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Nintendo Switch lets you play a game at home on TV, then take your console and carry your game with you seamlessly. This is a huge selling point for the platform in general and has enabled many developers and publishers to successfully integrate older and newer games into the system over time. In many cases, games that would never have been on a laptop have transferred faithfully like with The Witcher 3 in 2019. 2020 has seen a lot of interesting conversions to the Switch, but here are the 10 best switch ports of 2020 without. particular order.
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Capcom)
Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Resident Evil versions for Nintendo Switch are almost all more expensive than other platforms and not as technically good, although the games themselves are from older consoles. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is the exception here because not only is it a technically excellent version of Devil May Cry 3, but the Switch port has some exclusive features. The style and weapon change allows you to change Dante’s playstyle on the fly rather than between levels, which is an extremely cool feature. I can’t believe Capcom hasn’t implemented this in other platforms. The Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition also has a local co-op mode. My only real gripe 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 a great port. With new features however, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is an essential buy.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (iam8bit / Moon Studios)
The original Ori and the Blind Forest came as a huge surprise for most Nintendo Switch users. When the sequel was announced for the Xbox and PC platforms and was finally released earlier in the year, I was very disappointed with the appalling performance on the Xbox One X. Except for the performance , Ori and the Will of the Wisps was a massively improved sequel that was better in almost every way. Since that rough launch on consoles, the game has improved a lot in that aspect, but the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch version was a shock to me. I couldn’t imagine how it would work on Switch given the performance on a much more powerful console, but Moon Studios delivered. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an absolute joy to play on Switch, and it’s certainly a miracle of a port considering how it looks and works on any system.
Streets of Rage 4 (Dotemu / Seaven Studio)
Some might argue that it’s not fair to call Streets of Rage 4 a port given that it was announced for Switch and released on Switch alongside other platforms. The reality is that the Switch and PS4 versions of Streets of Rage 4 were made by Seaven Studio and it’s not a game that was made for Switch and then scaled up, so it’s a port to the end. A hell of a good port 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’s available on almost every platform, it’s great to have a perfect conversion ready to be chosen. and play anytime on Switch. In my experience, the only downside to this port is the line lag compared to other systems regardless of the connection type.
Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] (Aksys Games / Arc System Works)
Fighting games are generally a mixed bag on Nintendo Switch. While Mortal Kombat 11 and Samurai Shodown offer useful experiences for those looking to play on the go, very few fighting games have managed to transition perfectly to Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] Arc System Works and French Bread is pretty much a perfect port for Switch. It looks and works great on both the docking station and the handheld and really only suffers from delayed updates compared to the PS4. It’s a great way to check out Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] if you’re there for offline content. Under 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 filler content and great music that is complemented well with great characters and great boss fights. Although it has some filler content, there is still one game to be discovered. No More Heroes on Switch is by far the best way to play the original game. It works well and looks excellent. In many ways, Engine Software has done more to make No More Heroes look and perform well today than other major publishers do for their own flagship releases. The low asking price also helps make this version of No More Heroes more welcoming to newcomers not only to No More Heroes games, but Suda51 games in general as well. I’m glad XSEED Games has sorted this port for Switch as everyone should be playing No More Heroes and beyond before No More Heroes 3 arrives next year.
Origin Ys (Dotemu / Falcom)
Falcom does some licensing of its games for different platforms and regions. Ys Origin debuted on PC before seeing a release on PS4 and PS Vita via Dotemu. I was happy 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 in action. Fortunately, that was sorted out 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 for older style Ys games, with the best entry for modern games being Ys VIII. Ys Origin on Switch is exactly what I wanted with much better performance on both the docking station and the handheld. 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 end-of-year 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 has a cross-save with the PC version. This allows gamers who own the game on both systems to play on PC while at home and pick up and play on Switch on the go without any hassle. In the months since its launch, Hades on Switch has also seen several fixes and it’s basically a game that I can recommend to anyone on 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’s easily among the best of this generation.
Trails of Cold Steel III (NIS America / Engine Software)
After the announcement of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA, that was just the start of modern Falcom games on 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-only game in Japan. It’s a good entry point into Falcom’s long Trails series and a massive game in its own right. 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 dockside, it looks pretty much the same with no real visual enhancement. If you want to play Trails of Cold Steel III on TV, you’d better play 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 TV also 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)
Much like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, I just couldn’t imagine a situation where Doom Eternal would look and perform well enough on Nintendo Switch given its requirement on other platforms. I played a ton of Doom (2016) on Switch and often enjoyed my time immersing myself in the arcade mode. It didn’t look as good as other consoles but got the job done. Doom Eternal felt like a huge step forward across all platforms when it arrived earlier this year, and I couldn’t resist checking out the Switch conversion. This could be the best Panic Button job so far, as Doom Eternal performs even better than Doom (2016) for me on Switch. It took a great visual hit over other systems, but it’s a great conversion that only requires a few more control 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 experimenting on the go if you want to play it on Switch. If you are planning to play on TV, literally all other platforms are a better option.
Burnout Paradise Remastered (EA)
Burnout Paradise Remastered arrived on Nintendo Switch earlier this year and delivered all over the place. The open world runner plays and looks great both on the docking station and on the handheld, with the developer going the extra mile to even include touchscreen support for the interface. Burnout Paradise Remastered for Nintendo Switch is full content with other versions and is the only platform offering portable play. The only downside is the asking price, which is higher than other platforms, but on its own, Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for fans of Switch racing and one of the best ports of the year.
While the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S have just been released, the Nintendo Switch is still at its peak with a plethora of original games and ports. 2021 will certainly be interesting, but what has been your favorite Nintendo Switch port of the year?
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