After a year where everyone wondered just when the successor to the Switch would be announced, there were still plenty of great games coming out for the Switch. Nintendo did not slow down with the releases, or so it felt. Alongside those first party releases were quite a few great ones from third parties. Especially those from independent developers. And so, while I’ve looked at most of these already, this is what I’ve played in the eighth year of Switch.

Bookending the year are remasters from Aspyr. Two Star Wars games. Or at least, a game and a collection. The Battlefront: Classic Collection might have released in a state less than worthy for two of the greatest Star Wars games, but it was still great to have both on the Switch. Jedi Power Battles was a fun one to experience for the first time, even if it did feel clunky. I might not rank it highly among the releases of this year, but I’m still happy to have played it.

Speaking of core franchises, it finally happened. A new Power Rangers game. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind uses the familiar beat ‘em up gameplay to provide an enjoyable time experiencing once again the start of this original team. With some twists. I enjoyed what I played of it, though I’ll likely be dropping it down to easy so I can complete the story.

Getting into the Story of Seasons mood the year before with a themed Piczle Cross, I finally got myself A Wonderful Life. This GameCube classic is one I’ve heard a lot of good things about. And what I found was a Story of Seasons game I very much enjoyed. Combining seeds to make strange combinations, caring for a range of animals, and plenty of lovely interactions across a fulfilling farming life.

Another GameCube classic I’d heard a lot about was Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Many call this the definitive Paper Mario game, so with the announcement that it was being remastered for the Switch, of course I was going to check it out for myself. It proved to be every bit as great as I’d heard. A wild cast of great characters to interact with. Varied themed worlds, each with their own story, to explore. I couldn’t get enough.

Between the two were two indie games. One I loved very much, and Overdelivery. Which I felt had a great core, but was held back by a few issues. As for that which I loved, Little Kitty, Big City had a great amount of humour to it. I loved seeing what interactions could be had with the environment. Interacting with the animals of the city, who each had their own issues to solve. And, of course, the attention to detail in how a kitten would act.

June would bring a few releases, with the best of them being covered during Racing Month. Duck Detective – The Secret Salami was a lovely, if short, mystery story. Figuring out a deeper conspiracy than what you’d been called there for. Please Fix The Road was a nice puzzler, using the tools available and the limits put on them to complete the routes that vehicles needed to travel.

When it came to Racing Month, I was happy to offer my thoughts on New Star GP. An arcade F1-through-the-decades game, the career held my attention, with each decade offering a bump in speed. Along with some light management elements. The tracks were based on those of real life, which were all great to race around. I felt it was the best F1 experience you could get.

The others of Racing Month I felt less impressed by. Hot Lap Racing had more variety in vehicle choices, but was let down by terrible handling and some poor optimisation. I liked the tracks it held, but didn’t really feel confident racing on them with those issues. As for Monster Energy Supercross 3, I liked it. My issues with it were more personal, in that no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get a handle on its handling.

Sticking with games from indies, Caravan SandWitch felt like it would offer up an interesting adventure. Return to your home planet to find your sister upon being sent a distress signal, reconnecting with those of that home. And seeing what new people were around. It was a nice adventure to play through, with the mystery of what the SandWitches wanted – and who the one getting in our way was – keeping me hooked to the end.

Then there was Europa, a game advertised as being a zen-like experience. Travelling from the home on the ground to the floating island, it was a simple adventure with simple puzzles. But one I absolutely enjoyed. Discovering the diary pages that guided this adventure, and what happened to those who were settling Europa, kept me intrigued. Along with seeing what new area I would end up in next.

More Nintendo releases, a nice adventure was had playing as Zelda in the top-down experience that was Echoes of Wisdom. It was a nice change of pace from fighting as Link, utilising echoes of enemies to fight instead. Utilising echoes of various items to solve puzzles. Though, naturally, each person has their favourites, and will stick to them. Meaning most of what was available hardly ever got used.

After years of waiting, it was time for me to get back on the Mario Party train, with Jamboree being advertised as the largest party yet. With its variety of modes, each offering something different, there was a lot to love. And a solo mode that offered a more traditional adventure, utilising the boards as levels to explore and helping those who were around.

A week apart were two RPGs. One from Nintendo and one from Square-Enix. Mario & Luigi Brothership brought that series back to the spotlight, offering a brand new island-hopping adventure. While I enjoyed my initial time with it, I could only focus on one RPG at a time. So I stuck to Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, intending to complete my first main series Dragon Quest game. After enjoying it through to the end, I continued to enjoy Brothership to completion, as well.

And lastly, a very welcome surprise from EA. A return of MySims. With the first two games brought together in the Cozy Bundle. I’ve always loved MySims, so a chance to play it again, bringing life back to the town through my creations, was always going to bring me to buy it. A chance to experience MySims Kingdom for the first time was a bonus. I enjoyed my time with it, though felt it was the weaker of the two even with a greater range of exploration.

There are few games known to be releasing in this ninth year of Switch. Of those I know I’ll be getting, both are RPGs. Xenoblade Chronicles X to start it off, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A at the end of 2025. There’s sure to be many more announcements and releases across the year on Switch, but all eyes are firmly on Switch 2. The April Direct, and its release date. What else the ninth year of Switch holds is likely to be overshadowed by the new console. But should still be a good year.

Images Taken From:
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life | Nintendo Switch
Little Kitty, Big City | Nintendo Switch
Caravan SandWitch | Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Party Jamboree | Nintendo Switch