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[LakeOf9]

This is often the point in a console's life where the quality of its software starts to slowly wind down, as publishers and developers put their brightest minds to work on the next generation. Despite this, while we're all undoubtedly itching to see the next Nintendo system, there can also be little doubt that even in its sixth year, the Switch has had one of the strongest years ever for a console line-up.

And yet, despite this, it was the Switch – the console that is frequently bemoaned for its lack of power and has some constantly claiming that it's time for it to be put out to pasture – that delivered no fewer than three exclusives with Metacritic scores higher than 90 this year.

Indeed, when you look back at the console's release schedule for this year, it's nothing short of stunning that Nintendo's unspoken plan to ensure the Switch has a major game released on it every month has continued through the console's sixth year.

VGC’s Platform of the Year is Nintendo Switch | VGC

In what’s likely to be one of its final years, Nintendo pulled out all the stops with a stellar line…

www.videogameschronicle.com

I think it’s very hard to argue against this. In the seventh year, the Switch got arguably It’s best year ever - and kept up with machines orders of magnitude more capable than it.

Good going Nintendo, you proved its ultimately all about the games.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Absolutely deserved. A monumental year for Nintendo, and what a way to sunset your hardware. They are on a different level this gen.

 

[onQ123]

It was

 

[Punished Miku]

Kind of a weird award, since it would take into account all the 3rd party content also, which Switch misses out on a lot of. I'd probably have to give it to Xbox this year because of the mix of 3rd and 1st party, and Gamepass. I'd put Switch 2nd place though, and it got a lot of use this year.

 

[tmlDan]

They had a lot of games, most of them i didn't like, but they deserve it for the amount of quality software releases this year

 

[Horseganador]

A platform where you miss out on BG3, Alan Wake 2, SF6, and basically any major multi will hardly be the best.

 

[ungalo]

I think it’s very hard to argue against this

I think it's very easy if you take third party games into account.

The console is always judged from the perspective of someone that has several platforms, or with exclusivity only in mind.

 

[acm2000]

award makes sense if you are a switch only owner, sure, but then you are probably only 8 years old.

 

[LakeOf9]

award makes sense if you are a switch only owner, sure, but then you are probably only 8 years old.

Watch out guys, we got a badass from 1996 here

 

[SlimySnake]

Absolutely fucking retarded. In a year with arguably the best third party lineup in decades, they award platform of the year to a console that didnt get any of these games:

1) Baldurs Gate 3
2) RE4 remake
3) Star Wars
4) Alan Wake 2
5) Street Fighter 6
6) Diablo 4
7) Armored Core 6
8) Dead Space
9) FF16
10) Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

If you want to give them best publisher or best first party, fine. Id pick Mario Odyssey and Zelda ToTK over Spiderman and Starfield, but this is fucking delusional.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Switch firsty party output has been insane for its entire run. One of the best lineups of exclusives ever if not the best.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Weird…But opinions I guess.

 

[tmlDan]

Absolutely fucking retarded. In a year with arguably the best third party lineup in decades, they award platform of the year to a console that didnt get any of these games:

1) Baldurs Gate 3
2) RE4 remake
3) Star Wars
4) Alan Wake 2
5) Street Fighter 6
6) Diablo 4
7) Armored Core 6
8) Dead Space
9) FF16
10) Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

If you want to give them best publisher or best first party, fine. Id pick Mario Odyssey and Zelda ToTK over Spiderman and Starfield, but this is fucking delusional.

That usually how these awards play out, they focus on first party games.

I completely agree with you tho

 

[Mr Hyde]

Nintendo firing on all cylinders this generation. It has been an awesome ride so far with Switch but it's time Nintendo starts talking about the future.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Absolutely fucking retarded. In a year with arguably the best third party lineup in decades, they award platform of the year to a console that didnt get any of these games:

1) Baldurs Gate 3
2) RE4 remake
3) Star Wars
4) Alan Wake 2
5) Street Fighter 6
6) Diablo 4
7) Armored Core 6
8) Dead Space
9) FF16
10) Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

If you want to give them best publisher or best first party, fine. Id pick Mario Odyssey and Zelda ToTK over Spiderman and Starfield, but this is fucking delusional.

This (VGC ignoring third party) is the same mentality that causes people to overrate the N64 so much.

 

[Davevil]

A platform where you miss out on BG3, Alan Wake 2, SF6, and basically any major multi will hardly be the best.

but the same for the other systems , without N's exclusive

 

[jshackles]

My platform of the year too! Most played, except for maybe PC...

Lots of great games released for it. Physical cartridges > disks. Portability means I can play it anywhere. Lots of times, even if a game is multiplatform, I'll seek it out on the Switch, especially if it gets a physical release.

 

[Robb]

Can’t complain. Nintendo absolutely crushed it this year.

Wonderful send off for one of their best platforms ever. This has to be one of, if not the, best final year for a Nintendo system.

 

[Nankatsu]

I

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Absolutely fucking retarded. In a year with arguably the best third party lineup in decades, they award platform of the year to a console that didnt get any of these games:

1) Baldurs Gate 3
2) RE4 remake
3) Star Wars
4) Alan Wake 2
5) Street Fighter 6
6) Diablo 4
7) Armored Core 6
8) Dead Space
9) FF16
10) Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty

If you want to give them best publisher or best first party, fine. Id pick Mario Odyssey and Zelda ToTK over Spiderman and Starfield, but this is fucking delusional.

I think the point is...you can play all of those games you mentioned in multiple other platforms...but those games mentioned in that article can only be played on a Switch. So it makes sense the award is theirs. And i say this as someone that doesn't give a shit about Nintendo and their IPs. They had a stellar year and showed better than anyone else why you should buy their hardware and not someone elses.

 

[Days like these...]

Absolutely fucking retarded. In a year with arguably the best third party lineup in decades, they award platform of the year to a console that didnt get any of these games.

Then proceeds to list FF16 .

 

[tommib]

The platform that released Metroid Prime Remastered is indeed the best one. No lies detected.

 

[F0rneus]

I mean Metroid Prime Remastered, Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Wonder. No shit! Switch had a killer final year line-up!

 

[Fake]

Nintendo Software is unmatch.

 

[Gaiff]

I think the point is...you can play all of those games you mentioned in multiple other platforms...but those games mentioned in that article can only be played on a Switch. So it makes sense the award is theirs. And i say this as someone that doesn't give a shit about Nintendo and their IPs. They had a stellar year and showed better than anyone else why you should buy their hardware and not someone elses.

But they also mention a bunch of third-parties in the article.

Octopath Traveler II. Dredge. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. Sea of Stars. Persona 4 Golden. Ghost Trick. A Space for the Unbound. PowerWash Simulator. Oxenfree II. We Love Katamari. A Highland Song. All released this year and all brilliant. EA even pulled the finger out and gave the Switch version of EA Sports FC full feature parity for once.

So the award is meant for the best platform, ie, what platform had the most high-quality games available that year. While Switch had absolute bangers like Super Mario Wonder, TOTK, and Super Mario RPG, they missed out on arguably the greatest CRPG ever. While first-party titles may factor more in their decision, the third-party games on Nintendo are killers.

 

[Deerock71]

Kind of a weird award, since it would take into account all the 3rd party content also, which Switch misses out on a lot of. I'd probably have to give it to Xbox this year because of the mix of 3rd and 1st party, and Gamepass. I'd put Switch 2nd place though, and it got a lot of use this year.

True, but you also have to take into account the Switch's exclusives, which pretty much mopped the floor with everyone else's exclusives.

 

[BrunoCoel]

Best publisher? Of course it is.

Best platform? Nope.

 

[Thirty7ven]

If you’re a Nintendo fanboy sure.

 

[VolticArchangel]

- TOTK
- SMB Wonder
- Pikmin 4
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Super Mario RPG
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kirby's RTDLD
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Pikmin 1 + 2

Yeah, a year for a console, with that kind of exclusive lineup, no shit it won't platform of the year,.despite missing out on heavy hitters like Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Street Fighter 6 etc,.

 

[Deerock71]

- TOTK
- SMB Wonder
- Pikmin 4
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Super Mario RPG
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
- Kirby's RTDLD
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Pikmin 1 + 2

Yeah, a year for a console, with that kind of exclusive lineup, no shit it won't platform of the year,.despite missing out on heavy hitters like Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Street Fighter 6 etc,.

I might finally nab a physical copy of Bayonetta: Origins. Looking for the best Christmas deal.

 

[tommib]

I mean Metroid Prime Remastered, Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Wonder. No shit! Switch had a killer final year line-up!

+Super Mario RPG

 

[Robb]

• January - Fire Emblem Engage
• February - Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe and Metroid Prime Remastered
• March - Bayonetta Origins
• April - Advance Wars 1+2
• May - Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• July - Pikmin 4
• September - Pikmin 1 and 2 HD
• October - Super Mario Bros Wonder
• November - Super Mario RPG

 

[Deerock71]

Nintendo firing on all cylinders this generation. It has been an awesome ride so far with Switch but it's time Nintendo starts talking about the future.

 

[touchfuzzy]

They also got the best Square Enix exclusive of the year in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.

 

[MiguelItUp]

Definitely had some impressive first party releases this year, and more so than the other platforms. Certainly the biggest checkmark there.

Just feels weird to me because I haven't purchased any of them, lmao. But I still would like to at some point.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Nintendo’s internal output puts Sony and Microsoft to shame, so I can see on that front.
As others have pointed out they miss out on the big third party releases, which for me matters more.

 

[MacReady13]

Good going Nintendo, you proved its ultimately all about the games.

That is what it is ALL about. Always has been. Always will be. You can have power up the wazoo but if you have shit games then good luck.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Well they ain't wrong! Here's all the notable games that Nintendo has released this year:

• January - Fire Emblem Engage
• February - Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe and Metroid Prime Remastered
• March - Bayonetta Origins
• April - Advance Wars 1+2
• May - Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• July - Pikmin 4
• September - Pikmin 1 and 2 HD
• October - Super Mario Bros Wonder
• November - Super Mario RPG

Yeah, and I even forgot to add a few other notable exclusives like Master Detective Archives: Rain Code and Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. They really did have a banger year in terms of exclusives!

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Also L LakeOf9 I'll take the small L for my slow ass at creating the thread on this (it since has been deleted by the mods at my request). Just wanted to make sure the list of Nintendo games was as complete as it could get before posting it.

 

[ReBurn]

With the pile of first party content they released on the platform this year they deserve it. Switch didn't need third party to carry it.

 

[Ozzie666]

I feel like they are conflating Nintendo as a publisher with the Switch being the best of the year. Nintendo is the best publisher of the year. There was too many big titles released that didn't make it to the switch. Then again you could say all of Nintendo's big games didn't make it to Xbox or PS5. What a pickle.

 

[Ogbert]

A platform where you miss out on BG3, Alan Wake 2, SF6, and basically any major multi will hardly be the best.

Could say the same about any platform that misses out on ToTK, Mario Wonder and Pikmin 4.

And Alan Wake 2 is utter garbage.