With the Nintendo Switch, you can play a game on TV at home, then just pick up your system and seamlessly take your game with you. It is a huge selling point for the platform in general and has brought great success to many developers and publishers in bringing older and newer games to the system over time. In many cases, games that would never have been on a portable computer have been faithfully transferred like with The Witcher 3 in 2019.2020 has seen tons of great conversions to the Switch, but here are the top 10 Switch ports of 2020 in particular order .
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Capcom)
Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Resident Evil releases on Nintendo Switch are almost all more expensive than other platforms, and not as good technically, despite the games themselves being from older consoles. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is the exception here, as not only is it a great tech-level version of Devil May Cry 3, but the Switch port has some exclusive features. Switching styles and weapons allows you to instantly change Dante’s playstyle as opposed to between levels which is a hugely awesome feature. I can’t believe Capcom hasn’t implemented this on other platforms. The Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition also has a local co-op 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. However, with new features, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is an essential purchase.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (iam8bit / Moon Studios)
The original Ori and the Blind Forest came as a huge surprise to most of the people on Nintendo Switch. When the sequel was announced for Xbox and PC platforms and it was finally released earlier this year, I was very disappointed with the hopeless performance on Xbox One X. Performance aside, Ori and the Will of the Wisps was a vastly improved sequel that better in almost every way. Since that rocky launch on consoles, the game has improved a lot in that regard, but the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch version came as a shock to me. I couldn’t imagine how it would run on Switch given its performance on a much more powerful console, but Moon Studios delivered it. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an absolute joy to play on Switch and it’s an absolute wonder of a port considering how it looks and works on any system.
Streets of Rage 4 (Dotemu / Seaven Studio)
Some might argue that calling Streets of Rage 4 a port is not fair as 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 created by Seaven Studio and this is not a game that was built for Switch and then scaled up so it’s ultimately a port. A damn fine gate too. Streets of Rage 4 is already one of the best beat em-ups in years and easily one of my favorite games of 2020. Although it is available on just about every platform, having a perfect conversion ready for me is great stand. and play on Switch anytime. The only downside to this port in my experience is that it is online laggy compared to other systems regardless of connection type.
Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] (Aksys Games / Arc System Works)
Fighting games are usually a mixed bag on Nintendo Switch. While Mortal Kombat 11 and Samurai Shodown offer actionable experiences for those who want to play on the go, very few fighting games have managed to transition to Nintendo Switch perfectly. Fortunately, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] from Arc System Works and French Bread is just about a perfect port to switch. It looks and works great on the dock as well as in the hand, and only really 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 the offline content. Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] is one of the best fighting games you can play on Switch and an excellent port.
No more heroes (XSEED Games / Engine Software)
No More Heroes is an interesting game and an interesting gate. If you’ve never played it before, No More Heroes is a fun action game with some filling content and great music that is well complemented by excellent characters and great boss fights. While it has some padding content, it remains a game worth experiencing. No More Heroes on Switch is by far the best way to play the original game. It runs well and looks excellent. In many ways, Engine Software has done more to make No More Heroes look and work good these days than other major publishers do for their own flagship releases. The low asking price also helps to make this No More Heroes release more welcoming to newcomers, not only the No More Heroes games, but Suda51 games in general. I’m glad XSEED Games sorted this port for Switch as everyone should be playing No More Heroes and its sequel before No More Heroes 3 comes out next year.
Ys Origin (Dotemu / Falcom)
Falcom licenses its games quite a bit for different platforms and regions. Ys Origin debuted on PC before seeing a PS4 and PS Vita release through Dotemu. I was happy to have Ys Origin on a portable computer, but the conversion wasn’t perfect. Dotemu then brought it to Xbox One, but a Switch port was still missing in action. Thankfully, that was fixed this year when Ys Origin finally arrived on Switch. Ys Origin is one of the best action games you can play on Switch and the best entry point to the older Ys games with the best access to the modern Ys VIII. Ys Origin on Switch is exactly what I wanted with much better performance both in the docking station and in the hand. I had played Ys Origin on everything 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 to get.
Hades (Supergiant Games)
Hades is a game you’ll likely see on many year-end lists. It’s a superlative roguelike action RPG from Supergiant Games that debuted on PC in early access before finally hitting Switch this year. What makes Hades so good on Switch is that it looks and works great for the most part, and it’s compatible with the PC version. This allows players who own the game on both systems to play on the PC at home and pick up and play on Switch while on the go. Over the months since its launch, Hades on Switch has also seen multiple fixes, and it’s basically a game that I can now recommend to everyone on Switch. Not only is it a great roguelike, it is a great roguelike with the superlative you would expect from Supergiant Games with a soundtrack that is easily among the best of this generation.
Trails of Cold Steel III (NIS America / Engine Software)
After DANA’s Ys VIII: Lacrimosa was announced, it was just the beginning of modern Falcom games reaching the Switch. While Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II were initially on PS3 and PS Vita, Trails of Cold Steel III debuted as a PS4 game in Japan. It’s a great starting point for Falcom’s long-running Trails series and a huge game in itself. NIS America and Engine Software brought it to Switch earlier this year with all content included, and it’s an excellent port to play on the go. When played in the dock it looks pretty much the same with no real visual enhancements. If you want to play Trails of Cold Steel III on TV, you’re better off playing it on PS4 anyway if you have that option. On the Switch, Trails of Cold Steel III gives you a great portable version with the ability to play on TV without any friction as well. 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 the Will of the Wisps, I just couldn’t imagine a situation where Doom Eternal would look and run well enough on Nintendo Switch, given how demanding it is on other platforms. I played a ton of Doom (2016) on Switch and enjoyed my time diving into arcade mode often. It didn’t look as good as other consoles, but it got the job done. Doom Eternal felt like a huge leap forward across all platforms when it arrived earlier this year and I couldn’t resist checking out the Switch conversion. This may be Panic Button’s best work yet, as Doom Eternal runs even better for me than Doom (2016) on Switch. It’s had a big visual hit compared to other systems, but it’s a great conversion that just needs a few extra tweaks to feel perfect. I’m not sure how I’ll fare on Switch when the DLC arrives next year, but the base game is worth experiencing on the go if you want to play it on Switch. However, if you’re considering playing on TV, 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 every way possible. The open-world racer plays and looks great both on the dock and in the hand, with the developer taking it a step further to even include touchscreen support for the interface. Burnout Paradise Remastered on Nintendo Switch is content complete 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 on its own Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for racing fans on Switch and one of the best ports of the year.
With the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S just out, the Nintendo Switch is still very much in the top spot with a plethora of original games and ports. 2021 is sure to be interesting, but what was your favorite Nintendo Switch port of the year?