It's the holiday season again, which for many of us means family time. Whatever the form of your family, small or large, made up of friends or relatives, we are sure that you will want to have a good time together this Christmas. However, if you are reading this article, it is very likely that you spend all your time wishing for video games.
Well, why not do both? And what better console to spend Christmas than the Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo has historically been an innovative company when it comes to games for the whole family. Remember all those broken TVs because of Wii Fit? The Switch continued this tradition with a series of games meant to keep the family unit entertained. And hopefully keep the TVs intact this time.
Below, we've compiled a list of five Switch games that should keep you and your family entertained on Christmas Day, before and after the heartbreaking dinner.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
If Mario Kart 8 has you bummed out by all the rage you felt during Mario Kart Wii, fear not. This one is much calmer and less punitive. Once you fall off the edge, Lakitu the Flying Koopa's fishing rod quickly takes you back to where you fell. And the roads are not so neglected and of course.
However, that's not to say there won't be a challenge, and the family competition will be just as fierce. All 48 tracks are beautiful too, and the jazzy soundtrack is absolute bop. There is nothing more familiar than this colorful corridor.
It's also worth adding that the Wii-U to Switch upgrade wasn't just a fancy port. You can now carry two items that, let's face it, took a while to arrive. You will really feel the family rivalry with this one.
Today's best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe deals
Mario Party Superstars
However, if racing isn't your thing, or if your family craves a little more variety, then the latest Mario Party game might be worth a try. It's still fairly new (released only a few months ago), so there's a chance the people you're spending Christmas with haven't played it. And what could be more exciting at Christmas than a beautifully designed premium board game? From Nintendo, you know you're getting the best.
The Mario Party series has been around for over two decades and pays homage to the classics. It removed the motion control games (TV safe, check) and went back to what it did best on the N64.
The game in general is essentially a board game, with dice and moving spaces. Then maybe you can get the older people to join us. The minigames aren't like Christmas 1968, but you don't need to mention them until they're teetering on a giant clock hand, frantically jumping to keep their square.
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Rocket league
(*two*)
(Image credit: Psyonix)Stay away from the Italian plumber here and the Nintendo brand as a whole, but go back to driving crazy cars and sending your opponents (and yourself) into an indiscreet tantrum.
Rocket League is the most unusual success story; Kart football is the best way to describe it. It may not be as colorful and varied as the Mario games, but it's definitely addictive. Want to distract the kids a bit? Or maybe all night? Is the game.
The Switch port also has many advantages. It connects with gamers using other hardware, like a PC, so people without Switch aren't locked out of online gaming. After all, there's no better time to hook up with distant friends than Christmas.
Today's Best Rocket League Deals
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Back to chariot racing, but this one is for the ubiquitous (and proudly famous) kids of the '90s. It's a remaster of the 2003 classic, but, like the 2017 N. Sane trilogy, it's been completely rebuilt. It's not just a port for nostalgia, but an enhanced game with new features like online multiplayer.
However, the difficulty is what it has always been. CTR, as you will soon remember, is extremely difficult. If you want to show youngsters how tough it was back then, this is the one for you.
That is not to say that it is not suitable for children or impossible to play for the uninitiated. The controls are that of a simple racer and the maps are as wacky and colorful as Mario Kart: from a futuristic cityscape to a barren desert.
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The arms
Generic time.
ARMS is a wacky motion-controlled beat-'em-up that continues the tradition of boxing on Wii-Sports. The setup is similar; the camera is placed behind the avatar as you lean, move, and hit your opponent.
We usually put Smash in a spot like this, but we thought something a little different might be more suitable. Bushnell's law comes into play; ARMs are easy to learn, but hard to master. With Smash, on the other hand, it takes a while to learn the basic moves. And for a holiday gathering, you want something to pick up and play...and call.
It should be added that it cannot be played on Switch Light due to motion control.
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