NINTENDO GAME OF THE YEAR

RUNNER-UP NEW POKÉMON SNAP

Developer Bandai Namco Studios

Publisher Nintendo, The Pokémon Company Format Switch This on-rails point-and-shooter’s belated comeback, some 22 years after the N64 original, was an unexpected treat. Perhaps the best-looking Pokémon to date, it offers a larger range of critters to photograph, and makes them more reactive: months on, players are still discovering odd combinations to fill their album with wondrous shots.

RUNNER-UP METROID DREAD

Developer MercurySteam, Nintendo EPD Publisher Nintendo Format Switch Samus’s return alone might have been enough to secure this game’s spot in the list – especially with her sleek new moveset – but the introduction of the EMMI guaranteed it. In a game which otherwise hurtles along with all the speed of a Shinespark boost, these stalking robotic predators slow things down and crank the tension right up.

WINNER MONSTER HUNTER RISE

Developer/publisher Capcom Format Switch You know it’s not been a vintage year for Nintendo when it doesn’t top this category, but it had its work cut out against this powerful competitor. Rise could easily have been a diet World, but Capcom’s improvements ramp up the pace of battles while demonstrating what Switch can do when pushed to its limits. A thrilling game and a technical powerhouse.