The Nintendo Switch has evolved over the years, but the hybrid mobile console is still going strong. The platform has had a solid year with lots of great new releases, especially from outside the realm of Nintendo’s usual flagship franchises. Games like Kirby and Switch Sports are great suggestions for some beloved franchises that don’t rely heavily on bigger names like Mario or Zelda. Xenoblade Chronicles marks another massive RPG for the platform already known as a destination for epic play on the go.
In the realm of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, this has been a year of many unusual entries. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope returns to the strange strategy game partnership between Nintendo and Ubisoft, with exceptional results. And Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a big departure from the regular Pokemon formula, helping to chart a new path forward that we saw partly repeated in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, released later this year. .
However, Nintendo was not immune to delays, which pushed some games beyond their 2022 release deadline. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – formerly known informally as Breath of the Wild 2 – has been pushed to May 2023. And in an unpredictable turn of events, Nintendo made the last-minute decision to indefinitely delay the release of Advance Wars Reboot Camp amid the war. happening in Ukraine. One or both of those games are still among our most anticipated and most likely made it to this list.
Despite those hurdles, it’s been an extremely strong year for the Nintendo Switch, with plenty of games that will keep you steady and handheld in the new year. Below, we’ve outlined our picks for the best five Nintendo Switch exclusives of 2022, in no particular order.
