Summary
Good action games are usually memorable and electrifying blasts from start to finish. They come in all shapes and sizes, though one thing they all have in common is their penchant for huge thrills and bombastic set pieces. Despite Nintendo’s child-friendly leanings, it doesn’t shy away from including a bit of edge-of-your-seat action on its platform.
TheNintendo Switchhas gathered a huge variety of action titles since launch. From top-down indies, big-budget shooters, or even frantic hack-and-slash games starring some of Nintendo’s most beloved characters, there’s an all-out action game to satisfy the daredevil within us.
Updated on July 30, 2025, by Branden Lizardi:The holiday season is upon us. This means gifts, galore! This list has been updated to help keep up on the truly best action games to get any Switch owner. So whether you’re shopping for someone or just want to update your wishlist, we have you covered.
Prince of Persia is a title among video game legends. But as a series, it’s fallen out of the common eye. So when The Lost Crown released in 2024, it was a delightful reminder of what made the series so great. You play as Sargon, a young Persian warrior, as he fights his way through Mount Quf, using time powers, of course.
The satisfying fluidity of combat blends perfectly into the metroidvania design the series is known for. And the well-realized art direction helps bring things into the modern era in a way that feels natural. It’s a good game for action-oriented gaming fans, and a great game for Prince of Persia fans.
While not as fast-paced as your average action game, the spooks and scares of Luigi’s Mansion are a worthwhile adventure for any Switch owner. Originally a 3DS title called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, this game has been remade for the Switch with adjusted controls, higher resolution graphics, and all such things.
This time around, the titular green hero has to traverse not one, butfive different themed mansions, each with a different theme. It built on everything that made the first game great and paved the way for features we’d grow to love in the third game. With the 3DS fully retired, this is the best way to experience this chapter in Luigi’s adventures.
You’ve sprouted, and now you need to make your way through a maze-like world of Animal Well. It’s a Metroidvania game in all respects, but at the same time, it’s a lot more than that. The stunning pixel art graphics, excellent use of light, and atmospheric music set the perfect stage for an entrancing and engaging experience.
It’s also an action game that’s not about fighting. The world of Animal Well is still full of dangers, sure, but the focus is more on the tension of survival than hardcore fights. Solving puzzles and avoiding aggressive creatures will be as action packed as any other game on the Switch, and it delivers that expertly.
In the pixel-style action platformer Pepper Grinder, you control the titular Pepper, a pirate with an oversized drill. Her treasure has been snatched away from goblin-like creatures, and you have to run, jump, and drill your way through fast-paced platforming levels to get it all back. It’s stylish, it’s exciting, and it’ll hook you in more than the antagonist from Peter Pan.
If that wasn’t enough already, Pepper Grinder brings it to yet another level with the variety of your experience. You’re constantly being delivered new and interesting mechanics and functions, paced just right to avoid being either drawn out or overwhelming. If you’re looking for non-stop platforming excitement, this indie game has you covered.
Ourreview of Pepper Grindergave it four stars, complementing the mechanics, variety, and constantly-fresh gameplay experience.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a ground-up remake of one of the most beloved games of all time. In true Zelda fashion, this action-adventure game will take you straight back to the 90s.
The 2019 re-release gives the game a gorgeously vibrant coat of paint and makes your revisit to Koholint Islandall the more pleasing to the eye. You take control of a freshly animated Link as he explores an open world that’s chock-full of dungeons to explore, classic Zelda puzzles to solve, and tense boss fights.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an offshoot of the ever-popular genre of Musou games, otherwise known as the Dynasty Warriors series. It’sa prequel of sortsto Breath of the Wild and is set 100 or so years before the events of the game, where Link and Zelda recruit allies all across Hyrule to stop the evil forces led by Calamity Ganon.
While the scientific Sheikah Purah gained massive popularity in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with her adult form, she actually achieved that form a few years prior in Age of Calamity.
You will take part in large-scale battles while strategically commanding your army to victory. Although lacking a little depth, the moment-to-moment hack-and-slash gameplay feels great, and there’s a huge amount of content to get sucked into, making it well worth a purchase.
Hollow Knight is a brilliant sidescrolling action platformer that merges some of the most popular genres. Those familiar with Soulslikes will feel right at home with the game’s brilliant skills-based hack-and-slash combat, as well as its eerie atmosphere andintriguingly vague lore.
It also heavily borrows from Metroidvanias, with a huge sprawling cave network to uncover and explore, as well as a variety of traversal upgrades to go back and enter previously inaccessible areas.
Astral Chain is yet another fantastic title fromPlatinumGames' brilliant libraryof action games for the Switch. Its frantic combat is set against a futuristic cyberpunk-esque backdrop with all the grandiose set pieces and delightfully unique mechanics you would expect from the prolific developer.
As a detective from a special police task force, it’s your job to investigate and solve cases while exploring and interacting with NPCs. You’ll eventually stumble upon the Astral Plane, where the meat of the awesome combat will take place. Here, you’ll be able to summon a variety of Legions to do your bidding, with each coming in different forms and with their own unique combat and traversal abilities.
There is so much that Hades gets right. This ever-pervasive indie mega-hit merges the best elements fromtop-down isometric dungeon crawlersand the thrill of satisfyingly difficult action roguelikes. It puts them all under the same mythological umbrella and includes a captivating story that features an exciting assortment of Gods from the Greek pantheon.
The moment-to-moment gameplay feels slick and punchy, allowing you to try out a variety of weapons while allowing you to change up your build on the fly. The visuals are gorgeous, and the story is worth the countless deaths you’ll experience before the end.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps managed to do what any game sequel hopes to: capture the magic that made the original game a hit while still improving upon it in a meaningful way. This tremendously beautiful Metroidvania game will entice you with its stunning graphics, keep you pulled in with its fast-paced but tight and fluid combat and controls, and leave its mark on your heart witha touching soundtrackand gripping narrative.
The Nintendo Switch may not be the ideal platform for this game, with the potential for a lost framerate or rare stutter. Some graphical effects were also dialed down to not overwhelm the hardware. But even then, it’s an absolute treat to the eyes and doesn’t hinder the still-satisfying gameplay.
