Where would you rank the Switch now that end is approaching?

Well?

  • Total voters
    312
At first, I wasn't confident in the Nintendo Switch, but as I looked at its catalog of survival horror, mature games, and region-free features, it became one of Nintendo's best consoles and the spiritual successor to the SNES.

The second-best Nintendo console I've ever owned.
 
From a business perspective, S+++. I don't think people understand the scope of how much money this thing made, something like $30-40 billion in operating profit over its lifecycle, dwarfing anything else we've ever seen, and will be supported for at least another 2 years.

From a games perspective, A. Console has several games that could be in a top 10 all time discussion. Unfortunately, Nintendo had to do most of the heavy lifting and third party games are generally better played on other consoles.
 
S Tier

I lost interest in Nintendo stuff after the SNES when the PS1 came out and the N64 was a let down. This is my first time back since I like what they did with the hardware. It's the first time I have felt a portable has enough tech behind it to make it worthwhile. I never liked the low res graphics of prior portables. The Switch has been an RPG powerhouse. And the Xenoblade series is fully on it now. I've also enjoyed a lot of the Nintendo first party stuff. Sony went all in on big budget and online games, but I tend to gravitate more to the smaller projects Nintendo does now. I have around 80 physical Switch games, which is more then I have ever bought for a single console.

I'd probably rank it just below the PS1 as my favorite console of all time. Wild to think of it. I remember posting in the original reveal thread here on GAF I thought it would be a complete flop.
 
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S tier. The library is really good and it spawned an entire genre of copycat devices that will last well after it is gone. The thing is notable in video game history. Hard to give it anything but an S.
 
S Tier. With the caveat that

A. many of the best games are enhanced Wii U ports. And

B. After I got a Steam Deck I pretty much only used the Switch for first party games
 
A tier for me.

Mario Kart
BotW and TotK
Dread
Odyssey and Wonder
Plus assorted remasters.

Wife has got great mileage out of the online archive.

Didn't play much outside of the docked mode, so some of the performance issues weren't apparent.

Will drop on Switch 2 day one, assuming no supply issues...
 
cinnamonandgravy said:
B-tier

nes, snes, n64, and gamecube were better/cooler
switch relied on a lot of wiiu games, but had some good new stuff too. bonus points for somewhat interesting hardware.
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This.
Wii and WiiU were low points for me.
Hopefully Switch 2 is even better, arguably I could still do without the portable (bringing down the power) factor.
 
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S tier for sure.

It was crazy how great games we had almost straight out of the gate - Zelda BotW, Arms, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

But then we got also fantastic 3rd party stuff to play on the go - Dark Souls, Bayonetta 1-3, Super Meatboy, Octopath Traveller.

For the pandemic, we got cozy stuff like Animal Crossing and Pokemon.

We also got really diverse gaming experiences like Famicom Detective Club, Captain Toad and Picross. And classic games with real NES, Super NES, N64 and Megadrive controllers. And wildly creative online games like Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99.

We also got some truly spectacular remakes like Link's Awakening, Advance Wars, New Pokemon Snap, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and the solid rereleases of Mario Kart 8, Zelda Skyward Sword HD, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze and New Super Mario Bros.

And even more top tier Nintendo franchise entries - Splatoon 3, Super Mario Wonder, Zelda TotK, Metroid Dread, Zelda EoW, Pikmin 4, Luigi's Mansion 3, Emio: The Smiling Man.

The fact that all this could be played home or abroad allowed me to really put in the hours, and helped me finally get into the Souls series, for example. It was especially meaningful for me, since I spent 5 years travelling due to the pandemic.

Absolute miracle of a console. I think it must be my #1 console ever.
 
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Which tier is "Nintendo haven't convinced me to get one yet" ?
I care nothing for the portability, its worth almost 0 for me, and as a home console its too weak for its price.
 
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Best console ever made, home to many of Nintendo's best games in their franchises, and bringing forth a new paradigm when everyone was starting to think portable gaming was dead and buried.
 
S-Tier. It got me back into gaming after a 9 year hiatus.

And as a bonus, unlike the other 2 console manufacturers they don't get into social issues and politics.

I play games to escape and have fun, not be reminded of real world issues.
 
It brought me back into console gaming from about a 15 year hiatus following the end of the Dreamcast until its release in 2017. I was exclusively a PC gamer all those years in between.

Legendary console.
 
C tier and that's being generous

Peaked on Day 1 with BoTW, there wasn't much else that was truly standout. Mario odyssey was a massive disappointment, Mario kart was a port of a Wii U game, and ToTK was just a rehashed worse version of BoTW

Very disappointed in the lineup, especially since Nintendo had the opportunity to only focus on a single hardware

SNES, NES, N64, Wii all had a stronger lineup of Nintendo exclusives

Mostly a dust collector with ancient hardware. Massively overrated console and wasted potential. I hope switch 2 actually live up to the potential promise that was suggested with switch 1
 
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BennyBlanco said:
What a comeback from Nintendo. From the Wii U to the what will end up the best selling console of all time. Pretty much all on the back of their first party.
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Also on the back of stimulus checks and quarantine in general. Not to bash on the Switch, its a great system, but it got an incredible shot in the arm from Covid.
 
One of the most insane runs any console ever had, which is why I am worrief for Switch 2 since replicating what Switch offered is probably impossible
 
Heimdall_Xtreme said:


The power of Nintendo switch
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m9ATNri.jpeg
 
Personally, B or C tier.

I don't like Nintendo games, except Fire Emblem. For me, 3DS was only a Fire Emblem console, and I hoped Switch would be different.

It was. I played Skyrim, Valkyria Chronicles 4, Roguebook, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Triangle Strategy... all these games were great.

But then, I purchased my Steam Deck and it changed my gaming life. It was exactly what I wanted for the Switch: the ability to play anything everywhere. I played Cyberpunk 2077 last year, mostly on Steam Deck, and it was amazing.
 
S Tier for me, I didn't buy one until a couple of years ago but games like Mario RPG and Zelda Echoes of Wisdom made me remember just how charming games can be even on inferior hardware. I don't find the standard controller very comfortable, but almost always play it in docked mode and bough a pro controller anyway so it's not an issue. Although one minor thing - please Nintendo can you let us change the background on the Switch 2?
 
I settled with a B.

I feel they relied on waaay too many ports, as in series entirely absent of a new entry and simply porting the past gen title over from Wii U to Switch. I have no issues with ports btw, I only start to question its use when it seems its being done in place of an actual new entry into a series and the gen completely skipped of some IP in favor of just porting the Wii U version and moving on

For some of those franchises, Switch 2 is literally going to be the first time we got an entry since the Wii U's release when you really think about it.

So B based on not enough good new IP imo , even the titles I liked on Switch, personally, its closer to a C lol , I'll give it a B based on how it helped Nintendo, a C personally on my own experience on the system.
 
For me it's S tier

Pretty much got me back into gaming.

For me, standouts include:

Zelda BotW
Zelda TotK
Zelda EoW
Zelda links awakening remake
Hyrule warriors
Mario Odyssey
Smash bros
astral chain
Metroid dread
Pikmin 4
Luigi's mansion 3
Diablo 3


Shout outs to:
Prime remake
Okami hd
doom 2016
Hades
Hollow knight
Ori 1&2
Smt5
Skyrim
P5R
Mario rpg remake
Mario bros wonder
Xenoblade 3
No mans sky
Dying Light
MH rise
Bayonetta 3
Nier automata
Witcher 3
Ace combat
Portal companion
Bioshock remastered
Crysis remastered
Kirby forgotten land
Castlevania dominus and advanced collections
Fire emblem 3 houses
Paper Mario TYD
Diablo 2 remake
Ff7 crisis core
Red dead redemption
GTA SA definitive edition
Dragon ball fighterZ
Dragon ball kakarot
Gris
Live A Live
Donkey Kong TF
Diablo 2 remastered
DMC 3 special ed
Splatoon 3
Zelda skyward sword remake
Stalker
Mgs 3
Hitman BM
Beyond good & evil
Metro 2033 & last light
No more heroes 3
Mario 3D all stars
SR 4
PoP lost crown
Mario Party
Neon white
Inside
Rocket league
A short hike
AI somnium files
Clubhouse games
FIST


I've left out a bunch of Wii u ports ive enjoyed loke
Bayo 2 and multiple other games … these are the ones I've enjoyed. Then you add in switch online library of classics….

It's a long ass list and that isn't even every acclaimed game

Only other system I can say this tier list about was ps2
 
Software output is the best Nintendo has ever had on any system.

Hardware got really long in the tooth though, they really needed that updated Switch Pro that could run at least the docked presets while handheld a few years in.
 
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Never ever played anything on a Switch. But I know it is pretty good. I mean, it's library is amazing, everybody knows that. I just hadn't an opportunity to buy and enjoy ir by myself. Will do in the future, for sure.
 
The fact it doesn't have native Kingdom Hearts stops it from an S. It's not PS2 tier for me.

And really because so many multi platform games are less than 60fps.
 
S-tier.

For me, it's the second greatest system ever, behind only the SNES.

The sheer volume of top notch software is immense, and number some of the finest gaming experiences I've had in my adult life.
I own more games for it than any other console I've ever owned.
 
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Crazy how time flies. I bought my Switch after they released the better battery life version and am enjoying it since then. Most time I've spent on a console, and I started with the Game Boy. For a father it was perfect: Kid or wife occupy the TV? Handheld mode it is. Want to play with your kid? Connect it to the TV and have fun together.

The perfect accumulation of Nintendos knowledge in Handheld gaming fused into a quite capable machine.

Fun fact: I played more 3rd party games on it than Nintendo games.
 
"end is approaching"
Sounds super dramatic. They'll still do many cross-generation releases. It'll keep selling.

In the end I love it because of Metroid Dread, Super Mario Oddysey, Zelda BOTW and TOTK, Link's Awakening, some other titles I can't play anywhere else, and it's the main console for my little ones.

B

That said, I've been ready for Switch 2 for a couple years now!
 
EDMIX said:
I settled with a B.

I feel they relied on waaay too many ports, as in series entirely absent of a new entry and simply porting the past gen title over from Wii U to Switch. I have no issues with ports btw, I only start to question its use when it seems its being done in place of an actual new entry into a series and the gen completely skipped of some IP in favor of just porting the Wii U version and moving on

For some of those franchises, Switch 2 is literally going to be the first time we got an entry since the Wii U's release when you really think about it.

So B based on not enough good new IP imo , even the titles I liked on Switch, personally, its closer to a C lol , I'll give it a B based on how it helped Nintendo, a C personally on my own experience on the system.
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New IP part is definitely true but I don't get why people think this about the Wii U portd.

How many franchises can you name that got a Wii U port but not a new entry? Maybe there are more but I can only think of Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.
 
Woopah said:
New IP part is definitely true but I don't get why people think this about the Wii U portd.

How many franchises can you name that got a Wii U port but not a new entry? Maybe there are more but I can only think of Mario Kart and Donkey Kong.
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Pokken Tournament?

I guess this might not count as it was developed by Namco, but still a Nintendo IP.

Side note, it's crazy that game didn't get a sequel.
 
I can't vote but for me it's easily forgettable.

I don't like handheld gaming, never have,
and Nintendo first party doesn't interest me.

Given those two points I'm left with a weak console and 3rd party games. Those 3rd party games are generally available on other platforms with much better performance.
 
IDKFA said:
Pokken Tournament?

I guess this might not count as it was developed by Namco, but still a Nintendo IP.

Side note, it's crazy that game didn't get a sequel.
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There are other games but I wouldn't count them as a franchise.

I think the Wii U ports are the reason we didn't get new Donkey Kong or Mario Kart. I don't think they are the reason we didn't get sequels to Pokken, Captain Toad or SMT X FE.
 
D tier.

The only things I enjoyed on it was Smash Bros when it came out, and playing Earthbound on Nintendo Online.
Smash, Metroid Dread and the first Zelda are the only Nintendo games I played on it.
 
S tier.. Objectively have Nintendo ever had such a huge amount of top tier first party titles? Some generations might have certain games that are better but come on, not to this extent. Some of the games being remasters doesn't invalidate this.
 
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