Most Controversial Nintendo Switch Games

The Nintendo Switch has been a massive return to form for the company after the colossal failure of the Wii U. The console has made history and shipped millions of units, boasting a library of amazing games that players can't get enough of.

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However, despite Nintendo's best efforts to keep their image as clean as possible, some of the games on this console have stirred up their fair share of controversy. Whether for reasons within or outside their control, these games made the news for all the wrong reasons.

8 Arms

The Reception To This Game's Launch Was Far From Positive

After a strong launch lineup for the Switch consisting of Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, fans were expecting the moon for successive exclusive Switch games. With the announcement of a new IP, players wondered if Arms could establish a name for itself as one of the best games on the console.

The reality was something else entirely. Arms disappointed many players and made them worry about the Switch's future. While it's clear now that this reaction was overblown and Arms itself was a great game, the lack of content at launch coupled with a fairly basic gameplay loop prevented players from being all that excited about Arms when it launched.

7 Mario Strikers: Battle League

The Lack Of Content At Launch Was Unjustifiable

While the Mario sports games are as palatable as they come, the content on offer is always a bit of a mixed bag. However, no game disappointed fans more than Mario Strikers: Battle League, which lacked any meaningful content when it launched.

It was easy for players to sink a few hours in this game with friends before eventually getting bored and moving on. Given the lengthy wait for a new Mario Strikers title, it's clear to see why fans were enraged and expected better from Nintendo, who took things a step too far and released a game on the console that was devoid of meaningful gameplay options and had a pretty lean roster to boot.

6 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

The Picture Of The Cast Of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 And Its Implications Drew The Fanbase's Ire

It's a testament to the passion of the Xenoblade Chronicles fans that a simple picture turned into a hotbed of controversy. While this image appears in the third game, the photo shows the main cast of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 where Rex had fathered a child with three different women.

Some people considered this to be a non-issue, while others hated the idea of a teenager enjoying a harem ending at the end of one of the most divisive entries in the series. The controversy became so huge that people started debating the ethics of polyamorous relationships, which is the last topic players expected from the Xenoblade Chronicles series.

5 1-2-Switch

Should've Been Packaged With The Console, Especially Since The Quality Isn't Great

1-2-Switch is a fun way to show off the motion controls of the Switch, but the problem lies in how this title was sold. Instead of being packaged with the Switch like most people would assume, 1-2-Switch was sold separately with a major price tag that didn't justify the game's content.

Paying full price for what was essentially a tech demo for a new console didn't sit right with fans. The minigames were decent but nothing to write home about, making 1-2-Switch either a forgettable Switch exclusive or an example of Nintendo's greedy business practice based on what one heard from other fans.

4 Pokemon Scarlet And Violet

The Game Was Downright Unplayable When It Launched

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is another divisive entry in a series that has become a hotbed of controversy for fans. Game Freak was unable to shake off the accusations of phoning it in with their Pokemon games, especially given how broken this title was at launch.

Things were so bad that Nintendo issued refunds for the game, which was unheard of for a mainline Pokemon entry. While the technical state of the game is better now, players still remember how angry fans were when they got their hands on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet only to find themselves watching a trainwreck unfold before their very eyes.

3 Batman: Arkham Trilogy

Arkham Knight's Abysmal Performance Is Hard To Fathom

Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are two of the best superhero video games of all time, and playing this title on the Switch was welcomed by many. However, fans wondering if Arkham Knight would play well on the Switch realized how poorly it was optimized from the get-go.

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Unplayable is a word used quite liberally, but it should be taken at face value when it comes to Arkham Knight. The game runs so poorly that it's impossible for players to have any fun with this title, making the Switch version of Arkham Knight undoubtedly worse than its launch version on PC by a country mile.

2 Bayonetta 3

There Was A Ton Of Controversy Surrounding The Main Character's Voice Actor

It's a shame that the conversation about Bayonetta 3 revolved around false accusations thrown around by Hellena Taylor. Hideki Kamiya, the game's director, was harassed on Twitter/X for days before the truth came out and things normalized for a second.

However, that doesn't take away from the deplorable way players harassed Kamiya and the new voice actor, industry veteran Jennifer Hale. It was an ugly controversy, but didn't take anything away from Bayonetta 3's incredible gameplay, which fans had a great time with.

1 Pokemon Sword And Shield

The Lack Of Improvements For The Most Profitable IP In The World Disappointed Many Fans

There's no denying that Pokemon Sword and Shield is one of the most controversial video game releases of all time. Fans were anticipating the moon and back for what would be the first-ever home console release for Pokemon, only for wave after wave of bad news to hit them.

The lack of a complete Pokedex disappointed many fans, while pre-release footage caused accusations of laziness to be thrown at Game Freak. The game only divided fans more upon release, with players hating the draw distance and lack of animations, with the latter making battles feel rather static.

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