Over the course of the year, we’ve seen thousands of games launch on the Nintendo Switch, from the lowliest of scams and shovelware to some of the highest quality video games ever conceived. Despite approaching its eighth year on store shelves and some Switch ports providing a not-so-smooth experience, many developers continue to work wonders with Nintendo’s little machine.
Today we’re celebrating the Switch games of 2023 that bathed our eyes in fluid loveliness, the best-looking Switch games in a year that saw the release of software that pushed the system to — and beyond — its absolute limit.
Some of the games below may be available elsewhere in super-duper resolutions, but in our opinion, they look just as great on Nintendo’s humble hardware, without any of the compromises necessary to make them shine just as well on the Switch, even at ‘miserable’ 720p .
So let’s take a look — in no particular order — at our 13 picks for the best Switch games of 2023, and feel free to tell us your favorite visual treats of the year in the comments!
Publisher: Focus on the fun / Programmer: A JE-NE-SAIS-QUOI
The performance may not be perfect with this port, but the watercolor world of Dordogne was one of the most interesting treats on the Switch this year. The painterly style looks sensational on TV, but it also sings on a handheld screen — especially if you have a Switch OLED.
Publisher: World Games Chorus / Programmer: Mojiken Studio
The beautiful pixel art of Space for the Unbound will make 90’s Indonesia feel like home to anyone who plays this game. The beautiful scenes, environments and color palettes fit nicely with the nostalgic magical realism the game is aiming for. And despite the release in January, the look of the game kept us all year.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
It was one of the biggest releases of the year, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s indomitable drive and energy helped propel him to the top of our personal 2D Mario lists. Much has been made of the animation, and rightly so – we thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Nova’ series, but we can’t help but think that their characters and worlds will feel frustratingly flat and static when we revisit them. A real miracle.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Retro studies
The facelift Metroid Prime received in this Remaster just confirms how impressive Retro Studios’ work was back in 2002. That it doesn’t look out of place in Nintendo’s 2023 lineup can be taken as an indictment of the company’s technical approach to its systems, but really the timelessness of the original art design makes this two-decade-old wonder as fresh as the day it was launched.
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Publisher: SOUTH / Programmer: Toy nest
This surreal point-and-click was short and not very sweet from a technical perspective, but Nacho Rodríguez’s spectacular animation in The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo made a strong impression from the moment we saw her. The gameplay itself can be dull and rough around the edges, but as Roland said of the stunning loading animation in our review, “although [loading screens] can be intrusive at times, we almost wanted more.” A spectacularly attractive adventure.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo EPD
It was a long wait, but Pikmin 4 was worth the wait. Despite being a little lighter on the challenging side, this one quickly made its way onto the list of best games in the series and is undoubtedly the best. The way the light catches the water, the long views of the larger dioramas and let’s not forget the Pikmin themselves. Everything in this warm embrace of the game is just as wonderful as we hoped.
Publisher: Sabotage / Programmer: Sabotage
Sabotage dazzles you with the beauty of its pixel art to the point where you become suspicious. This game can’t possibly be as good as it looks…right? That it can. Sea of Stars uses beautifully detailed pixel art to evoke classic 16-bit RPGs in a way that’s every bit the equal of Square’s patented HD-2D approach (which gets its own commendation further down this list). It’s sublime to watch. Most of us on staff have this game, and while we didn’t all get to finish it, no one regrets a second of the time spent with it.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: ArtePiazza
Comprehensively building on every last aspect of the original and fleshing things out to the point of revelation, Super Mario RPG is a masterclass in sensitively revisiting treasures and polishing them to a shine. It would be so easy to ‘get it wrong’, and with such a passionate fanbase, we’d hear no end of complaints if developer ArtePiazza got the slightest bit wrong in their interpretation of those 16-bit sprites. Fortunately, that was not the case. Only beautiful.
Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: Nintendo
We could debate the technical merits of Tears of the Kingdom all day, but let’s not forget how good Link’s latest looks while doing it. Breath of the Wild’s watercolor look didn’t mess around too much in the sequel, but with the addition of the beautiful Sky Islands and Darker-of-dark Depths, the game is as much a visual marvel as it is a technical one.
Publisher: Games Modus / Programmer: Aurogon Shanghai
The art in this Metroidvania that launched back in April was one of the highlights of the game. The Switch version struggled to showcase it at its absolute best, especially in docked mode, but there’s no denying that Afterimage was one of the most compelling offerings of 2023 regardless.
Publisher: Square Enix / Programmer: Gemdrop
Mixing 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds doesn’t always work. but Square Enix and Gemdrops have given us a whole new twist on this mix with Star Ocean The Second Story R. Remaking a beloved classic is never easy, but this 2.5D style manages to blend the old and the new perfectly. As with the HD-2D, the real beauty and magic is all in the lighting. Whether you’ve played the PS1 original (or the PSP remake) or not, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is magical to look at.
Publisher: Focus on the fun / Programmer: Rundisc
While some of its tongue-in-cheek puzzles could have done with a bit more characters, there’s no denying that Chants of Sennaar is a stunning piece. Each floor of the Babel-inspired central building has its own light palette, and the changing camera angle in each room keeps things fresh and interesting as you search for clues. They scratch the head from time to time, but at least it’s a sight to behold.
Publisher: Square Enix / Programmer: Square Enix
HD-2D isn’t a new concept at this stage, but somehow, it looks better and better with every game that uses it. And Octopath Traveler II is the pinnacle of this visual style. Audacious boss sprites and stunningly detailed 3D environments are just the tip of the iceberg, as where this sequel really improves on its predecessor is in the lighting, highlighting every pixel where it shines like a glittering stack of leaves. We could easily play a new HD-2D game every year.
Think we’ve overlooked something stunning? Share the love below and let us enjoy the beauty of this holiday season.
