Mario Kart 8 originally appeared on the Wii U way back in 2014, meaning many Nintendo enthusiasts have been playing a good chunk of these courses for nearly a decade now. So how is it possible that the Nintendo Switch Deluxe version released not long after the console launched back in 2017 makes a top ten list in 2023? For the same reason that it still regularly hovers near the top of monthly sales charts and is by far and away the highest selling title for Nintendo’s hybrid:

Quality and a ridiculously high volume of content.

If Nintendo had not had one absolute banger of a 2023, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider would have ranked much higher on this list. Playing like some kind of lost SNES gem, this one came out of nowhere and absolutely handed me my ass.

Not it a bad way though, in good kind of ass-handing way!

Unless Batman: Arkham trilogy which is due to arrive tomorrow turns out to not run horrendously on Switch, Tanuki Justice will mark my final purchase for the year. It was released in October but I only just downloaded it last week and upon pressing start, a huge idiot grin was instantly plastered across my face. What a fantastic game to end the year on!

Well it’s that time of year again people, when best of 2023 lists of all shapes and sizes begin to crop up across every corner of the internet. And here at The Dorkside that means it’s time to check off the top ten Nintendo Switch games that yours truly played over these last 12 months. In compiling and ranking this countdown though, my personal rule was that each title had to be released in 2023 which added up to precisely 10 purchases. Meaning that the first couple of games here managed to make the list purely by virtue of fitting into that guideline.

Which isn’t to say that Gravity Circuit is a bad game, far from it!

The whole daylight savings “turn the clock back an hour” thing this time of year really seems to be rough on all of you outgoing, extroverted, weekend warrior, morning person types, but I love it. The main issue is apparently that nighttime has taken over and there’s a tragic shortage of daylight. Well, that’s kinda my jam so it’s pretty exciting when nature finally decides to provide a nonstop blanket of cold and darkness. For me, it signals that the winter season is officially upon us and along with it a time filled with beautiful lights, nostalgic sounds, comforting smells and of course big holiday Nintendo releases.

Batman Returns is a classic 16-bit sidescrolling beat ’em up where players assume the role of the Dark Knight as he attempts to murder hundreds of criminals before the Penguin steals Christmas. This was one of those games that I wanted more than anything as kid. But since I was never given Nintendo related gifts outside of my birthday and the occasionally stellar report card, unfortunately it was one of many to slip through the cracks.

Well I’ve been an adult for a while now and obviously scored a copy at the first opportunity many years ago so here’s what I think about it!

C’mon. It had to be Luigi’s Mansion 3 in the top spot right? Having taken over development duties with Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon for the 3DS (and also behind the great Punch-Out!! for Wii), Next Level Games proved themselves to be a studio with formidable technical skills and a real eye for art design. And here, once again their work on Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a sight to behold with stunning animation and gorgeous details oozing from every corner of the screen. It is hands down one of the most graphically gorgeous games ever released featuring these characters and is a no brainer for the Halloween season. I’m just gonna say it: This is Nintendo’s “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

That translates to: We’ve got ourselves a tradition.

Yes, we’ve got a bit of a cheat here as I’m recommending a specific stage in a game rather than the entire thing. It’s a slippery slope for sure but by God I’ve lost enough sleep since beginning this countdown at the thought of not including it. To be fair, Banjo-Kazooie is in my top ten games of all time and the entirety demands to be played any time of year. But all of the little details in this Mad Monster Mansion area: From that amazing stage music right down to transforming into a damn playable Jack ‘o Lantern…listen, it really doesn’t get much more Halloween than this.

Except for the #1 entry in this countdown I guess.

Outlast II is perfect: It is also definitely not for everyone. But for what the developers are setting out to accomplish, the game is just flawless in my opinion. From the airtight controls to the jaw dropping graphics (really pushing Nintendo’s aging little hybrid console and flexing it’s capabilities), here we have a truly terrifying experience with tense mechanics, a beyond unsettling narrative and…

..well, I could just go on and on about this one!

Layers of Fear: Legacy is one of those “psychological” horror games where your mind occasionally “plays tricks” on you. It’s the kind of experience intending to immerse players in an atmosphere where you’re forced to “question” your own “sanity.” Sort of a distant relative of Eternal Darkness for the GameCube in that regard: Plenty of environmental puzzles offered within a spooky setting. It’s also one of very few non first party Switch titles that I burned right through upon starting, compelled to completion amongst a ridiculous backlog of games.

That means I sure liked it!

You couldn’t really go wrong with just about any entry in this series but I’ve chosen the high definition remaster of the iconic remake that originally released on the Gamecube back in 2002 to single out. Actually it was specifically a toss up between either this or the remaster of RE4. But as much as I do love that fourth *ahem* game changing installment, it leans harder toward the action genre than this, the original, the classic, the great Resident Evil.

Now that you’ve finished cleaning up that drink you just spat across the screen, yes I know this is a licensed game “based” on a total box office failure. One starring a certain TCruise that was meant to kick off a ahem, Universal Monsters cinematic universe *crickets*. But stick with me here for a second, as the connection to that film is loose at best. Really what this is is a rock solid Metroid-like 16-bit style sidescrolling shooter developed by WayForward (Contra 4, Duck Tales: Remastered, The Shantae Series). And it totally stands on it’s own as a really fun game.

Honest!

Slender: The Arrival has a lot in common with the original Blair Witch Project and first Paranormal Activity. All low budget ventures using a clever, simple concept out of necessity to mass effect resulting in genuine scares. I am a devout fan of this approach, so upon finally getting the chance to play this game which had been around for a while before hitting the Wii U (and eventually Switch), what a surprise!

It actually scared me.

Before you ask, no it did not occur to me to cheat this whole countdown thing and consider Castlevania Anniversary Collection as games #8-#1. Well, I mean I guess just typing that means it did but either way you must have seen this one coming: A compilation of 7 classic titles (as well as the never before released Kid Dracula), in both their North American and Japanese incarnations, along with a cool History of Castlevania digital "book.” All at a pretty great price and ready to be played on the big screen or in handheld mode during those private moments. Sounds pretty rad, c’mon ever since the NES original, Simon Belmont cracking that whip across the foreheads of countless mummies, bats, fishmen, ghouls and old man Drac himself has been a go to staple for players looking for a spooky fix. So this collection must be an absolutely essential, perfect way to play these legendary titles during the Halloween season right?

Essential? I’d say yes. Perfect, mmm…not quite.

This ten games to play on Switch Halloween Countdown isn’t necessarily a ranking from worst to best. But if it were, Friday the 13th: The Game would have likely taken the top spot at #1. However here we are, getting to it ASAP as a result of two types of highly sensitive time uh…sensitivities. The first is the unfortunate reality that the meat of this game relies on an online component which will be shutting down at the end of this calendar year, December 31st, 2023. But the second is the exciting (and arguably more crucial) fact that we have an actual Friday the 13th to look forward to this Halloween season!

That’s less than two weeks away!

With the Fall season officially here as of last weekend, I’m calling it: Anyone reading this site is gonna be up to their sweet little candy corns in Halloween related posts. And for the next however long it takes to finish, I’ll be counting down my top ten spooky games to play on Nintendo’s hybrid console. First up is a title anyone who grew up at a time when they could still go to a mall or pizza parlor and be welcomed by that warm glow of multiple arcade cabinet screens will likely be familiar with, only now updated with a fresh coat of high definition pixel paint.

*cue the creepy organ music*

The House of the Dead Remake.

Nintendo is of course synonymous with game systems and software but any child of the 80’s will clearly remember staring at that red logo branded across just about every type of merchandise imaginable. Comic books, action figures, lunch boxes, breakfast cereal…you name it. And like any responsible adult, I’ve still got a pretty solid collection displayed and readily accessible. Today’s example is one that I clearly remember taking home from a Toys R Us at the ripe old age of eight. Back when video games remained locked inside of your imagination until you took a little slip with the receipt stapled to it back to the bullet proof glass window behind the cash register.

Ray manages to tear Super Nintendad away from Trombone Champ for a moment to help run down the list of games talked about in today’s Nintendo Direct. Lots of excitement and opinions about the announcements listed below are but a click away!

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When it came to useless peripherals, the original NES and Game Boy were never in short supply. There were all kinds of third party products attempting to hop aboard Nintendo’s money train at the time, selling themselves as clever new methods of enhancing the gameplay experience with very few of them actually even y’know working properly. Still, a lot of the concepts were cool enough to spark the imagination of even the most cynical grade schooler. Typically they would revolve around some “awesome” new method of control that promised nothing short of stepping into a future world once plugged in. The U-Force had kids waving their hands sans controller into a refurbished battleship folder. Konami’s Laser Scope was an early attempt at manipulating your game’s actions via voice command. And of course there was the immortal Power Glove which if you’re not familiar with, I’ll probably yap at length about somewhere down the line. These are all still cool in theory yet ended up being nowhere near practical which brings me to today’s topic: The Light Boy for Nintendo’s original pea green portable system.

New power ups, challenge modes, playable characters, online features and a fresh coat of red paint on the OLED Switch model! Join the Dorkside as we welcome Super Nintendad to help break down today’s Nintendo Direct showcase for Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The first 2D sidescrolling installment in the iconic franchise since the last one!

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