11 of the Best and Worst Genres for the Nintendo Switch

Party Games – Perfect for the Switch

If there is any genre that the Nintendo Switch just seems to be made for, it’s party games. The idea of snatching your Nintendo Switch off the dock and heading over to a friend’s house for hours of Mario Party just sounds like a great time (Nintendo hasn’t made any announcements to revive Mario Party for the Switch but don’t kill my dreams). Party games are perfect for the Switch’s emphasis on LAN features that will have you and your friends all in the same room enjoying one heck of a group gaming experience.

Racing Games – Perfect for the Switch

Once again the Switch’s emphasis on LAN features makes its perfect for a particular game genre. Get a group of friends together for some rounds of Mario Kart and watch the fun unfold. Not to mention the fact that racing games are one of the few moments when motion controllers truly get to shine. They may not always be the most effective controller option but, somehow, it just makes racing games more fun.

Shooting Games – Terrible for the Switch

You know what buttons are particularly important for shooting games? The triggers. You know what buttons a lot of gamers have been having trouble with on the detached Joy-Cons? The triggers. I’m sure you see where this is going. There have been a host of different complaints when it comes to the Switch’s triggers. While they are good enough for most gaming genres, it can be particularly troublesome to find yourself missing the trigger or feeling like your controller’s trigger isn’t sensitive enough when you’re trying to mow down zombies or land stealthy headshots. Some Switch reviews find it easy to confuse the trigger and bumper buttons on the Joy-Cons and others felt like the average gamer’s fingers would easily slip off the trigger completely. These are all things that could make or break your performance in most shooting games.

Side-Scrollers – Perfect for the Switch

Side-scrolling games are perfect for the Switch for one simple reason—screen real estate isn’t important for this particular genre. Early reviews of the Switch have made mention of the small screen size for the hybrid console when using it as a handheld device but side-scrollers don’t require large screens to enjoy. That’s the exact reason why side-scrollers have also found a ton of success on the mobile game market. Imagine yourself lying on the couch after a long day and playing Super Mario Run on your new Nintendo Switch (again… this hasn’t actually been announced by Nintendo but it just seems like a great idea). Either way, the small screen doesn’t get in the way of gameplay on a side-scroller and having the option to also run that game on a larger screen is just an added bonus.

MMO/MOBA – Terrible for the Switch

The main reason MMOs and MOBAs will be troublesome on the Nintendo Switch is simply because there is a troubling lack of screen real-estate available for the portable or tabletop modes. MMOs and MOBAs don’t only require enough screen space for gamers to be able to see their environment and other players clearly, they also require enough extra screen space for chat windows and other menus. Less than seven inches of screen space just doesn’t give you enough extra screen to dedicate to those types of menus.

Rhythm Games – Perfect for the Switch

There is a reason why Just Dance 2017 is a part of the Switch’s launch line-up. Rhythm games are easily going to be a hit for this type of hybrid console, especially considering the console’s integration with your smartphone. By utilizing features available through the Nintendo Switch app, gamers will have the option to play rhythm games online and on the go. Whether you hop online to team up with friends or bring all your Switch consoles into one room for an epic group dance party, the Switch has everything you need to make rhythm games a ton of fun with up to six friends.

Turn-Based Games – Perfect for the Switch

Once you take the hybrid console off its dock and resume gaming on the handheld version of the device, you might find the decreased screen real estate and extra buttons to be rather annoying for games that require fast reflexes and utilize complicated battle mechanics. With any type of turn-based game, the smaller screen won’t have a major impact on your gameplay experience. Also, since you’re taking the console on the go, you might find yourself smack dab in a world filled with distractions. Turn-based games will give you the time between turns to focus on the real world before you dive back into your virtual one.

Simulators – Perfect for the Switch

This is an easy one to explain because Nintendo has already proven this point in a way that is both hilarious and incredibly hard to refute—by showing two players milking virtual cows. That unlocks a ton of possibilities for how the new motion controllers can be utilized for a variety of different simulators.

Farming simulator? Use the Joy-Cons to milk virtual cows, brush the manes of virtual horses, gather virtual eggs from your chickens… the possibilities are endless here. What about a doctor simulator? Imagine an Operation-style game that utilizes your Joy-Cons to ensure your hands are steady while plucking random objects out of your faux patient. Care to test your skills with flying a virtual helicopter? Again, the Nintendo Switch can create the perfect simulator so you can hop inside the cockpit and use your Joy-Cons to control your new vehicle.

Some critics have been giving the Joy-Cons a hard time (and many of those critiques are completely warranted) but, to be fair, there is still a certain level of fun that can be unlocked with a really accurate set of motion controllers.

Fighting Games – Terrible on the Switch

Unless you’re looking to shovel out the extra cash for a Pro Controller, fighting games are going to be absolute hell on the Nintendo Switch. If there is any game genre that requires gamers to be able to hit the right buttons in the right order as quickly as possible, it’s fighting games. Unfortunately, the Joy-Cons can feel cramped and small even when locked into the Joy-Con grip and that can paint quite the daunting picture for serious members of the FGC. Combos are extremely important in fighting games and small buttons and a cramped controller can make it very easy to miss a button and lose your combo completely. That means your opponent has the chance to capitalize on that mistake and dominate the match. Now doesn’t that sound cheap?

Action-Adventure – Not So Great for the Switch

Many of today’s action-adventure games are extremely graphics-heavy and can really push a console to its limits—especially with sandbox games. Unfortunately, there have been several reviews that suggest the Switch’s specs might not be able to support those types of games. Early reviews of the Switch stated that frames were dropping in certain areas of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild so there’s a solid chance that other large adventure games will see the same problem and that is incredibly unfortunate.

Visual Novels – Perfect for the Switch

This isn’t a particularly popular game genre but that doesn’t mean it deserves to be ignored. Visual Novels would be a great fit for the Nintendo Switch, especially when it’s in the portable mode. Anywhere you would try to settle down with a good book is also a place where you can settle down and tap your way through a visual novel. Also, there has been quite a bit of discussion going on regarding whether or not the Switch’s Joy-Cons are comfortable enough for long hours of gameplay and even connectivity issues have been plaguing the new hardware. With a visual novel, however, the limited amount of actual gameplay means a troubling controller will be the least of your worries.