18 Best Switch Games For Christmas 2021

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Switch Games Christmas 2021
Switch Games Christmas 2021

Considering that the Nintendo Switch is perhaps the most prolific and readily available of all the modern consoles, especially with the more recent OLED model that launched this year, it’s more than likely you’ll be picking up some kind of Switch game as a Christmas present for someone. If you’re not sure what to pick, we’ve listed a few games that you should check out. Here’s the best Nintendo Switch games for Christmas 2021.

 

The Best Switch Games For Christmas 2021

1. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl

Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond

Developer: ILCA, Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo

For games to buy at Christmas, it’s hard to go wrong with a Pokémon game, and Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl might be the best offerings in a while. As remakes of two classic games in the series, BD & SP offer a brilliant chance at spending the holiday season with something truly nostalgic. If you’re looking for a gaming gift as a couple and you have two Switch consoles on hand, this is a solid option.

 

2. Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread

Developer: Mercury Steam, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Metroid fans have been waiting for a long time for a proper 2D Metroid sequel, so depending on who you’ve got on your Christmas gift list, Metroid Dread might already be in their gaming library. For everyone else, Dread is a return to the iconic Bounty Hunter Samus Aran at her absolute best, as she battles a wide variety of foes both old and new. While it might not be for the little ones, Metroid Dread is a great gift that’ll keep anyone you buy it for happy, until they get stomped by the hard bits.

 

3. Super Mario 3D World & Bowser’s Fury

Bowser
Bowser’s Fury

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

A gift for the family, Super Mario 3D World just feels like the perfect game to break out on Christmas Day, with its bright colours, easy to learn controls and emphasis on co-op fun. With support for up to four players, you can complete dozens of interesting levels as a team, but when dinner has finished and everyone’s cleared out, the Bowser’s Fury expansion makes for a wonderful solo experience.

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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - US Version
31,467 Reviews

 

4. Mario Party Superstars

Mario Party Superstars
Mario Party Superstars

Developer: NDcube
Publisher: Nintendo

Arguments and Christmas seem to go together like pigs and blankets, so why not have some control over how those arguments start? Instead of raising voices because of family drama, start shouting at your family because they’re conspiring to steal your stars in Mario Party Superstars. A greatest hits compilation for the series, Mario Party Superstars includes boards and minigames from some of the best games Mario Party has to offer.

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Mario Party Superstars - US Version
14,690 Reviews

 

5. Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise
Monster Hunter Rise

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

A game you could sell to anyone on the premise that you can have a cute dog or cat companion, Monster Hunter Rise is the latest mainline MH game in a series that’s really come into its own in the mainstream. As you’d expect from a Monster Hunter title, you take missions to kill or capture monsters, using the gear from them to upgrade and take on harder monsters. It’s a constantly satisfying loop that’ll have anyone who plays it gripped for a long time.

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Monster Hunter Rise - Nintendo Switch
2,074 Reviews

 

6. Monster Hunter Stories 2

Monster Hunter Stories 2
Monster Hunter Stories 2

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

If regular monster hunting isn’t as appealing to your gift recipient, perhaps they’d prefer something a bit more like an RPG. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is the second installment in the RPG spin-off series, with the player taking on the role of Kyle, who works together with a black-winged Rathalos to save the world from human conspiracies and ancient threats. For MH fans, it’s a new insight into the game’s world and a new way to experience Monster Hunter. For everyone else, it’s just a damn good RPG.

 

7. Shin Megami Tensei V

Shin Megami Tensei V
Shin Megami Tensei V

Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Sega, Nintendo

Most people likely know the Shin Megami Tensei series as the franchise that spawned the Persona spin-off series, but this year saw Shin Megami Tensei V launch on the Nintendo Switch, its first chance in years to grab the limelight. If you’re buying for someone who’s even had so much of a passing interest in Persona, or they love their dark, post-apocalyptic RPGs, SMT V is the pick for Christmas 2021.

 

8. New Pokémon Snap

New Pokemon Snap
New Pokemon Snap

Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Nintendo

There are three things certain in life: death, taxes and adorable Pokémon. While the first two admittedly aren’t very festive, taking pictures of adorable things happening around you is the very spirit of Christmas, making New Pokémon Snap a worthwhile Christmas gift. As a Pokémon photographer, you’ll travel through different areas, taking lovely photos of the creatures and antics you discover, before sharing those photos online with other players.

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New Pokémon Snap - Nintendo Switch
8,184 Reviews

 

9. WarioWare: Get It Together!

WarioWare Get It Together
WarioWare Get It Together

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

For those who find Mario Party moves at too slow of a pace, WarioWare: Get It Together! is the option for you. While Mario Party emulates board games with dice rolls and turns, WarioWare is just a barrage of hundreds of mini-games, each requiring the player to figure out the mechanics in a heartbeat. With support for different gameplay modes for multiple players, WarioWare: Get It Together! is a great family pick this Christmas.

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WarioWare: Get It Together! - Nintendo Switch
2,374 Reviews

 

10. Mario Golf: Super Rush

Mario Golf Super Rush
Mario Golf Super Rush

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Arguably the pick that would get your dad interested in either gaming or just participating this Christmas, Mario Golf: Super Rush takes the core gameplay of one of the world’s oldest recognisable sports and makes it silly, with great effect. Instead of just trying to hit the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes, players can also race against each other to finish holes in the fastest time, using power-ups to screw each other over.

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Mario Golf: Super Rush - Nintendo Switch
6,144 Reviews

 

11. No More Heroes 3

No More Heroes 3
No More Heroes 3

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Grasshopper Manufacture

Definitely not a gift to give to the kids, No More Heroes 3 is on the acerbic end of zany and weird. Playing as hapless hero Travis Touchdown once again, you’re tasked with defending Santa Destroy from an alien invasion, taking on their biggest heroes in what might be Travis’ most difficult battle yet. Is No More Heroes 3 for everyone? Definitely not. Will it make for a memorable gift? Almost certainly.

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No More Heroes 3
870 Reviews

 

12. Neo: The World Ends With You

Neo The World Ends With You
Neo The World Ends With You

Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix

The pick to give to someone who’s a fan of more obscure JRPGs than your typical blockbuster releases, Neo: The World Ends With You is a sequel to a cult classic RPG. Improving the formula by rendering the world in full 3D, along with some gameplay tweaks, Neo: TWEWY sees players taking on the role of Rindo Kanade, as he along with others try to survive the deadly Reapers’ Game.

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NEO: The World Ends with You - Nintendo Switch
1,472 Reviews

 

13. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Phoenix Wright wasn’t the first successful video game lawyer, as in the Ace Attorney world, there was a predecessor. Playing as Ryunosuke Naruhodo, an ancestor to the great Pheonix Wright, you’ll travel between Japan and Victorian London, solving five murder-mystery episodes that you’d come to expect from the Ace Attorney series. If you’re buying for someone who’s just started gaming, and you want to convince them that not everything is a violent FPS, this is a worthy purchase.

 

14. Persona 5 Strikers

Persona 5 Strikers
Persona 5 Strikers

Developer: Omega Force, P-Studio
Publisher: Sega

Anyone else still find it weird that Persona 5 Strikers is available on the Switch, but P5 Royal, or even the vanilla version, isn’t? Anyway, Strikers is a Musou-inspired sequel to the events of the first game, following the Phantom Thieves as they travel across Japan trying to save the world all over again. Strikers is a more action oriented approach than P5’s regular turn-based approach, so if turn-based isn’t your gift recipient’s jam, or you just want to give them more Persona stuff, Strikers is a solid gift option.

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Persona 5 Strikers - Nintendo Switch
1,845 Reviews

 

15. The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

Skyward Sword HD
Skyward Sword HD

Developer: Tantalus Media, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

While Breath of the Wild might sit on top of the list of best Zelda games available on the Nintendo Switch, there’s a case to be made that Skyward Sword is still a fantastic dungeon-exploring adventure worth checking out. As Link, you’ll explore a brand new world, interact with imaginative creatures and find heaps of secrets along the way; all of which have been improved and enhanced from the original Wii release for the Switch.

 

16. Spiritfarer

Spiritfarer game
Spiritfarer game

Developer: Thunder Lotus Games
Publisher: Thunder Lotus Games, Skybound, iam8bit

Do you know someone who has perhaps too many tears stored inside their head? They might like Spiritfarer, a game seemingly designed to unlock tear ducts. You play as the titular Spiritfarer as they attempt to guide spirits to the other side. While discovering their (often heartbreaking) stories along the way, you’ll also be building up your boat, farming, fishing, and so much more. Might not be the best game for the very young ones as it’s a little upsetting at points, but the game’s lessons about death and grief are worth learning for most ages.

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Spiritfarer - Nintendo Switch
1,012 Reviews

 

17. Gang Beasts

Gang Beasts
Gang Beasts

Developer: Boneloaf, Coatsink
Publisher: Boneloaf, Skybound

For something altogether more light-hearted, Gang Beasts is chaotic fun for the whole family. Silly with a capital S, players must face off in slapstick fights across Beef City while their characters flub around like jelly. Whether it’s the funny physics, tonnes of costumes, or general madness, Gang Beasts has gone down as one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time for good reason. Grab seven opponents and start flinging yourself around.

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Gang Beasts - Nintendo Switch
1,649 Reviews

 

18. Ori: The Collection

Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Developer: Moon Studios
Publisher: Iam8bit, Xbox Game Studios

Two of the best Metroidvania games of the last ten years are available in one amazing collection on the Switch. Ori And The Blind Forest Definitive Edition and Ori And The Will Of The Wisps are both included in this physical edition, which also comes with their digital soundtracks and art cards. Play as Ori and discover their purpose, but not before you let out an absolute bunch of tears thanks to the game’s soaring score and sumptuous visuals. The emotional pain is worth it, though.

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Ori: The Collection - Nintendo Switch
2,157 Reviews

READ NEXT: 15 Best Xbox Games For Christmas 2021

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