The narratives of these Nintendo Switch games are complex, despite their seeming simplicity.
Most gamers of today dismiss Nintendo games as simplistic and aimed at children. After all, the Japanese video game developer got its start with family-friendly games like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Monster Hunter Rise, Bayonetta 3, and many more.
However, the games' lighthearted simplicity shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of substance. In fact, the Switch, their most recent platform, is compatible with dozens of games that are easy to pick up and play yet have extensive backstories, mythologies, tales, environmental chronicles, and historical detail. Let's take a look at a few games that fit this bill and provide players a wealth of possibilities.
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing is a famous series of social simulation games that can only be played on Nintendo consoles. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest installment in the series, is an improved take on the original games that greatly advances the social genre by giving players a taste of what it would be like to live out their virtual lives in real-time.
Nintendo has created a fantastic adventure with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one in which players may roam a vast area full of secrets. The game's premise is based on the concept of sharing stories via legend.
2. Super Mario Odyssey
In 2017, Nintendo Switch owners could only play Super Mario Odyssey, the series' last major 3D installment. Everyone's favorite plumber, Mario, travels the world in an effort to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.
One of the biggest entries in the acclaimed Nintendo franchise, Super Mario Odyssey is a large game. This means there's a wealth of content for gamers to discover and use to expand their knowledge of Mario's backstory. The post by user u/Ymcan64 on Reddit does a fantastic job of describing the concept.
3. Luigi's Mansion 3
From 2001 to 2018, the action-adventure game series Luigi's Mansion had a modest level of popularity. In 2019, however, Nintendo launched Luigi's Mansion 3, thereby ending the series' decline by providing gamers with an AAA-quality experience across the board in terms of aesthetics, design, narrative, and gameplay.
The player takes control of Luigi, who is staying at a house called The Last Resort with his brother Mario and other famous faces. However, everything goes wrong when everyone vanishes and Luigi discovers ghosts are lurking about. The third installment in the series harkens back to the 2D Mario games with its rich backstory and intricate environmental narrative.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Released in 2017 on Switch and Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The newest Zelda game, like its predecessors, has a gripping narrative, innovative gameplay, and unrestricted player agency.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild focuses on providing players with gameplay similar to previous Zelda games but with a new emphasis on exploration and other hallmarks of role-playing games. Unique characters and locales steeped in mythology and legend are also available in the game.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seems to be a fun fighting game from Nintendo with a wide variety of playable characters. Famous characters from video games include Banjo and Kazooie, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Dark Samus, Kirby, Link, Mario, Luigi, Mega Man, Princess Peach, Jigglypuff, and Pac-Man.
But the Super Smash Bros. series is so much more than a collection of random characters thrown together for a spectacle. Players are still discussing the game's rich and intricate narrative online. I've compiled a few blogs that illustrate this point.
6. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
In addition to other recent entries in the Pokémon Legends series, Nintendo also released Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In 2022, shortly after its release on Nintendo Switch, the game became an immediate hit for all the right reasons. The Golden Joystick Awards named it "Game of the Year" shortly afterward.
The Pokemon franchise is well-known for its impressive role-playing gameplay, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus is no exception. Therefore, it has very rich worlds, nostalgic settings, and a large cast of non-playable characters (NPCs), many of whom have their own backstories. The extensive backstory is not an afterthought here, as it is in every other game on our list.
7. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
The Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary event revealed two new games, Super Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury. Both of these games have the same gameplay style, hence they were bundled together in 2021. Players take control of Mario and other series staples as they traverse perilous platforming levels.
While these games may seem simple at first glance, they are really packed with Mario Legends that can be discovered only by playing through them thoroughly. Plus, because to its innovative design and fascinating realms centered on cats, Bowser's Fury has quickly become a fan favorite among gamers.
8. Hollow Knight
The excellent Metroidvania game Hollow Knight began as a Kickstarter project but is now a fully released video game. The 2017 game from Team Cherry was ported to the Nintendo Switch not long after its initial release. Even after five years, users continue to gush about the game's outstanding soundtrack, atmosphere, locations, and online fighting.
The controls of Hollow Knight are straightforward. However, mastery of the terrain, combat, and places is still necessary for advancement. Much of the game's plot is conveyed via conversations between non-player characters and through the rich backstory that the developers have included in the game's environment.
9. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby, a popular Nintendo mascot with a cult following since its 1992 introduction, is a unique creation with both adorable good looks and lethal abilities. Over time, however, other Nintendo games and characters, such as Jigglypuff, eclipsed the cute pink figure.
Thankfully, with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a Mario Odyssey-like game with a very engaging tale, Kirby has made a huge return. Beyond that, the current game has extensive backstory drawn from more than 35 previous installments of the series, spanning 30 years.
10. Hades
Finally, there's Hades, a 2020 action rogue-like that wowed critics and players with its compelling story and gorgeous aesthetics. The game is still a must-try in a handheld form on the Nintendo Switch, where it has become one of the highest-rated Indie action role-playing games.
Hades is, as the title indicates, a game about the Greek deity Hades and his son Zagreus, who is attempting to flee Hades' domain. Therefore, unlike any other game on the list, the game expertly integrates actual profound story inspired by Greek mythology.
Most gamers of today dismiss Nintendo games as simplistic and aimed at children. After all, the Japanese video game developer got its start with family-friendly games like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Monster Hunter Rise, Bayonetta 3, and many more.
However, the games' lighthearted simplicity shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of substance. In fact, the Switch, their most recent platform, is compatible with dozens of games that are easy to pick up and play yet have extensive backstories, mythologies, tales, environmental chronicles, and historical detail. Let's take a look at a few games that fit this bill and provide players a wealth of possibilities.
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing is a famous series of social simulation games that can only be played on Nintendo consoles. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newest installment in the series, is an improved take on the original games that greatly advances the social genre by giving players a taste of what it would be like to live out their virtual lives in real-time.
Nintendo has created a fantastic adventure with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one in which players may roam a vast area full of secrets. The game's premise is based on the concept of sharing stories via legend.
2. Super Mario Odyssey
In 2017, Nintendo Switch owners could only play Super Mario Odyssey, the series' last major 3D installment. Everyone's favorite plumber, Mario, travels the world in an effort to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser.
One of the biggest entries in the acclaimed Nintendo franchise, Super Mario Odyssey is a large game. This means there's a wealth of content for gamers to discover and use to expand their knowledge of Mario's backstory. The post by user u/Ymcan64 on Reddit does a fantastic job of describing the concept.
3. Luigi's Mansion 3
From 2001 to 2018, the action-adventure game series Luigi's Mansion had a modest level of popularity. In 2019, however, Nintendo launched Luigi's Mansion 3, thereby ending the series' decline by providing gamers with an AAA-quality experience across the board in terms of aesthetics, design, narrative, and gameplay.
The player takes control of Luigi, who is staying at a house called The Last Resort with his brother Mario and other famous faces. However, everything goes wrong when everyone vanishes and Luigi discovers ghosts are lurking about. The third installment in the series harkens back to the 2D Mario games with its rich backstory and intricate environmental narrative.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Released in 2017 on Switch and Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The newest Zelda game, like its predecessors, has a gripping narrative, innovative gameplay, and unrestricted player agency.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild focuses on providing players with gameplay similar to previous Zelda games but with a new emphasis on exploration and other hallmarks of role-playing games. Unique characters and locales steeped in mythology and legend are also available in the game.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate seems to be a fun fighting game from Nintendo with a wide variety of playable characters. Famous characters from video games include Banjo and Kazooie, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Dark Samus, Kirby, Link, Mario, Luigi, Mega Man, Princess Peach, Jigglypuff, and Pac-Man.
But the Super Smash Bros. series is so much more than a collection of random characters thrown together for a spectacle. Players are still discussing the game's rich and intricate narrative online. I've compiled a few blogs that illustrate this point.
6. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
In addition to other recent entries in the Pokémon Legends series, Nintendo also released Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In 2022, shortly after its release on Nintendo Switch, the game became an immediate hit for all the right reasons. The Golden Joystick Awards named it "Game of the Year" shortly afterward.
The Pokemon franchise is well-known for its impressive role-playing gameplay, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus is no exception. Therefore, it has very rich worlds, nostalgic settings, and a large cast of non-playable characters (NPCs), many of whom have their own backstories. The extensive backstory is not an afterthought here, as it is in every other game on our list.
7. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
The Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary event revealed two new games, Super Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury. Both of these games have the same gameplay style, hence they were bundled together in 2021. Players take control of Mario and other series staples as they traverse perilous platforming levels.
While these games may seem simple at first glance, they are really packed with Mario Legends that can be discovered only by playing through them thoroughly. Plus, because to its innovative design and fascinating realms centered on cats, Bowser's Fury has quickly become a fan favorite among gamers.
8. Hollow Knight
The excellent Metroidvania game Hollow Knight began as a Kickstarter project but is now a fully released video game. The 2017 game from Team Cherry was ported to the Nintendo Switch not long after its initial release. Even after five years, users continue to gush about the game's outstanding soundtrack, atmosphere, locations, and online fighting.
The controls of Hollow Knight are straightforward. However, mastery of the terrain, combat, and places is still necessary for advancement. Much of the game's plot is conveyed via conversations between non-player characters and through the rich backstory that the developers have included in the game's environment.
9. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby, a popular Nintendo mascot with a cult following since its 1992 introduction, is a unique creation with both adorable good looks and lethal abilities. Over time, however, other Nintendo games and characters, such as Jigglypuff, eclipsed the cute pink figure.
Thankfully, with Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a Mario Odyssey-like game with a very engaging tale, Kirby has made a huge return. Beyond that, the current game has extensive backstory drawn from more than 35 previous installments of the series, spanning 30 years.
10. Hades
Finally, there's Hades, a 2020 action rogue-like that wowed critics and players with its compelling story and gorgeous aesthetics. The game is still a must-try in a handheld form on the Nintendo Switch, where it has become one of the highest-rated Indie action role-playing games.
Hades is, as the title indicates, a game about the Greek deity Hades and his son Zagreus, who is attempting to flee Hades' domain. Therefore, unlike any other game on the list, the game expertly integrates actual profound story inspired by Greek mythology.
