Nintendo Switch allows you to play a game at home on TV and then pick up your system and wear your perfect game. It is a huge selling point for the platform in general and has allowed many developers and publishers to find great success by bringing older and newer games into the system over time. In many cases, games that would never have been on a laptop were brought in as faithfully as Witcher 3 in 2019. In 2020 there were a lot of excellent conversions to Switch, but here are the top 10 Switch ports in 2020, in no case Order.
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Capcom)
The releases of Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Resident Evil on the Nintendo Switch are almost all more expensive than other platforms and are not as good from a technical point of view, despite the games themselves coming from older consoles. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is the exception here, because not only is it an excellent version of Devil May Cry 3 technically, but the Switch port has some exclusive features. Switching style and weapons allows you to change Dante’s style of play on the go, as opposed to levels, which is an extremely great feature. I can’t believe that Capcom hasn’t implemented this on other platforms. The Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition also has a local cooperative mode. My only real complaint with Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is that you can’t physically buy it. Even without the exclusive content, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition would have been an excellent port. With new features, however, the Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is an essential purchase.
The times and the will of the tricksters (iam8bit / Moon Studios)
The original and the Blind Forest was a huge surprise to most people on the Nintendo Switch. When the sequel was announced for the Xbox and PC platforms and finally came out earlier this year, I was very disappointed with the abysmal performance on the Xbox One X. Except for the performance, Ori and Will of the Wisps was a massively improved sequel that it was better in almost every way. Since that rocky release on consoles, the game has improved a lot in this regard, but the announcement and launch of the Nintendo Switch version was a shock to me. I couldn’t imagine how it would work on the Switch, given the performance on a much more powerful console, but Moon Studios delivered. Ori and Will of the Wisps is an absolute joy to play on the Switch and is certainly a miracle of a port given the way it looks and works on any system.
Streets of Rage 4 (Dotemu / Seaven Studio)
Some might argue that it is not fair to call Streets of Rage 4 a port given that it was announced for Switch and released on Switch at the same time as other platforms. The reality is that the Switch and PS4 versions of Streets of Rage 4 were made by Seaven Studio and this is not a game that was built for Switch and then expanded, so it is a port in the end. A damn good port, too. Streets of Rage 4 is already one of the best beat-em-ups of recent years and easily one of my favorite games of 2020. Although it is available on almost any platform, it is great to have a perfect conversion ready for me. up and play at any time on the Switch. The only disadvantage of this port, in my experience, is that online is delayed compared to other systems, regardless of the type of connection.
Sub Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] (Aksys Games / Arc System Works)
Fighting games are usually a mixed bag on the Nintendo Switch. While Mortal Kombat 11 and Samurai Shodown offer useful experiences for those who want to play on the go, very few fighting games have managed to switch perfectly to the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] from Arc System Works and French Bread is almost a perfect port to switch. It looks and runs great both docked and portable and really only suffers from delayed updates compared to PS4. It’s a great way to experience Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] if you are in it for offline content. Sub Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] is one of the best fighting games you can play on Switch and a great port.
No More Heroes (XSEED Games / Engine Software)
No More Heroes is an interesting game and an interesting port. If you’ve never played it before, No More Heroes is a fun action game with great content and great music, which is well complemented with great characters and great boss fights. Although it has a filling content, it remains a game worth experiencing. No More Heroes on Switch is the best way to play the original game by far. It works well and looks great. In many ways, Engine Software has done more for No More Heroes to look and function well today than other large publishers do for their own flagship versions. The low asking price also helps to improve this release of No More Heroes for newcomers, not only for No More Heroes games, but also for Suda51 games in general. I’m glad XSEED Games selected this port for Switch, because everyone should play No More Heroes and the sequel before No More Heroes 3 next year.
Ys Origin (Dotemu / Falcom)
Falcom licenses its games quite a lot for different platforms and regions. Ys Origin debuted on PC before seeing the release of PS4 and PS Vita through Dotemu. I was glad to have Ys Origin on a laptop, but the conversion was not perfect. Dotemu then brought it to Xbox One, but a Switch port was still missing. Fortunately, this was sorted out this year, when Ys Origin finally hit Switch. Ys Origin is one of the best action games you can play on Switch and the best entry point into older Ys style games, the best entry into modern ones being Ys VIII. Ys Origin on Switch is exactly what I wanted with much better performance both docked and portable. I’ve played Ys Origin all before, but it never hurts to have a game you love on Switch. If you’ve never played it before, this is easily the version you can get.
Hades (Supergiant Games)
Hades is a game that you will probably see on many year-end lists. It’s a superlative roguelike action RPG from Supergiant Games, which debuted on PC in early access before finally hitting the Switch this year. What makes Hades so good on the Switch is that it looks and works great for the most part and has crossover with the PC version. This allows players who own the game on both systems to play on the computer when they are at home and pick them up and play on the Switch on the go without any problems. Over the months since its release, Hades on Switch has also seen several fixes, and it’s basically a game I can recommend to anyone on the Switch right now. It’s not just a great roguelike, it’s a great roguelike that has the superlative polish you’d expect from Supergiant Games with a soundtrack that is easily among the best in this generation.
Cold Steel III Routes (NIS America / Engine Software)
After the announcement of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa from DANA, it was just the beginning of the modern Falcom games that hit the Switch. While Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II were originally on PS3 and PS Vita, Trails of Cold Steel III debuted as a PS4-only game in Japan. It’s a good entry point into the long-running Falcom Trails series and a massive game in itself. NIS America and Engine Software brought it to Switch earlier this year, with all content included, and it’s a great port to play on the go. When played docked, it looks about the same, with no real visual enhancements. If you want to play Trails of Cold Steel III on TV, it’s better to play it on PS4 anyway if you have this option. On Switch, Trails of Cold Steel III offers you an excellent portable version, with the possibility to play on TV without any friction. I can’t wait to play Trails of Cold Steel IV on Switch when it arrives in 2021.
Doom Eternal (Bethesda / Panic button)
Like Ori and Will of the Wisps, I couldn’t have imagined a situation where Doom Eternal would look and work well enough on the Nintendo Switch, given how demanding it is on other platforms. I played a lot of Doom (2016) on Switch and I liked the time to dive into arcade mode often. It didn’t look as good as other consoles, but it did the job. Doom Eternal felt like a massive step forward on all platforms when it arrived earlier this year and I couldn’t help but check the Switch conversion. This might be Panic Button’s best work so far, as Doom Eternal runs even better than Doom (2016) for me on Switch. It has had a great visual impact compared to other systems, but it is an excellent conversion, which only needs a few other control changes to feel perfect. I’m not sure how I’ll handle Switch when DLC arrives next year, but the basic game is worth experimenting with on the go, if you want to play it on Switch. However, if you consider it for the TV game, literally any other platform is a better option.
Burnout Paradise Remastered (EA)
Burnout Paradise Remastered arrived on the Nintendo Switch earlier this year and was delivered in all modes. The open world racer plays and looks great both docked and portable, the developer going further to even include touch screen support for the interface. Burnout Paradise Remastered on Nintendo Switch is fully content with the other versions and is the only platform that offers portable games. The only downside is the asking price, which is higher than other platforms, but alone, Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for Switch racing fans and one of the best ports of the year.
Once the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S have just come out, the Nintendo Switch is still on top, with lots of original games and ports hitting it. 2021 will certainly be interesting, but what was your favorite Nintendo Switch port of the year?