Luigi's Mansion 3 was basically the animated "Mario" movie before the actual Illumination movie this year. LM3 looks so good and the characters have so much animation! Really hope a LM movie is next because 3 made me want one so bad.
I remember watching the direct where Luigi's Mansion three was announced. Many of us found it lacking graphically. Not bad, just meh. Man, did they ever turn that around before release! Amazing how much it improved.
It's interesting how the Switch is considered so outdated now (which, I suppose it is). But at the time of launch it was absolutely mind boggling having HD console experience on a handheld. It was like magic. Technology advances so fast to the extent the Switch is now not impressive at all for most people
I got my Switch in 2019, and the experience of playing BOTW on a device that small was just as you described, magic. Luigi's Mansion 3 went even further, I couldn't believe how well it looked and ran. Outdated now, for sure.... but amazing at its launch and for the years to come.
I recently beat Luigi’s Mansion and I gotta say, the entire experience was an absolute joy to look at. The diversity of environments is only bested by the level of detail, excellent lighting and very expressive animation. This can be anyone’s first Luigi’s Mansion game.
People who underestimate Switch's graphical capabilities are people who assume that every game in a console's library uses the maximum graphical capabilities of the system it's on and so if they see one game having bad graphics, they'll assume that the system is incapable of good graphics.
Exactly. Imo it’s really sad no one will give switch a true chance. Hence stupid cloud games 😔 I wish some other games would come on switch :( but I doubt it now
I'm surprised you didn't include Astral Chain. Which I absolutely think is a Top 5 Switch game, visually speaking. Its crazy that they managed to make that game look as great as it does on Swithc and with a steady performance
I think two notable games that you missed are Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, even though they were both early in the Switch’s lifecycle they both still look incredible.
@@manojlds I hope you mean Super Mario 3D World, because Bowser's Fury itself (the extra content) looks crappy. It looks like Odyssey's beta version and low framerate makes it barely playable.
Some games I'd like to add: -13 Sentinels Aegis Rim: Vanillaware has never dissapointed with their games and 13 Sentinels is no exception and it looks just as good on the Switch as it did on PS4; easily one of the best looking 2D games ever; I'd say that I would have preferred a more colorful color palethe like previous games from the studio, but I guess it works for the tone they wanted to achieve. -Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: the team at Ubisoft did a fantastic job with the visuals in this game, the textures and the animations just look super good, a real beauty. Sparks of Hope also looks very good but as some people have noticed they had to downgrade the visuals a bit to achieve the bigger scope it had. -Astral Chain: while it's only 30fps, Astral Chain is a very impressive looking game in both handheld and docked, with really great looking effects and models and a super neat anime art style that creates a great looking final result. -Metroid Dread: while it's only a 2D game and some of the earlier areas can look a bit simlistic, Dread has some beautiful looking areas, especially the exteriors, and all running at 60fps with some killer animations and models, and even in the simpler areas some of the beckgrounds can have a very artistically appealing result. Also its' fantastic that you showed Live A Live, I finished it last week and was super impressed for how artistically great it looked, it's amazing.
13 Sentinels is easily a GOTY for me. I still need to get past the bit where you need to sneak up to the cat. Also Dread looked and played amazing. I may have to replay it soon, it was ridiculously good especially compared to Samus Returns.
imo sparks of hope has _much_ better art direction than kingdom battle. it has gorgeous colours and almost gives off cel-shaded vibes, while kingdom battle has an extremely bland plasticky look.
I think if anything can be taken from this video it's that art direction is everything. There are so many games out there can can run on a potato and still look gorgeous.
When I played Atelier Ryza for the first time last year on switch, I was shocked that I was playing what I perceived visually as “a better looking DQ11” in terms of its artstyle, the world just looked so pretty
Absolutely disappointed that the gameplay just didn't jive with me. Looked and played fantastic, and with so many Atelier games available on Switch, I was excited to get into another series. Very well made.
HEY JOHN BOZO-BOZOKINS!! I think that Metroid Dread definitely deserves a spot on this list. I think the game is really gorgeous from both a technical and art/animation perspective! (Excellent vid btw!)
These are all good choices! I'd also add Metroid Dread for similar reasons you mention for Tetris Effect Connected: The deep blacks on that OLED screen are immaculate. It's a slick game.
I think Yoshi's Crafted World is probably my favorite visually stunning game I own on Switch. I find that game to be gorgeous and often just stop playing to stare at whatever's happening on screen 😍. Great video lots of beautiful games.
I'm glad XC3 got on the list. I know it's not the most impressive up close, but I got to a point during a two-hour session last night where I just took like 10 screenshots of vistas from the high mountains because everything looked gorgeous.
Good list there but I’m sad Astral Chain is not on it… That game is such a treat to look at with colourful characters designed by a famous mangaka and loads of cool visual effects from the neon lights filled cities to the sunbathed slum as well as the environments and combat effects. The cutscenes are nicely done, too! Mario Odyssey deserves a place here as well. Heck, I’d say Splatoon, too, especially Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion. It sticks to a very solid theme and presents it in a very beautiful and creative way. I still like to just go and ride the train - admiring the passing cities of the deep. I really wish they would let us walk and explore more towns in Splatoon. Also, since you include ports in the list, I think BioShock Infinite should be up there, too.
I definitely agree on the second point, and regarding Splatoon 3, when the game was first shown off I thought it’d actually let us walk around and explore the Splatlands. But alas, it’s just a short tutorial and then you can only really go to the main hub area, Splatsville, and then the story mode area with Alterna. Hopefully someday, maybe.
@@amirgarcia547 True, I thought we'd get a sandbox area to explore for story mode or something. Heck, even if there's nothing in the Splatlands, just random junks and sand dunes as far as the eyes can see, I'd still want to walk around and explore. LOL But before they make explorable town, they need to do the apartment room first!
Insane that every game on this list is a graphical masterpiece, and yet it is still missing visual marvels like Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which, like Tropical Freeze, I have no idea how they pulled off on the Wii U), or Metroid Dread. Not to mention the many fantastic indie games that look incredible despite not necessarily pushing the hardware, from Hollow Knight to Owlboy. Even though the Switch would benefit greatly from a hardware upgrade, there is no denying the visual prowess its library holds.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is the first game that ever made me feel like I was playing "an animated movie that you can control". It's always the first thing that pops into my head when I need to talk about good looking switch games. The only other games I've ever played that invoke the same feeling have required a 30 series graphics card on my pc to achieve it, so for a tiny little tablet to pull it off is fantastic.
I would add Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3, splatoon 2 octo expansion, Mario 3D World Bowser's Furry, Sin Mora EX, Astral Chain, Ninjala, Pukmin 3, Roki, Forgotten Anne, Mario Odyssey, Neo Cab, and of course Yoshi's Crafted World. There's plenty more but these are the ones that stand out to me right now
I'd mention Splatoon 3, the characters, maps and the hub world are charming and stylish. SMTV also leaves a strong impression with its Nahobino animations and world design.
I honestly think “Super Mario Odyssey” needed to be in this list. That game in an absolute gem and visual masterpiece when it comes to the Mario games. Another notable miss: “Yoshi’s Crafted World”, it definitely a very magical and visually stunning game. It conveys the same uniqueness as “Paper Mario Origami King”.
Well, there's Yoshi's Woolly World. It looks really nice on Wii U. Even if the 3DS version is better in a way, its graphics really don't do the wool environments justice.
@@williamstropicalfarm5082, the demo for which one? Yoshi's Crafted World? Or Kirby And The Forgotten Land? Kirby Star Allies? All of these are great games for children and adults, and both parent and child can enjoy together.
@@williamstropicalfarm5082 I personally really enjoyed the game as a 40 yr old. That said, the game has multiple layers and can be enjoyed equally by young and old alike. If he wants to just reach the end of the stage that is simple. If he wants to explore, some stuff is easy to find and gives a sense of acoomplishment, other stuff is more challenging.
Bayonetta 2 and Astral Chain both look amazing for the hardware and avoid the blurry, messy look that sometimes pops up in more recent titles like Bayonetta 3. Much as I enjoy the insane ambition, practicing some restraint in terms of scale really let Platinum go all out on the visuals. Dying Light is also notably missing, it looks and feels like a proper open world 8th gen game running on a tablet.
Ender Lilies, Smash Ultimate, Naruto Storm 4, Rayman Legends, Sword of the Vagrant, and The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince all look phenomenal on Switch.
Shout out to Skyward Sword HD, that game is an audio visual feast at a locked 60fps on Switch. The audio quality really shocked me, the orchestral score was so great especially in cutscenes.
Thanks for making this video Jon. I feel people are too dismissive of the Switch these days with the new systems from Sony and Microsoft out but you shown here that the Switch can still put out.
Other people here have pointed out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but I while I was already amazed by some of the visuals in the game, it didn’t prepare me for just how good it looks in the most recent wave of the Booster Course Pass, *especially* 3DS Rainbow Road. The road itself-the way it shimmers-is just utterly mesmerizing to look at, another example of how you can still make something truly visually remarkable on the Switch, despite its reputation as an outdated system
oh man, I haven't thought about Attack of the Friday Monsters in a really long time but man.... what a nice little game, thanks for bringing back that memory
If Yokai Watch 4 was localized in the West, then I'm sure it would be on this list. Also I'm quite surprised to not see Okami HD on it. Okami is so beautiful on the Switch. Edit: also Astral Chain and 13 Sentinels. 😁
One game that just came out recently that really impressed me was Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. I played the PSP version ages ago and picked up the Switch version and it looks incredible. They took one of the best games off the PSP and made it even better and honestly there was maybe one small bit of slow down that I noticed during a cutscene and that was it. The game is utterly gorgeous and held up really wall.
Uraya Stomach at night during a petal storm (from Xenoblade Chronicles 2) is quite easily the most beautiful places I've ever seen in a video game (especially paired with the soundtrack). Surprised it isn't on this list, as I'd argue it looks more beautiful than XC3.
Dragon Quest XI on Switch murdered the original art direction. I know people say it looks fine... but the original looked the best hands down. The original graphics were just outstanding... They ended up changing a LOT of assets. lowering polycount, replacing tree textures with billboards... reducing the beautiful baked in lighting the original had, and making metal look far worse. It's one of those things where if you played the original it hurts a lot to play the rerelease... because you know what you're missing. So I don't count it as one of the best looking Switch games... the dynamic resolution also dips really low sometimes making the entire image look extremely muddy... combined with the pop-in. I don't know, it feels like I am cursed by having played the original. The rerelease did add a TON of quality content though.
I'd like to think that I'd be able to make room for Super Mario Odyssey, Astral Chain, Splatoon 3, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, 13 Sentinels, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Dread, Yoshi's Crafted World, A Short Hike, Persona 5 Royal, GRIS and New Pokemon Snap on my own personal list of best-looking Switch games, though I'm not sure I'd actually be able to swap any of your choices out to narrow things back down to 20. And that's not even accounting for some of the older games on Switch I still find lovely, like Okami, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Katamari Damacy and Valkyria Chronicles. In any case, it all adds to your broader point; the Switch has oodles of pretty games.
Both Astral Chain and Gris deserve to be on "best looking games on Switch" lists in my opinion. Also, I think Triangle Strategy is the best looking HD-2D game. Edit: I think both Shin Megami Tensei V and Yoshi's Crafted World deserve to be here also.
Today I picked up the OLED and Ocotopath Traveler and Live Alive because of this review. Awesome games and console; I'm having a lot of fun. My first switch and Nintendo product in nearly 30 years! Thank you for this review! 🙂
All of these games listed truly are among the best looking on the Switch. One I was surprised to not see here was Arms. I always thought the characters and art looked really excellent, especially for a launch title. As always, keep up the great work, Sir.
I think it says a lot about just how good games can look even on 'weaker' hardware like the Switch that I think there are so many omissions in this list! Metroid Dread and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe standout for sure, but even looking at just gorgeous pixel art games, Eastward and Celeste are some of the most beautiful games released in the past few years. Kirby and the Forgotten Land also has some incredible art direction and New Pokemon Snap is probably the highest fidelity Pokemon game we'll have thanks to the reduced scope being a rail shooter lets it prioritize!
I agree. Even though the Switch is "weak", many of the games look and run incredibly. This is coming from someone who has the next gen consoles and know what "good graphics" look like. Hell, developers can't even get some cross-generational games to run as well as they could on the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Moreover, many games run better on the PS5 than the XBSX even though the XBSX is "beefier". I know I kinda went on a rant but you get what I mean, LOL.
I'm always surprised by people saying NieR Automata looks great on Switch, because when I played it it sadly didn't. The frame rate absolutely took a nosedive when I had fights with larger groups of enemies (and I was already missing the 60 fps, even if it isn't consistent on other platforms), but worst of all I had frequent shadow/light pop-in. The game looked fine enough for me to like it, but did it look good? One of the best on the system? Nah, it ran too poorly for that.
Maybe it is because I only played on handheld mode but the only times the framerate took a "nosedive" when I played where in a couple of exploration parts where you didn't have to fight enemies, the rest of the time even in parts when there were a lot of enemies, I just didn't notice anything, maybe 28-29fps drops which I can't personally notice.
I think the one game people seem to forget about is Yoshi's Crafted World. I still think thats the best looking game on switch. Also shout out for ARMS too
Metroid dread surprised me in every way. Almost passed it over as just another rehash of the same game format, but they really reinvented Metroid while paying tribute to its roots. Visually, the ending fight and sequences were so intense visually I got goosebumps. One of the best games I've ever played
Shoutout to Bayonetta 2. I know it was a Wii U game originally but it looks so damn brilliant on Switch and runs well to boot! I agree that Luigi’s Mansion 3 is probably the best looking game on the system but in my opinion Bayonetta 2 is right up there with it
Great list. Seriously, you’re remembering Link’s Awakening, Alien Isolation… Touryst… yeah very entertaining and thorough list. Wanted it to be 25 games heh. I can imagine reasons why you left them off the list, but the main missing ones that come to mind are Odyssey and 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. I also really love the graphics in Captain Toad which as we know, uses the same engine as 3D World. Well, here’s hoping Pikmin 4 manages to outdo Pikmin 3 (which could’ve been on this list if they had hit 1080p) and claim a top 20 spot. Wonder when we’re gonna see a bunch of games that end up being cross gen with the Switch 2. 🤔
I think you could have included the racing game Grid Autosport. It looks really good and the framerate is consistent. In fact, you can set through the settings if you want better image or better framerate. On the gameplay side, it is the best racing game on the Switch, despite having an arcadey handling and physics. I would recommend it over WRC games, which looks and plays horrible on the Switch, and Asphalt 9, which is visually stunning but has an arcade pay-to-win gameplay
FAST Racing is a masterpiece. I'd also recommend Steamworld Dig 1 and 2. Not necessarily the strongest visually but it has such a great audio robot aesthetic.
Third party Devs couldn't care less about that. Like how some third party games on Wii manage to look worse than games on PS2 or they are simply ports from PS2
After seeing the incredible and emotionally expensive Luigi's Mansion 3 cutscenes, I really wanted the Mario movie to be a Next Level Games Mario movie - a silent / gibberish but highly expressive movie like Shaun the Sheep and Wall-E. Would this have been an incredibly difficult thing to get *just right*? Yes. But could such a movie, if done right, have legitimately been a cinematic masterpiece and genuine Oscar contender like Wallace & Gromit? Absolutely. I think the movie we're getting will be fun... but I'll always wonder what a low dialogue, Aardman and Next Level Games style of Mario movie could have been like 😊
Id buy a switch if it had at least the power of a Xbox series S. All I need is 1080p stable 60fps. I just can’t justify spending $350 for a console that has the power of 10 year old technology and pay $60 per game. But clearly over 100 million ppl can lol. To each his own I just hope they give us something much more capable in the near future
Even if the Switch might be considered “outdated” to some, for me personally it doesn’t always matter which games look like the best graphically, but how much they take advantage of their hardware with distinct art styles, visuals or animations. Hence why I think some of the best looking Switch games such as Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Link’s Awakening, Splatoon 2/3 and Xenoblade 3 truly stand out since they were not just designed with the Switch’s limitations in mind, but had talented teams of animators and developers behind them to have them truly make the most of what it can do as well.
I'm Ready for Switch 2. Yes most of these games look great but I have a feeling great looking/running games are going to be the exception moving forward from this point on. Especially from 3rd parties.
Luigi's Mansion 3 was basically the animated "Mario" movie before the actual Illumination movie this year. LM3 looks so good and the characters have so much animation! Really hope a LM movie is next because 3 made me want one so bad.
I think a Donkey Kong movie is the most likely for the next Nintendo x Illumination project, based on previous rumors.
That would be awesome. The part where Luigi and Mario unite is definitely one of the best moments in video game history.
I remember watching the direct where Luigi's Mansion three was announced. Many of us found it lacking graphically. Not bad, just meh.
Man, did they ever turn that around before release! Amazing how much it improved.
or Luigis Mansion 4 in 4K
@@MrMartDK No. I have sources inside Nintendo that a Tetris movie is in the works next.
It's interesting how the Switch is considered so outdated now (which, I suppose it is). But at the time of launch it was absolutely mind boggling having HD console experience on a handheld. It was like magic. Technology advances so fast to the extent the Switch is now not impressive at all for most people
I got my Switch in 2019, and the experience of playing BOTW on a device that small was just as you described, magic. Luigi's Mansion 3 went even further, I couldn't believe how well it looked and ran. Outdated now, for sure.... but amazing at its launch and for the years to come.
Cant wait for your next vid goomba : )
It’s still impressive for me
If by "most people" you mean "hardcore gamers online and no one else", sure. I don't think anyone else either cares or agrees.
@@ernestjanzen6809 you could do the same thing on the Wii U
Art Style > Graphical Fidelity.
Not a revelation for Nintendo fans.
You can still have both. Even on the Switch.
@@JustFun-ho6qy the only ps5 game with good art style is Elden Ring and Ratchet
nintendo fan coping hard
@@flouride they don't get anxiety over it, and they get better games as a result.
I recently beat Luigi’s Mansion and I gotta say, the entire experience was an absolute joy to look at. The diversity of environments is only bested by the level of detail, excellent lighting and very expressive animation. This can be anyone’s first Luigi’s Mansion game.
am i too late to LM3? always wanted that game and continue to compare odyssey to luigi’s mansion
I liked it until I had to look up how to do the next part.. it got too unfair that way after a certain point so I stopped
People who underestimate Switch's graphical capabilities are people who assume that every game in a console's library uses the maximum graphical capabilities of the system it's on and so if they see one game having bad graphics, they'll assume that the system is incapable of good graphics.
Hi
Copium
Exactly. Imo it’s really sad no one will give switch a true chance. Hence stupid cloud games 😔 I wish some other games would come on switch :( but I doubt it now
It's always the devs, not the Switch. I went from playing pokemon scarlet to bayo 3 and audibly gasped "they're both in the same platform...!??!"
@@BBWahoo Game Freak didn't have faith on Switch in the first place, they originally predicted that it would flop because of smartphones.
I'm surprised you didn't include Astral Chain. Which I absolutely think is a Top 5 Switch game, visually speaking. Its crazy that they managed to make that game look as great as it does on Swithc and with a steady performance
i was waiting for this too
I think two notable games that you missed are Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, even though they were both early in the Switch’s lifecycle they both still look incredible.
Even Bowser's Fury imo
Agree... What about Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope, this is awesome
Don’t agree. Mario odyssey looks rough now.
@@manojlds yes!!!
@@manojlds I hope you mean Super Mario 3D World, because Bowser's Fury itself (the extra content) looks crappy. It looks like Odyssey's beta version and low framerate makes it barely playable.
Some games I'd like to add:
-13 Sentinels Aegis Rim: Vanillaware has never dissapointed with their games and 13 Sentinels is no exception and it looks just as good on the Switch as it did on PS4; easily one of the best looking 2D games ever; I'd say that I would have preferred a more colorful color palethe like previous games from the studio, but I guess it works for the tone they wanted to achieve.
-Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: the team at Ubisoft did a fantastic job with the visuals in this game, the textures and the animations just look super good, a real beauty. Sparks of Hope also looks very good but as some people have noticed they had to downgrade the visuals a bit to achieve the bigger scope it had.
-Astral Chain: while it's only 30fps, Astral Chain is a very impressive looking game in both handheld and docked, with really great looking effects and models and a super neat anime art style that creates a great looking final result.
-Metroid Dread: while it's only a 2D game and some of the earlier areas can look a bit simlistic, Dread has some beautiful looking areas, especially the exteriors, and all running at 60fps with some killer animations and models, and even in the simpler areas some of the beckgrounds can have a very artistically appealing result.
Also its' fantastic that you showed Live A Live, I finished it last week and was super impressed for how artistically great it looked, it's amazing.
Just beat 13 Sentinels last week. HARD agree
13 Sentinels is easily a GOTY for me. I still need to get past the bit where you need to sneak up to the cat. Also Dread looked and played amazing. I may have to replay it soon, it was ridiculously good especially compared to Samus Returns.
I'll also like to add Splatoon 3, it's gorgeus
imo sparks of hope has _much_ better art direction than kingdom battle. it has gorgeous colours and almost gives off cel-shaded vibes, while kingdom battle has an extremely bland plasticky look.
I think if anything can be taken from this video it's that art direction is everything. There are so many games out there can can run on a potato and still look gorgeous.
When I played Atelier Ryza for the first time last year on switch, I was shocked that I was playing what I perceived visually as “a better looking DQ11” in terms of its artstyle, the world just looked so pretty
I am playing this at the moment and it runs so well on Switch, feels so smooth and looks great!
Absolutely disappointed that the gameplay just didn't jive with me. Looked and played fantastic, and with so many Atelier games available on Switch, I was excited to get into another series. Very well made.
Yeah, I wanted to give this game a try, but I have a strong suspicion I won’t dig the gameplay elements…
Let's hope Jon doesn't get this channel demonetized for showing a naked Switch.
HEY JOHN BOZO-BOZOKINS!! I think that Metroid Dread definitely deserves a spot on this list. I think the game is really gorgeous from both a technical and art/animation perspective!
(Excellent vid btw!)
Astral Chain looks utterly amazing but so many people forget about it.
These are all good choices! I'd also add Metroid Dread for similar reasons you mention for Tetris Effect Connected: The deep blacks on that OLED screen are immaculate. It's a slick game.
Dread looks absolutely amazing on the OLED especially the graphics have a very unique clarity to it and it really stands out from the rest
I think Yoshi's Crafted World is probably my favorite visually stunning game I own on Switch. I find that game to be gorgeous and often just stop playing to stare at whatever's happening on screen 😍. Great video lots of beautiful games.
I'm glad XC3 got on the list. I know it's not the most impressive up close, but I got to a point during a two-hour session last night where I just took like 10 screenshots of vistas from the high mountains because everything looked gorgeous.
Good list there but I’m sad Astral Chain is not on it… That game is such a treat to look at with colourful characters designed by a famous mangaka and loads of cool visual effects from the neon lights filled cities to the sunbathed slum as well as the environments and combat effects. The cutscenes are nicely done, too!
Mario Odyssey deserves a place here as well. Heck, I’d say Splatoon, too, especially Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion. It sticks to a very solid theme and presents it in a very beautiful and creative way. I still like to just go and ride the train - admiring the passing cities of the deep. I really wish they would let us walk and explore more towns in Splatoon.
Also, since you include ports in the list, I think BioShock Infinite should be up there, too.
I definitely agree on the second point, and regarding Splatoon 3, when the game was first shown off I thought it’d actually let us walk around and explore the Splatlands. But alas, it’s just a short tutorial and then you can only really go to the main hub area, Splatsville, and then the story mode area with Alterna. Hopefully someday, maybe.
Same, Astral Chain deserved a mention
@@amirgarcia547
True, I thought we'd get a sandbox area to explore for story mode or something.
Heck, even if there's nothing in the Splatlands, just random junks and sand dunes as far as the eyes can see, I'd still want to walk around and explore. LOL
But before they make explorable town, they need to do the apartment room first!
@@DigitalStarry
I'm kinda salty it's so underrated and underappreciated.
At least it sold well, so there's that!
Astral Chain continues to be ignored
Insane that every game on this list is a graphical masterpiece, and yet it is still missing visual marvels like Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (which, like Tropical Freeze, I have no idea how they pulled off on the Wii U), or Metroid Dread. Not to mention the many fantastic indie games that look incredible despite not necessarily pushing the hardware, from Hollow Knight to Owlboy.
Even though the Switch would benefit greatly from a hardware upgrade, there is no denying the visual prowess its library holds.
A Switch hardware upgrade would make games look so ultra realistic that it'll break the fabric of reality
13 Sentinels is one of the best looking games on Switch! Not in the video but I have to shout it out
Especially on the Switch OLED in handheld mode where those gorgeous colors can truly pop out.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is the first game that ever made me feel like I was playing "an animated movie that you can control". It's always the first thing that pops into my head when I need to talk about good looking switch games.
The only other games I've ever played that invoke the same feeling have required a 30 series graphics card on my pc to achieve it, so for a tiny little tablet to pull it off is fantastic.
I would add Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3, splatoon 2 octo expansion, Mario 3D World Bowser's Furry, Sin Mora EX, Astral Chain, Ninjala, Pukmin 3, Roki, Forgotten Anne, Mario Odyssey, Neo Cab, and of course Yoshi's Crafted World. There's plenty more but these are the ones that stand out to me right now
I'd mention Splatoon 3, the characters, maps and the hub world are charming and stylish. SMTV also leaves a strong impression with its Nahobino animations and world design.
I honestly think “Super Mario Odyssey” needed to be in this list. That game in an absolute gem and visual masterpiece when it comes to the Mario games. Another notable miss: “Yoshi’s Crafted World”, it definitely a very magical and visually stunning game. It conveys the same uniqueness as “Paper Mario Origami King”.
"It's John" - 2023
Just Jon, no h in there ;P
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best looking Switch game imo, which is crazy considering its a port from the Wii U.
I agree
Shout out to my boy Astral Chain as well.
I like how Captain Toad looks
Metroid Dread's animations and backgrounds are incredible!
I'm glad triangle strategy got a shout, but that game needs more love. Playing through it now, and it is the best new IP I've played in years.
I feel like SMTV (Shin Megami Tensei) is a big contender for best looking Switch game considering it was made specifically for the switch
That game is so visually stunning everytime I look at it I start a new playthrough
100% best looking game on switch. Absolutely stunning
I'm currently finishing up Yoshi's Crafted World, and the art style is absolutely magnificent. There really isn't anything else like it.
Well, there's Yoshi's Woolly World. It looks really nice on Wii U. Even if the 3DS version is better in a way, its graphics really don't do the wool environments justice.
Jeff, I agree with you. The game is amazing.
The youtuber forgot to mention Kirby And The Forgotten Land too.
Thinking of getting for my son. He loves the demo. Recommend??
@@williamstropicalfarm5082, the demo for which one? Yoshi's Crafted World? Or Kirby And The Forgotten Land? Kirby Star Allies?
All of these are great games for children and adults, and both parent and child can enjoy together.
@@williamstropicalfarm5082 I personally really enjoyed the game as a 40 yr old. That said, the game has multiple layers and can be enjoyed equally by young and old alike. If he wants to just reach the end of the stage that is simple. If he wants to explore, some stuff is easy to find and gives a sense of acoomplishment, other stuff is more challenging.
Bayonetta 2 and Astral Chain both look amazing for the hardware and avoid the blurry, messy look that sometimes pops up in more recent titles like Bayonetta 3. Much as I enjoy the insane ambition, practicing some restraint in terms of scale really let Platinum go all out on the visuals. Dying Light is also notably missing, it looks and feels like a proper open world 8th gen game running on a tablet.
Watching the first 5 seconds over several times because that intro animation is so satisfying.
Ender Lilies, Smash Ultimate, Naruto Storm 4, Rayman Legends, Sword of the Vagrant, and The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince all look phenomenal on Switch.
Marrio + rabbitds games need to be on this list. They just look so good
Shout out to Skyward Sword HD, that game is an audio visual feast at a locked 60fps on Switch. The audio quality really shocked me, the orchestral score was so great especially in cutscenes.
Nah, too similar to wii.
Thanks for making this video Jon. I feel people are too dismissive of the Switch these days with the new systems from Sony and Microsoft out but you shown here that the Switch can still put out.
Other people here have pointed out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but I while I was already amazed by some of the visuals in the game, it didn’t prepare me for just how good it looks in the most recent wave of the Booster Course Pass, *especially* 3DS Rainbow Road. The road itself-the way it shimmers-is just utterly mesmerizing to look at, another example of how you can still make something truly visually remarkable on the Switch, despite its reputation as an outdated system
oh man, I haven't thought about Attack of the Friday Monsters in a really long time but man.... what a nice little game, thanks for bringing back that memory
And what is the game that he mentiones after that one?
If Yokai Watch 4 was localized in the West, then I'm sure it would be on this list. Also I'm quite surprised to not see Okami HD on it. Okami is so beautiful on the Switch. Edit: also Astral Chain and 13 Sentinels. 😁
Astral Chain is sorely missing from this list in my opinion.
One game that just came out recently that really impressed me was Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. I played the PSP version ages ago and picked up the Switch version and it looks incredible. They took one of the best games off the PSP and made it even better and honestly there was maybe one small bit of slow down that I noticed during a cutscene and that was it. The game is utterly gorgeous and held up really wall.
Bayonetta 2 needs to be mentioned as well I think! OH AND base game mario kart 8
Uraya Stomach at night during a petal storm (from Xenoblade Chronicles 2) is quite easily the most beautiful places I've ever seen in a video game (especially paired with the soundtrack). Surprised it isn't on this list, as I'd argue it looks more beautiful than XC3.
Honestly Luigi’s Mansion 3 is still probably the best looking game I’ve played, it’s polish incarnate.
Astral Chain deserves a shout.
I'd also add 'Gris' to the list! Played it recently, it's beautiful, and even screenshots from it could be pieces of art
Odyssey looks SO good too. 60fps, colorful graphics, all built from the ground up exclusively for the system. I'm still so impressed!
Dragon Quest XI on Switch murdered the original art direction. I know people say it looks fine... but the original looked the best hands down. The original graphics were just outstanding... They ended up changing a LOT of assets. lowering polycount, replacing tree textures with billboards... reducing the beautiful baked in lighting the original had, and making metal look far worse. It's one of those things where if you played the original it hurts a lot to play the rerelease... because you know what you're missing. So I don't count it as one of the best looking Switch games... the dynamic resolution also dips really low sometimes making the entire image look extremely muddy... combined with the pop-in. I don't know, it feels like I am cursed by having played the original.
The rerelease did add a TON of quality content though.
I'd like to think that I'd be able to make room for Super Mario Odyssey, Astral Chain, Splatoon 3, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, 13 Sentinels, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Dread, Yoshi's Crafted World, A Short Hike, Persona 5 Royal, GRIS and New Pokemon Snap on my own personal list of best-looking Switch games, though I'm not sure I'd actually be able to swap any of your choices out to narrow things back down to 20. And that's not even accounting for some of the older games on Switch I still find lovely, like Okami, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Katamari Damacy and Valkyria Chronicles.
In any case, it all adds to your broader point; the Switch has oodles of pretty games.
"HEY JOHN BOZO-BOZINKINS! Why don't you make a GOOD video for once?" Always making GREAT ones must be exhausting
Both Astral Chain and Gris deserve to be on "best looking games on Switch" lists in my opinion. Also, I think Triangle Strategy is the best looking HD-2D game.
Edit: I think both Shin Megami Tensei V and Yoshi's Crafted World deserve to be here also.
Dragon quest 11 and xenoblade 3 are such beautiful games.
Today I picked up the OLED and Ocotopath Traveler and Live Alive because of this review. Awesome games and console; I'm having a lot of fun. My first switch and Nintendo product in nearly 30 years! Thank you for this review! 🙂
NOOOOOOO YOU CAN'T JUST SHOW OFF A NAKED SWITCH LIKE THAT
Jon: Here are the best-looking Switch games
Metroid Prime Remastered: Hold my Joy-Con
All of these games listed truly are among the best looking on the Switch. One I was surprised to not see here was Arms. I always thought the characters and art looked really excellent, especially for a launch title. As always, keep up the great work, Sir.
Let's throw Smash Ultimate and MK8D into that list. They have Nintendo's "Secret Sauce" for making games look good.
I think it says a lot about just how good games can look even on 'weaker' hardware like the Switch that I think there are so many omissions in this list! Metroid Dread and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe standout for sure, but even looking at just gorgeous pixel art games, Eastward and Celeste are some of the most beautiful games released in the past few years. Kirby and the Forgotten Land also has some incredible art direction and New Pokemon Snap is probably the highest fidelity Pokemon game we'll have thanks to the reduced scope being a rail shooter lets it prioritize!
I agree. Even though the Switch is "weak", many of the games look and run incredibly. This is coming from someone who has the next gen consoles and know what "good graphics" look like. Hell, developers can't even get some cross-generational games to run as well as they could on the PS5 or Xbox Series X. Moreover, many games run better on the PS5 than the XBSX even though the XBSX is "beefier". I know I kinda went on a rant but you get what I mean, LOL.
Dragon Quest XI is such a damn treat. Not only the biggest surprise game for me in decades but easily one of the best game I've ever played.
I'm always surprised by people saying NieR Automata looks great on Switch, because when I played it it sadly didn't. The frame rate absolutely took a nosedive when I had fights with larger groups of enemies (and I was already missing the 60 fps, even if it isn't consistent on other platforms), but worst of all I had frequent shadow/light pop-in. The game looked fine enough for me to like it, but did it look good? One of the best on the system? Nah, it ran too poorly for that.
Maybe it is because I only played on handheld mode but the only times the framerate took a "nosedive" when I played where in a couple of exploration parts where you didn't have to fight enemies, the rest of the time even in parts when there were a lot of enemies, I just didn't notice anything, maybe 28-29fps drops which I can't personally notice.
I think the one game people seem to forget about is Yoshi's Crafted World. I still think thats the best looking game on switch. Also shout out for ARMS too
Super Mario 3D World also looks and runs amazing on switch
Luigis Mansion 3 is the best looking switch game and the game it’s self is A tier. Great game
Metroid dread surprised me in every way. Almost passed it over as just another rehash of the same game format, but they really reinvented Metroid while paying tribute to its roots. Visually, the ending fight and sequences were so intense visually I got goosebumps. One of the best games I've ever played
Shoutout to Bayonetta 2. I know it was a Wii U game originally but it looks so damn brilliant on Switch and runs well to boot! I agree that Luigi’s Mansion 3 is probably the best looking game on the system but in my opinion Bayonetta 2 is right up there with it
Fully agree!
Sniper Elite 4 and Snowrunner: “Am I a joke to you?”
'It's banging your eyes, you can't stop it!' Jon 2023
I think Astral Chain looks pretty amazing :)
I think Astral Chain also was one of the best graphics in the console.
It was the “it’s banging your eyes” for me! Switch doesn’t get enough credit for its fantastic looking games so this video was much needed!
I always thought "Astral Chain" was a beautiful switch game that played well.
best part of this video is that it contains the Full Saiyaman Hero Pose
Great list. Seriously, you’re remembering Link’s Awakening, Alien Isolation… Touryst… yeah very entertaining and thorough list. Wanted it to be 25 games heh.
I can imagine reasons why you left them off the list, but the main missing ones that come to mind are Odyssey and 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. I also really love the graphics in Captain Toad which as we know, uses the same engine as 3D World.
Well, here’s hoping Pikmin 4 manages to outdo Pikmin 3 (which could’ve been on this list if they had hit 1080p) and claim a top 20 spot.
Wonder when we’re gonna see a bunch of games that end up being cross gen with the Switch 2. 🤔
I think you could have included the racing game Grid Autosport. It looks really good and the framerate is consistent. In fact, you can set through the settings if you want better image or better framerate. On the gameplay side, it is the best racing game on the Switch, despite having an arcadey handling and physics. I would recommend it over WRC games, which looks and plays horrible on the Switch, and Asphalt 9, which is visually stunning but has an arcade pay-to-win gameplay
How just HOW can you not pick Super Mario Odyssey!!!???
Best looking thing on Switch?
Jon’s handsome face reflecting off the screen.
I think Nintendo knows how to make the best out of their graphics. cel shading is KEY
"A Short Hike" is beautiful.
FAST Racing is a masterpiece. I'd also recommend Steamworld Dig 1 and 2. Not necessarily the strongest visually but it has such a great audio robot aesthetic.
Because of you, I will buying all of this 20 games physically with a Switch OLED in coming 2, 3 months 😍
The Thousand-Year door remake looks like its gonna be SO GOOD!
New Pokémon Snap deserved a shout out. The best looking Pokémon game ever made.
Great video. An excellent showcase that poorly optimised games are not the fault of weaker hardware, and amazing things are still possible on Switch!
Third party Devs couldn't care less about that.
Like how some third party games on Wii manage to look worse than games on PS2 or they are simply ports from PS2
After seeing the incredible and emotionally expensive Luigi's Mansion 3 cutscenes, I really wanted the Mario movie to be a Next Level Games Mario movie - a silent / gibberish but highly expressive movie like Shaun the Sheep and Wall-E. Would this have been an incredibly difficult thing to get *just right*? Yes. But could such a movie, if done right, have legitimately been a cinematic masterpiece and genuine Oscar contender like Wallace & Gromit? Absolutely. I think the movie we're getting will be fun... but I'll always wonder what a low dialogue, Aardman and Next Level Games style of Mario movie could have been like 😊
I came to comment Astral Chains. So much goes on so fast with insane graphics for the switch
Id buy a switch if it had at least the power of a Xbox series S. All I need is 1080p stable 60fps. I just can’t justify spending $350 for a console that has the power of 10 year old technology and pay $60 per game. But clearly over 100 million ppl can lol. To each his own I just hope they give us something much more capable in the near future
Metroid Dread on the Oled is stunning as well in my opinion
Even if the Switch might be considered “outdated” to some, for me personally it doesn’t always matter which games look like the best graphically, but how much they take advantage of their hardware with distinct art styles, visuals or animations. Hence why I think some of the best looking Switch games such as Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Link’s Awakening, Splatoon 2/3 and Xenoblade 3 truly stand out since they were not just designed with the Switch’s limitations in mind, but had talented teams of animators and developers behind them to have them truly make the most of what it can do as well.
Wow I never knew about Live a Live til now, I thought OTI&OTII + Triangle Strategy were the only HD-2D games, I need to get this!!
Cuphead is a great looking game and the way they did the cartoon style graphics really stands out. Good looking Switch game.
JOHN BOZO BOZINKINS!
You just made one of the best videos on Nintendo switch games I have ever seen, thanks.
Astral Chain very honorable mention.
The world’s most amazing speaking voice has returned with all the positive vibes. Love it!
I'm Ready for Switch 2.
Yes most of these games look great but I have a feeling great looking/running games are going to be the exception moving forward from this point on. Especially from 3rd parties.
No Wreckfest? Blasphemy!
I just bumped on this video and WHAT A DEEP VOICE, I'M IN LOVE. Also the video is awesome
The newly released Metroid Prime Remaster would easily be in here, but it was 4 weeks too late :)
Yep. Easily the best. So crisp
Smash Ultimate, Mario Odyssey, Metroid Dread, and Hollow Knight also look really good too
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is beautiful. And i look forward to the next installment.