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Discussion Best year of the Switch

I think the best is...

  • 2017

    Votes: 45 40.2%

  • 2018

    Votes: 5 4.5%

  • 2019

    Votes: 15 13.4%

  • 2020

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • 2021

    Votes: 7 6.3%

  • 2022

    Votes: 8 7.1%

  • 2023

    Votes: 31 27.7%
  • Total voters
    112
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Chain Chomp
We ran one of these last year, but now that 2023 is done and can be assessed in its entirety, what was the Switch's best year in your opinion, and why?

Notable releases: (Not extensive, I know, so please don't be angry if I miss your favs)

2017: Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, ARMS, Doom 2016, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Skyrim

2018: Smash Bros Ultimate, Octopath Traveller, Torna the Golden Country, Kirby Star Allies, Super Mario Party, Pokemon Let's Go

2019: Luigi's Mansion 3, Astral Chain, Pokémon Sword & Shield, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Witcher 3, Yoshi's Crafted World, Dragon Quest XI, Mario Maker 2

2020: Animal Crossing New Horizons, Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, Paper Mario the Origami King, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Doom Eternal

2021: Metroid Dread, Monster Hunter Rise, Shin Megami Tensei V, Mario Party Superstars, Bravely Default II, New Pokémon Snap

2022: Xenoblade 3, Splatoon 3, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Bayonetta 3, Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Triangle Strategy, Nier Automata

2023: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Bros Wonder, Pikmin 4, Metroid Prime Remastered, Mario RPG Remake, Fire Emblem Engage, Octopath Traveller 2, Future Redeemed

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It’s a pretty even split between 2017, 2019, and 2023 for me. But, given that the console itself also released in 2017, I’ll give it the nod.
 
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For me it's a difficult choice between 2017 and 2023.

2017 had two of the best new first party games on Switch: Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild.
But 2023 also had two of the best new first party games on Switch: Mario Wonder and Tears of the Kingdom.

For me 2023 has the edge over 2017, because a lot more games released on Switch that year.
It had the final waves of the Mario Kart DLC, Pikmin 4 and some great remakes/remasters like Super Mario RPG and Metroid Prime Remastered.
In addition it felt like the non-first party output on Switch in 2023 was insane with games like Sea of Stars, Octopath Traveler II and many more.
 
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TOTK, SMRPG Remake, and Mario Wonder make this an easy vote for 2023 for me.
 
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2023, 2017, 2022, 2019, 2021, 2020, 2018.

If prime 4 releases this year, then 2024 will automatically be in the top 5.
 
2017 > 2022 > 2019 for me

The one two punch of Zelda and 3D Mario just can't be beaten. With Splatoon and Xenoblade in the back pocket

Some of these years were just one shifted game away from surpassing 2017. But such is how the stars aligned
 
Close tie between 2017 and 2023 because both delivered killer Nintendo games. I lean 2017 just because that was the honey moon phase of the Switch hardware being so novel and unique at the time.
 
2017 (BOTW, Odyssey, rediscovering and refalling deeply in love with MK8 once again, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2), 2019 (Astral Chain, Three Houses, Maker 2, Link's Awakening), 2022 (Kirby, Legends Arceus, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3) were all very special to me.

2018 I feel is very underrated too. Even back then it was always considered as a disappointing year by the community, but I loved Star Allies, Octo Expansion, Octopath Traveler, and Smash Ultimate. It also was my favorite year for Wii U ports, with Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors (still the best Warriors spin off ever imo), and Captain Toad.

But really, every year was fire imo.
Even 2024 which is, so far, weaker, has some unexpected bangers like Endless Ocean. (And hopefully will get Prime 4)
 
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Elder God tier: 2017
God tier: 2023
Great tier: 2019, 2021
Mid tier: 2022
Shit tier: 2020, 2018
 
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2019 wins the gold for me. Too many great stuff, DQ11, DQ Builders 2, Astral Chain, Daemon X Machina, FE Three Houses, Marvel UA3, Ori 1, Cuphead, Sword & Shield, Crash & Sonic Racing, Smash DLC...

2020 comes second I think, with stuff like Monster Hunter and Trials of Mana.

Worst one could be the first one, 2017. One of the slowest first years in the Nintendo history due to third parties not believing in the system out of the gate. Still, we got Doom 2016 on the system!
 
Thinking about it, I think 2021 is low-key underrated personally. It lacks a big tentpole heavy-hitter like a new Zelda or Mario or Smash, sure, but even so it still managed to have a lot of things I consider crucial parts of what make the Switch library so special

  • 3D World+Bowser's Fury is imo the best WiiU port we've gotten, hands-down
  • Skyward Sword HD did a lot to improve one of the more controversial entries in the series and now a waggle-optional version of that game exists so going forward it won't be locked to motion-control platforms
  • It was a year filled with "we're never seeing that again" games/series returning: Famicom Detective Club remakes (and localized ones at that), New Pokemon Snap, Cruis'n Blast, Metroid freaking Dread (and we almost had another one on this list, but Advance Wars got delayed out of its original December release date)
  • Mario Party Superstars is the best the series has been in ages
  • on the 3rd party front, it had things like SMT V, Castlevania Advance Collection, Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, MH Rise, NMH 3, Tetris Effect Connected, and Monkey Ball Banana Mania (I know thoughts are pretty divided on that last one, but I had a ton of fun with it)
  • the last few Smash characters, capping things off with Sora (further tying into the year of impossible things happening)
  • NSO Expansion Pack was good actually, and while it got off to a rough start this was when we started seeing N64 games on Switch. Plus, New Horizons DLC
  • Suika Game actually released this year (in Japan; the international release wasn't until last year)
  • Switch OLED released, and imo that's the definitive form of the hardware at this point. The DS Lite to the OG Switch's DS Phat, if you will
 
2018 for me. Bayonetta 2, Kirby Star Allies, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country, The World Ends with You: Final Remix, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate… It was a very good year, to me.
 
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It was a big toss up between 2017 and 2019 for me, but I ultimately went with 2019 because it was more consistent in putting out games that I enjoyed. I remember I didn't do much with my switch between for a few months after finishing BotW and playing some Mario Kart.  
 
0
It's unquestionably 2021 for me because of Dread and New Pokemon Snap. Dreams do come true 😭

Oh my god... and Cruis'n Blast! Who would have ever thought Cruis'n would return to consoles?
 
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This is what I wrote last time we had this come up:

xghost777 said:
I never really remember the years too well at a moment's notice so I thought it might be fun to list the games I enjoyed most each year and then try to rank them. (I played more than these games, these just made big impressions)

2017 - Breath of the Wild, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Splatoon 2, Mario Odyssey, Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Xenoblade 2, Golf Story, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

2018 - Celeste, BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion, Kemono Friends Picross (my first Picross game lol), Valkyria Chronicles IV, Torna, Super Smash Bros Ultimate

2019 - Baba Is You, Yoshi's Crafted World, Box Boy and Box Girl, Tetris 99, Gato Roboto, Super Mario Maker 2, Untitled Goose Game, Link's Awakening, Luigi's Mansion 3, BBTag 2.0, Ai The Somnium Files, River City Girls, Astral Chain

2020 - Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, Animal Crossing New Horizons, Xenoblade Definitive Edition + Future Connected, Hatsune Miku Project Diva MegaMix, What the Golf?, Clubhouse Games, Paper Mario The Origami King, A Short Hike, Minoria, CrossCode, Hades, Part Time UFO, Touhou Luna Nights

2021 - Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, New Pokemon Snap, Famicom Detective Club 1+2, Mario Golf Super Rush, Ender Lilies, Pokemon Unite, NEO: The World Ends With You, The Great Ace Attorney, Toem, Metroid Dread, Melty Blood Type Lumina, Blue Reflection Second Light, Gnosia, Cruis'n Blast, Chicory

2022 - Pokemon Legends Arceus, Deedlit In Wonder Labryinth, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Chocobo GP, Switch Sports, Ai NirvanA Initiative, Live A Live, Xenoblade 3, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, Mario and Rabbids 2, ElecHead, Blossom Tales II, Lunistice, Pokemon Violet, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, River City Girls 2, Trails From Zero

2023 - Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Metroid Prime Remastered, Magolor Epilogue, Trails To Azure, Bayonetta Origins, Advance Wars Reboot Camp, Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed, Tears of the Kingdom

With it all laid out for me, 2022 is the winner for me, but wow 2021 was awesome too. I gave 2020 the edge over 2017 because while the big hitters certainly stomp over 2020's, I enjoyed Switch more as a platform far more in 2020 than 2017 and I think the quantity and variety of games that spoke to me in 2020 speaks to that. 2023 has a ton of potential to be one of the best years for the system if the upcoming big games hit for me and some of the smaller ones hit hard like I think they might. I guess for rankings then I'll roll with:

2022 > 2021 > 2020 > 2017 > 2019 >2018 > 2023 H1

What an amazing system.
Click to expand...
If I pick up from where I left off, the big 2023 Switch games for me were:

2023 - Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Metroid Prime Remastered, Magolor Epilogue, Trails To Azure, Bayonetta Origins, Advance Wars Reboot Camp, Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed, Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Rain Code, Nayuta Boundless Trails, Mario Wonder, WarioWare Move It!, Mario RPG Switch, F-Zero 99, Pokemon The Teal Mask, Tevi

When I lay it out like that, wow 2023 rocked! I’ll rank them:

2022 > 2021 > 2023 > 2020 > 2017 > 2019 > 2018

Giving 2021 the slight edge over 2023 since 2021 had more new games.
 
2022 without a doubt thanks to Pokemon Arceus, SV and Splatoon 3. I love my Marios and Zeldas and Kirbys and Metroids but I just kinda beat them and move on, whereas Pokemon and Splatoon are neverending games for me. I didn't get my Switch until 2019 and I skipped Sword and Shield while only having played maybe 200 hours of Splatoon 2 up to that point, after the Final Fest and any content updates, so this was a reintroduction of sorts to these franchises for me.
 
It might be partly due to recency bias, but in my mind 2023 just barely takes the throne over 2017, with ‘22 being a close contender as well (Legends Arceus, Kirby, and Splatoon 3 make a strong argument)

. Fire Emblem Engage, Tears of the Kingdom, and Mario Wonder all blew me away and were easily some of the most fun I’ve had with any system, but it also helps a lot that the year gave me my first experience with Metroid Prime in the form of a perfect remaster. I also loved playing through the remakes of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, Advance Wars 1+2, and Mario RPG, and thanks to the ports of Pikmin 1+2, I finally became a fan of that series as well! I bought Pikmin 4 and I’m excited to get into it once I finish 3 Deluxe… we’re not even in 2023 anymore and there are still GOTY contenders I haven’t gotten to yet!

EDIT: I forgot to mention the last three waves of the MK8D Boosfer Course Pass, which made for fun speculation (especially with the sudden inclusion of new characters) and a really nice little bonus to look forward to throughout the year :)
 
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OP I would add Link's Awakening as a notable 2019 game. That's probably my pick if I exclude 2017. Picking the launch year feels like cheating because it "borrows" from the previous console's weak final year. But obviously those games are tough to beat.
 
I'll give it to 2017 because of BotW but most years were great for me, was hard not to vote 2021 (BF, Dread, BDSP) or 2023 (SMRPG, Tears, Cereza, Pikmin, Wonder...)
 
My heart says 2019 simply because of my personal fond memories of that year. Four games made that year so unforgettable for me: Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain and Link’s Awakening.

2017 was cool and all but in hindsight, I feel like it’s sort of got eclipsed by its successors, TotK, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, etc.
 
Thankfully all years of the switch were at the least good, but man, 2017 was fucking amazing. The systems launch, a brand new genere defining 3d zelda, a brand new open exploration 3d mario. Like it was an incredible year to be a Nintendo fan
 
they’ve all been good years

I have to sort my third party / indie releases so I can decide which more meaningfully though
 
For Nintendo software on Switch, here’s my tier list.

S Tier:
  • 2017
A Tier:
  • 2019
  • 2022
  • 2023
B Tier:
  • 2018
  • 2021
C Tier:
  • 2020
 
I’ve created a convoluted tallying system and still chipping away at it but I can promise you now that all of you are underselling 2018
 
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If Engage was as good as Three Houses one could make an argument for 2023 over 2017, but it wasn't, so 2017 > 2023 > 2019/2022.
 
Clearly still 2017 for me
BotW > TotK
SMO > SMW
Mario Kart 8DX > Metroid Prime Remastered
Xenoblade 2 > SMRPG
Splatoon 2 > Fire Emblem Engage
Mario+Rabbids = Pikmin 4
Arms > ?
2023 comes next though for me purely because of TotK. I think I like Fire Emblem Three Houses more than the other games that released last year.
 
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2019 for me, as Fire Emblem Three Houses and Dragon Quest XI S are two of the best games on the Switch, and games like Astral Chain, Super Mario Maker 2, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 were also really great. There was something for everyone this year, even if there wasn’t anything as big as a new mainline Mario or Zelda unlike 2017 and 2023.

2017 is, obviously no slouch either with Breath of the Wild, ARMS, and Xenoblade 2 being standouts for me personally. Outside of that, Splatoon 2 didn’t really pick up steam until Octo Expansion a year later, and personally Odyssey was good but didn’t hit as hard as I wish it did. Still a great year though.

2023 was great but it feels to recent to compare with the other 2 banger years. Super Mario Bros Wonder and Tears of the Kingdom were fantastic obviously, and those that played Pikmin 4 are ravenous about it. I can’t think of much outside of that that wasn’t DLC or remakes though (sorry FE Engage, I really liked you but you’re no Three Houses).
 
Irene said:
My heart says 2019 simply because of my personal fond memories of that year. Four games made that year so unforgettable for me: Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain and Link’s Awakening.

2017 was cool and all but in hindsight, I feel like it’s sort of got eclipsed by its successors, TotK, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade 3, etc.
Click to expand...
2019 was great year too yeah. Didn't get into Astral Chain but also had Ring Fit Adventure. I played that game more than I expected.

PS: Luigi's Mansion 3 was also that year, I just played it 2 years later!
 
2019 > 2022 > 2017 > 2023 > 2021 > 2020 > 2018

I dunno, looking at this I kind of feel like I’m underselling 2021. Great Ace Attorney, Chicory and The House in Fata Morgana are all some of my favourite Switch games. Just goes to show how good the system has been for its lifetime.
 
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