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Discussion How would you score the overall showing of Nintendo franchises on the Switch?

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The Switch era has seen Nintendo reinvent a lot of their staple IPs, bring back a lot of fan favorite dormant franchises, introduce new IP, and give fans what they were asking for with a lot of their long running stuff. In general, I actually think we are now at the point where we could say the Switch played host to at least one top three tier game in pretty much every single Nintendo franchise, which is nuts if you think about it.

But here's my question to you: how would you grade the showing of these Nintendo franchises on the Switch overall (so not just counting the best game)? And why?

What grade would you give to the following franchises' Switch showings? What criteria you use to grade them, I leave to you. It can be compared to their showings on previous systems, compared to your own expectations, you can use data driven metrics like sales, review scores, and awards, a combination of those things, or something totally different. The world is your oyster:
  • Mario (platformers)
    • Mario Kart
    • Mario Party
    • Mario Sports
    • Paper Mario
    • Mario Maker
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Metroid
  • Super Smash Bros.
  • Animal Crossing
  • Fire Emblem
  • Pokemon
  • Xenoblade
  • Donkey Kong
  • Kirby
  • Yoshi
  • Luigi's Mansion
  • Splatoon
  • Wii (including Ring Fit, Labo, and Switch Sports here, since they are continuation of the same line)
  • Pikmin
  • WarioWare
 
The A-tier franchises have been a slam dunk this generation. Only one truly missing is Donkey Kong.

Feels like I'm a broken record with this hahaha but I wish we saw more C-tier franchises coming through at this point. Star Fox, Kid Icarus, Wave Race, etc. Feels like the landscape is primed for these games to be million-sellers. It's nice they've been pushing Xenoblade as much as they have, but I'm ready for another franchise to get that treatment. At least Pikmin is on its way.
 
My own personal scores (omitting those I have no interest/experience):

  • Mario (platformers): 9/10 (Odyssey is great, Bowser's Fury is a really fun tease at the future of the series, and I am glad they put NSMBU and 3DW on Switch. Mario All Stars was excellent too)
    • Mario Kart: 8/10 (no new games, but they took the best MK game, made it even better, and then added a game's worth of new content to it on top, so I can't complain)
    • Mario Party: 7/10 (they listened to fan feedback!)
    • Paper Mario: 7/10 (Origami King is a return to form, and I hope they continue to build on it)
    • Mario Maker: 5/10 (probably my biggest personal disappointment on the Switch, Mario Maker 2 is very very very good, but it was mismanaged, it could have been much more)
  • The Legend of Zelda: 9/10 (BOTW is incredible, and almost singularly contributes to this score; Age of Calamity and Hyrule Warriors DX are good, and I was happy with the Link's Awakening remake. Fuck Skyward Sword. Never played Cadence of Hyrule. Pls put the HD remasters on Switch Nintendo).
  • Metroid: 7/10 (Dread is awesome, where is Metroid Prime 4?)
  • Super Smash Bros.: 10/10 (I mean)
  • Animal Crossing: 9/10 (amazing game, and probably the best and most content/feature complete one at this point, but again, they could and should have managed it beter)
  • Fire Emblem: 8/10 (Three Houses was great, Engage looks... interesting. The Warriors games are good)
  • Pokemon: 8/10 (Legends is a top three game, Let's Go was a delightful breath of fresh air, SwSh are competent and fine after all the updates and expansions, S/V are the most fun Pokemon generation games in over a decade, BDSP exist, spin offs like New Pokemon Snap are fucking awesome)
  • Xenoblade: 10/10 (this one needs no explanation suely)
  • Donkey Kong: 2/10 (no new game? Nothing at all?)
  • Kirby: 7/10 (Forgotten Land was awesome, Star Allies is fine, the spin offs are fun enough, plus Return to Dreamland is coming up)
  • Yoshi: 2/10 (Crafted World is such a comedown after Wooly World)
  • Luigi's Mansion: 8/10 (Luigi's Mansion 3 is great, give more)
  • Splatoon: 7/10 (We got more of what works, and some good improvements, but it's been a little too iterative for my liking)
 
The Switch era has seen Nintendo reinvent a lot of their staple IPs, bring back a lot of fan favorite dormant franchises, introduce new IP, and give fans what they were asking for with a lot of their long running stuff. In general, I actually think we are now at the point where we could say the Switch played host to at least one top three tier game in pretty much every single Nintendo franchise, which is nuts if you think about it.

But here's my question to you: how would you grade the showing of these Nintendo franchises on the Switch overall (so not just counting the best game)? And why?

What grade would you give to the following franchises' Switch showings? What criteria you use to grade them, I leave to you. It can be compared to their showings on previous systems, compared to your own expectations, you can use data driven metrics like sales, review scores, and awards, a combination of those things, or something totally different. The world is your oyster:
  • Mario (platformers)
    • Mario Kart
    • Mario Party
    • Mario Sports
    • Paper Mario
    • Mario Maker
  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Metroid
  • Super Smash Bros.
  • Animal Crossing
  • Fire Emblem
  • Pokemon
  • Xenoblade
  • Donkey Kong
  • Kirby
  • Yoshi
  • Luigi's Mansion
  • Splatoon
  • Wii (including Ring Fit, Labo, and Switch Sports here, since they are continuation of the same line)
  • Pikmin
  • WarioWare
I haven’t personally played that many first party games on Switch, but of the ones I have, I’d say MK8D, BOTW and Fire Emblem TH are all top tier games within their own series, and I enjoyed Mario 3D World and NSMBU as well. Metroid Dread I found a bit disappointing (although that doesn’t mean I didn’t think it was high quality), but I’ve only played the demo so far. It might be that my itch for those kinda 2D exploration games is well-scratched through a relentless ton of indie games too, several of which I preferred to Metroid.

Honestly, even outside of first party games I’ve played so many great ones on Switch that it’s one of my favourite platforms ever even without Nintendo games.
 
I think Zelda and 3D Mario are perfect on Switch. Kirby, FE and Luigi’s Mansion are also great. Same goes for some other small franchises.

0/10 for Mario&Luigi, 2D Mario and Donkey Kong, I think these are important and I really miss them with new entries on Switch.

Mario Kart and 3D World are ports as well, but they’ve been given substantial additions.
 
0
I’ve been satisfied with Nintendo’s output on Switch. Their entries in their long-running franchises are among the best in their respective series.

Their new IPs have also been a blast. From traditional character action like Astral Chain to smaller scale indies like Snipperclips to even a damn fitness RPG.
 
0
Mario and Zelda are really good and started off the life cycle with a sense of ambition

Then everything else immediately fell back into the same old.
 
0
My own personal scores (omitting those I have no interest/experience):

  • Mario (platformers): 9/10 (Odyssey is great, Bowser's Fury is a really fun tease at the future of the series, and I am glad they put NSMBU and 3DW on Switch. Mario All Stars was excellent too)
    • Mario Kart: 8/10 (no new games, but they took the best MK game, made it even better, and then added a game's worth of new content to it on top, so I can't complain)
    • Mario Party: 7/10 (they listened to fan feedback!)
    • Paper Mario: 7/10 (Origami King is a return to form, and I hope they continue to build on it)
    • Mario Maker: 5/10 (probably my biggest personal disappointment on the Switch, Mario Maker 2 is very very very good, but it was mismanaged, it could have been much more)
  • The Legend of Zelda: 9/10 (BOTW is incredible, and almost singularly contributes to this score; Age of Calamity and Hyrule Warriors DX are good, and I was happy with the Link's Awakening remake. Fuck Skyward Sword. Never played Cadence of Hyrule. Pls put the HD remasters on Switch Nintendo).
  • Metroid: 7/10 (Dread is awesome, where is Metroid Prime 4?)
  • Super Smash Bros.: 10/10 (I mean)
  • Animal Crossing: 9/10 (amazing game, and probably the best and most content/feature complete one at this point, but again, they could and should have managed it beter)
  • Fire Emblem: 8/10 (Three Houses was great, Engage looks... interesting. The Warriors games are good)
  • Pokemon: 8/10 (Legends is a top three game, Let's Go was a delightful breath of fresh air, SwSh are competent and fine after all the updates and expansions, S/V are the most fun Pokemon generation games in over a decade, BDSP exist, spin offs like New Pokemon Snap are fucking awesome)
  • Xenoblade: 10/10 (this one needs no explanation suely)
  • Donkey Kong: 2/10 (no new game? Nothing at all?)
  • Kirby: 7/10 (Forgotten Land was awesome, Star Allies is fine, the spin offs are fun enough, plus Return to Dreamland is coming up)
  • Yoshi: 2/10 (Crafted World is such a comedown after Wooly World)
  • Luigi's Mansion: 8/10 (Luigi's Mansion 3 is great, give more)
  • Splatoon: 7/10 (We got more of what works, and some good improvements, but it's been a little too iterative for my liking)
Identical opinions to my own on nearly everything, with the differences being only on games that I did not play and thus can't rate, so I'll just be lazy and quote your post.
 
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On a scale from 1-10 using only full points I'd rank most of their IP stuff between a 7 or 8 with some outliers here and there. I'm generally happy with the Switch and love specific entries (BotW, Odyssey, Three Houses, Forgotten World, Dread etc.) but I'm not super enthused about the state of all of their IPs or their representation on the Switch.

I’m happiest with Zelda on the strenght of. BotW and the other releases but it’s not perfect: Age of Calamity has annoying performance issues, Skyward Sword HD was a middling remaster effort, TotK is taking ages to come out. Still a solid 9 for me.

Mario Kart 8 is by far my favourite entry in the series but it's old at this point. The Booster Pass has a nice track selection and it's cool to see the Tour tracks being brought over but it is also compromised in some ways. MK Live is only a nice novelty. I'm fine with this being it for the base Switch but I don't think it's a stellar showing for the IP. Similarly for Pikmin and Donkey Kong: 3DX and Tropical Freeze are top tier games but they're still ports. Regardless of how I feel about them I can't give more than a 7 for how these IPs are represented on Switch.

On the lower end there’s stuff like Pokémon and Mario Sports. Despite enjoying specific entries or aspects, overall they are very disappointing in terms of quality, representing a massive regression in some ways.

Detailed ratings:

Mario (platformers) - 8
Mario Kart - 7
Mario Party - 7
Mario Sports - 6
Paper Mario - 8
Mario Maker - 7
The Legend of Zelda - 9
Metroid - 8
Super Smash Bros. - 9
Animal Crossing - 7
Fire Emblem - 9
Pokemon - 5
Xenoblade - 9
Donkey Kong - 7
Kirby - 8
Yoshi - 6
Luigi's Mansion - 8
Splatoon - 9
Wii - 8
Pikmin - 7
WarioWare - 7
 
0
Kirby: 9/10. We got the first 3D game, budget priced spinoffs were on point and now were getting an HD version of the best 2.5D Kirby
Mario Party: 5/10. A motion control only iteration and another remake with limited selection of boards. Do better ND.
Xenoblade: 8/10. Three great JRPG's on the same system. We need some spinoffs too.
Pokémon: 8/10. Mainline games are great but the spinoffs left us wanting. Just one MD title? Bring back Ranger and Conquest too.
Wario: 6/10. Just one WW game and no revival of Land and World. Get it Together nice but a huge step backwards from DIY.
Zelda: 6/10. I love 2D zeldas more than 3D ones and I still haven't got a brand new 2D zelda. Disappointing after the masterpiece that is Link Between Worlds.
Fire Emblem: 6/10. I'd rather have more remakes instead of useless musous.
Yoshi: 6/10. So far. I predict that wasn't the last time we saw Yoshi in his own game on Switch.
Donkey Kong: 3/10. At least there was some effort.

New IP's : 4/10. Just ARMS and Astral Chain (gimmick games excluded). Biggest fail is in this subject.
 
0
  • Super Mario: S
    • Odyssey is of course great, as is Super Mario Maker 2, but this grade is really bolstered by the strength of the legacy content. Super Mario 3D World, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars make this a Super Mario machine, alongside the retro content found through NSO. The only thing it's really lacking is an original 2D Mario.
  • Mario Kart: A
    • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the definitive version of the best Mario Kart, and it's getting a ton of DLC, so that's a huge win despite it being a port. Not an A+ due to the BCP not matching the base game in quality. Having the first two games on NSO is also very nice.
  • Mario Party: A-
    • Mario Party Superstars is a great game in its own right, but the lack of support is frustrating. Same deal with Super Mario Party; while it's a worse game, it still offers something different, and is plenty of fun in its own right. Getting the classic Mario Party games on NSO is another big win.
  • Paper Mario: B
    • I really like Paper Mario: The Origami King, but the overall representation for the franchise is fairly weak. Some more legacy content would go a long way, either through a Thousand Year Door remaster or a Color Splash port. Paper Mario 64 is a great game, but it's not enough on its own.
  • Mario Sports: D
    • Credit to Nintendo for putting pretty much every sport from their catalog on the Switch, but the state of these games is dire. Mario Tennis Aces was alright, but Mario Golf and Mario Strikers are really rough. Mario & Sonic seems to be better than the previous entries, but it's still, well, Mario & Sonic. At least we're getting the N64 games on NSO.
  • The Legend of Zelda: S-
    • No original 2D Zelda really hurts here. Breath of the Wild is one of the GOATs, and Link's Awakening is wonderful, but the legacy content is pretty iffy. Having both Hyrule Warriors is nice, and this grade will almost certainly go up once Tears of the Kingdom is out.
  • Metroid: A-
    • Metroid Dread is a fantastic return to form, but the lack of anything for Metroid Prime is pretty lame.
  • Animal Crossing: A
    • We got a mainline game, long-term support, and some DLC. I don't love New Horizons, but the representation for this one is great.
  • Pokemon: A-
    • This feels high given the state of S/V, but it's impossible to ignore the sheer quantity of releases. Even if they're varying in quality, that's worth something.
  • Super Smash Bros.: S+
    • What else needs to be said. Ultimate isn't my favorite Switch game, but there's no denying that the franchise is represented perfectly on the console.
  • Fire Emblem: A+
    • Three Houses was fantastic, and Three Hopes was a great followup. The original Warriors was also pretty neat too, albeit a bit of an afterthought. This grade will go up even more with the release of Engage and (hopefully) remake of Holy War.
  • Xenoblade Chronicles: S
    • The love Nintendo has given to this series is incredible. An X port would move it up to S+.
  • Luigi's Mansion: A
    • Lower expectations means it gets a higher grade, even though it only has one game. It's a great one, though.
  • Splatoon: A+
    • Depending on the DLC, this might move into S tier. My only reservation here is the single-player, which I still feel is fairly uninspired.
  • Kirby: A
    • Would be an A+ if Star Allies was better. Will probably move up anyway once Return to Dream Land Deluxe releases.
  • WarioWare: B+
    • Got a game, it's alright. Moving on.
  • Yoshi: B+
    • Only one game, and it's a step down from the previous one. Moves into A tier if/when Woolly World gets a port.
  • Pikmin: C
    • Will obviously shoot up once Pikmin 4 is out, but as it stands all we have is a port of a great game. Nice to have, but a port nonetheless.
  • Donkey Kong: C
    • Same as above, except we don't even have a Donkey Kong in the cards (that we officially know of, at least).
  • Punch-Out, Star Fox, Kid Icarus: F
    • RIP
 
0
Whoops; missed the whole point of the OP. Here I go:

Mario (platformers) - 10 - Odyssey and Bowser's Fury are GOAT material.
Mario Kart - 10 - 8 Deluxe is a perfect package and the DLC tracks are awesome.
Mario Party - 8 - I personally like Super and Superstars a lot but I understand they're light on content. Could use more boards.
Mario Sports - 7 - Feels like core gameplay loops are solid but no one Mario sports game this gen has gone all-in.
Paper Mario - 8 - Origami King is great for what it is but it still feels like the combat was included as a formality and it's a hassle outside of boss battles. Go full VN with it and OK would've been perfect.
Mario Maker - 8 - Nintendo-made courses in SMM2 are awesome, I'm sure it's been kept up nicely by the community, I just fell off of it hard.
The Legend of Zelda - 9 - BOTW is great, Links Awakening was cool, NSO has plenty of them, but there are still some missing.
Metroid - 9 - between Dread and NSO, there are lots of good Metroid. Just missing Prime and GBA stuff.
Super Smash Bros. - 10 - Ultimate is my second favorite game of all time.
Animal Crossing - 8 - Don't have the history with AC like others do so I thought New Horizons was great. Just didn't last very long with it.
Fire Emblem - 9 - Soooo much goddamn Fire Emblem. Three Houses is a masterpiece, Engage looks cool but is selling itself on the wrong things, IMO.
Pokemon - 8.5 - Highs (Legends/Let's Go) to lows (SwSh/BDSP) and S/V is somewhere in the middle. Every one of them is ambitious in scope with varying degrees of execution.
Xenoblade - 9 - Still don't care for 2 but XCDE and 3 are wonderful.
Donkey Kong - 4 - Tropical Freeze is one of the greats but the franchise very much feels in limbo.
Kirby - 8 - As good as Forgotten Land is, Star Allies is plain and the spinoffs are uninteresting. Really wish they'd give this series a break.
Yoshi - 6 - They keep trying to make some Yoshi goodness happen and while I respect it, it all feels incredibly directionless. Crafted World was fine, but for the love of god try something new and ditch the craft art style. Worked for Kirby, doesn't work for Yoshi.
Luigi's Mansion - 9.5 - Luigi's Mansion 3 is a treasure that expands the characterization of the main Mario cast in a way that EPD hasn't. Deserves a lot of respect.
Splatoon - 9 - 2 and 3 are great. Just needs better online.
Wii - 7 - idk how to even grade this. Switch Sports is cool but what else from the Wii era is here?
Pikmin - 9 - 3 Deluxe is amazing but that's only because 3 is amazing; I actually miss some of the GamePad functionality. And it's not 1080p. Strange package. But great that it's selling well.
WarioWare - 7 - They can't seem to figure this one out. Get It Together wasn't as good as it should've been.
 
0
I'm generally very pleased with the variety of IPs represented on Switch, as well as their quality. It's really much better than I ever dared to hope. If I had to criticize something, it'd be the treatment of the Donkey Kong IP. I'm grateful it's represented in some way with Tropical Freeze, but considering how iconic and successful it is I firmly believe it's the most mismanaged IP of the Switch generation. I think there has been a clear shift away from the series since Miyamoto stepped down as the head of EAD.
 
No original Donkey Kong platformer; 0/10, garbage system!!

Overall, it's doing alrighty.. though, personally, I don't "count" Wii U ports as filling the voids, as I got to experience these games when they are new.. so take the example of Mario Kart, even with new tracks coming along, I'm pretty tired of MK8 as a whole (I honestly was ready to move on in 2016...); even Zelda... you know, I played Breath of the Wild on Wii U, so I'm antecipating an actual original Zelda game taylor made for the Switch soon enough ;P
 
0
I'm torn on how Nintendo has been handling Zelda this gen. On one hand, Breath of the Wild is a fantastic entry, and I'm glad they're expanding the narrative and the setting, a direct sequel is something that really hasn't happened in the series since the NES days, but it's come at the cost of dwindling the flow of new stuff. When it's all settled, it'll probably had been from 8 to 10 years before we see Zelda with a whole new look and setting again. So I'm conflicted there.

Mario, I thought Odyssey was great, but nothing too special in comparison to Galaxy or 3D World. That's just me, though. I think other Mario-related entries have been lackluster. I've yet to play PM Origami King, but other stuff like the Tennis, Golf and the Football games aren't too hot. On the other hand, Luigi's Mansion is great, and it's biggest selling point is how wonderful it looks.

So, overall, Mario has ranged from alright to good.

Fire Emblem I feel like it's probably the franchise that has grown the most among Nintendo's repertoire. I don't think Three Houses by any means excels superbly at any area but it is indeed a huge game. Not only that, but Intelligent Systems has managed to perfectly expand the its setting and monetize it further and pretty much offer the same amount of new content as Nintendo did with BotW (an Expansion Pass and a Warriors spin-off). Engage now seems to address several of the complains about the visuals.

Xenoblade has expanded a lot as well: four unique releases (most probably five eventually) in less than 6 years is insane, and each game is treated with the greatest possible care from the tech staff. Sadly, while I prefer 2 (and Torna) and 3 on almost all aspects over the original, I don't think any of them realistically hold a candle against the it. They also feel like a huge step down mechanically from Xenoblade X. I'm not necessarily demanding a colossal open world with each game, but definitely the same level of immersion, and I don't think the Switch entries manage to do that.

So for now I'll leave at that :p There are many highlights but many caveats. All in all, I'd say it's been a good generation for the majority of the exclusive franchises, but far from amazing.
 
Of the ones I have played (scale: A to F, +/-, Incomplete)

Mario platformers: A. Odyssey and Bowser's Fury would make this an A+, but the + is lost because the 2D Mario games are Mario Maker 2 and the utterly vile NSMBU, and there hasn't been a second new 3D Mario even announced yet.

Mario Kart: A, though I think the post-release track waves are underwhelming. Only issue for me here.

Mario Sports: C-. Golf is good, but Strikers and Tennis were both barebones AND boring in terms of gameplay. A real disappointment for me.

Paper Mario: D-. Origami King is flat-out bad. but has a dope OST. If it's not going to go back to its RPG roots, though, it has no reason to exist anymore from my personal perspective.

The Legend of Zelda: B+. Breath of the Wild is a good, not great first attempt at open-world Zelda. Cadence of Hyrule is good, and the first Hyrule Warriors is, too. Hyrule Warriors of the Wild sucked, but hey, they can't all be hits.

Metroid: A. Dread is a spectacular game. I have no faith in Prime 4, but this grade probably won't slip too much even after it comes out. Actually, I probably will avoid Prime 4, so call this an A/INC.

Smash Bros. A. Would have been an A+, but no Pokefloats.

Donkey Kong: D. Tropical Freeze is a solid game, but this has been a criminally ignored IP this gen.

Kirby: A+. Forgotten Land isn't quite the best game on the console, but it might be the second-best game on the console. The other Kirby stuff is fine, but even if it didn't exist, this grade would still be an A+

Yoshi: B+. Crafted World is gorgeous, though it's a shame about the OST. I get the idea of building each track around a leitmotif, but that is not the way to do it. A Poochy + Yoshi Wooly World port would get this to an A-.

Luigi's Mansion: D-. Time to give the franchise to a more talented dev than Next Level.

Wii: B. Carried completely by the awesome thing that is Ring Fit.

Pikmin: Incomplete. For obvious reasons.

EDIT, Forgot Animal Crossing: A+. It's the best one of them, loved the update, wishing it went full-on live service game is my problem and not the game's.
 
Last edited:
Smash 10/10 This game sounds like Fanfiction. How is this even real?

Xenoblade 10/10 Just unbelievable good Games. And it's three of them!!!

Zelda 9.9/10 I call it the BOTW Trilogy and it's awesome. ( AoC should have been a real prequel). WW and TP should be ported too.

Mario 9.9/10 So many quality games! Should be clearly full points? But nope. Nintendo decided to make Mario 3D Allstars time exclusive and to ignore Galaxy 2. Such a garbage decision.

Fire Emblem 9.5/10 Three Houses and Three Hopes are quality games. Engage looks like a jubilee special of some sort. Very good ( But THouses graphics could be better)

Overall Switch is the best Nintendo console of all time. Animal Crossing, Pikmin 3, Metroid, Luigis Mansion, Kirby, Astral Chain, Bayonetta Trilogy, Advance Wars, lot of Third Parties. It's very good.


To make it 11/10, i wish the following for 2023/2024 from Nintendo:

HD Ports of
1. Metroid Prime Trilogy HD
2. Metroid 2D Collection
3. F- Zero GX
4. Fire Emblem Radiant Collection
5. Zelda WW/ TP
6. Kid Icarus Uprising
7. Mario Galaxy 2
8. Pikmin 1&2

All new Games are welcome as well of course. And there should be totally a Pokemon Open World Game with 1000+ Pokemons...
 
0
Off the top of my head:

Xenoblade: 9.5/10, almost perfect just needed an X port
Smash: 8/10, ultimate has a ton of content but I'd like some way to play Melee
Zelda will be 9/10 with totk but 7/10 now, needs WW/TP HD ported
Mario (main): 6/10, surprisingly sparse
Mario (spinoffs): 8/10, not everything landed but the amount of games available is great
Pokemon (main): 1/10, dreadful
Pokemon (spinoff): 6/10, new snap is a great follow up
Metroid: 5/10, Dread is fine and super on NSO is good, lack of prime remasters and 4 is a serious blow
DK: 3/10, thanks for porting DKTF at full price I guess and dkc on nso
Animal crossing: 3/10, New horizons was a big disappointment for me
Pikmin: will be 8/10 after 4 comes out
 
The bell curve on this has to be compared to other systems, and in that regard I think this might be the best gen that Nintendo's first party has ever had

Need to think about that one
 
I think this is easily the best showing for Nintendo First Party, with many franchises innovating (like Zelda and Kirby), others reaching some of their highest highs (3D Mario and Fire Emblem) and even some unexpected revivals (Advance Wars and Famicom Detective Club).

I'd rate Nintendo's output a 10/10 but there's 3 things it lacks to reach that IMO:
  1. New 2D Mario.
  2. New DK, either 2D or 3D.
  3. New Star Fox.
There's other franchises that'd be neat to see in the Switch in some form, like F-Zero, Mother and Kid Icarus, but they aren't as essential as the other ones IMO.
 
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I'll only count new Switch releases, and Breath of the Wild since I played it there, so no DK, MK or Pikmin (until 4 comes out anyways). Rated by enjoyment.

Super Mario - 10 - Odyssey, Bowser's Fury, Maker 2, all excellent, can always count on main Mario.

Mario Party - 6 or 7 I guess - Super is ok, Superstar could have had at least one more board like most other entries.

Mario Sports - like a 7 - mechanically they are great, but the general meat of them is lacking, Tennis trades a lot of charm from the smaller modes in exchange for adventure mode for example, but I don't think I'm asking too much to have that and an extensive offer of extras like Power Tennis did.

Paper Mario - high 8 - Origami King could be excellent, but they seriously need to actually drop the RPG stuff since it holds back whatever attempt at a new thing they have going, or just make a proper RPG again. Mario + Rabbids carries the mantle of excellence in that regard tho, Sparks of Hope being the most brilliant game in their Mario RPGs since BiS.

The Legend of Zelda - high 9 - Would be a 10 just for Breath of the Wild and Link's Awakening remake, Age of Calamity was disappointing to me. Haven't played Cadence.+

Metroid - 10 - Waited years for Dread and it lived up to that hype.

Super Smash Bros. - high 8 or 9 - There is always holding something back for every Smash Bros. entry for me, but they all are overall great.

Animal Crossing - 7, maybe lower - Disappointing after New Leaf.

Fire Emblem - 1 - Had no desire to play Three Houses, have no desire to play Engage, Warriors had a terrible roster so I didn't bother either, gets a 1 because I liked the demo of Three Hopes, overall really sad that I had 0 interest in Fire Emblem this generation.

Pokemon - a downward spiral - I would say I loved Sword, really liked Let's Go, Mystery Dungeon is good, Arceus is a novelty for a couple of hours, then is either really just boring or mediocre, or frustrating; Brilliant Diamond I can say that is at least playable unlike the originals, but still kind of meh because is a remake of a really meh generation; Scarlet is just ok so far, not grabbing me. Still have to play Snap but I'll probably like that more than the last handful of games.

Xenoblade - 5 - I didn't like 2 very much, from all I know of 3 I'll probably think is slightly better than 2, but not what I want from the series after 1 and X, which I like a lot. Dunno if I'll play more of the series moving forward, but I want to be optimistic.

Kirby - 8 - Star Allies is probably my favorite of the series tied with Return to Dreamland, the spin-offs have been solid, even if the only really new idea has been Buffet, Forgotten Land is pretty good but still worse than a lot of the better 2D games, very lacking in abilities and movesets, and the transition to 3D takes away more than what it gives to the series so I can't really let slide those downgrades, hopefully a sequel improves on that.

Yoshi - 6 - Man, I finally had hope again for Yoshi after Woolly World.

Luigi's Mansion - 10 - They did it, the perfect Luigi's Mansion.

Splatoon - high 7 - In general how I feel about the series is that they are pretty good gameplay wise, but the surrounding stuff improves very slowly, so it could probably be a 9 in 2 or 3 more gens.

Wii - 10 - Ring Fit Adventure unironically one of my absolute favorite RPGs, wasn't expecting to like Switch Sports as much as I did, and a far more compelling reward system for online play than something like the Mario sports games, I like building the Labo kits, not something I play that often but it was a neat idea to have, as short lived as it was. Can't really complain on this one.

WarioWare - 7 - Get it Together is a lot of interesting ideas that needed more balance, because some micro games can get pretty frustrating with less versatile characters, but is interesting nonetheless.
 
I’ll try to come back for individual franchises later, but overall the Switch is the best showing of Nintendo’s franchises with more on the way. Just unreal how many incredible games we’ve gotten.

Huge shoutouts though to Xenoblade (everything but X is there, so much great new stuff), Smash Bros (Ultimate is a dream come true), and Pokemon (awesome excellent variety, at least two dream come true games).
 
Ok this seems fun and I have time let’s do this!


Mario - Excellent. Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece and there is surely more to come.
Mario Kart - Took forever, but building on the best Kart was an incredible decision and I’m stunned just how much we are getting.
Mario Party - In a great spot between new games and NSO. A disturbing lack of Fortune Street makes me sad.
Mario Sports - Overall great! Aces is the best Tennis, excellent game for Golf with loads of awesome courses and local multiplayer(!), barely touched Strikers but it seems neat. Give us a new sport before the Switch rides off into the sun!
Paper Mario - Great game with the Origami King, but we need more Paper Mario / Mario RPGs on Switch.
Mario Maker - Excellent game, but support ended too soon. Need to put more time into it.
The Legend of Zelda - Truly excellent stuff here including a masterpiece with BOTW, no multiplayer Zelda and no new 2D Zelda are big letdowns.
Metroid - One of the best games in the series with Dread and Prime 4 is on the way. Back catalog needs to be more available, but otherwise it’s lovely here.
Super Smash Bros - absolute best in the series. Astounding.
Animal Crossing - Favorite game in the series, finally realized it’s true potential. A true phenomenon.
Fire Emblem - I’m new to Fire Emblem, but this is clearly well beloved, engaging support. I adored having Tokyo Mirage Sessions back and Fire Emblem Warriors was fun.
Pokemon - Best it’s been in 20 years. Astounding variety, high quality, and dreams come true.
Xenoblade - Got the royal treatment here. Only missing X.
Donkey Kong - We had that DK expansion in Mario and Rabbids which was cool. But uh, sad lonely times otherwise. His day is seemingly coming though.
Kirby - Best Kirby in decades with Forgotten Land, uninteresting spinoffs. Happy Avalanche returned in NSO and two player online Super Star is lovely.
Yoshi - Crafted World, NSO, and then nothing? Passing grade here, but come on bring us more Yoshi. At least port Wooly World.
Luigi's Mansion - Best game in the series between amazing single player and excellent multiplayer, can’t ask for more.
Splatoon - Awesome, but Splatoon 3 needed something new to seal the deal. The story of Splatoon is ongoing.
Wii - Switch Sports is a fine successor to Wii Sports and online is massive for certain sports (dual wielding sword fights online!!), but there’s a lot from Wii Sports Resort that was left behind. I’m left wanting here.
Pikmin - Awesome spot with 4 coming soon, but I do feel they should have gotten a Pikmin 1 and 2 dual pack out there too. Get the whole series minus Hey on Switch.
Wario - Get It Together was good, but didn’t have staying power. No Wario platformers makes me sad. I think Wario is overall the big loser of Switch so far sadly from the franchises being judged here. Even DK’s short DLC thing was better.
 
Looks like a fun reflection. Since I'm a teacher, I'll use grades...which I hate...but alas, I'm familiar.

  • Mario (platformers): A+; Odyssey is an instant classic, and 3D World went from an afterthought to me to another bonafide classic after its port to the platform.
  • Mario Kart: B; Mario Kart 8 is the best game in the series, but it is quite old at this point. I'm not disappointed with the showing on the Switch. I'm not over the moon, though!
  • Mario Party: A; This series has been dead to me since the middle of the Gamecube's short life. I enjoyed Super Mario Party quite a bit as a return to form. I absolutely adored Superstars; it felt like a love letter made specifically for me.
  • Mario Sports: C; I like all of them, to an extent, but they all faded pretty quickly after a month.
  • Paper Mario: B; Origami King isn't exactly the "return to form" that was rumored, but I found it at the very least a charmer with some excellent boss battles.
  • Mario Maker: B-; Maker 2 is objectively better than the first game. I wish support didn't just vanish after a year!
  • The Legend of Zelda: A; Obvious high water marks, including a remake of one of my favorite games in the series. Downgraded from A+ to stick it to Skyward Sword one more time.
  • Metroid: A; Yeah, yeah. Prime 4! But at least this system actually got a game, and it's a damn good one at that.
  • Super Smash Bros.: A+; I have never reacted as strongly to a trailer as I did the "Everybody is Here" presentation.
  • Animal Crossing: B; New Horizons is good. It's just not for me.
  • Fire Emblem: A; Not a series I care much for. The people in my life who swear by Fire Emblem replay Three Houses regularly, and they really liked the musou game that came out this year.
  • Pokemon: C; Let's Go was great. Sword and Shield are entirely bland and forgettable. Snap was a huge letdown with way, way, way too much grinding and not enough puzzle solving like the first had. I haven't played Arceus or Scarlet/Violet, which may bump this up a smidge.
  • Xenoblade: A+; Not a series I have played much, either, but it seems like the fanbase is quite pleased.
  • Donkey Kong: F; For Funky Mode!
  • Kirby: B+; Adore Forgotten Land, strongly dislike Star Allies. This series has so many spin-offs; they all seem okay but I only played Dream Buffet, and that was a fun weekend.
  • Yoshi: D; Worst Nintendo franchise continues to be the worst Nintendo franchise.
  • Luigi's Mansion: C; 3 is not even kind of what I want from Luigi's Mansion. The hotel backdrop loses all of its charm when the hotel itself is clearly just a way to gate different levels. Ghost designs are boring. Blah.
  • Splatoon: B+; 2 was a bit disappointing. Octo Expansion is a gem, though, and 3 feels like the most complete experience yet.
  • Wii: C; I like Switch Sports. Ring Fit is clearly well-designed, but honestly I wish it had a lot less RPG. I don't like pausing for handfuls of minutes at a time during my fitness routine to manage my inventory.
  • Pikmin: Inc.; Can't fairly grade until 4 comes out. I'm very excited!
  • WarioWare: D; I was excited about Get It Together. After trying the demo, I never bothered with the full game. The gimmick of switching between characters who all interact a bit differently just isn't what I want in my WarioWare. I would have preferred to just get a port of Gold, somehow.
 
For me it's a 4/5 rating overall, lots of franchises have some of their best games in the series on this system. It is missing a few big names (notably Donkey Kong and Star Fox) and a few small titles I was sure were coming years ago (Style Savvy, Tomodachi Life)
 
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Zelda, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem, and Mario have all released some of my favourite games ever on the Switch. Kirby, Mario Kart, Splatoon, Metroid, Luigi’s Mansion, Pokémon and Animal Crossing have all released high quality entries. Ring Fit wa a a great new IP.

The Yoshi and WarioWare entries weren’t quite as good as their previous games, but as a fan of both series I appreciate that they weren’t neglected.

Speaking personally, I’m very satisfied with Nintendo’s output on the system. If it’s not the best first party output of any Nintendo system yet then it probably will be by the end of the Switch’s lifespan.

Rhythm Heaven and Donkey Kong are sorely missed though. Some original 2D Mario and Zelda games would be nice too.
 


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