Best Nintendo Switch Shooters iMore 2021

Although Nintendo isn't really known for shooter games, it was easy to put together a list of the best Nintendo Switch shooters. Ah, the humble shooter. There was once a time back in the Jurassic age of gaming wherein you could mention the genre, and people knew exactly what you were talking about. Now, the shooter has come to encompass a broad swath of various types of games. However, when it comes right down to it, if the main mechanic is shooting, then you are likely playing a shooter. Whatever the flavor, if you are looking for some fun shooters to play, here are some of the best Nintendo Switch games for your itchy trigger finger.

★Featured Favorite

Doom Switch

Doom

If you require blood and exploding viscera with your shooters, then you're probably going to want to pick up a copy of DOOM for your Nintendo Switch. The new port of DOOM on the Switch pretty much everything you have come to expect from the franchise, but squeezed down to fit in the palm of your hand.

Borderlands Legendary Collection Box Art Nintendo Switch

Three in one: Borderlands Legendary Collection

Staff Pick

All three Borderlands games have made it to the Switch in one game card. This shooter has unique and cute comic book style graphics that make for beautiful gameplay. Players can enjoy this solo or with friends as you make your way through this adventure with plenty of weapons to choose from.

Splattoon 2 Switch Case

Gotcha!: Splatoon 2

If you're hot for some 3D runnin' and gunnin', you can't do much better than Splatoon 2. This third-person shooter is loaded with colorful whimsy and tons of fun. Use your ink guns to blast your way through a single-player story mode or battle for supremacy online with your friends.

Metal Slug Switch

An awesome classic: Metal Slug X

The Metal Slug franchise really refined and polished the 2D shooter way back when. When it comes to side-scrolling run and gun action, it doesn't get much better than this. Released originally in 1999 for the Neo-Geo, it represented the penultimate entry in the franchise.

$8 at Nintendo
Butcher Switch

Modern with retro style: Butcher

Maybe you absolutely love the idea of a game like DOOM, but you're getting sick and tired of that darned third dimension. Don't you worry, there is a solution. And that solution's name is Butcher. This game is unrelentingly tricky and an absolute blast to play.

$10 at Nintendo
Pulstar Switch

Classic SHMUP: Pulstar

The SHMUP or shoot 'em up is one of my all-time favorite flavors of shooter. And one of my all-time favorite SHMUPs is R-Type. It has been said that R-Type will be making its way to the Switch sometime in the future. However, until that day comes, Pulstar does a great job of filling the void. A clear spiritual successor to R-type, Pulstar was originally released in 1995.

$8 at Nintendo
Danmaku Switch

Modern SHMUP: Danmaku Unlimited 3

Fortunately for SHMUP lovers like myself, there are still developers out there fighting the good fight for the genre. Danmaku Unlimted 3 takes everything that's fun about a shoot em' up and puts a gorgeous modern-day polish on the graphics, music, and gameplay.

$10 at Nintendo
Fortnite box art

Free and with friends: Fortnite

This is a free game you can play online with friends on any platform. Just download and play! There are regularly released seasons with new content for players to enjoy. Build a fort with your team and protect with all that you've got!

Free at Nintendo

Armed and ready

Now that you are armed with these favorites, go out there and find the one that fits your style. Doom is pretty much the king of blood and gore when it comes to shooters, so if you're looking for a show, this one is for you. For a more unique style and graphically different with hours upon hours of gameplay, picking up the Borderlands Legendary Collection for three-in-one is your best bet. If you're not sure if you even like shooters yet, maybe start with the free game, Fortnite and play with some friends to see what you think.

Being that the shooter genre covers such a wide area of the gaming landscape, there is always a lot of options for fans of repeatedly smashing the fire button. I am certain that we will continue to see great shooters landing on the Nintendo Switch, and I couldn't be more pleased with the prospect.

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