Top Ten First-Party Nintendo Switch Exclusives

Let's cap off the work week right with a brand-new top ten list on SPC. This time around we're going to be taking a look at the best first-party exclusives on the Nintendo Switch so far. There's one caveat of sorts, and that's that each game has to only be able to be played on the Nintendo Switch, so games that have Wii U versions, even enhanced ones like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, are excluded from this list. However, remakes of older titles from previous systems are allowed. So, let's get to counting down the best of Nintendo's Switch lineup, offering a copious amount of variety in genres, franchises, and styles!

10) Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield

The countdown begins with a familiar favorite, the ever-popular monster-catching and battling series of Pokémon with the dual versions of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Adventuring in the Galar region sees prospective Pokémon trainers journeying through plenty of expansive and beautiful pastures, including the all-new Wild Area, as well as the huge cities and other sections of the game. Gigantamax battles and the combat against gym leaders made for impressive encounters, too. What makes Pokémon Sword and Shield even more worthwhile is the addition of downloadable content in the form of two new areas in Galar: The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, bringing with it new Pokémon to catch and new challenges to tackle. It makes a game that was already rather content-rich into an even richer game.

9) Paper Mario: The Origami King

Releasing over the summer, and after bouncing off the previous entry, Paper Mario: Color Splash, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the latest in the Paper Mario series, Paper Mario: The Origami King. Not only is the game full of charm, lovely and cleverly designed areas to explore for all sorts of collectibles, and filled with a well done script featuring an abundance of humor, but the battle system this time around was something I actually liked. It was worthwhile in the sense that all battles were essentially puzzles to solve, awarding coins to be used to purchase myriad goods outside of simply more items for battle. Paper Mario: The Origami King stands as one of my favorite Switch games released this year, and one that I will no doubt come back to in the not-so-distant future.

8) Splatoon 2

It's time to get funky and fresh with the Inklings from the Splatoon series with the inked up sequel to the Wii U's breakout hit. Splatoon 2 features a brand-new campaign, serving as not just a collection of well executed obstacle course levels to shoot, splat, and paint one's way through, but also to serve as a primer and tutorial for hopping online in the 4v4 competitive modes. No doubt the latter is the main draw, offering a pleasant smattering (or is it "splattering"?) of maps to learn, tactics to master, and a wide assortment of weapons to become acquainted with. I'm not usually one for competitive shooters, as I find the genre to be a bit overdone, but Splatoon and its amazing Switch sequel bring an exuberant amount of freshness, originality and uniqueness to a somewhat tired genre.

7) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Last year, players got the wonderful opportunity to return to Koholint Island, playing one of the most cherished entries in The Legend of Zelda series. It was almost like a dream come true! (Wink, wink!) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening sees the remake of a Game Boy classic with everything modeled like a collection of toys set in a diorama. The adventure is as fantastic, if not better than ever before thanks to a multitude of quality of life upgrades, most notably having additional buttons to assign items to. Players can even design their own dungeons using pieces of completed in-game dungeons, and while the level of freedom certainly holds no candle to the Super Mario Maker series, it is enjoyable enough. This is especially so if you try to complete Dampe's construction challenges, which serve as puzzles in how you to have to select the correct rooms and place them properly to satisfy each design condition. Overall, it was a tremendous privilege to be able to revisit Koholint Island and Link's Awakening.

6) Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Three houses, three unique stories, and an astounding amount of maps, strategies, characters, and weapons to employ all make this next game on this list an insanely enjoyable strategy RPG. Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers a surprisingly dark at times story to digest with characters that are hardly one-dimensional, giving great performances and possessing a great deal of depth. Battles are as incredible as ever, continuing the Fire Emblem franchise's rock-paper-scissors-esque strengths and weaknesses system, and presenting a sizable variety of combat scenarios to engage in. Between battles, scampering around Garreg Mach Monastery sees players interact with their students, teach classes, participate in mock battles, purchase weapons and other goods, and enjoy one-on-one events with characters. Fire Emblem: Three Houses leaped to the top of the list of my favorite Fire Emblem games, and with all of the aforementioned factors, it's no wonder why. 

5) Luigi's Mansion 3

Speaking of entries that jumped to the top of my list, Luigi's Mansion 3 delights with Luigi's journey through the Last Resort hotel. Filled with ghosts and specters of all villainous varieties, the Last Resort is by no means a friendly place, but Luigi and his patented, trusty and literally dusty Poltergust G-00 are there to vanquish all that goes bump in the night. Between the masterful puzzles, some of which spread across multiple rooms for some particularly tricky brain teasers, the showdowns against boss ghosts, the different themed floors of the hotel, and the absolutely jaw-dropping visuals on display, Luigi's Mansion 3 offers a lot to love. That's not even going into the co-operative goodness that is the Scarescraper, allowing up to four players to search rooms of a given floor for a means of escape. It's quite the fright..eningly good time! All of this makes Luigi's Mansion 3 a scary good entry in the series and one of the Nintendo Switch's top exclusives first-party-wise. 

4) Super Mario Maker 2

The next two first-party exclusives are ones that I have dedicated the most time to on the Nintendo Switch. With Super Mario Maker 2, everything from the story mode that shows players possible design ideas to implement into their own levels, to jumping online and playing other creators' levels, to designing my own creations and making a Super World--essentially my own Mario game--out of them, I spent an exceptionally lengthy amount of time with Nintendo's Mario level creation suite. Then, there is the multiplayer, where one can leap online and either compete or play with other players co-operatively. The online at first was quite a mess with plenty of lag, but as of now, things have tidied up considerably, making for a much more enjoyable experience. A game where you can create your own levels is only as good as its creators, and fortunately, the pickings of excellent levels certainly aren't slim in Super Mario Maker 2. Yes, there's definitely a lot of poorly made and ill-conceived levels online, but take a shovel with you and you'll eventually find some gold.

3) Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There is no game that was better for a quarantine and pandemic than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The ability to "visit" people--albeit in virtual form brought countless people and players around the world together in ways that just wasn't responsible or possible face-to-face due to the pandemic. Plus, New Horizons just offers so much with its monthly events, endless amount of tasks to do and accomplish, islanders to talk to and become friends with, and a multitude of furniture and various odds and ends to decorate one's home and island with. The addition of new updates allows more and more reasons to keep returning to players' islands, and I know for certain that this particular player has been doing just that. What is usually a three month game for me with past Animal Crossing games has turned into a yearlong ambition, and that's mostly because this specific Animal Crossing has so much that I love about it.

2) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

A game that keeps on giving in the form of new characters, stages, and updates (though the latter is the only thing that is gratis; the others require paid DLC) is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I don't know if there is a more fitting name for this Super Smash Bros. either than Ultimate, as throwing in every playable fighter ever featured in a Smash Bros. game, tossing in the majority of stages from every past Smash Bros. game, and chucking in an abundance of new modes and features for good measure makes a very compelling argument. There is just SO much content packed inside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the actual fighting mechanics are my favorite in a Smash Bros. game. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an absolutely amazing and stellar love letter to gaming, an excellent fighter in its own right, and one of my favorite Nintendo Switch first-party exclusives.

1) Super Mario Odyssey

However, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is not my absolute favorite. That title goes to none other than Super Mario Odyssey, Mario's biggest and boldest 3D platforming outing. The amount of freedom that players have to reach destinations throughout the expansive kingdoms featured in Odyssey is something to truly behold. The additions to Mario's move set thanks to Cappy, his throwable hat, makes his repertoire of moves his grandest and most ambitious yet. Never has Mario controlled so exquisitely, feeling so tight, enabling such mobility. Plus, the expansive kingdoms that Mario gets to explore is something to cherish, too, delivering impressive platforming challenges, myriad enemies and objects to capture, sights to see and take in, and wonders behind every corner. The Power Moons are fun to find, as well, giving players motivation and rewarding curiosity every step of the way. Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic title, and one that I routinely return to since it just plays so well, feels so good, and makes me so happy when I'm in the act of playing it.

Honorable Mentions:

ARMS, Ring Fit Adventure, Yoshi's Crafted World, Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! / Let's Go, Eevee!

Which Nintendo Switch first-party exclusives are your favorites? Drop a comment below to let the SPC community know!

Rank Up! - Ranking the Animal Crossing Series (Again)

It's been quite a while since we've last seen this old relic and staple from SuperPhillip Central's past arrive on the site. It's none other than "Rank Up!" where we take a look at my order of a particular game series's various entries, from least favorite to most favorite.

While I've previously covered the Animal Crossing series many moons ago, new entries have been added since, and I'm eager to see how my opinion of Nintendo's adorably charming series has changed compared to back then (or maybe it hasn't!). I'm ranking the Animal Crossing series through eight games--all the mainline releases and some spin-offs as well. So, without further ado, let's start this installment of Rank Up!

8) Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)

It was difficult being a Wii U owner--take it from a firsthand account. Whether it was with multiple delays, droughts, and few worthwhile releases, to own a Wii U was to suffer. The holiday season of 2015 was a disappointing one, and perhaps that's sugarcoating things. Between a lackluster and content-deprived installment of the Mario Tennis series and this game, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, kicking off this Rank Up! countdown, it was a trying time to be a Nintendo fan.

It seemed that Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival was more about having a game release to coincide with selling amiibo figurines for Nintendo rather than putting out an actually entertaining Animal Crossing game. Amiibo Festival did its best to delight with its board game influences, but beyond its cute and cheery presentation was a game devoid of fun or merriment. It was utterly a bore, better spelled a "bored game" instead. (I'm here all night.)

7) Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (iOS, AND)

Nintendo pursued the mobile gaming audience with a multitude of attempts to enter the market, hoping to have an extra source of income and success. However, few of the attempts actually bore wildly successful fruit. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is Nintendo's take on its series in mobile form, with all of the annoyances and boredom that comes with games of its style. Perhaps it's different now, but I remember at launch that the game took forever to get anything worth value, showcasing itself as a tedious grind. It's definitely not what I want out of the Animal Crossing series, but for those without a Nintendo system to play the more traditional games in the series, perhaps Pocket Camp is a suitable supplement. ..I doubt it, though.

6) Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)

Another spin-off in the Animal Crossing series, Happy Home Designer focused on the interior and exterior design aspects of Animal Crossing. The game put you in the titular role of a Happy Home Designer, taking on requests from various animal villagers and doing your best to fulfill them by placing appropriate furniture in and outside of their homes. Though one could just do the bare minimum to pass the requirements for each animal client (and the game did a poor job of rewarding you for being more creative than necessary), I did discover the joy of customizing the appearance of each house--both indoors and out--to look as good as my imagination could make it. The ease of placing furniture and objects with the simple-to-use controls would later be implemented into Animal Crossing: New Horizons in a most welcome fashion.

5) Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)

Let's go the city, shall we? That was Nintendo's modus operandi for Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii, but outside of the eponymous city setting that players could visit by bus, City Folk felt more like a console version of Animal Crossing: Wild World. That's not to say that City Folk wasn't enjoyable. It just seemed like a super safe sequel and hardly a major evolution in the Animal Crossing franchise's formula. It also doesn't help that the game required a miserable peripheral in order to chat with friends when visiting them online. That said, Animal Crossing: City Folk gave me plenty of hours (see: hundreds of hours) of enjoyment even if it was essentially Wild World 2.0.

4) Animal Crossing (GCN)

I remember having a choice between two games for a gift in September. They were both GameCube games: one was Super Monkey Ball 2, the sequel to a game I loved, so it was most likely going to be a sequel that I enjoyed. The other was Animal Crossing, which was at the time an unknown quality to me. I read about it intently in the multiple previews that spawned from the pages of Nintendo Power magazine, but other than that, getting it would be based on faith.

My choice between the two games was apparently a good one, as I've loved Animal Crossing as a series ever since. While I did later end up also getting Super Monkey Ball 2, Animal Crossing on the GameCube gave me a new franchise to love, and I remember losing so many hours of my real life to my new virtual life in my charming town of Mabel. Between attempting and being successful at catching every bug and fish in the game, making sure I talked to every villager each day, amassing a hefty collection of furniture and Bells, and being ready for each and every holiday, Animal Crossing was as much of my real life as school was back in the day.

I'd also feel so guilty missing a day in the game, too, and would doubly be upset if a favorite villager suddenly decided to up and move. The struggle, as they say, was real. While many games in the Animal Crossing series have since improved on the formula in many ways, it's a combination of nostalgia and liking the simplicity of the original that I adore the GameCube's Animal Crossing so much.

3) Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

The second game in the Animal Crossing series launched on handhelds with the release of Animal Crossing: Wild World on the Nintendo DS. Now, players no longer had the need to be tied to a TV to play Animal Crossing. They could now play it anywhere! Not just that, but with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, now they could play it with anyone, too. (Well, provided they had one another's friend codes, of course!)

Wild World's big deal was obviously online, so players could explore each other's towns, but so much more was added, as well. There was a higher level of character customization, touch screen support for a myriad of uses (such as inventory, inputting messages, creating various clothing and sign designs), and a new camera perspective which was more level with the player, allowing the view to show both the ground and sky. Various games in the series have since run with all of these ideas and many have done them better, but that doesn't stop Wild World from being a solid game still.

2) Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)

The latest two Animal Crossing games focus more on customization and quality of life features to make for better games. It only makes sense then that these latest two entries are the ones I prefer the most. The first of which is Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which had its biggest new feature being that of serving as your town's mayor. As mayor, you could start public works projects to create new buildings, places of interest, and objects in your village, such as cafes, police stations, windmills, lighthouses, streetlamps, wells, bridges, and more. Ordinances could also be started to better suit your playing style, such as opening and closing shops earlier or later--depending on your preference--or asking your fellow villagers to help water plants so they wouldn't perish so easily.

The added freedom that was granted to players in crafting their own town experience in Animal Crossing: New Leaf is one of the major reasons why I adore it so much and can return to it to this day. Even with the newest game out now, New Leaf still has various reasons to keep coming back to its beautiful, auto-stereoscopic world.

1) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (NSW)

A game that couldn't have released at a better time, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the perfect getaway when most people can't literally "get away" from these chaotic times. And calling these times "chaotic" is a bit of an understatement. Regardless, with the pandemic and need for social distancing, players have found their islands in New Horizons to be a wonderful place of refuge for our weary world.

The amount of freedom that was found in New Leaf was exponentially increased in New Horizons, offering the ability to customize one's island to insane lengths. You can not just only place where you want buildings for island residents and places like shops and the museum to be located, but you can also terraform the heck out of your island, too--creating the paradise you've always dreamed of living in. The only obstacle is your imagination, and perhaps your patience, too, considering how long and lengthy of a process fine-tuning one's island can be!

Between amassing a massive collection of furniture, catching all of the local fauna through the game's four seasons, donating finds to the museum, participating in the Stalk Market, and the immense amount of updates provided by Nintendo, I've yet to grow bored of Animal Crossing: New Horizons through my nearly 200 hours of playtime. It is without question my favorite entry in the Animal Crossing franchise, and one of my favorite games in 2020 thus far.