Long before a console becomes an heirloom of play, it becomes a question of what to do with it, and in January 2023 the New York Post answered that question for the households that had already brought a Nintendo Switch home. Drawing on the verdicts of thousands of ordinary buyers across Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy, the guide gathers nineteen games into action, puzzle, sports and children's groupings, letting the crowd speak where a professional critic might have spoken. It is a modest ritual of holiday-season guidance, shaped as much by the commerce that carries it as by the affection of the
The 19 Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2023, Ranked by Shoppers' Reviews
Ratings from shoppers, not critics, shape every pick
Mark
Why rank games by shopper reviews instead of critics?
Mimi
Because the audience is people buying for family. The quotes are parents saying a six-year-old finally had a first game, or a household staying up past bedtime.
Mark
Mario dominates the list. Is that notable?
Mimi
Odyssey, Mario Kart, Mario Golf and the Zelda entry all score high, and the writer admits Mario Kart was an obvious pick after two Black Friday bestseller years.
Luke
Careful with the numbers, though. Ratings come from Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy, and they aren't directly comparable.
Mark
Stardew Valley has only 341 reviews. Does that weigh the same as 18,000?
Luke
Not statistically. A 4.6 from 341 people is a thinner signal than a 4.8 from tens of thousands. The piece doesn't adjust for that.
Mimi
The ranking is also loose. Only some entries are numbered in what we have.
Luke
Right, and the text cuts off partway through the last entry, so I can't say what the 19th game is.
Mark
And the affiliate line?
Luke
It's disclosed, which is good. What it means for which games were picked isn't something the article tells us.
El Pulso
- Shoppers who gifted the Switch over two holiday seasons now need something worth playing on it.
- Retailer star ratings and customer quotes, rather than professional critics, are the currency deciding which titles rise to the top.
- Mainstays like Super Mario Odyssey, Zelda and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe anchor each category, pulling the list toward proven favourites.
- The affiliate links that fund the guide sit quietly beside every recommendation, so readers must weigh each pick against that financial tie.
Long before a console becomes an heirloom of play, it becomes a question of what to do with it, and in January 2023 the New York Post answered that question for the households that had already brought a Nintendo Switch home. Drawing on the verdicts of thousands of ordinary buyers across Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy, the guide gathers nineteen games into action, puzzle, sports and children's groupings, letting the crowd speak where a professional critic might have spoken. It is a modest ritual of holiday-season guidance, shaped as much by the commerce that carries it as by the affection of the players themselves.
The Mario Kart bundle sold out as a Black Friday favourite in both 2021 and 2022, so by January 2023 the New York Post assumed its readers already owned the console and wanted to know what to play on it. Its shopping guide ranks nineteen games across action and adventure, puzzle, sports and children's categories, built from customer reviews on Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy.
The action section opens with Super Mario Odyssey, praised for its sandbox-style play and layers of secrets, and The Legend of Zelda, which one customer called the most fun they had ever had with a video game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, discounted from $70 to $54, earns praise for solo play and multiplayer alike, while Minecraft wins over a nanny and a parent whose seven-year-old loves creative mode.
Puzzle picks include Untitled Goose Game, described as short but replayable, and sports titles such as Nintendo Switch Sports and a Mario golf game with a timed Speed Golf mode. The children's section is led by Animal Crossing, rated 4.9 by more than 16,000 Best Buy shoppers and loved across all ages.
The guide is candid about its limits: the ratings are consumer scores rather than critic verdicts, and the Post may earn commission on purchases made through its links.
The Mario Kart bundle for the Nintendo Switch was a Black Friday bestseller two years running, in 2021 and 2022. So the New York Post's January 2023 shopping guide assumes the gamer in your life already owns the console, and turns to what to play on it. The piece ranks 19 games, grouped into action and adventure, puzzle, sports and children's categories, using customer reviews from Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy.
The guide discloses that the Post may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through its links. It also notes that games can be bought on the in-console Nintendo Store or at retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop. Each entry pairs a review count and star rating with a short pitch from the writer and a quoted customer review.
The action and adventure section opens with Super Mario Odyssey, with more than 18,000 reviews and a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Amazon. The Post describes it as the first Mario game since Super Mario 64 to use sandbox-style play. One reviewer praised the level design and the layers of secrets, shortcuts and collectibles. The Legend of Zelda follows with more than 16,000 reviews and a 4.9 rating. A customer called it the most fun they had ever had with a video game.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is third, priced at $54 against an original $70. It has more than 39,500 Amazon reviews at 4.8. The writer says they have played it solo and in multiplayer, on the handheld and on a TV. A reviewer who is a Mario Kart 64 devotee said the multiplayer is harder than the old version and kept a group entertained for a summer weekend. Minecraft draws more than 38,000 reviews at 4.8. The writer says the children they nanny introduced them to it. A parent wrote that their seven-year-old loves creative mode. Stardew Valley has 341 GameStop reviews at 4.6, and the 2011 Skyrim has more than 1,400 at 4.6. The Post notes Skyrim won more than 200 Game of the Year awards.
In puzzles, Untitled Goose Game has more than 1,800 Amazon reviews at 4.8. A parent said it is short but replayable. A Tetris and Puyo Puyo title from SEGA has more than 1,000 reviews at 4.6. A Hercule Poirot mystery based on Agatha Christie has more than 400 reviews at 4.4, and one player hoped for another.
Sports titles include Nintendo Switch Sports, with more than 7,400 reviews at 4.7. It offers tennis, soccer and sword-fighting Chambara, and some sports need the leg-strap add-on. A Mario golf game has more than 5,800 reviews at 4.7 and includes a timed Speed Golf mode. FIFA 22 Legacy Edition costs $42, down from $49, with more than 3,100 reviews at 4.7. It features legends including Pele, Maradona and Beckham. A Tony Hawk's Pro Skater pack bundling versions one and two has more than 2,500 reviews at 4.7.
The children's section is led by Animal Crossing, with more than 16,000 Best Buy reviews at 4.9. The Post says it appeals to all ages. Also listed are a Paw Patrol game with 16 adventures, more than 5,400 reviews and a 4.7 rating, and a Peppa Pig game with more than 1,100 reviews at 4.6. A SpongeBob game has more than 4,300 reviews at 4.6, and Nintendogs follow-up Little Friends, which lets players keep three pets at once, has more than 2,500 at 4.5. The excerpt cuts off during a final entry with more than 3,000 reviews at 4.6.
The ratings are consumer scores, not critic assessments, and they come from different retailers with very different review counts. Readers should weigh the affiliate disclosure when deciding where to buy.
Citas Notables
The level design is as close to perfection as I have seen in a game.— Customer reviewer of Super Mario Odyssey, quoted by the New York Post
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