With Nintendo's paid online service finally here, what better time to piece together a guide to the best Nintendo Switch Online games out there?
Nintendo Switch Online launched only in September, bringing a paid subscription service for accessing online play, alongside a host of other features like cloud saves and retro game emulation. The paid online service isn't necessary for playing most games on the Nintendo Switch eShop, but you'll still need it if you want to get the most out of your multiplayer titles.
So whether you're a Nintendo Switch owner looking to make the most of the online service, or just someone wanting to know why the hell they should sign up to Nintendo Switch Online after paying for a $300 / £300 console, these are the local co-op and online multiplayer games that get all the better for having the Nintendo Switch Online service.
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Is this the Nintendo Switch's definitive party game? The Mario Party franchise has been running for 20 years and almost as many entries, pitting an eclectic mix of Mario characters against each other as they compete in a virtual board game.
The eleventh in the series, Super Mario Party undoes some of the missteps of recent years and brings back the competitive edge, with a bunch of new modes, fresh new minigames, and added layers of strategy to bring the party all over again. If you have two Switch consoles between you, you can even link them up to fire cannons or splice together fruit from one screen to another – a neat addition that shows how much potential the Switch has for new kinds of play.
The only place you'll be playing online will be Toad's Rec Room, where you can compete in four-person minigames for those prized leaderboard places – rather than risking strangers dropping out of a 20-turn board game mid-way. But whether you're playing online or just chilling on the sofa with some friends, this should be at the top of your multiplayer list.
Play for: online multiplayer or local co-op
Let's be honest, the main selling point of Nintendo Switch Online is probably the NES games that come bundled in.
There's no Virtual Console this time around, so you're reliant on Nintendo leasing you the retro classics rather than letting you buy what you want at any time.
Even so, these games have been lovingly remastered with plenty of pleasingly modern features to let you pause, save, and reload each NES game at any point during play. Not to mention different viewing options if you want that more authentic arcade machine feel.
Actual two-player games here Ice Climbers or Balloon Fight are perfect for a nostalgia trip with your buddies. And even the solo titles – Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and so on – have been updated for more connected play, meaning you can swap between Joy-Con controllers with a friend or enjoy voice chat over the Switch smartphone app while you take a trip down memory lane.
Other NES titles you get at launch include Soccer, Tennis, Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Excitebike, Tecmo Bowl, and Yoshi.
But there'll be a steady trickle of other games each month for subscribers, which are bound to start including comparatively more recent SNES and N64 games down the line.
Play for: local co-op
We couldn’t make a list of the best online games without this: a beautifully Nintendo take on team-based shooters with teenage squids splaying maps with colored ink.
The fun, cartoony art style and fluid gameplay are exactly what you expect from Nintendo, with a sharply competitive streak and quick-fire matches that make it perfect for short play sessions. The first game did the impressive job of pulling players to the struggling Wii U console, and while the loss of a second screen on the Nintendo Switch entry is mourned, this is still a wonderfully fun game.
The single player offering has got stronger with the recent Octo expansion, but don’t be mistaken: this is a masterful multiplayer game through and through. There are local co-op options if you have more than one Switch to hand, though the game doesn’t support split-screen play on a television.
Play for: online multiplayer
Weapons, shields, engines, and... love?
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a funky 2D shooter that sees you pilot a spaceship across the galaxy to help restore love to the universe. The popping visuals and bumping soundtrack are what make this game, though the cooperative elements also aim to bring you and your other players closer together – you won't make it through the game without them.
There's technically a single-player mode, but for the full force of this lovingly-made indie game, you'll want to find someone to share it with.
Play for: local co-op
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is in a sense of repackaging of the Wii U entry – but is still well worth your time and money.
Accessible with plenty of modes, vehicles, and on-track madness, Nintendo's iconic arcade racer is always one of the best multiplayer games out there, while this entry comes with a set of new characters and all the previously released DLC included from the starting line.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe caters for four players in split-screen co-op, or up to eight consoles linked up wirelessly – or against anyone you like online.
Play for: online multiplayer or local co-op
How to improve on ‘the beautiful game’ of football? By replacing humans with cars, obviously.
Rocket League is that wonderfully simple premise that everyone can get behind: haphazardly zooming across a pitch and occasionally knocking a giant ball into the goal. It’s on pretty much every gaming system out there by now but is an affordabke must-buy if you don’t have it on another console already.
Play for: online multiplayer and local co-op
Pokken Tournament DX is a 360-degree fighting game with a roster of Pokemon to take each other on in 1-on-1 or 3-on-3 battles. Another fantastic Wii U game that didn’t get the love it deserved – until it was ported over to the Switch, with even more pocket monsters to play with.
This isn’t the turn-based combat you’ll know from the mainline series, either – here you have to choose your moves and movements in real-time to take down your opponents, adding a real rush to proceedings.
Not to mention the HD graphics, with character builds and attack animations brought into their lively 3D splendor. But it’s not all looks: this is a satisfying fighting game with great mechanics and plenty of nostalgia for fans of the series.
Play for: local co-op or online multiplayer
This game isn’t even out yet and we’re that confident. Easy to play, hard to master, Super Smash Bros has always been a Nintendo stalwart: a mad fighting game brawler that pits video game characters from across Nintendo’s extensive catalogue against each other in battle. Pikachu vs Luigi. Kirby vs Ice Climbers. Toon Link vs Samus. The chaos knows no ends.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate arrives on December 7 and is the closest thing to a definitive Smash Bros we’ve seen, with every single character ever to have appeared across the franchise – with some fun new ones bundled in, including Metroid’s Ridley and Donkey Kong Country’s King K. Rule.
Add to that over 100 stages, countless gameplay improvements and a bunch of new modes to jump into, and you have a Smash Bros entry that will no doubt be a big draw for players signing up for Nintendo Switch Online.
Play for: online multiplayer, local co-op
Ok, so, technically Fortnite doesn’t require Nintendo Switch Online – like any free-to-play game on the console – but it’s a must-have for anyone into online competitive gaming.
Fortnite is a stupidly successful take on the battle royale genre, which drops 100 players into a shrinking map and lets the chaos ensure, with neat building mechanics and plenty of llama-based humor to make it stand out from the crowd. Publisher Epic Games constantly tweaks and improves the service, bringing in new modes and items to make sure there’s always something new to try out too.
And it’s played by everyone from 10-year-olds to full-grown adults, and apparently the Canadian rapper Drake, so don’t worry about not fitting in. Cross-play also means you can compete with players on their Xbox One, PC, or on mobile – though sadly still not PS4.
The game makes its fortunes selling cosmetic items or letting you choose your own character – rather than randomly selecting one – but there’s no obligation to fork out. The Nintendo Switch version even supports motion controls, if you fancy setting yourself more of a challenge in the online arena.
Play for: online multiplayer
A casual co-op game about the most stressful restaurant kitchen imaginable.
Overcooked 2 supports up to four players in couch co-op – though you'll need a joy-con for each one of you – and will see you cooking up a storm as you all try to keep your kitchen running in increasingly madcap and unstable environments (hot air balloons, anyone?).
Cue flaming dinners, furious customers, and shifting stages that faithfully recreate the stress of being a working chef (not really). It’s simple but chaotic, and perfect for a quiet / loud night in after actually making yourself dinner.
Play for: local co-op or online multiplayer
Minecraft on Nintendo Switch? The second best-selling video game of all time (after Tetris) has come far since it first launched in beta back in 2011. The mining and building mechanics offer near-endless scope for creation, combining the fun and freedom of Lego with the possibilities of virtual sandbox game.
Make the castle of your dreams, create to-scale replicas of the Millenium Falcon, or wander around the countless creations of friends and strangers across the globe.
It's well suited to the Switch's pick-up-and-play mentality, even if it's playable on pretty much everything by now – notably in VR – with plenty of cross-play between platforms. There are various modes for different styles of play, including a Creative Mode that lets you focus on building, or an Adventure Mode more geared towards exploring other user-created maps and areas.
Play for: online multiplayer or local co-op
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