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Discussion In 2022, the Switch has entered its twilight years. How do you rank its library in each genre?

What genre was the Switch strongest in?

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Whether we think the Nintendo Switch successor is out this year, next year, 2024, or even as late as 2025, there is no viable scenario for the platform in which it has not entered the final leg of its life. At this point, the shape of its library is clear. While some surprise announcements might still happen (Yakuza on Switch in 2023, who's with me!), on the whole, the general constitution of the Switch's lineup and overall library is fairly clear, right? Like, it's not suddenly gonna become a hotbed for competitive first person shooters, and it won't fall off a cliff for metroidvanias. The general makeup of its library is more or less set in stone now.

So now with that in mind, the question is, how would you rate the Nintendo Switch library in the following genres?
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Action-Adventure
  • JRPG
  • WRPG
  • Fighter
  • Metroidvania
  • Sim
  • Visual Novel
  • First Person Shooter
  • Third Person Shooter
  • 2D Platformer
  • 3D Platformer
  • Strategy
  • Racing
  • Sports
  • Roguelike
Obvious feel free to add any genres I might have missed!
 
I feel that it's absurd to insist that the system is almost dead when Splatoon 3 comes out in three weeks.

However, assuming that it is almost done for the sake of the thread, it was pretty well serviced in most genres. Racing and shooting have always been its greatest areas of deficiency, but even those have seen many games. I struggle to fault the system anywhere, honestly.

Speaking broadly, the greatest hurdle to its legacy will be its reused content. It hasn't seen a high quality original 2D platformer from Nintendo or a new Mario Kart.
 
Isn‘t really a genre but for me the Switch really is my indie games / third party games that aren‘t to long machine at this point. It is just perfect. I would have played not so many games if it weren‘t for the portable nature of the switch.
Otherwise I‘d say it is really strong in JRPGS and Platformers.

But it is strong in almost any genre by now, for a recent Nintendo console the Switch is an astonishingly diverse platform, probably even the console with the most varied library of games right now. Even though there are a lot of ports and "B-Tier" IPs (which isn‘t generally a bad thing).
 
I'll stick with genres that I know more about or are easier to define.


Action - 3 Bayo games, Astral Chain, and a fair back catalog of older action titles make this a pretty solid A tier for me
JRPG - S tier, probably one of the best systems for the genre in general
WRPG - B tier. Has a fairly solid back catalog and does surprisingly well on the CRPG front, but there's a lot that its missing
Metroidvania - S tier. Has a decent back catalog of entries and is basically the de-facto console home for modern entries
First Person Shooter - D tier, no explanation needed. Definitely the Switch's worst genre
Third Person Shooter - 2 Splatoon games means this is at least B tier, but I can't think of any notable entries outside of Splatoon
2D Platformer - Decent enough back catalog, some ok first party titles, de facto home for new indie releases. B tier in comparison to other Nintendo consoles, probably A tier overall
3D Platformer - Technically has every 3D Mario except Galaxy 2 and 3D Land, Odyssey is a masterpiece, apparently Bowser's Fury is quite good too though I haven't played it yet. Also gets most of the new releases in the genre. A tier.
Roguelike - This is a genre composed mainly of new entries, and the Switch gets basically all of them. I don't like the genre, but S tier.
Strategy - Does this count SRPGs? If so, A tier. If not, B tier
 
Raccoon said:
It will at the very least be the main platform for two more years.
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I agree, but I don't think that is mutually exclusive with it being in the last years of its life lol

The point is, no matter what you think about the Switch's remaining lifespan, you probably don't think it will suddenly change its strengths or weaknesses in any genre of its library to any particular amount at this juncture
 
Good idea but I'm gonna tweak that genre list a little bit:


2D Platformer: Nintendo handhelds always are the best ones for this Switch is no different. There are even out-of-nowhere titles like GnG Resurrection.

3D Platformer: Much better than DS and 3DS but still leaves us wanting. Nintendo needs to bring other 2D characters beck to 3D world, like DK and Wario.

FPS: For single player FPS games, Switch is the best handheld. For multiplayer ones... well... we still don't have a proper deathmatch FPS game on the system. closest thing is Warface, a P2W garbage.

Sports: This is the only Nintendo system, only handheld without an NFL game. This needs to be fixed and until then, this is one of the worst.

Racing: Sadly not up there with DS and PSP. Those two were pretty legendary, got pretty much every big series that Switch has and much more.

Open World action: Switch literally is the best Nintendo system and best handheld in this regard. This is even getting better in its 6th year.

Action RPG: Veeery good. Skyrim, Borderlands, Diablo, Ys... And this is a genre that continuously gets better on Switch.

Turn based: Not only Switch gets some of the best turn based stuff it also get lots of legacy stuff, courtesy of Square-enix, Atlus and Falcom.

Tycoon: Surprisingly Switch has a crazy Tycoon game lineup. We're even getting a few this fall.

Puzzle: Again, incredible lineup. One of the best versions of Tetris, lots of Puyo, Mr Driller and other stuff. Indies help a lot too.

Adventure: Since DS, Nintendo handhelds have been the place for this genre. Switch takes this up a notch, in every subgenre, VNs and PnC. Still a new Ace Attorney game is seriously needed.

Hack n Slash: We're good. We have important classics, DMC, Ninja Gaiden, Bayonetta, Onimusha and newer stuff like Nier Automata and Bayo 3. We do feel the absence of DMC4. Musou presence is much appreciated.

Beat em Up: This is the craziest one because this genre is having an unexpected resurrection on Switch. This years one of the best titles is a retro styled BmU, TMNT.

Shmup: While we're having lots of classics on Switch from Ikaruga to Cave lineup, newer titles are few. We need more.

Life Sim: We don't have The Sims on Switch but indies are doing their best to cover this area. AC is a beast as always.

Fighter: Ok this is one of the meh lineups. Lots of anime fighters but like, zero 3D fighters. Tekken, Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter, Dead or Alive, we need at least one of them.

Survival Horror: Good. Especially on indies side, with stuff like Outlast and Amnesia. One of the most important series of the genre, Silent Hill, needs to be on Switch.

Rhythm: Meh. One Hatsune, one Harmonix game and few Taiko titles. Nintendo is one of the best publishers in this arena but 6 years on we still have yet to receive one from them.
 
I'll speak pretty broadly here about the library because Switch is like thousands of games deep and has a way larger indie and 3rd party presence compared to past Nintendo consoles. Not to mention all the remasters that have been added to the system, some on a Nintendo console for the first time. Usually when speaking about a console's overall library I tend to focus on the exclusives that defined the console but it is hard for Switch because that's a pretty defining plus in its library. Overall with Switch, I think of two big trends in its library here which I'll go into.

First, if you think about the genre that draws a lot of attention from players like on here or in Nintendo Directs, and also in critical acclaim, the leading genre has to be RPGs by a country mile. This is probably one of the biggest efforts for an RPG library from Nintendo we've ever seen concentrated on a single platform even though past platforms like the SNES and 3DS were also strong overall in the genre. For 1st party you have Pokemon and Xenoblade as being especially prolific this generation on growing and trying new things. Not to mention all the other RPG staples like Fire Emblem and Paper Mario being present along with a ridiculously huge 3rd party support here like the frequent Asano games exclusive to Switch along with notable exclusives like Shin Megami Tensei V and Monster Hunter Stories 2. I feel like Nintendo's mindset has been particularly focused on this genre to win core players this generation, although complemented by big games in other genres and IP.

Secondly, the other space that I think has been a big focus on Switch has been in online multiplayer games. It's not a "genre" so I won't bother going into it too much, but I think NSO may have been a catalyst for a way bigger push towards online gaming from Nintendo this generation than in past ones. Franchises that would typically be local only now feature online support, and some even go so far as to make it the key focus of their multiplayer. Then there's the 3rd party support with the industry rise of F2P mass multiplayer games like Fortnite and Apex Legends that have also been coming to a Nintendo platform.
 
I mean, Nintendo apparently wants to bring back Golden Sun, that alone should tell you what genre they're really pushing right now.

(And I want a new Golden Sun that can go hand by hand with Xenoblade Chronicles as Nintendo's big JRPGs).
 
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With the Persona games on the way, the Switch is a JRPG monster. In just this year alone it'll have, Arceus, Live A Live, Triangle Strategy, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Scarlet/Violet, and Persona 5.
 
NabiscoFelt said:
I'll stick with genres that I know more about or are easier to define.


Action - 3 Bayo games, Astral Chain, and a fair back catalog of older action titles make this a pretty solid A tier for me
JRPG - S tier, probably one of the best systems for the genre in general
WRPG - B tier. Has a fairly solid back catalog and does surprisingly well on the CRPG front, but there's a lot that its missing
Metroidvania - S tier. Has a decent back catalog of entries and is basically the de-facto console home for modern entries
First Person Shooter - D tier, no explanation needed. Definitely the Switch's worst genre
Third Person Shooter - 2 Splatoon games means this is at least B tier, but I can't think of any notable entries outside of Splatoon
2D Platformer - Decent enough back catalog, some ok first party titles, de facto home for new indie releases. B tier in comparison to other Nintendo consoles, probably A tier overall
3D Platformer - Technically has every 3D Mario except Galaxy 2 and 3D Land, Odyssey is a masterpiece, apparently Bowser's Fury is quite good too though I haven't played it yet. Also gets most of the new releases in the genre. A tier.
Roguelike - This is a genre composed mainly of new entries, and the Switch gets basically all of them. I don't like the genre, but S tier.
Strategy - Does this count SRPGs? If so, A tier. If not, B tier
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Not sure first person shooters is the switch's worst genre. You've got the Doom series, Wolfenstein, Boomerang X, Neon White, Metro, Borderlands, DUSK, Quake, Powerslave Exhumed, the Crysis series, Bioshock, Shattered Steel etc.
 
RPG for sure. Having the xenoblade trilogy available on it is basically already a huge advantage, nevermind the flurry of other RPGs available
 
bixente said:
Not sure first person shooters is the switch's worst genre.
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It’s missing stuff like CoD which is pretty big, but on the other hand Switch is my choice for console FPS because of gyro. Otherwise dual analog can’t match KB+M.

I’d actually argue that the Switch’s weakest genre is fighting games. It’s not weak (Smash slays) but it is missing quite a few big names: Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken, Street Fighter… it’s honestly a bit of a shame since I love my handheld fighters.

Or wait, I guess we can say realistic sports sims is the Switch’s weakest genre. It doesn’t really have any I think.

As for everything else though, Switch has been amazing. Several “genres” I’m particularly pleased with:
  • Monster Tamers: You’ve got not only the usual Pokemon, Digimon, SMT but also great indies like Coromon and Siralim. My only hope is more of them try to break away more from the Pokemon formula.
  • SRPG: Especially this year when suddenly everyone decided to release one
  • Farming sims: We get the usual Harvest Moon-style stuff and they’re excellent, but we also get interesting new twists on the formula with games like Littlewood, Sakuna of Rice and Ruin, and Cozy Grove. The upcoming Harvestella is also the biggest budget stab at the subgenre yet, and I’m very curious to see how it goes.
  • Couch coop games: It’s fun lording your superiority over your friends but it’s also super fun working together in chaotic situations. Overcooked is far and away my favorite but there’s a lot of gems.
  • WRPG: I already knew Switch was going to be a JRPG powerhouse; all the Nintendo handhelds are. But the WRPG presence has also been surprisingly robust. From the titans like Skyrim to indie darlings like Disco Elysium, it’s a far cry from past systems where you barely had any.
  • 3D platformer: Lots of indie stuff plus the boost from Nintendo’s own offerings, including Kirby’s first jump into the genre.
  • Roguelikes: “One more round” over and over again til it’s 3 am.
 
I've heard the Shmup library is great though I don't know much about the genre

The puzzle library is pretty good with Baba is You, A Monster's Expedition and more recently ElecHead and the Portal Collection, besides score attack stuff

Some sub-genres that I found it pretty lacking were vehicular-combat games (though it's a dead genre anyway) and open-world racing games (though tbf there's Burnout Paradise which is like one of the best of them)
 
Best Console of all time for Mario Genre

Top in RPG, (Turn Based)Strategy and Metroidvania

Best Nintendo Console for FPS, Open World and Horror and Plattformers

Okay, but could be better in Fighting and Racing and Sports ( the paradox here is Switch has the best Fighter of All Time with Smash Bros)
 
The Switch is the console for the weebs. First option.
 
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bellydrum said:
I would consider a console in the last quarter of its lifetime "in its twilight years"
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That language does carry a connotation of decline, though, and I don't expect that to be the case. After all, this thread is seemingly predicated on the idea that no further releases will be substantial enough to impact the rating of any of the listed genres.

To me, Nintendo putting out a live game halfway through year six speaks volumes about future support. I concede I could be wrong about that, and Splatoon 3 could be an anomaly.
 
Raccoon said:
That language does carry a connotation of decline, though, and I don't expect that to be the case. After all, this thread is seemingly predicated on the idea that no further releases will be substantial enough to impact the rating of any of the listed genres.

To me, Nintendo putting out a live game halfway through year six speaks volumes about future support. I concede I could be wrong about that, and Splatoon 3 could be an anomaly.
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I think the premise of the thread doesn't rely on the Switch being in decline, though. It's sort of just asking us to consider the entire library thus far. If the "twilight years" bit was left out nothing would be changed. I think people are just getting distracted by it
 
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The poll speaks for itself. Legacy content helps a lot in most genres but the (J)RPG lineup is good even without it. It's no surprise that Nintendo has decided to put its weight behind the genre.

Other than that and given the market realities and the hardware there's a decent genre makeup. Some obviously get more attention than others but I'm not sure there was ever the possibility for a wildly different outcome. A few random thoughts:
  • It's notable albeit not extremely surprising how Nintendo's own software or lack thereof colours people's perception of the overall lineup. Obviously new first party 2D platformers have been few and far between and the lack of a new 2D Mario or Donkey Kong sting. But the system also got Celeste, Sonic Mania, Mega Man 11, Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Kaze and the Wild Masks, all of which are great to excellent, plus several more.
  • The FPS genre is an interesting one. In some ways, it's doing better than I expected: Doom, Wolfenstein, Crysis, Metro, Bioshock, Borderlands, even more obscure stuff like Void Bastards or Exhumed/Powerslave. It also got Apex Legends (which has been turned into a really solid port), Overwatch and Paladins. What's most surprising is that it didn't even get a single Call of Duty game despite it being an extremely obvious money maker.
  • Unsurprisingly, racing games are lacking on the system. It's arguably the worst "big" genre on Switch. The saddest part for me personally is that Nintendo has abandoned it aside from the juggernaut that is Mario Kart 8: No F-Zero, no Wave Race, no Excite, no Diddy Kong Racing.
 
It's not a genre but I wish the game had more "only possible on Switch" games. Problem is I think I just want a new DS lol. The Joy-Con aren't as enticing as the Double Screen layout but games like Ring Fit, Switch Sports or Labo, while not my favourite games, make for great unique games no other console or PC would have. So there definitely are some, of course.

I also would love more games that are specifically designed for Switch and keep the platform in mind when desgining the game. I feel like lots of games went with "there are 2 controllers built in so let's do co-op" when most people had at least 2 controllers anyway for other consoles and multiplayer in Tabletop mode feels cramped (to me). WarioWare would have been way more interesting to me if it somehow incorporated Joy-Con features and touchscreen features, depending on what mode you played in for example.

Another thing I am missing from the DS/Wii and 3DS days are games that I fail to properly describe so I just always say "niche games". Again, we get some of those like Shin-Chan, Famicom Detective Club or even Clubhouse Games. But I just always love these kind of smaller budget games with novel ideas. I guess that shifted to Indies almost completely but I would love to see Nintendo and other big companies invest in these kinds of games more again.

To answer the actual question though, I voted RPGs because it seems like there are eight thousand of them. I will also echo what people are saying about reused content. Between WIi U ports, late PS4/Xbox/PC ports and remaster-type ports, a lot of games on Switch are games that, creatively, bring nothing new to the table. This is of course a trend on all platforms given that many of these remaster-type ports and collections are multiplatform. I guess that is what I'm looking for, more novel ideas and unproven concepts. Of course, I'm being greeding when asking for "more" despite already getting so much.

Do believe the Switch has something for everybody though and the library is great, one of my favourite consoles for sure!
 
Dardan Sandiego said:
It's notable albeit not extremely surprising how Nintendo's own software or lack thereof colours people's perception of the overall lineup. Obviously new first party 2D platformers have been few and far between and the lack of a new 2D Mario or Donkey Kong sting. But the system also got Celeste, Sonic Mania, Mega Man 11, Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair, Kaze and the Wild Masks, all of which are great to excellent, plus several more
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Mostly I think it’s because people already knew the 2D platformer genre would be well served. No doubt the genre is strong on Switch.

Dardan Sandiego said:
Unsurprisingly, racing games are lacking on the system. It's arguably the worst "big" genre on Switch. The saddest part for me personally is that Nintendo has abandoned it aside from the juggernaut that is Mario Kart 8: No F-Zero, no Wave Race, no Excite, no Diddy Kong Racing.
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I kinda feel like Switch is doing fine on the racing front though? Burnout Paradise, Crash Team Racing, Cruis’n Blast, Fast RMX, Hot Wheels, and so on. Definitely feel like fighters are less represented but I might be being unfair here because I care more about that genre more haha

jirou said:
It's not a genre but I wish the game had more "only possible on Switch" games. Problem is I think I just want a new DS lol. The Joy-Con aren't as enticing as the Double Screen layout but games like Ring Fit, Switch Sports or Labo, while not my favourite games, make for great unique games no other console or PC would have. So there definitely are some, of course.
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Would definitely love to see more of these weird ideas. Ring Fit was a grand slam.

jirou said:
Another thing I am missing from the DS/Wii and 3DS days are games that I fail to properly describe so I just always say "niche games". Again, we get some of those like Shin-Chan, Famicom Detective Club or even Clubhouse Games. But I just always love these kind of smaller budget games with novel ideas. I guess that shifted to Indies almost completely but I would love to see Nintendo and other big companies invest in these kinds of games more again.
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We did just get Kirby Dream Buffet. And we’ve gotten stuff like Snipperclips, Good Job and whatnot. Nintendo has still been releasing the quirky smaller titles, just not at the same rate as before, because that’s just how HD development is.

jirou said:
I guess that is what I'm looking for, more novel ideas and unproven concepts. Of course, I'm being greeding when asking for "more" despite already getting so much.
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Indies are the best place for that.
 
Skittzo said:
What about the second half? Hell, what if we're still in the first half?
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Then I'd say we weren't in the twilight years. But OP clearly laid out that they're operating under the assumption that support might end in at the latest 2025, so in that case, like I said above, I'd consider it the "twilight years".

I don't see it beneficial to debate about whether the Switch is in its "twilight years". It's a derailment of the thread.

I'd recommend everyone stop getting hung up on OP's phrasing and engage with the question at hand. You can answer the question even if the Switch is halfway through it's lifespan. The point is that "the general makeup of its library is more or less set in stone now".
 
bellydrum said:
Then I'd say we weren't in the twilight years. But OP clearly laid out that they're operating under the assumption that support might end in at the latest 2025, so in that case, like I said above, I'd consider it the "twilight years".

I don't see it beneficial to debate about whether the Switch is in its "twilight years". It's a derailment of the thread.

I'd recommend everyone stop getting hung up on OP's phrasing and engage with the question at hand. You can answer the question even if the Switch is halfway through it's lifespan. The point is that "the general makeup of its library is more or less set in stone now".
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That's fair, my apologies. Its lifespan is definitely a different topic.

On topic, RPGs are definitely the winner for me too.
 
My rating is based mostly on original new entries in a specific genre rather than the overall library that also includes ports, for me a console should be based mostly on what type of new experiences it brings

It's very weak in the racing genre, survival horror genre, Fighting games and First Person Shooters

its good for platformers fans, but I wouldn't say it's on par with the greats like N64 for 3D platformers and SNES for 2D platformers

Great Jrpg library but kinda bloated with ports, if you remove them it's not too far from the 3DS or the DS, and not even close to SNES,PS1 and 2, still great tho

Open world games on Switch is a big step up compared to past Nintendo consoles, but still not even close to the competition

I would say no console is on par with the Switch in term of it's Metroidvanias offering

Dating sim/Farming Sim...ect it's good but again nothing ground breaking compared to many other consoles especially past Nintendo consoles

am overall satisfied with Switch casual and party games, having basically Wii Sports and all Mario sports games is very nice even tho they all fall short in some aspects

Overall the Switch library is decent, but ultimately disappointing
 
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One genre that's been big for me on Switch is puzzles, whether it's puzzle platformers (Elechead, Inside, Bomb Chicken), block pushing (A Monster's Expedition, Bonfire Peaks, Baba is You), Tetris (Tetris 99, Tetris Effect, Puyo Puyo Tetris) or something completely different (Return of the Obra Dinn, Strange Horticulture, Portal).

There's a great variety of games, and the platform is ideal for them due to the portability. You can solve a level or two and continue with your daily errands.
 
Good: RPGs
Bad: FPSs
 
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meatbag said:
I kinda feel like Switch is doing fine on the racing front though? Burnout Paradise, Crash Team Racing, Cruis’n Blast, Fast RMX, Hot Wheels, and so on. Definitely feel like fighters are less represented but I might be being unfair here because I care more about that genre more haha
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I guess I just haven't been really impressed with most of the racing games available on the system but it's true that one's assessment of the library will vary greatly depending on one's expectations and interests.
 
If you needed even more reasons, Live a Live remake apparently happened because Nintendo wanted a re-release.

(And don't be surprised if the Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake is also Switch exclusive).
 
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Okay firstly, it’s taking EVERYTHING in me not to see how many icons I properly recognize in that collage. I could seriously kill hours looking at it.

But it’s a no-brainer. It’s RPGs. Metroidvania’s are almost there but there is just such a deep breadth of variety in the Switch’s RPG lineup.

Games like Klonoa and PAC-Man World hitting Switch this year is great, and while the system does have plenty of top-tier platformers, it needs to deepen its catalog of older titles. Bring in every single 3D Platformer from that era that you can. The more the merrier. All the Sonic’s, PAC-Man World 2, even the Ghostly Adventures. Gex, Glover, Psychonauts, fucking Croc, everything.

Sports games is where it’s lacking the most. Shooters are getting better but there still isn’t much in the way of an FPS killer app on the system.
 
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