10. ARMS - Nintendo
Nintendo is that guy at school who comes with the weirdest and dumbest ideas but it’s actually really cool; and while at first it just felt like a tech demo of what the Joy-Cons could do when the Nintendo Switch launched, ARMS earned its dedicated fanbase who loved the weirdness of the game. Hey! They even got Min Min as Smash Ultimate DLC, so that’s awesome.
9. Samurai Shodown - SNK
The early 90s classic arrives with a new entry fully developed using Unreal Engine 4 which makes nothing but help this game look amazing in our Nintendo Switches. Samurai Showdown doesn’t need a lot of introduction as it is a classic regarding the fighting gaming scene, but if you need one, let’s say it’s a fighting game with samurai swords. Do you need more?
8. Rivals of Aether - Dan Fornace
This one might easily be considered the weirdest addition to this ranking as it’s probably the most indie of them all. But the small time I’ve spent playing this eShop deep gem is the cherry on top of the cake when it comes to gameplay, visual style, co-op mode with up to 4 people, and also the ability to join the online competitive scene is something that can’t be ignored. And a sequel was announced a couple of days ago!
7. Mortal Kombat 11 - Warner Bros
Mortal Kombat 11 didn’t have a perfect release; lots of fans were either hoping for more while many others simply enjoyed the new entry in one of the most known gaming franchises in the world. Fortunately, the game got lots of updates as time went by, adding a lot of gameplay value; it is also one of those games that frequently get into the offers section of the Nintendo eShop, so you better take the chance when you can.
6. Dragon Ball FighterZ - Bandai Namco
Bandai Namco rarely disappoints when we talk about fighting games; on this occasion, we have a game based on the beloved anime classic Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball FighterZ shows exactly what you could expect from regular Dragon Ball episodes: immense, explosive, and amazing fights with characters from all over the original saga.
5. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl - GameMill Entertainment
I perfectly remember how Twitter went nuts the moment this game was announced; and while a lot of people could unmistakenly call it “Super Smash Bros.” with Nickelodeon characters, it definitely has its charm and also some unique twists depending on who you’re fighting for and with. Let’s be real, seeing Reptar smash the hell out of Patrick Star is something I didn’t expect would be doing in October 2021.
4. Kirby Fighters 2 - Nintendo
September 23rd, 2020 was such an interesting day; it began with the leak of a new Kirby game during the morning and it ended with the sudden surprise release of the same at the end of the day. While Kirby Fighters 2 is not the best fighting game in the world, it’s more than perfect for Kirby fans and an absolute delight for those who always choose Kirby at Smash.
3. Super Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection - Capcom
Of course, there are favorites among fans and objectively there are better games than others; but that doesn’t matter in the Super Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection as we have a total of 12 games from the Street Fighter archive ready to enjoy with your friends both locally and online. Collections of classic games are very common nowadays, but a few achieve what the 30th anniversary of the Capcom IP did.
2. Pokkén Tournament DX - Nintendo
We all know that the guys at The Pokémon Company in charge of the video game branch don’t like or maybe aren’t even able to go different paths than the traditional ones; thankfully, there are some exceptions like Pokkén Tournament in which they granted Bandai Namco permission to use some of the most iconic Pokémon and make them fight between them in a Tekken series kind of gameplay. The Wii U original version was already good, but the Nintendo Switch version brought up some great improvements along with DLC that added some great Pokémon to the rooster.
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo
Of course, some people enjoy and like to follow announcements to DLC for games that they love, but never in my short twenty-something life had ever seen such an amount of excitement as these 3 years brought not only to the Nintendo one but also to the overall gaming community. Of course, the Super Smash Bros. franchise was already a beloved IP before Ultimate was released in December 2018, especially when we take into account titles such as Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube making frequent appearances in-game tournaments, but there hasn’t been such an important and fun to play title like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch family of systems with characters not only from the Nintendo universe but from the Persona, Banjo-Kazooie, and even Kingdom Hearts as well. Man, that Sora announcement still feels like something unreal although I’m not a huge Kingdom Hearts fan myself.
