Platformers have been among the most popular video game genres practically since video gaming first began, and they remain popular to this day. Part of this is thanks to the fact that platformers often allow for a much tighter experience than some of the best open-world games there are. With the structure of platformers, it makes it significantly easier for developers to show off excellent level design.
Along with unique combat mechanics, level design is one of the most important things to great platforming games. There are a ton of fantastic platformers available for Nintendo Switch that bring both of these elements together perfectly, and the portability of the console allows players to enjoy them at home and on the move.
10 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was originally published on the Wii U but has since been ported to Nintendo Switch. While every entry to the Donkey Kong Country series is popular among Nintendo fans, Tropical Freeze is undoubtedly one of the best platformers ever. The original Wii U release marked the first time that Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong were playable characters in the modern series.
The Nintendo Switch version then introduced Funky Kong, a new character that gave players the ability to modify the difficulty and have a less stressful experience.
9 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Spyro has been one of the most popular video game figures for decades, ever since Spyro The Dragon was released for PlayStation in 1998. It wasn't long before the franchise branched out to other consoles and throughout the next decade, over a dozen more games were released that starred the most well-known video game dragon.
Then after a long time away from screens, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy was released in 2018. It remastered the original trilogy and set the standard as the best game that lets players control a dragon.
8 Celeste
Celeste is one of the most popular indie games to be released in recent years and received almost universal acclaim when it was released in 2018. It was the passion project of video game developer Maddy Thorson, who worked alongside Noel Berry and took inspiration from a wide variety of popular platformers.
Celeste is a very well-designed game that can be difficult at times but never feels unfair or unbeatable. It has a far deeper story than most indie games and deeper still than many major platformers as well.
7 Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
Rayman Legends was originally released in 2013 as a direct sequel to Rayman Origins, making it the fifth mainline entry to the series. These two games changed the art style of the Rayman series and created something beautiful. Not only does Rayman Legends look great, but it also has a ton of interesting and challenging levels.
One of the biggest selling points of Rayman Legends is the multiplayer function, as it leaves the core game unchanged while adding a totally new dynamic to the experience when one player finds themselves defeated.
6 Super Mario Maker 2
Super Mario Maker 2 allows players to create their own levels and share them with the world. Not only does this mean that there's a virtually infinite amount of content to enjoy, but it also allows players to ramp up the difficulty significantly. This is what makes Super Mario Maker 2 one of the most stressful games on Nintendo Switch because many players attempt the most difficult levels imaginable.
This is also what makes Super Mario Maker 2 such a fantastic platformer, the possibilities are endless and it can be challenging for even the most seasoned veterans.
5 Kirby And The Forgotten Land
The Kirby series is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, but Kirby And The Forgotten Land managed to sell more copies than any other game in the series history. It is easily one of the best games on Nintendo Switch for children and adults to play together, and it managed to introduce a whole new generation of fans to the classic series.
With the introduction of 'Mouthful Mode' and upgradable copy-abilities, Kirby And The Forgotten Land offers players much more to do than most platformers on Nintendo Switch.
4 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Super Mario 3D World was originally released in 2013 for the Wii U, but the game was enhanced far beyond most players' expectations when it was ported to Nintendo Switch in 2021. Nintendo improved the game a little by adding a snapshot mode and an online multiplayer option, but what really made it stand out was the addition of Bowser's Fury.
Bowser's Fury was bundled in with Super Mario 3D World and essentially gave players an entirely new open-world game, where Mario teams up with Bowser Jr. in order to stop his father.
3 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Crash Bandicoot has been one of the biggest platforming franchises since the first game was released in 1996. The original trilogy was released over the course of the next two years, and over a dozen more games starring the titular bandicoot have been released since then. Those first three games remain popular with fans thanks to their mix of charming visuals and frustratingly difficult levels.
When they were bundled together and re-released as the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, they quickly became one of the best platformers available on Nintendo Switch.
2 Super Mario Odyssey
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Super Mario Odyssey was well-received when it was released in 2017 and quickly became one of the best-selling Nintendo Switch platformers ever. This was because it felt like a breath of fresh air in one of video gaming's oldest and most popular franchises.
It added several new features, including the ability to use Mario's partner Cappy to control enemies. Cappy's ability is used at several points in the game to change gameplay significantly, but the most memorable moment comes when players are able to control the big boss Bowser.
1 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Ever since he was first introduced in 1985, Toad has been a staple of the Mario universe. Between the original Toad who tends to Princess Peach and the other members of his race, there are very few Mario games without a Toad present.
In Super Mario Galaxy Captain Toad was introduced, and he later featured as the star of a number of bonus levels in Super Mario 3D World. These levels served as the template for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a unique platforming puzzle game that is ideal for short play sessions.