Now that 2019 is coming to a close, Nintendo has released a list of the most downloaded games for the Switch from this year. While most of the games on there should come as a surprise to no one, some of the most downloaded may be a shock to some.
The Nintendo Switch has a lot of popular games on it; it has been home to everything from Smash to Breath of the Wild. Last year, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate topped the list of most downloaded games of 2018, but it looks like it was ousted at the top by a new contender. Here's a list of the top 25 games downloaded on the Switch this year:
25. Mortal Kombat 11
24. Warframe
23. Crypt of the NecroDancer
22. Undertale
21. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
20. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
19. Final Fantasy VII
18. Super Mario Party
16. Luigi’s Mansion 3
15. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
14. Hollow Knight
13. Overcooked! 2
12. Super Mario Maker 2
11. Pokemon Shield
10. Dragon Ball FighterZ
9. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
8. NBA 2K19
7. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
6. Pokemon Sword
4. Cuphead
3. Minecraft
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
1. Fortnite
It should be no surprise to anyone that Fortnite and Smash are both on top; these games have been massively popular and genre-defining ever since their respective launches. The fact that Fortnite took the top spot from Smash is an exciting development for Epic games, and probably means that Fortnite will continue to dominate the Battle Royale market and to pull in record amounts of money. Another set of games that should be a surprise to no one are Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield. Although Sword outsold Shield by a large margin (most likely due to the arguably better exclusives in Sword), they are both incredibly popular titles and some of the most interesting Pokemon games released in a long time.
Some surprises for this year include Cuphead and Untitled Goose Game; they prove that games that don't follow "the formula" can be big hits, and prove that the most popular games aren't always the big names. Although fans might be surprised to not see Breath of the Wild on this list, that Legend of Zelda title did make Nintendo's list for bestsellers of all time for the Switch. Another surprise on this list is the outdated NBA 2k19. Although 2k20 did come out in September, it did not even make the list, possibly because of the gambling controversies and its embrace of microtransactions.
Overall, this has been a fanatastic year for Nintendo and the Switch. Not only has it sold nearly 32.27 million units worldwide, but all of these great exclusives selling well can only mean great things for Nintendo coming up. Players all seem to be ready for the next exclusive games, including the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2, which fans hope will be on the most downloaded list for 2020.
The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Light are both available from most retail stores.
Source: NintendoEverything