Mario Strikers: Battle League

A masterclass in competitive game design that is pure, refined arcade football. The deep mechanics click into place after a few hours, the gear and hyper-strike systems add tactical depth without breaking balance, and it is one of the best-looking, best-animated Nintendo games with a soundtrack that goes hard. Online slowdown is a minor letdown, but the core experience makes it the best sports game on Switch.

An accessible, fast-paced arcade football game that is easy to pick up yet tough to master, with gorgeous animation, expressive characters, and pumping music. The gameplay and controls are strong, but the experience is undercut by bare-bones online play limited to one-versus-one and a light single-player offering thin on content at launch. Enjoyable overall, though the value feels stretched at the premium price.