The 10 Best Nintendo Switch Platformers, Ranked

It’s no surprise that Nintendo consoles tend to house some of the best platformers of all time.

A long time ago, Nintendo helped launch the genre with the original donkey kong arcade game, then went even further with their plumber mascot, Mario, who is best known for his platform games.

The Nintendo Switch continues in this tradition, giving gamers a rich library full of great platformers to enjoy. If you’re looking to blast your way to victory, there are a few must-haves here.

Here are our picks for the best Nintendo Switch platformers, including a healthy mix of modern hits and re-released classics.

This SNES classic has been given a new lease of life as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service, allowing a whole new generation of fans to experience this debut game that introduced us to Yoshi for the first time.

The music, art style, and variety of gameplay were all innovative at the time, and it all holds together today. Super Mario World remains one of Mario’s best releases, and it plays on both the Switch and the SNES.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a scenic and colorful adventure that sees the pink glutton making his way through an all-new game.

Kirby’s classic abilities are all there, but his new found power to use almost anything he wraps in his extendable mouth is what makes this one of the best games in this classic franchise.

If you like the Metroidvania genre – full of games that reward players for skillful platforming and deep exploration – then hollow knight is one of the best games you will ever play.

The art is magnificent. The fight is tight, difficult and fair. You can spend hours and hours in this game and you still won’t run out of places to explore. For Metroidvanias fans, there’s nothing better than this, and it plays just as well in handheld mode as it does on a big TV screen.

If you have chosen the limited edition Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, then you have three of Mario’s most popular adventures since Nintendo 64. Of these three, the best is easily super mario galaxythat saw everyone’s favorite plumber blast off into space.

The Nintendo Switch version of the game doesn’t make many changes to the original, but it’s still one of the best platformers for the console. The creative use of gravity mechanics and varied environments make this a solid game challenge as well as a visual treat.

shovel knight is one of those platformers that embraces the tropes and trappings of the genre with both arms, embodying all the things that have kept gamers coming back to the genre for decades.

It’s a love letter to retro platformers, but still manages to inject its own little updates that help it feel more modern.

The Treasure includes the base game and its two expansions, plus a handful of new features that make an already great game even better. This is the definitive and essential version of shovel knight.

metroid has always been as much about exploration as it is about platforming, and that’s why Metroid Dread the return to its 2D platforming roots has been so celebrated by old and new fans of the series.

There is a feeling of isolation in Samus’ adventure in Metroid Dread which perfectly fits the Nintendo Switch.

Everything from the atmospheric music, to the often overwhelming difficulty, to the spikes of anxiety when the terrifying EMMI robots are on your heels, it all comes together to form the best metroid game of all time.

On the inside is a dark, dark platformer on Nintendo Switch that’s haunting and innovative in all the best ways.

This game will only take you a few hours to beat, and we see that as a good thing – there’s absolutely no filler or padding to be found anywhere. It’s fast-paced and brilliantly balanced, with a narrative that unfolds in a wonderfully creative way.

We know some players don’t think short games are worth it, but if you fall into this group, we invite you to try this one out and see if it changes your mind. It’s the kind of game that will stay with you for a long time.

If you are a fan of classic Sonic games you must check Sonic Mania Plus (which is an improved version of Sonic Mania which improves gameplay, adds content and includes the Bis DLCs).

Sonic Mania is a celebration of the original games in the series, and it successfully stays at the heart of what made those previous games so beloved, while offering plenty of new content to keep things fresh.

It’s the best Sonic game of recent memory and a brilliant title for everyone, but especially brilliant for those who need to go fast.

Platformers are often light on story, choosing instead to focus their resources on level design, gameplay mechanics, and challenging puzzles that keep players mentally engaged.

Celestial certainly does all of this, but never at the expense of its story. You’ll be taken on a deep, emotional journey that goes places you wouldn’t expect, and it fits right in with the clean platforming mechanics.

This game is easily one of the best 2D platformers of all time and a great title to choose for the Nintendo Switch. It is truly a special experience for any platformer fan.

The sheer number of worlds and powers on display in Super Mario Odyssey is what makes it the king of all platform games.

On the surface, Super Mario Odyssey is a clear love letter to all things Mario, filled with references to his retro titles from nearly every console generation. But beyond that, Super Mario Odyssey is a fun and challenging platform game with many hours of gameplay to enjoy.

Seeing Mario take control of a T-rex, complete with his iconic hat and little mustache, is one of the game’s greatest moments to date.

About Jason Zeitler

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