Summer is officially here, and that means hot weather, vacations, ice cream, and so much more. Of course, there’s plenty of time to fit in some gaming, and there’s no better Summer system than the Nintendo Switch.
With a wealth of games that are great on the go, or sport a bright summer style, it should be your go-to system for those hot months. Here’s a look at six Switch games that are perfect for summer gaming.
Splatoon 2
There’s really no game out there that fits the theme of “summer” better than Splatoon 2, as it almost feels like some kind of crazy summertime sport you might play with your friends, like some insane game of water balloons.
There’s no experience quite like blasting ink at squid kids, and trying to cover the map in your color. Even two years later, Splatoon 2 remains one of the most unique shooter experiences out there, and it’s easy to sink tens of hours into the game.
Those long summer months are the perfect time to dive into Splatoon 2; play through the story and the Octoling Expansion, rustle up a group of friends for Salmon Run, and increase your rank in multiplayer.
The poppy soundtrack and cool ink is just the thing to beat the summer heat.
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Yoshi’s Crafted World is the perfect game to fit those cheerful summer days, and it’s a great title to just kick back and play when you’re trying to cool down.
This adorable little platformer has you jumping through handcrafted stages, all of which are built to resemble some kind of art project, put together with construction paper, cardboard, string, straws, and more.
Yoshi’s Crafted World isn’t a challenging game, but it has enough variety and inventiveness in its stages to keep things interesting, and it’s fun to boot. As an added bonus, the game also has drop-in drop-out co-op, meaning you can bring a friend along for the ride no matter where you go.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The summer drought can be a tough time to get through in gaming, with new releases slowing to a crawl oftentimes. That’s why a massive RPG is the perfect game to help get you through those summer months, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the most ambitious ones on the Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 takes place in the world of Alrest, where civilizations live on the backs of colossal beings called Titans. This fascinating setup allows for some highly varied locations, like the gorgeous forests of Gormott, or dusty wastelands of Mor Ardain.
Outside of an engrossing story and characters, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has a great combat system that combines elements of ATB (active-time battle), combination attacks, party swapping and more.
Combat really makes you stay active with timed button presses, swapping between three different Blade characters on the fly, and more.
It’s easily one of the best, and longest, JRPGs on the Nintendo Switch, and the perfect thing to play if you’re looking to fill the Summer. If you need even more to play, though, there’s another 50-hour adventure with the game’s expansion, Torna – The Golden Age.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Air Conditioning might not always cool you down, but at least you can psychologically put yourself in a cool place, with a game like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. What’s more fitting than a game that literally turns a tropical paradise into winter?
Despite the obvious themes, Tropical Freeze is actually a fantastic platformer, one of the best of the last decade, in fact. Playing as Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky, you’ll jump and spin through a number of levels, most of which sport unique gimmicks or features.
Tropical Freeze can be an immensely challenging game, but luckily, the Switch version gives you a number of options to help. Chief among these is playing as Funky Kong, Donkey Kong’s cool cousin who can jump and float on his surfboard.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey’s greatest strength is how each world in the game feels like its own bite-sized section. This makes it the perfect Switch title to take on the go, whether you’re just running a quick errand or taking a family vacation.
Mario Odyssey’s is one of the best-controlling platformers out there, and each one of its Kingdoms feature a unique design and challenges. Some of these Kingdoms fit summer incredibly well, like the tropical Seaside Kingdom, while others can help you cool down, like the Snow Kingdom.
More than any other Mario game, Odyssey is designed to be played in short increments, and you can easily work through it over the course of a couple of summer months.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Summer also means family events, like Family Reunions and all those other pesky events you never want to go to. What better way to fill the time at those events than to gather everyone around the TV for some good old gaming, and one party game, in particular, can get everyone excited like nothing else.
Super Smash Bros. has long been one of the best party games out there, and Ultimate kicks things up to ridiculous new levels on Switch. With a stunningly huge roster, tons of different stages, and a variety of usable controllers, Ultimate is the most comprehensive Smash game yet.
There are small tweaks put into the gameplay too that make it even more exciting, like the way the camera zooms in and slows down for the final kill in a match, making everything so much more dramatic.
Whether you’re with family or friends, the whole party is sure to be screaming at those nail-biting matches that come down to the wire. Of course, considering you can play Ultimate on the go, you’ll have plenty of time to brush up on your Smash skills.
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