Our list of the best Change the game of the year highlights each of the Pocket Tactics team’s favorite games that they have spent many, many hours working on over the past year. This is proof that despite being on the threshold of a recent console, Nintendo never slows down.
If you’re curious about the best mobile games of the year, we managed to pick eight of the best. Spoiler alert, it contains absolute hits full of ghosts, husbands and Greek gods.
Here are our picks for the best Nintendo Switch games in 2024:
Golden Sun – Ruby’s choice, editor
There were a lot of great recent games released this year, but the release I played more than the rest was Golden Sun for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. There’s a reason why the 2001 Game Boy Advance game earned the Metacritic Must-Play badge and achieved a stellar score of 91, which it still holds today.
You play as a newborn boy who must operate powerful weapons and psychoenergy to save the world from evil villains. On the surface it sounds like your typical RPG events, but I love the way you can operate different types of magic to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, and the story is sure to draw you in from the very beginning.
Sonic X Shadow Generations – Kayleigh’s pick, Associate Editor
2024 was a good year for Nintendo Switch releases, with various Mario games, a recent Zelda game, and titles like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (more on that from my friend), but for me it was truly the year of Shadow. Sonic X Shadow Generations is everything I wanted and more in a recent Sonic game. Not only did it allow me to roll back the years with the Generations remaster, but it finally gave me a brand recent Shadow the Hedgehog campaign.
Shadow is my favorite Sonic character and I’m a huge supporter of his 2005 game, so being able to go on another adventure with him is just a joy. The levels are fantastic, the story is gripping (and equally heartbreaking, destitute Maria), and the gameplay is as fun as ever. This gives me hope for the future of the series; perhaps there’s an entire game dedicated to Shadow in the works. At least Sonic Team is preparing to give us even more experiences with other characters. When is the Big the Cat fishing game?
Little Kitty, Big City – Tilly’s choice, guide editor
As an obsessive mom to a sweet little black kitten, I was sold on Little Kitty, Big City the moment I saw him for the first time. This adorable little platformer truly feels like a playground full of paws as you take control of the titular little kitty in a relatively gigantic city, trying to find your way home.
While he’s straightforward and not exactly purring, he exudes charm from whisker to tail, inviting you to embrace your inner mischievous cat, make friends with local creatures, collect candles that can be exchanged for cute hats, and more. Reminiscent of a laid-back platformer from the PS2 era, it’s a time of relaxation suitable for all audiences, from kittens to nippy cats like us. If you’re not sold yet, be sure to check out our full review of Little Kitty, Big City and head over to our interview with Little Kitty, Big City to learn all about the inspiration, challenges of the game, and how my own little kitty maybe I was the mastermind behind it all.
Paper Mario: The Millennium Door – Connor’s Choice, Hardware Editor
I’ve been waiting for a Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch port since Nintendo’s console first launched in 2017, and this year the gaming giant finally delivered. It’s everything I expected, with all the charming dialogue, engaging boss battles, and visual panache of the original, plus a few quality-of-life improvements and a bit of post-game content added for good measure. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that I gave the game a 9/10 in my review of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
There’s something about Paper Mario TTYD that stands out from the long list of turn-based Mario escapades. It’s a magic that Nintendo has failed to recapture despite its best efforts, and has since inspired countless imitators. If you’re looking for a game that will occupy your brain and tickle your comical bones in 2025, it’s worth spending some time with Paper Mario and his wafer-thin friends.
Mediterranea Inferno – selection by Daza, lyricist
We are very strict about awarding perfect scores here at Pocket Tactics, but one such game that earned a 10/10 rating is Mediterranea Inferno. I’ve never felt such intense emotions during a video game before, as you can certainly tell by reading our Mediterranea Inferno review. This visual novel game is unlike anything I’ve ever played, and I imagine I won’t play anything like it again until solo developer Lorenzo Redaelli releases a recent game.
The plot follows three queer Italian men in their 20s who reunite for the first time after the pandemic and try to remember how to be friends again. It’s a twisted narrative, full of morally gray characters facing external pressures and uncertainty and trying to navigate the European queer scene. This game is an absolute must-have, especially for those of us with similar life experiences, because it really forces you to look in the mirror and evaluate what’s really critical in your life.
Yakuza Kiwami – Holly’s choice, lyricist
2024 fulfilled a wish I’ve had since 2017 – Yakuza on Nintendo Switch. Yakuza Kiwami has finally arrived on your mobile device, allowing you to immerse yourself in Kamurocho as everyone’s favorite hero, Kiryu, wherever you are and discover all the secrets of the city’s underground.
In addition to punching idiots in a snazzy suit, you can play Pocket Circuit for hours, win (and lose) on UFO claw machines, sing your hearts out at karaoke, save people in stupid side quests in every alley, and of course – fight Goro Majima at any time and place. For the full list of activities, read my great review of Yakuza Kiwami here. We assure you that this is a great addition to your Switch library and I encourage everyone to give the series a try at least once.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
– Verna’s choice, staff writer
Even despite its robust grain of nostalgia, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may be one of the best games in the series. We’re returning to Prince of Persia’s 2D platforming roots with an incredibly enjoyable Metroidvania and a brand recent hero, with stunning, colorful scenery, an intriguing narrative, and combat that’s undeniably fun. The Lost Crown features an sweeping map with plenty of environmental puzzles that test both the verticality of the game and the recent skills you gain along your journey.
It plays beautifully on the Nintendo Switch, the highly stylized graphics make every move crisp and clear, even if you’re flying through the air on a charged Athra Surge, and most of all, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown just kept me coming back for more. It’s a great addition to a beloved series, and it seems that after so many years of subtle to moderate disappointment, Ubisoft has finally given Prince of Persia the attention it deserves. For more of our thoughts, check out our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review.
Wild Bastards – Sam’s choice, writer
The spiritual successor to 2020’s Void Bastards, the brilliantly titled Wild Bastards doesn’t hold back on its crazy action thrills, quirky characters, and eye-catching visuals. Navigating through the roguelike FPS adventure game Wild Bastards is often interspersed with scenes straight out of those damned Beatles cartoons from back in the day, or what I tend to see when I drink too many cans of Monster.
Across the game’s extensive array of planets, encountering each of the 13 outlaws feels like I’m assembling my own Guardians of the Galaxy, even though each member of this ragtag squad probably wants to leave my insides scattered in the deepest depths of the intergalactic frontier. Wild Bastards’ shooting action, enticing risk-reward gameplay, and love for the shooter genre make it an absolute gem that every Nintendo Switch owner must own.
