Even though the Nintendo Switch has only been out for a couple of years, it has become a really popular console in the gaming world. There are so many amazing games that have been released on this console. Some of the most popular games of the past few years, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, have been Nintendo Switch mega-hits.
While there are some really good games on the switch, there are also some games that are just not so good. Some Nintendo Switch titles have been pretty terrible, as anyone who has scrolled through the eShop will know. To see the worst games that have been released on the Switch so far (as rated by Metacritic), keep reading!
Updated January 8th, 2021 by Meg Pelliccio: The Nintendo Switch continues to hold strong in the world of gaming, especially in the past year where most people have been confined to their homes or at least have restricted how often they go out, leaving them ample time to get into a new hobby.
There are some absolutely stellar games available for the console, offering hours of endless fun. However, there are a number of awful titles too, either original games or just really poor ports, which Nintendo Switch owners should steer clear of if they want to keep enjoying their console. Just below are the 15 worst titles release for the Switch so far as ranked by Metacritic.
15 The Elder Scrolls: Blades (42)
Fans were excited when Bethesda announced it would be releasing a free-to-play action RPG for The Elder Scrolls franchise in the form of The Elder Scrolls: Blades. The game officially released for mobile devices and the Nintendo Switch in May of 2020, after being in early access for some time for both iOS and Android.
Unfortunately, the game didn't live up to the hype and left players feeling rather underwhelmed. While the graphics are definitely stunning, the gameplay itself is unfulfilling and hollow. Blades is very repetitive, features unimaginative level design, and has poor combat mechanics. It's no wonder it only scored 42 on Metacritic.
14 Contra: Rogue Corps (42)
Contra: Rogue Corps is a game in the Contra franchise that was released in 2019 on multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. Players take control of the different characters from the Contra series and go through different stages, battling to defend themselves against attackers.
Although the other versions of this game on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 got fairly mixed reviews (with some negative and some more positive), the Nintendo Switch version of this game was almost universally reviewed negatively, landing it a Metacritic score of 42. This was primarily because the visuals look incredibly dated and the gameplay doesn't bring anything new to the table.
13 Gleamlight (42)
Gleamlight is a 2D action-adventure platformer game that is set in a beautiful stain-glassed window world. The game purposefully features no UI in order to be as immersive as possible for players. Many players compare it to Hollow Knight, but in truth, it doesn't come anywhere close to the quality that Hollow Knight offers, and Gleamlight is more expensive too.
While it looks pretty at first glance, Gleamlight doesn't have much in the way of substance anywhere else. The storyline is poor and incredibly short, the music isn't great, the controls are flawed, and overall the gameplay is just lacking in general. Gleamlight ended up with a Metacritic score of 42.
12 Nickelodeon Kart Racers (41)
If you're looking for a racing game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the one that you're likely going to pick up. This is the latest game in the long-running Mario Kart franchise and is a super popular one on the Switch for fans of the game series, or people that are just looking to have some multiplayer fun with their friends.
So, is Nickelodeon Kart Racing the same thing, just with Nickelodeon characters like Spongebob and Patrick racing around? Unfortunately, no. It was released in 2018 on multiple consoles and although it has the same premise as Mario Kart, it just falls flat. There's no voice acting and there's a limited range of characters to choose from. Metacritic gave this game a score of 41.
11 Hello Neighbor (39)
Since its initial release in 2017, Hello Neighbor has made its way to multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Switch. In this game, the player has to sneak into and around their neighbor's home in order to uncover a mysterious and dark secret hidden there.
Although this game has the kind of unique art style that will attract imitators, this game has gotten fairly mixed reviews on the different platforms it was released on. The controls, the gameplay, and the general performance of the game have been seen as sub-par. Because a unique art style can't save a game from getting negative reviews, this title managed to land a score of 39 on Metacritic and a place on this list.
10 Senran Kagura Reflexions (39)
There are a ton of dating simulation games on different platforms, including on the Nintendo Switch. If you're looking to virtually get to know an NPC and build a relationship with them throughout the course of the game, then you're in luck. Unfortunately, not all dating simulation games are worth downloading. Senran Kagura Reflexions on the Nintendo Switch is one of them, according to Metacritic.
This game came out in 2018 and is a dating simulation game. It relies pretty heavily on the movement of the JoyCon controllers, but it doesn't do a very good job at making that work. As far as dating simulation games go, this one is definitely a miss, earning itself a score of 39 on Metacritic.
9 The Deer God (39)
Even though this game has a really unique and interesting art style, similar to other popular games on the Switch like Celeste or Hollow Knight, it's safe to say that it takes more than nice colors and a pixel art-style to win over gamers and earn some space on their Nintendo Switch SD card.
The Deer God was released in 2017 on multiple different platforms, such as Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation Vita, as well as on mobile devices and the PlayStation 4. This platformer relies heavily on the player's survival skills and while it looks cool and has an interesting premise, the fact that it's so hard and gets boring fast got this game a Metacritic score of 39.
8 Blades Of Time (38)
Released in 2019 on multiple platforms, this Nintendo Switch game didn't get very popular among gamers or critics before it managed to become one of Metacritic's worst Nintendo Switch games. Blades of Time lets the player control Ayumi as she makes her way around the game's world, finding loot and treasure while uncovering the secrets of the island she finds herself on.
Although this game seems like it would be a solid adventure for the Nintendo Switch, it's fairly difficult and not interesting enough to make players want to battle their way through it. As a result, it got a 38 on Metacritic.
7 Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle (38)
This fighting game was released in 2017 and is set in the Touhou universe. Because of its cute graphics, background in an already-established franchise, and popular genre, this game seems like it should have been a hit among gamers and critics alike.
Unfortunately, Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle simply didn't get the praise and acclaim that it needed to get any higher on Metacritic's charts and is among the worst Nintendo Switch games. This game is full of glitches and the plot is hard for newcomers to the franchise to get into. Because the fighting elements just aren't that interesting, it all resulted in a Metacritic score of 38.
6 Hollow (36)
Hollow is an older Nintendo Switch title now, as it released back in 2018, and it offers players an action-adventure survival horror journey with a sci-fi setting. While it isn't the most expensive game for the Nintendo Switch, it's also not the cheapest, and even if it were on sale, players would find it difficult to feel they received their money's worth.
The game is riddled with bugs and suffers from significant framerate drops, not to mention the game occasionally soft-locks or crashes and leaves the player having to reset in order to continue. Even when the game is behaving, it's a rough ride with sluggish movements and filled with typos, ultimately conveying that no attention to detail was put into it. This game scored a paltry 36 on Metacritic.
5 Arc of Alchemist (36)
Arc of Alchemist released in January of 2020 and immediately failed to impress Nintendo Switch owners. While the western release of this title promised improvements and does in fact offer more content in the form of additional characters and weapons, this game is still rather lackluster.
The graphics are rather poor, looking more like they belong on the 3DS, the storyline is basic, the characters are forgettable, and worst of all — it's just generally a bad port with a choppy framerate and horrible combat mechanics. This game scored 36 on Metacritic.
4 Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy (34)
Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy was released in 2018 on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. This fighting game sees the player choose from one of four characters and dive in head first to battle against enemies, hopefully coming out on top.
This title is a combination of a fighting game and an RPG, two very popular genres in the world of gaming. This means that it should have been pretty popular on the Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately, it can't blend these two genres together particularly successfully, simply falling flat for a lot of players. Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy walked away with a Metacritic score of 34.
3 ARK: Survival Evolved (29)
ARK: Survival Evolved is a game that was released on multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Switch in 2018. This game starts the player as a person with absolutely nothing - no clothes, no weapons, and no food - on a mysterious open-world island called ARK. The player has to figure out how to survive on the island through hunting and gathering.
Although ARK has become a pretty popular game on other platforms, it's actually one of the worst on the Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately, the game is just too full of things to do and things going on for it to really be optimized for this handheld console. It just runs so badly. Because of that, it ended up with a Metacritic score of 29. This is especially low considering it has a score of 69 on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
2 Tiny Racer (29)
Tiny Racer released in July of 2020 and despite its low price, it did not manage to impress fans. The game is your typical racer, but it aimed to refresh the genre by having players take control of small model vehicles that race around larger-than-life environments, such as a kitchen.
Despite its efforts, Tiny Racer does not bring anything new to the table and it pales in comparison to other racers, most notably because even though the game features different looking vehicles, they all behave exactly the same. It's no surprise it only managed to score 29 on Metacritic.
1 Vroom In The Night Sky (17)
Which game has Metacritic listed as the worst game on the Nintendo Switch so far? With a dismal score of 17, Vroom in the Night Sky currently takes that dubious honor. This magical action game tasks the player with flying around the night sky as a Magical Girl to collect Stardusts.
This game sounds fun and cute, and while it's definitely got some charm, it's hard to call this game a "good" one by any means. It's charming and simple, but the fact that there's really not much to it made this game hard for a lot of people to get into. While it plays just fine without any major glitches, there's just not much to this game.