With the Nintendo Switch you can play a game on TV at home and then pick up your system and take your game with you seamlessly. This is a big selling point for the platform in general and has led many developers and publishers to find great success in bringing older and newer games to the system over time. In many cases, games that have never been on a portable were faithfully transferred as with The Witcher 3 in 2019. In 2020, many good conversions to the Switch were seen, but here are the top 10 Switch ports of 2020. order .
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition (Capcom)
Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Resident Evil releases on Nintendo Switch are almost all more expensive than other platforms and technically not as good, although the games themselves come from older consoles. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is the exception here, as it is not only an excellent version of Devil May Cry 3 on a technical level, but the Switch port has some exclusive features. With style and weapon switching, you can change Dante’s playing style on the fly, as opposed to between levels, which is an extremely good feature. I can not believe that Capcom has not implemented it on other platforms. The Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition also has a local co-op mode. My only real complaint with Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is that you can not physically purchase it. Even without the exclusive content, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition would have been an excellent port. With new features, Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Switch is an essential purchase.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (iam8bit / Moon Studios)
The original Ori and the Blind Forest was a big surprise for most people on Nintendo Switch. When the sequel was announced for Xbox and PC platforms and it was finally released earlier this year, I was very disappointed with the abysmal performance on Xbox One X. If the performance was excluded, Ori and the Will of the Wisps’ a much improved sequel that is better in almost all respects. Since the rocky launch on consoles, the game has improved a lot in that regard, but the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch version was a shock to me. I could not imagine how it would work on Switch, given the performance on a much more powerful console, but Moon Studios delivered it. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an absolute joy to play on Switch, and it’s definitely a miracle of a gateway, given how it looks and works on any system.
Streets of Rage 4 (Dotemu / Seaven Studio)
Some may argue that it is not fair to call Streets of Rage 4 a port, as it was announced for Switch and released at the same time as other platforms on Switch. The reality is that the Switch and PS4 versions of Streets of Rage 4 were made by Seaven Studio, and it’s not a game built for Switch and then scaled up, it’s ultimately a gateway. A damn fine haven too. Streets of Rage 4 has been one of the best beat em-ups in years and easily one of my favorite games of 2020. While available on almost every platform, it’s great to have a perfect conversion for me on and off play on Switch at any time. The only downside of this port in my experience is that the online laggy is compared to other systems regardless of the connection type.
Birth-exe at night: late [cl-r] (Aksys Games / Arc System Works)
Fighting games are usually a mixed bag on Nintendo Switch. While people like Mortal Kombat 11 and Samurai Shodown provide serviceable experiences for those who want to play on the go, very few fighting games have managed to transition perfectly to Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late [cl-r] of Arc System Works and French Bread is about a perfect gateway to tune into. It looks and runs great, both docked and manual, and only really suffers from delayed updates compared to PS4. This is a great way to experience an Exe Under Night In-Birth: late [cl-r] if you use it offline content. Birth-exe at night: late [cl-r] is one of the best fighting games you can play on Switch and an excellent port.
No more heroes (XSEED games / engine software)
No More Heroes is an interesting game and an interesting gate. If you’ve never played it before, No More Heroes is a fun action game with a bit of stuffing content and great music that complements well with excellent characters and great boss fights. Although it has a bit of filler content, it remains a game worth experiencing. No More Heroes on Switch is by far the best way to play the original game. It runs well and looks excellent. In many ways, Engine Software has done more to make No More Heroes look good and work well today than other major publishers do for their own flagship releases. The low asking price also helps to make this version of No More Heroes more welcoming to newcomers, not only the No More Heroes games but also Suda51 games in general. I’m glad XSEED Games sorted this gate for Switch, because everyone has to play No More Heroes and the sequel before No More Heroes 3 comes out next year.
Ys Origin (Dotemu / Falcom)
Falcom licenses its games quite a bit for different platforms and regions. Ice Origin debuts on a PC before seeing a PS4 and PS Vita version by Dotemu. I was glad I had Ice Origin on a portable camera, but the conversion was not perfect. Dotemu then brought it to Xbox One, but a Switch port is still missing in action. Luckily, it was sorted this year when Ice Origin finally arrived on Switch. Ice Origin is one of the best action games you can play on Switch and the best access point to the older Ice Games, with the best access to modern Ice VIII games. Ice Origin on Switch is exactly what I wanted, with much better performance, both docked and hand-held. I’ve played Ice Origin on everything before, but it never hurts to have a game you like on Switch. If you’ve never played it before, it’s easy to get the version.
Hades (Super Giant Games)
Hades is a game you will probably see on many end-of-year lists. It’s a superior roguelike action RPG from Supergiant Games that debuts early access to a PC before finally hitting Switch this year. What makes Hades so good on Switch is that it mostly looks and works well and that it is cross-cutting with the PC version. It allows players who own the game on both systems to play on a computer when they are at home and pick up and play on Switch on the go without any problems. During the months since its launch, Hades on Switch has also seen several solutions and it’s basically a game I can now recommend to anyone on Switch. Not only is it an amazing roguelike, it’s an amazing roguelike with the superlative polish you would expect from Supergiant Games with a soundtrack that is easily one of the best in this generation.
Trails of Cold Steel III (NIS America / Engine Software)
After DANA’s Ice VIII: Lacrimosa was announced, this was just the beginning of the modern Falcom games that hit the Switch. While Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II were initially on PS3 and PS Vita, Trails of Cold Steel III debuted as a PS4-only game in Japan. It’s a great access to Falcom’s long-running Trails series and a massive game on its own. NIS America and Engine Software brought it to Switch earlier this year, with all content included, and it’s an excellent port to play on the game. When doctored, it looks about the same, without any visual improvements. If you want to play Trails of Cold Steel III on TV, it’s better to play it on PS4 anyway if you have the option. On the switch, Trails of Cold Steel III offers you an excellent portable version with the ability to also play on TV without any friction. I can not wait to play Trails of Cold Steel IV on Switch when it arrives in 2021.
Doom Eternal (Bethesda / Panic Button)
Like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, I just could not imagine a situation where Doom Eternal would look and run well enough on Nintendo Switch, given how demanding it is on other platforms. I played a ton of Doom (2016) on Switch and enjoy my time dipping into arcade mode regularly. It did not look as good as other consoles, but did the job. Doom Eternal feels like a big step forward on all platforms when it arrived earlier this year, and I couldn’t resist looking at the Switch conversion. This is perhaps the best work of Panic Button so far, because Doom Eternal runs even better than Doom (2016) for me on Switch. It got a big visual hit compared to other systems, but it’s an excellent conversion that just needs a few more adjustments to feel perfect. I’m not sure how I’ll fare on Switch when the DLC hits next year, but the base game is worth experiencing along the way if you want to play it on Switch. However, if you are considering it for video game, literally every other platform is a better option.
Burnout Paradise Remastered (EA)
Burnout Paradise Remastered arrived on Nintendo Switch earlier this year and delivered in every way. The open world racer plays and looks beautiful, both moored and in hand, while the developer goes the extra mile to even include touchscreen support for the interface. Burnout Paradise Remastered on Nintendo Switch contains full content with the other versions and is the only platform that offers portable gaming. The only downside is that the asking price is higher than other platforms, but in itself Burnout Paradise Remastered is essential for racing enthusiasts on Switch and one of the best ports of the year.
Since the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S have just come out, the Nintendo Switch is still at its best with an abundance of original games and ports touching it. 2021 is definitely going to be interesting, but what was your favorite Nintendo Switch port of the year?