If you thought that you'd seen the last of N-Europe's Top Ten... series of articles, then think again! Back not just by popular demand but seemingly out of nowhere like a Nintendo Direct announcement, the staff of N-Europe are proud to bring you our Top Ten Nintendo Switch games of 2019.

Of course it would be far too early to produce a dedicated top ten for the Switch itself being that the console has only been on the market for two and three-quarter years, yet it's undeniable that the Switch has had a slew of software stacked up on the eShop and in physical form that this year in particular seems like a s good a time as any to see which games we enjoyed playing the most; even if a lot of us didn't get to finish all of these games, they still left quite the impression.

While the Top Ten choices are a result of many staff members choice pics, the write-ups have been composed by Dennis Tummers with some bonus verdicts written by Sam C Gittins. But enough from us and on with the games!

And if you'd like to take a look at our previous Top Ten articles then you can do so by clicking any of the mini banners below...

No we're not cheating already, the tenth spot is a tie between two games: Cuphead and Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition due to the points-based scoring system we used to determine each staff members top picks. We wouldn't have it any other way either, as these are both thoroughly deserving titles for very different reasons; plus any excuse to make up an extra banner is fine by us.

It is no secret that Microsoft and Nintendo started to bond together a little bit in the recent years. But seeing a Microsoft-exclusive game on Switch, now that is something we were not expecting. Cuphead released on the Switch last April, and what a blessing it was. The beautifully drawn, tough-as-nails platformer is perfect for the Switch’s pick-up-and-play style.

Verdict: A perfectly-formed, side-scrolling shmup, with all the charm of drinking from your favourite cup.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition made its way to the Switch at the beginning of 2019. The Tales of… series is considered as one of the best RPG series out there, and Tales of Vesperia may be among the best ones in the series. Being able to play this on the Switch is a joy to all RPG fans out there.

Verdict: The best game in the Tales of... series I've ever played, fans of Symphonia won't be dismayed.

Developer Intelligent Systems keeps giving their franchise Fire Emblem a lot of love. Fans of their other big franchise Advance Wars have been waiting for a long time now, but without any result. Luckily there is ChuckleFish, a small studio that has made a spiritual successor to Advance Wars with Wargroove. But it is much more than that. With an extensive singleplayer campaign, asynchronous multiplayer, a big map and campaign editor this game has it all and is a must for strategy fans.

Verdict: Intelligent Systems gave Advance Wars the boot, but with a title this good, we don't give a hoot.

If you thought the time of extra peripherals was over after the Wii era, think again! Enter Ring Fit Adventure, Nintendo’s newest game that combines entertainment with fitness. In this quirky title you run, jump, squat and squeeze your way through an RPG adventure. This is done by strapping on a tigh-strap and taking a flexible ring (the Ring-Con) in hand. And what a workout it turns out to be!

Verdict: Wii Fit gave us one of the greatest memes, Ring Fit Adventure tests your body to the extremes.

Nintendo surprised friend and foe when Cadence of Hyrule was announced. They handed over one of their biggest licenses to the small indie studio Brace Yourselves who made fame with Crypt of the NecroDancer. The result is a charming game with an excellent soundtrack of remixed Zelda songs.

Verdict: It's dangerous to go alone, so dance to the beat of this metronome, Zelda fans will feel right at home.

Can you remember that moment during E3 2019, when that beautiful animated intro came on, showing Link sailing the seas? What followed was the reveal of a remake of the 1993 classic Game Boy title The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It adopted a toy-like art style fitting for this dream-like adventure. Throw in a bunch of quality-of-life improvements and you know why this remake deserves a spot in our Top 10.

Verdict: A remake of a classic to which you might know the twist, but if you've played it before, then you get the gist.

It is always tough being that second brother. Luckily Luigi has built up quite a career on his own, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 may be his best achievement yet. We even went as far as giving this game a 10/10 review score. Because what is not to love in this gorgeous world of ghostbusting? And let’s not forget the amazing soundtrack and sound effects!

Verdict: Luigi's Mansion 3 is the best title yet, with so much to explore and a Polterpup to pet.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Apex Legends, you may all step aside for the undisputed king of Battle Royale: Tetris 99! A 99-player Tetris game works surprisingly well, and the excitement of coming close to the number one spot is out of this world. The fact that the game keeps getting fresh content with themes and new game modes is the icing on the cake.

Verdict: Tetris 99 drops the blocks really fast, against Ninety-Eight other players, how long can you last?

PlatinumGames has always been quite good for Nintendo. Be it Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101 or their take on Star Fox. This year they gave us Astral Chain, a game that mixes detective work, an intuitive yet slightly confusing battle system with a pumping soundtrack and insane graphics; all set in a vibrant futuristic city. To top it off there are the cats and Lappy the mascot dog!

Verdict: Astral Chain has charm and style in spades, but its combat system, doesn't quite make the grades.

Sword and Shield are perhaps the most controversial mainline Pokémon games to see the light. When news came out that not all Pokémon can be caught or obtained in the newest generation, the internet exploded. Luckily the games turned out to be another great instalment in the series, thanks to a charming new list of Pokémon, the 3D world and especially the Wild Area, and the intriguing Dynamax phenomenon. It’s a shame you can’t catch them all, but what you can catch is a pleasure to do so.

Verdict: Pokémon... gotta catch 'em all, except not that one, or that one... so hold onto that Poké Ball.

And the best game of 2019 according to the N-E Staff is: the game where YOU make the game! Super Mario Maker 2 sets you in the shoes of a Nintendo game designer, and coming up with your own levels is hard! Luckily there is a lot of help, in the form of extensive tutorials, a plethora of options (a bunch of them new to part 2) and a single-player campaign that can serve as inspiration. Not a builder yourself? No problem, hop online to embrace a world of user-created levels. This game is endless and therefore well deserving of the number one spot.

Verdict: One of the best Mario titles of all time, why not try some of our stages, the creativity is sublime.

Being that 2019 was such a huge year for Switch releases, there were a few games which didn't quite make it, so here are some honourable mentions of games which we'll surely be returning to well into 2020.

• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Spiritual successor to the Castlevania series by Koji Igarashi, more updates are inbound for the Switch version, so we'll be returning to it.
  
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Probably the best entry in the long-running JRPG series to date, there's no better time to get into it.
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Features some of the most divisive gameplay elements ever to grace the series but also features some spectacular battles.
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 - Definitely cut back in the overall presentation but we still enjoyed it, especially with the retro events.
• Team Sonic Racing - A step back from the previous Transformed title but the team-based elements certainly add something to this Sega-centric racer, expect a review in the future.
• The Sinking City - Something of a digital diamond in the rough which scored well when it was reviewed, it's worth checking out if you're a fan of H.P. Lovecraft.
• Untitled Goose Game - Who set that goose loose? A mischievous title which mechanically at least was inspired by Super Mario 64 except with more feathers. (Honk!)
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - While the original Kickstarter-funded game proved divisive, Playtonic's second outing really comes into its own thanks to its excellent lineage.

And that's it for N-Europe's Staff Top 10 Games of 2019, plenty of decent games released just in the space of a year across all first-party, third-party and Indie releases with plenty more to come in 2020, so look out at the end of the year when it's possible that we'll produce another Top Ten assuming that there will be plenty of Switch games released.

Being that we've covered every major Nintendo platform in our Top Ten Games series, what would you like to see us cover next? Obscure Nintendo oddities are always a possibility or perhaps it's time to delve into other non-Nintendo platforms, which at least have some link to Nintendo? Maybe it would be interesting to see how the games on some of Sega's past platforms rate amongst us at N-Europe? They were Nintendo's biggest rival for most of the Nineties afterall.

Which games were your picks for 2019? Did you have a game which you thought deserved to be on the list? Are you looking forward to potential Switch releases for 2020?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or join in with the discussion on our forum.