As 2020 reaches its halfway point, it is time to gaze back at Nintendo's offerings so far. The Japanese company has published eight games over the last six months, with titles such as Paper Mario: The Origami King and the Famicom Tantei Club remakes expected to drop later down the line.
Along with a myriad of third-party titles and ports of older games, the Switch has welcomed a small handful of Nintendo projects, one of which has arguably been the most discussed game of the year at this point in time. All things considered, eight games is a pretty decent amount, but has Nintendo managed to deliver quality along with quantity?
Here are all the Switch games published by Nintendo so far in 2020, ranked.
8 Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training
Released in 2019 in Japan, Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training has yet to make the jump to North America. However, the PAL version debuted right at the start of this year, so it just about qualifies as a 2020 release. Brain Age was a great and important title on the Nintendo DS, but each new entry has seen the franchise becoming less noteworthy.
That is not to say Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training is terrible, but it is a highly unnecessary title in this day and age. The minigames and brain teasers are a blend of new and old challenges, most of which are perfectly serviceable; however, the experience is generally forgettable and feels better suited for a smartphone than a Nintendo Switch.
7 Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold
When it comes to JRPGs, Level-5 has earned itself quite a positive reputation. Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold has been available in Japan since 2018, but it took until 2020 for Nintendo to give the game a worldwide release. Although it falls short of even some of the studio's B-tier projects such as Yo-kai Watch or Inazuma Eleven, Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl – Gold does have a few things going for it.
The art style is unsurprisingly gorgeous, while the dungeon crawling can be quite fun thanks to a robust customization system and some neat environments. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the bland storyline, the inconsistent AI, and the heavy focus on grinding.
6 Good Job!
Perhaps the most overlooked Nintendo release of 2020, Good Job! is a puzzle game that debuted on the eShop in March. Set in an office and containing more than 30 levels, players have to find creative ways to perform tasks.
There are usually multiple ways to complete a puzzle and Good Job! manages to strike a fair balance between accessibility and challenge. The game also has a fun sense of humor and a pleasant visual style that complements the gameplay. While not for everyone, fans of the puzzle genre should consider trying out Good Job!
5 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
A remake of 2005's Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team & Red Rescue Team, Rescue Team DX revamps those Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance games for a modern audience. Unlike the main series, the Mystery Dungeon spin-offs take place in a world populated only by Pokémon, a shift that allows for more personable and emotional stories to be told.
As a dungeon crawler, Rescue Team DX features randomly generated dungeons that blend strategy and luck while also incorporating staples of the franchise like elemental typings. The central combat is not particularly interesting and quickly becomes repetitive, but the colorful characters and solid writing make this a journey worth taking. Pokémon Home was also released in 2020.
4 Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore
A crossover between the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore is a very good JRPG that originally debuted on the Wii U before being ported to the Switch.
While never quite reaching the same heights as the better entries in either of its parent series, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore is still a highly polished project that boasts a conventional but solid turn-based combat system and a memorable roster of the characters. Its presentation is also suitably extravagant and glorious.
3 Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Even as technology continues to advance to the point that photorealistic graphics have become the norm, there is still something appealing about traditional games from yesteryear. Nintendo has a history of catering for every market audience imaginable and Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics might be the most casual-friendly title on the Nintendo Switch. It also happens to be pretty great.
Featuring a line-up that includes Chess, Air Hockey, Bowling, and even a Piano, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics contains so much variety that there should be a few games for everyone.
2 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles was a brilliant JRPG when it originally released in 2010 and time has done little to diminish its appeal. Along with a new epilogue, the Nintendo Switch remake mostly focuses on updating the visuals and fine-tuning the experience to bring it more in line with current expectations.
As it was never a graphical powerhouse, the game has aged quite well over the years. More importantly, Xenoblade Chronicles' greatest strengths – its excellent world-building, combat, and quest system – have survived the transition in one piece.
1 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has taken the gaming world by storm, even more so than previous entries in the franchise. With seemingly countless tasks to complete, expansive customization options, all of the cute mascots in the universe, and a structure designed for short daily gameplay sessions, New Horizons continues to grow as a property with each passing day.
New Horizons is the ultimate escape from reality that manages to make even the most mundane of actions seem fun. This is the type of game that defines a console generation, and it will take something truly special for Nintendo to outdo New Horizons.