With 2019 just a few hours away, you might be panicking about which games you want to have available for your friends. Worry not! We have you covered with the nine Nintendo Switch games to ring in 2019.
Smash is always a great choice for the casual calamities and the ferocious fights. With over 70 characters and scores of modes (both self-created and built into the game), there is plenty of variety for any player to enjoy. My personal choice is the Tournament Mode; grab up to 32 friends, have them input their character and name, and continue with the party.
The indie darling Runbow, is a beautiful color-based platform-brawler that can capture anyone’s attention. With 8 player local competition, participants hop through colored platforms with changing backgrounds where obstacles and hazards alike disappear. While staying on your toes to survive, you must also ensure you outlast and outperform your fellow players. With plenty of customization available, partygoers can modify as necessary for their group.
Similar to Smash, Mario Kart can quickly elevate the intensity quickly. Four players have the opportunity to either venture through some beautiful courses or duke it out through some silly Battle Modes. Each round can be capped off within a few minutes, so the pass-the-controller aspect is high and can get plenty of people involved. (You could also have up to 12 players, over multiple Switches, but that can prove more trouble than it’s worth for casual fun.)
The strangely unique indie Nidhogg 2 has wonderful tug-of-war multiplayer for two people to enjoy. Each player is challenged to traverse through several screens to reach the end, all the while the other player attempts to accomplish the same goal. Though there are only two players traversing at once, Nidhogg 2 can capture a room for onlookers to get whipped up into the excitement of the momentum of a solid run. Rivalries can last a few minutes and can quickly pass-the-controller to the next person.
Finally! After more than a decade of satisfactory Mario Party games, Super Mario Party has emerged as a return to form fun factor for fiestas. Up to four players can play through several boards, minigames, and challenges to determine the biggest bragging rights. With the customization of turn-length, games can vary from about 40 minutes to well over 2 hours. Due to the length of games, this might be a good choice for more intimate gatherings.
Sure, there are five Jackbox Party Packs, but the fourth iteration seems to be a highlight on the console. All mini-games can have up to 8 players, with Bracketeering pushing it to 16 players. A code is shown on the screen, players input the code on their phones, and the shenanigans begin. This is a fantastic group of games that can work with those “I dont play games” partygoers and ensure as many people have the chance to play as possible.
Despite a lackluster single-player adventure, Mario Tennis Aces truly exceeds with its multiplayer endeavours. With up to four players, participants can play with typical play-with-a-controller doubles match or rock it old school like Wii Sports Tennis. Though there might need to be some unlocking required for some variety of courts, the simplicity of motion controls can prove adventurous for players of a wide variety of age.
Unlike most of the games on this list, Joggernauts is a cooperative game where up to four players strive for collaboration through various platforming puzzles. Though there is some getting used to, this game can provide a nice alternative to the competitive nature of most multiplayer games on this list.
1-2 Switch is fantastic to show off the power of the Joy-Con with quick, easy to understand, and more importantly, fun microgames. The 28 games last somewhere between 15 seconds and a minute for the two-player competitions. Several games have specific scores and times, so partygoers can keep a tally at who scored best (or worst) to add another layer of fun.
Here’s our top nine games. Did we miss any that you’re scratching your head about? Feel free to share below!
Codes for Runbow, Nidhogg 2, The Jackbox Party Pack 4, and Joggernauts were provided by the developer and/or publisher.
Follow Harry Loizides, Editor-In-Chief, through his life of video games, obstacle races, and other adventures with Instagram, Twitter, and IGN.
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