Top 10 Best and Worst Nintendo Switch Ports
#5 Worst: “Payday 2” (2013)
When choosing from the few FPS titles available on Switch, you could do a lot better than “Payday 2.” The majority of the fun in this heist-heavy game comes from playing with friends. But the Switch’s lack of in-game voice chat already meant that this version would be inferior at launch. You could play it by yourself. But there’s still the fact that a slew of features like missions, cosmetics, characters, and weapons are missing. Frame rate also lags in some of the heavier action. It really just isn’t worth it.
#5 Best: “Minecraft” (2011)
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Well it came to everything else, so why not bring it to Switch? The most notable thing about the Nintendo Switch is the ability to take giant games on the go. But the gameplay in “Minecraft” specifically is suited perfectly for this design. Sure, you can sit at home for hours collecting resources and designing you own world. Or you can take it with you, accomplishing small tasks when you have the time. “Minecraft” on Switch features all of the addictingly fun gameplay of other console versions and lets players experience it anywhere without hiccups. Best of all though is cross-play with Xbox One, PC & mobile users, so you won’t have to worry about what system everyone is playing on (Show PS4) … Most of the time.
#4 Worst: “Doom” (1993) & “Doom II” (1994)
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Sometimes what should have been something so simple; turns into unnecessary frustration. Such was the case when the original “Doom” games were brought to Switch. Releasing the classic FPS titles on Switch was a no-brainer, given the upcoming release of “Doom Eternal”. But when players purchased either of them, they were surprised to find the games required a mandatory login to Bethseda.net … For titles over 25 years old. The move garnered heavy backlash, as was memed all across the Internet. Bethesda has now rectified this, but the fact they even tried to implement this DRM into retro titles speaks volumes. Plus, these two ports got the aspect ratio entirely wrong, making enemies look more stretched out than they should.
#4 Best: “Doom” (2016)
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Instead of purchasing the old games on Switch, you should really just play 2016’s brilliant gorefest. Where it was light on story, it was heavy on action. Pure, delightfully gruesome action. While some ports like “Payday 2” experienced slowdown during areas such as this, players were thrilled to find that “Doom” didn’t have the same issue. The Switch version only looks a small percentage worse than everywhere else. It runs at 30 frames per second instead of 60, but it keeps the frame rate stable whether you’re on the go or at home. But what’s most important is the gameplay. And there, it still shines brightly.
#3 Worst: “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” (2019)
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This “Castelvania” tribute just cracks the list by being released on Switch a week after all other versions. But as it stands, it probably should have been released a lot later. The Switch version is a clear graphical downgrade. While that obviously isn’t unheard of for Switch ports, it is significantly darker with fuzzy textures, making everything harder to see. More importantly, however, are control response issues and framerate problems that make it much less fun to play on Switch. Developer ArtPlay and publisher 505 Games have promised a giant patch is coming to get rid of these problems. So if you want this game on the go, you might want to wait a bit.
#3 Best: “Rocket League” (2015)
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With it’s striking blend of soccer and racing, “Rocket League” became one of the most talked about games when it was released in 2015. And when the Switch became such a huge success, many players wondered when they’d get to take it on the go. Although some problems needed to be fixed through a patch, Psyonix’s hybrid game runs as smooth as ever on Nintendo’s console. Just like Minecraft, it also allows cross-platform play so Switch players haven’t had to lose out on anything. In fact, they’ve gained exclusive vehicles themed after Mario, Luigi, and Samus. And that’s just a nice touch.
#2 Worst: “WWE 2K18” (2017)
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There are many games ported to the Switch that have had to compromise visuals for portability. But then there’s the barrage of ugly textures that comprises “WWE 2K18.” We might be able to forgive the game for its visuals if it were still fun to play, but it certainly isn’t. In what was clearly a rush job, wrestling matches can stutter along thanks to glitchy frame rate drops if there’s too much action on screen. In some cases, it might freeze entirely, forcing players to back out. It was a mediocre game everywhere else, but it’s downright awful on Switch.
#2 Best: “Cuphead” (2017)
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One of the most beautiful things about bringing this action-platformer to Switch is how developer StudioMDHR didn’t have to sacrifice a single thing to do so. The hand drawn graphics, which pay homage to 1930s cartoons, meant it wouldn’t be too advanced for the Switch to run. While it still took work on behalf of the developers, this version runs just as efficiently as others. And the quick paced, boss rush style of the game fits supremely with the Switch’s portability. The only compromise is that the load times are a little longer than the Xbox One version, but since everything else is faithfully intact, most players won’t even care.
#1 Worst: “Ark: Survival Evolved” (2017)
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While not one of the most technically or visually impressive games out there, “Ark: Survival Evolved” still held the appeal of surviving with nothing and taming various dinosaurs. On Switch, however, the entire experience is a muddled mess of nonsense. Here is where a Switch port’s graphical inferiority genuinely has an impact. Textures are muddy and sincerely off-putting in everything from plants to the creatures around you. There are also ridiculously long loading times and a multitude of stability issues. If there’s one good thing that can be said of it, it’s that it’s a fine example of how not to port a title to Nintendo Switch.
#1 Best: “Diablo III” (2012)
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Maybe it’s because there is an understood sacrifice in graphics when it comes to Switch ports that “Diablo III” was such a pleasant surprise. Sure, it was six years old before the port was released, but that doesn’t change the fact that nearly every bit of Blizzard’s co-op dungeon crawler looks as good on Switch as it does everywhere else. But what’s even more appealing is how well the game runs. It sticks to 60 FPS the whole way through, no matter how overloaded the screen may get. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re playing docked or in handheld mode. Add on exclusive “Zelda” themed content, and you’ve got an already must-play that’s just a little bit sweeter.
