samwise gamgee of this game, enough said.

I highly recommend this game purely for its amazing atmosphere and story. While the gameplay is somewhat dated compared to later releases. This game really shines in its ability to create such a large world within such a small cartridge. There is so much to do in this game because it is huge, but it never feels overwhelming at all. There are so many quests to complete and they are mostly simple collectathon or hunting quests that never overstay their welcome and let you explore the world and gain EXP to level up your party. The best thing about this game is that it teaches you as you progress, the more you play, the simpler the game gets as the game is constantly throwing in new mechanics to the games battle system or affinity chart.

The affinity chart is another of the games mechanics as this part of the game gives you the power to build relationships between the games characters. This will help lead to moments throughout the game where you can see extra dialogue scenes that help build character and story. Its really up to you to build up your party so that they work as a team. This means you have to use your entire party to really get the best team possible and become a well oiled engine.

Honestly there is so much to this game. Its beautiful and its extremely underplayed. Do yourself a favor and play this game, you wont regret it.

4) Nintendo Switch Sports

Before I get into really talking about this game I want to say, Yes I know this game is not as good as Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort. Both those games are some of the best work that Nintendo have ever produced in regards to party games. I also agree that despite the Mii faces being optional if you wished, the sportsmates were not a good replacement and focus to the Mii's in the previous game. Nintendo Bring back the Mii's if you ever make a Nintendo Switch 2 Sports game.

Okay anyway. despite the main complaint being about the lack of Mii use, This game is still a fun time. It's exactly what you expect it to be. A collection of mini games that utalise the HD gyro controls of the Nintendo Switch Joycons.

Its a game that is really built for multiplayer gaming. Its best played with a buddy. Its a shame that this game didn't get the same reception as the original wii sports on release. I cant help but feel that this game was released too late and would have been a great launch game for the Nintendo Switch and released as a free bundle game. It's definitely better than 1 2 Switch as a tech demo game.

Included sports games are the returning Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Chambara and Basketball. New additions include Football, Badminton and Volleyball. Each game is completely different from each other and feel slightly more precise when compared to their original couterparts from Wii Sports and Resort. I will say that this game does feel a little more floaty because of the preciseness. I think I do prefer the controls of the original game, but I do respect that Nintendo probably had to make changes to avoid more claims that Monitors have been damaged from thrown controllers. For example you now have to hold the Z button down during your Bowling throws as this avoids Joy con slips.

Despite what some people will say, I do recommend this game. It's just simple fun. there is no reason not to at least try it out. Its a great game for young or non gamers to as it is a game that is easy to pick up and play. You literally just have to wiggle you arms around for some games, Its that simple. Go play it.

5) Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread is a Metroidvania masterpiece. This game really shows off why the word Metroid is in the game of the Metroidvania action adventure subgenre. Seriously, this game is a spectacle worth of your time.

Metroid Dread is a 2D side scrolling action adventure dungeon game that sees you play as the Iconic female bounty hunter Samus Aran. Taking place on the planet ZDR. Samus must navigate a hunt down her most powerful threat yet. Raven Beak.

On your adventure you will find yourself being hunted by the terifying E.M.M.I's who are out to take the DNA of Samus Aran. The E.M.M.I's are geniunely unsettling and are the most interesting part of this game. They are placed across the entire world map and are essentially this games main bosses.

If you like games like Dark Souls or Hollow Knight, You will love this game as it is essentially made to be an extremely challenging game. Its fast paced, its brutal, its full of tricky platforming and the room for error is small. Alot of this game is built around trial and error, learning how things work and how enemies move. It literally does as it says on the tin and make you feel dread, but once you get past that dread. This game is one of the most satisfying games you can play on Nintendo Switch.

One thing I loved about this game was it's atmosphere. Metroid has kind of made its name as a light horror franchise. There are so many moments in this game that could be taken straight out of horror movies. A.I is a scary thing at the moment in the real world and when the E.M.M.I's are literal evil A.I, then this game takes Sci-Fi Horror to another level. I Also have to give Raven Beak as the games main antagonist a shoutout as his final boss fight is easily one of the best Boss fights in any Metroid game.

I think this game really shines with its fluent gameplay and visual style. It's one of the best looking games on Nintendo Switch and only looks better on Nintendo Switch 2 due to improved frame rates. Graphically this game has the visual style of a beefed up Nintendo 3DS game, but that is not a bad thing as it just seems to work on the Nintendo Switch due to the colour palette and neon visual style. This game also feels like your gliding through it. Samus Aran moves so smoothly and is easy to pick up and control.

I honestly can't recommend this game enough.

Conclusion

Those were five Nintendo Switch games that you should play on or replay on your Nintendo Switch 2. There is a huge selection of Nintendo Switch games out there. The original switch in my eyes is the greatest games console of all time and the Nintendo Switch 2 has a huge legacy to live up to. I honestly think that The original Nintendo Switches catalog of games is second to none and really should not be forgotten about now the Nintendo Switch 2 is here. Nintendo games historically have been polished to the point that Nintendo have their own formula for their games and it works over and over again. I highly recommend you play the games I have mentioned if you haven't already, which is kind of concerning as if you are reading this now, I would have expected you to have played them by now. Ah well better late than never.

Thanks for reading make sure you check my Youtube Channel Switchbored. - https://www.youtube.com/@Switchbored

I will see you for the next post

Sam