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The Game Awards is an event meant to showcase the gaming year's biggest games, allowing them to shine in the limelight and crowning one of them as the Game of the Year. Game Awards 2022 is all but set to be held on 8th December 2022 where games from all across the gaming genres will be given the recognition they deserve. The nominees for all the categories of Game Awards are finally out, and fans can start voting if they want to help their choice win the title. Though Nintendo does not seem to be leading the race this year, it has still received a respectable eleven nominations at the Game Awards 2022, with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 being the face of Nintendo this year at the Game Awards.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has received three nominations including the Award for Game of the Year. Other notable nominees for various categories include the likes of Splatoon 3 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Safe to say Nintendo has given Switch players quite a fun roster of games to play this year. Here is a look at all of Nintendo Switch's first-party exclusive games that have received nominations in the Game Awards 2022.
8 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
While Nintendo did not have any Zelda games this year to sweep up all the awards, The Zelda franchise still got a nomination at the Game Awards 2022. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Nintendo and is a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wold.
Fans will remember that Breath of the Wild won the Game Awards' Game of the Year Award back in 2017, and following its hype Tears of the Kingdom has received a nomination as the Most Anticipated Game at the Game Awards 2022.
7 Nintendo Switch Sports
Nintendo Switch Sports is a collection of fun sports games to be enjoyed with friends and family. Players can choose from a total of six sports which include Soccer, Volleyball, Bowling, Badminton, Tennis, and Chambara. A seventh Golf sport is also slated to be added soon. The game takes advantage of the motion sensors of the Joycons to deliver fun and engaging gameplay experiences.
Players have to move around holding their Joycons to play the game. This game is the perfect way to have some fun with family and friends, as up to four players can engage in a single match and compete for victory. Nintendo Switch Sports has been nominated for the Best Family Game at the Game Award 2022.
6 Mario+Rabbids Sparks Of Hope
Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a tactical action-adventure game that combines Nintendo's Mario IP with Ubisoft's Rabbids IP. This game has been developed and published by Ubisoft, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, and is a sequel to 2017's Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
Join Mario, Luigi, and a whole other cast of colorful characters as they go on a galactic journey to save the Sparks from a malevolent entity. This game uses a strategic turn-based system for progression which is very well-made. Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope has received two nominations at the Game Awards 2022, one for the Best Family Game, and the other for the Best Sim/Strategy Game.
5 Pokemon Legends Arceus
Pokemon Legends Arceus is the first game in the franchise to introduce an open world for the players to explore and catch Pokemon in. Legends Arceus is an adventure and role-playing game set in an ancient Sinnoh region where everything fans knew about the region has been altered.
Though not a mainline entry in the series, Legends Arceus is still praised for finally pushing the franchise forward into the open-world medium. It features a different take on the Pokemon formula but retains its charm and fun. Pokemon Legends Arceus has received a nomination for the Best Role Playing Game at the Game Awards 2022.
4 Bayonetta 3
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Bayonetta 3 is an action-adventure game developed by Platinum Games exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and is the third entry in the Bayonetta series. The titular witch Bayonetta returns and stars alongside another witch-in-training, Viola to fight angels with the aid of demonic pacts.
The plot in this game is bigger than ever before and the gameplay has also received some enhancements. Bayonetta 3 was just released at the end of October and has already climbed its way up the popularity charts. It has received a nomination for Best Action Game at the Game Awards 2022.
3 Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Land sees the pink blob return for yet another whacky adventure. Developed by HAL Laboratory, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 3D platformer and has become the best-selling Kirby game to date. It is the thirteenth mainline entry in the series and the first main game to go fully 3D.
Players control Kirby as he traverses a mysterious forgotten land known as the New World, to rescue Waddle Dees who have been kidnaped by the menacing Beast Pack. Kirby has always been known for its charm and family-friendly nature and has thus received a nomination for the Best Family Game at the Game Awards 2022.
2 Splatoon 3
The Splatoon series is back with another impressive entry in the series, redefining the multiplayer genre. Splatoon 3 is a third-person shooter game developed by Nintendo for the Switch, and it includes both a story-driven campaign mode and an awesome multiplayer battle mode.
Though the single-player campaign is great, the Splatoon series is really known for its multiplayer chaos. The events of Splatoon 3 unfold five years after its predecessor, Splatoon 2, and sees Inklings and Octolings battle for supremacy once again. Splatoon 3 has received two award nominations at the Game Awards 2022, which include the awards for Best Multiplayer Game and Best Family Game.
1 Xenoblade Chronicles 3
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Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is an action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft for the Nintendo Switch and has been the biggest game for Switch fans this year. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the third main entry in the Xenoblade Chronicles Saga and has a massive story. Return to the world of Aionios and witness the war between Colony 9 of Keves, and Colony Sigma of Agnus unfold.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has significantly improved upon its predecessors, both in terms of quality and quantity. It has been leading Nintendo's game nominations at the Game Awards 2022 with a total of three nominations. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has been nominated for the Game of the Year, Best Role Playing Game, and Best Score and Music.