Polygon ranks eight Nintendo Switch games as most disappointing

Polygon ranked the eight most disappointing Switch games by the gap between their promised potential and actual delivery.

Polygon reported that 1-2-Switch (2017) was ranked the most disappointing Switch game for being sold as a full-priced title despite functioning as a Joy-Con tech demo. Players criticized it for lacking the depth and fun of Wii Sports, which was bundled with the Wii console. The game shipped nearly 1 million copies by April 2017 and received a Metacritic score of 58. Unlike Wii Sports, which was bundled with the Wii, 1-2-Switch was sold as a full-priced title despite functioning as a Joy-Con tech demo.

Polygon reported that critics criticized Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022) for lacking meaningful single-player content despite expectations for a full Mario Strikers experience. It also noted the game’s thin content surrounding soccer matches and the absence of the chaotic, rule‑light gameplay of prior titles. Furthermore, Polygon said critics criticized the title for lacking the chaotic, rule‑light, and quick‑to‑play nature of prior Mario Strikers titles. Saluki Games added that they considered the title a step backward in depth and features compared to earlier entries in the franchise.

Polygon reported that Nintendo Switch Sports (2022) launched with only six sports for $39.99, excluding golf, which arrived later as a free update. It also noted that the game replaced Miis with customizable ‘Sportsmates’ avatars and leaned heavily on online play, leading critics to call it an overpriced demo. TheGamer reported that critics described it as a ‘stripped-down and basic sequel to Wii Sports Resort,’ giving it a Metacritic score of 72. Polygon also noted that critics criticized the game for lacking golf, a staple of Wii Sports, which arrived later as a free update.

Polygon reported that Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021) ranked seventh due to thin content at launch, offering only six courses and a short adventure mode. It also noted that players reported it felt thinner than the Game Boy Color version and criticized the abandonment of familiar timed swing mechanics for a randomized alternative. Lemon8 reported that critics cited the game as an example of disappointing Switch games suffering from shallow content and lack of variety for their price.

Polygon reported that Princess Peach: Showtime! was ranked the eighth most disappointing Switch game due to its shallow gameplay and short length of four to ten hours for a $60 price. It lacked quality-of-life features such as backtracking or jumping to specific points, limiting replayability. The game relied on only two buttons (A and B) for basic actions, failing to deliver the promised dynamic action-adventure experience. Critics described it as ‘pretty, if shallow,’ highlighting its lack of depth for a $60 game.

Polygon reported that Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (2019) retained only ten of the original fifty minigames, disappointing fans who expected a full revival of the series. It remapped Wii Remote inputs to standard controller inputs, angering players who enjoyed the original’s motion-based gameplay.

Polygon reported that Sports Story (2022) expanded beyond golf but delivered shallow implementations of tennis, soccer, cricket, volleyball, BMX, fishing, and baseball. It also noted that its soccer section included only a few goal challenges and its baseball featured just a batting cage, failing to justify the expanded sport lineup. Lemon8 reported that critics cited the game as an example of disappointing Switch games suffering from repetitive gameplay, shallow content, or lack of variety for their price. Polygon added that critics also criticized it for its shallow implementations of sports like tennis, soccer, cricket, volleyball, BMX, fishing, and baseball.

Polygon reported that Endless Ocean: Luminous (2024) introduced a grindy progression system requiring players to scan hundreds of fish and clear ninety-nine mysteries for story missions. It stretched a short story over twenty-plus hours of gameplay, disappointing players expecting a relaxing scuba-diving experience.

Lemon8 reported that common pitfalls in disappointing Switch games include poor optimization, buggy releases, misleading marketing, and a lack of innovation or uniqueness. It also added that many disappointing Switch games suffer from repetitive gameplay, shallow content, or lack of variety for their price, as seen in Sports Story and Mario Golf: Super Rush. GameRant and Saluki Games reported that poor-quality ports such as Mortal Kombat 11, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Ark: Survival Evolved disappointed players with frame rate issues and inferior visuals. Polygon, Lemon8, and Saluki Games reported that developers can avoid similar missteps by ensuring games meet expectations in content depth, optimization, and innovation rather than relying on marketing hype.

Saluki Games reported that critics criticized Arms (2016) for feeling like a one‑time franchise attempt without follow‑up, unlike Splatoon which received sequels. Metro reported that the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour received a Metacritic score of 52, making it one of Nintendo’s worst‑reviewed games despite being a first‑party title. Metro added that critics described the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as ‘bafflingly sterile and un‑Nintendo‑like’ in its presentation. Metro reported that Everybody 1-2-Switch (2022) received a Metacritic score of 54 and critics criticized it for lacking depth.