Best new Nintendo Switch games – Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Pokémon, Diablo III and more
Our rolling round-up of the best new games you can get on your Nintendo Switch right now
All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue.
EXPLORED every last corner of Hyrule, stomped every Koopa and saved the world from chaos more? Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch has a steady supply of great games, so there's plenty to move onto.
We've rounded up some of the best titles released in the past few months, so if you're looking for a good, new Switch game, we've got you covered.
Whether it's the best new eShop releases or the latest games to get physical releases, there should be something here from the past month or so to keep you entertained.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
December 7 / PEGI 12
★★★★★
- £49.99 (Amazon UK) -
Super Smash Bros Ultimate is absurd in every way you can think of - and it's utterly amazing.
The premise is simple -- you pick one of the roster of more than 70 characters from gaming history, and you fight.
There's a huge single-player mode that offers more than sixty hours of combat against computer-controlled opponents across the game's huge array of stages.
In this you can find yourself fighting a small army of Yoshis, a giant R.O.B., breathing fire.. the list goes on.
As with the multiplayer, it's fast, it's silly, and it's very compelling.
As well as moving stages and hazards, you get a huge array of items to fight with -- everything from Pokéballs (complete with a huge range of Pokémon) to baseball bats, laser guns and giant swords.
These add to the absurdity of it all, and also how much luck is going to be involved in any match.
This can help level the playing field somewhat -- it supports up to 8 players if you have enough controllers or joycons, so if you've got a bunch of friends with various levels of experience, the sheer mayhem makes it possible for anyone to win a round after they've picked up the simple controls that all characters share.
And really, once you've seen Animal Crossing's Isabelle knock Ridley from Metroid into orbit (with a little help from a friendly Charizard), you're going to want to dive in.
Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee
★★★★☆
November 16 / PEGI 3
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Including Poké Ball Plus, £84.99 -
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! Including Poké Ball Plus, £84.99 -
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! (game only), £44.99 -
- Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! (game only), £44.99 -
POKÉMON Let's Go Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go Eevee reinvent the franchise for the Pokémon Go generation, and the result is a fun, engaging game that is just as good for nostalgic Pokémon fans and kids who are just discovering the cute little beasties for the first time.
The drop-in co-op play makes it a perfect game to play with kids too -- and given it's been 20 years since the first game was released in the UK, plenty of those with love for the original now have kids of their own to help along through Kanto.
Fears that Let's Go is just a souped-up Pokémon Go masquerading as a dumbed-down RPG to make a quick buck off the millions of players of the mobile game turned out to be totally unfounded.
This is both a deep and engaging Pokémon RPG and a kid-friendly family game too, with much of the detail a little hidden away, ready to be discovered if you want to dig deeper.
Diablo 3: Eternal Collection
★★★★★
November 2 / PEGI 16
- £41.99 (Amazon UK) -
Diablo III works much better on Switch than it has any right to.
You would think that to get the complexity and chaos of the twice-expanded PC game onto a small screen, controlled by joycons, would be impossible.
It seems only natural that Blizzard would have to simplify and strip down the game to make it work well for Switch -- the only thing is, they haven't.
It really is the full game, unabridged and with just as much depth and detail as you get on PC, but playable on your telly or on the go with the Switch in handheld mode.
The Adventure mode is made for mobile gameplay too, with its quick hits from Rifts and Bounties that can do anything from fill in five minutes while you're waiting for a bus to a three-hour train ride.
It's an utter joy to play, looks gorgeous and sounds amazing.
If you haven't played Diablo III before this (along with the fully patched-up PC version) is the definitive edition, and really is everything you'd want from a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler.
If you've already played it or got it on other platforms, it's worth getting just for the ability to play the full game on the go.
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse
September 21 / PEGI 16
★★★★☆
- £24.99 (Nintendo eShop) -
The Broken Sword series has been the gold standard for old-school point-and-click puzzlers for ever, and The Serpent's Curse is no exception.
The comic book graphics, charming voice acting and compelling story combine with mind-bending puzzles in exactly the way you'll remember.
It's a 2D tale, as the first two games in the series were, lending to the feelings of nostalgia that will suck in anyone with fond memories of the 1996 original or the 1997 sequel.
The seamless switching from touch-screen to stick controls make solving the puzzles a joy wherever you happen to be, though some can be a little on the obscure side.
Even that's solved by the game's hint system though; if you need a little nudge in the right direction, it's just a click away and offers multiple levels of assistance.
The cherry on top are a selection of fun behind-the-scenes videos, exclusive to Switch, which you unlock as you play.
It's not the fastest-paced of games, and while its humour and charm will appeal to many some will find it a little too ponderous.
But if you're looking for an engaging story filled with great art and compelling characters, The Serpent's Curse is well worth your time.
Into the Breach
August 28 / PEGI 12
★★★★★
- £11.39 (Nintendo eShop) -
The team behind the sublime FTL has created a miniature marvel.
One of the best turn-based strategy games out there on any platform, Into the Breach works perfectly on Switch.
You control giant robots in an infinitely replayable procedurally generated quest to save the world.
The turn-based tactics, tiny maps and limited tools make each level as much a puzzle as anything else, and we mean that in the best possible way.
Fantastic music and endless replayability combine with more emotional engagement than should be possible to make Into the Breach a must for strategy and puzzle fans.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
August 28 / PEGI 12
★★★★☆
- £48.94 (Amazon UK) -
While Monster Hunter World revamped the Monster Hunter Universe, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is a traditional RPG in a way that will be instantly familiar to long-time fans of the series.
A great example of the genre with a ridiculous number of monsters to hunt. It's not the prettiest, as it is just a gussied-up version of the 3DS Monster Hunter Generations, but it's a great pick for anyone looking for a traditional RPG.
State of Mind
August 15 / PEGI 16
★★★☆☆
- £35.99 (Nintendo eShop) -
State of Mind feels like more of an interactive story than a game per se. The puzzles are generally quite simple, and the joy of exploration in the game's world comes through the game's stylish low-fi visuals.
But behind this simple facade is a compelling story about paranoia, the surveillance state, and the implications of the growing threat and promise posed by AI.
The compartmentalised story makes it a great fit on Switch too. It's easy to play in relatively short contained spells--and what could be a better match for your commute than musing about being replaced by a robot or living in an all-seeing surveillance state?
Okami HD
August 9 / PEGI 12
★★★★☆
- £15.99 (Nintendo eShop) -
Every bit as unique and compelling as when it the HD remaster of the PS2 classic was first released in 2012.
You're a sun goddess who takes the form of a wolf, restoring colour to historical Japan. More than just Zelda with a paintbrush, it's still a one-of-a-kind gaming experience that hasn't been matched.
At its heart is still that 2006 game, and while the Switch version doesn't really move the remaster on much it is still a glorious experience for those who haven't before.
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Dead Cells
August 7 / PEGI 16
★★★★★
- £22.49 (Nintendo eShop, download) -
- £29.56 (Amazon.co.uk, boxed copy) -
Fast, brutal, endlessly compelling.
A 2D combat platformer with unparalleled depth. You only get one go at each run -- death sends you crashing back to the beginning -- but each run teaches you something, leaves you with a permanent upgrade, access to a new path or something equally valuable.
Weapon variety, an ever-changing world to explore and flawlessly implemented mechanics that mean each death makes you want to try again rather than toss the controller away in frustration make Dead Cells a must-have for any action fan.