Fellow platformer fan, can I let you in on a secret? Despite only being on the market since 2017, the Nintendo Switch has already amassed one of the strongest libraries of fantastic, must-play platformers ever seen.
As an experienced game designer and data analyst, I‘ve parsed the critical reception, influential impact, and essential ingenuity of the Switch‘s catalogue to definitively crown the 7 greatest platformers available on the console. Grab your pith helmet and prepare for adventure – this playlist will take you from forgotten lands to impossible lairs across platforming greatness.
Why Platformers Dominate on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo consoles have hosted legendary 2D platformers since Super Mario Bros pioneered the genre in 1985. Extended portable play sessions make the Switch uniquely suited for platformers compared to living room consoles. The trusty precise controls of the Switch in handheld mode are perfect for making tricky jumps or timing a sequence of spins, stomps and slides against an obstacle course of hazards.
Plus, the Switch‘s Nvidia Tegra X1 GPU pushes up to 1 teraflop allowing smooth 60 frames-per-second gameplayeven when you dock it to your 4K TV. This high performance powers immersive 3D worlds absent technical hitches. Developer creativity soars on capable Nintendo hardware, evolving concepts established by such innovators as Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong Country and Sonic the Hedgehog into new directions.
| Platformer Subgenres | Description | Notable Switch Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 2D Sidescroller | Single plane of motion evoking classic NES era | Shovel Knight, Mega Man 11 |
| 2.5D & Isometric | 2D with layered graphical depth | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair |
| 3D Sandbox | Expansive world encouraging exploration | Super Mario Odyssey, Kirby and the Forgotten Land |
Of course, Nintendo also offers archival access to many foundational platformers via Nintendo Switch Online. Subscribers gain growing libraries of NES, SNES and Nintendo 64 classics including Super Mario Bros. 3, Kirby‘s Adventure and Banjo-Kazooie.
This mix of nostalgic essentials, inventive homages and boundary-pushing originals makes the Switch a platforming paradise. But with so many choices spanning decades, where should you start? Comparing critical consensus, lasting influence and freshness of ideas reveals the absolute cream of the crop.
Rating Criteria for Ultimate Nintendo Platformers
In determining the pinnacle platformers, I compared Nintendo Switch titles based on:
- Design Innovation: Novel concepts that enhance platforming fundamentals
- Presentation & Polish: Visual splendor, auditory aesthetics and stability
- Scope & Length: Game size, replayability and lasting value
- Acclaim: Positivity amongst professional reviewers and community reception
- Influence: Impact on the platformer genre and future game development
Using this criteria captures both instant enduring classics alongside hidden gems that deserve renown. Now, let‘s leap, punch and flutter towards platforming paradise in the 7 Unforgettable Apexes of Nintendo Switch Acrobatics & Adventure!
#7: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
While upstart Playtonic Games can‘t match the peaks of veteran designer Rare‘s legacy, this dynamic hybrid proves they inherited much skill. *Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair‘s* bubbly world brims with clever design decisions…
#6: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
For Kirby‘s first foray into a 3D platformer, HAL Laboratory chooses an imaginative post-civilizational setting reflecting the new gameplay possibilities it enables…
#5: Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy
Updating PlayStation mascot Crash Bandicoot‘s printout visuals while preserving his absurd difficulty seemed an impossible task. Yet Vicarious Visions retained the trio of tough-as-nails adventures‘ playful spirit by smoothing its roughest edges…
#4: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
While New Super Mario Bros. U never fully capitalized on the Wii U GamePad, its enhanced Deluxe port grants the ingenious level design cascading with secrets an even wider audience on Switch…
#3: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze towers as one of the most elaborate platformers ever constructed. Nintendo‘s EAD team combines extraordinary spectacle with minutiae of play control into an monumental testament to the genre‘s potential…
#2: Sonic Mania
As a grizzled platforming fan frequently disappointed by glitchy broken Sonic outings, I almost shed tears of joy upon first booting Christian Whitehead and PagodaWest Games‘ meticulous labor of love. Every act immerses you in the calculated momentum and vibrant style that defined the blue hedgehog‘s glory days…
#1: Super Mario Odyssey
Could Mario‘s most ambitious undulating odyssey really be anything else? Nintendo EAD crafts an astonishing postcard tour encompassing decades of their mascot‘s history with imaginative possession mechanics, mirthful surprises and an irrefutable mastery of 3D platforming polish. Whether you‘ve loved Mario across console generations or Odyssey is your first Mario game, its invitation into his most versatile adventure thus far is essential…
So there you have it — the seven peak platforming experiences every Switch owner should play based on cold data and warm memories. Of course, dozens of other exceptional options exist like indie darlings Celeste and SteamWorld Quest or the four-player frivolity of New Super Mario Bros. U. But these seven encapsulate the vibrant past, present and future innovation that makes Nintendo the undisputed monarch of platforming magic.
Let me know which Switch platforming paradises bring you joy! Perhaps your passion will convince me towards future data dives into Nintendo‘s platforming depths. For now, may your wall jumps remain vertical and hazard dodging pixel-perfect as we await whatever comes next. Game on, my friend!
