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Throughout the year, we’ve seen thousands of games launch on Nintendo Switch, from the lowliest of scammy cash grabs and shovelware to some of the highest-quality video games ever conceived. Despite approaching its eighth year on shop shelves, and with some Switch ports delivering a less-than-smooth experience, many developers continue to work wonders with Nintendo’s little machine.
Today, we’re celebrating the Switch games of 2023 that bathed our eyeballs in liquid loveliness, the best-looking Switch games in a year that saw the release of software that pushed the system to — and beyond — its absolute limit.
Some of the games below may be available elsewhere at super-duper resolutions, but in our opinion they look just as splendid on Nintendo’s humble hardware, with no compromises necessary for them to shine just as brightly on Switch, even at a ‘measly’ 720p.
So, let’s take a look — in no particular order — at our 13 picks for the best-looking Switch games of 2023, a feel free to let us know your favourite visual treats of the year in the comments!
Publisher: Focus Entertainment / Developer: UN JE NE SAIS QUOI
Performance might not be perfect with this port, but the watercolour world of Dordogne was one of the most arresting treats on Switch this year. The painterly style looks sensational on the TV, but also sings on the handheld screen — particularly if you’ve got a Switch OLED.
Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games / Developer: Mojiken Studio
A Space for the Unbound‘s beautiful pixel art will make ’90s Indonesia feel like home to everyone who plays this game. Gorgeous cutscenes, environments, and colour palettes lend themselves beautifully to the nostalgic magical realism the game is going for. And despite releasing in January, the game’s look has stuck with us all year long.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
It was one of the biggest releases of the year, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s irrepressible verve and energy helped blast it to the podiums on our personal 2D Mario lists. Much has been made of the animation, and rightly so — we very much enjoyed the ‘New’ series, but we can’t help but think their characters and worlds will feel frustratingly drab and static when we revisit them. A wonder, indeed.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Retro Studios
The facelift Metroid Prime received in this Remaster just reinforces how impressive Retro Studios’ work was back in 2002. That it doesn’t look out of place in Nintendo’s 2023 lineup might be taken as an indictment of the company’s technical approach with its systems, but really it’s the timelessness of original art design that makes this two-decade-old marvel feel as fresh as the day it launched.
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Publisher: MERIDIEM / Developer: Gammera Nest
This surreal point-and-click was short, and not entirely sweet from a technical perspective, but Nacho Rodríguez’s spectacular animation in The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo made a huge impression from the moment we laid eyes on it. The gameplay experience itself can be obtuse and rough around the edges, but as Roland said of the captivating loading animation in our review, “although [loading screens] can sometimes be intrusive, we almost wanted more.” A spectacularly attractive adventure.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EPD
It was a long time coming, but Pikmin 4 was well worth the wait. Despite being a little light on the challenge side, this quickly shot up the list of the best games in the series and it is undoubtedly the best looking. The way that light catches the water, the long views across the larger-than-life dioramas and let’s not forget the Pikmin themselves. Everything in this warm hug of a game is just as gorgeous as we had hoped.
Publisher: Sabotage / Developer: Sabotage
Sabotage blinds you with the beauty of its pixel art to such an extent that it makes you suspicious. This game can’t possibly play as good as it looks… can it? Yes, it can. Sea of Stars employs beautifully detailed pixel art to evoke classic 16-bit RPGs in a fashion that’s every bit the equal of Square’s patented HD-2D approach (which gets its own shoutout further down this list). It’s sublime to behold. Most of us on staff have this game, and while not all of us have gotten around to completing it, nobody regrets a second of their time with it.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: ArtePiazza
Comprehensively upgrading every last aspect of the original, and clarifying things to the point of revelation, Super Mario RPG is a masterclass in sensitively revisiting a treasure and polishing it to a gleam. It would have been so easy to get it ‘wrong’, and with such a passionate fanbase, we would have heard no end of complaints if developer ArtePiazza had erred in its interpretation of those 16-bit sprites in the slightest. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Just lovely.
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
We could discuss the technical merits of Tears of the Kingdom all day, but let’s not forget just how good Link’s latest looks while doing it. The watercolour-y cel-shaded look of Breath of the Wild wasn’t messed with too much for the sequel, but with the addition of the gorgeous Sky Islands and darker-than-dark Depths, the game is a visual marvel as well as a technical one.
Publisher: Modus Games / Developer: Aurogon Shanghai
The art in this Metroidvania which launched back in April was one of the game’s highlights. The Switch version struggled to showcase it at its absolute best, especially in docked mode, but there’s no denying that Afterimage was one of 2023’s most attractive offerings, regardless.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Gemdrops
Blending 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds doesn’t always work. but Square Enix and Gemdrops gave us a brand new twist on this blend with Star Ocean The Second Story R. Remaking a beloved classic is never easy, but this 2.5D style manages to mix the old and the new perfectly. And like with HD-2D, the real beauty and magic is all in the lighting. Whether you’ve played the PS1 original (or PSP remake) or not, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is magical to look at.
Publisher: Focus Entertainment / Developer: Rundisc
While some of its language-translating puzzles could have done with a little more signposting, there’s no denying that Chants of Sennaar is a stunner to look at. Each floor of the central Babel-inspired structure has its own bright palette and the changing camera angle in each room keeps things feeling fresh and interesting as you search for clues. It’s a head-scratcher at times, but at least it’s pretty on the eyes.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
HD-2D isn’t a new concept at this stage, but somehow, it keeps looking better and better with each game that uses it. And Octopath Traveler II is the peak of this visual style. The Audacious boss sprites and stunning 3D environments full of detail are just the tip of the iceberg, as where this sequel really improves on its predecessor is in the lighting, highlighting each pixel it shines upon like a glistening pile of leaves. We could easily play a new HD-2D game every single year.
Think we’ve overlooked something jaw-dropping? Share the love down below and let us all bask in the beauty this holiday season.