Summary
Nintendo is undeniably a pioneer within the video game industry, but in being so dedicated to doing things its own way, it sometimes lags behind when it comes to the standards that it hasn’t set itself.
One of the most notable examples of this is achievements. While Microsoft and Sony have been implementing this rewards system for multiple generations, Nintendo still resists creating its own version of this mechanic. However, just because Nintendo doesn’t want to create an all-encompassing system doesn’t mean that individual games can’t make their own achievements, so what are the best examples on Switch?
One of the biggest shocks of the Wii U generation was Nintendo’s unlikely partnership with Platinum Games to be the home of Bayonetta going forwards. Whileevery Bayonetta gameis available on the Switch, the only Bayonetta game that was explicitly designed with the Switch in mind was Bayonetta 3.
In spite of being perhaps the most divisive game in the trilogy, the gameplay of Bayonetta 3 is still solid and plenty of fun to play through each of its chapters. Bayonetta games can be notoriously difficult, so if you want to really challenge yourself, going for each of the in-game achievements is a great way to make the game last even longer.
Arguably one of the most visually unique and impressive games released in the Switch generation is Cuphead, and since the game is multi-platform, it has full achievement support on other systems. Instead of not including these in the Switch port, they instead are changed to an in-game system.
This means that you can still chase after these rewards if you’re choosing to play thetough-as-nails boss rush/platformeron Nintendo’s hybrid console. This in-game achievement system also carries over to the DLC campaign, so you have even more content to work through if you’re achievement hunting.
When you think of achievements, you usually think of vast single-player experiences, not first-party Nintendo multiplayer games, so you might be surprised that Super Mario Party Jamboree has its own achievement system.
Whenever you activate one of these achievements, it’ll even show up in pop-up format, similarly to achievements on other consoles. These achievements are satisfying to collect, and you use them to level up your party pass, which is used to unlock new maps, and in-game shop items.
The Ace Attorney gamesare primarily visual novels, and while there is sometimes the opportunity to customize your experience, for the most part you’ll be having a largely linear journey. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the in-game achievements for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are quite hard to come by.
These achievements require rigorous dedication, and often have quite absurd trigger-prerequisites. If you want to get each of these, make sure you’re exhausting every exploration option and dialogue choice possible, or just use a guide. Once you miss them, they can be pretty hard to go back to as well.
If there’s one thing you may’t accuse the Monster Hunter series of, it’s being light on content, and Rise on the Switch is no different. Amidst your various hunts, you’ll occasionally come across some achievements, but just like most other Monster Hunter games, most of these will require lots of time and effort.
Even discounting these achievements, Rise is still an absolutely packed game, full to the brim with content, so aiming to get all of these will only make the game even longer. So, if you plan to search for every achievement, make sure you’re aware of just how much you’re signing up for.
The Switch was one of the last consoles to finally get access to the mainline modern Persona trilogy, and the most popular of these titles is Persona 5 Royal. Available for years before its Switch port, Persona 5 Royal previously had full achievement support, and luckily a version of this system was brought into the Switch version.
Unlike the achievements on other platforms, you’ll find the achievement-like challenges in the Thieves' Den, which you can completely avoid during the main story. So, if you haven’t checked out this fun side area, make sure to check and see how well you’re doing with the challenges.
A surprise success for Nintendo has been just how much the Splatoon series has taken off in just its first few entries. While each of the three mainline Splatoon games feel largely similar to each other, with most of the changes being in the form of new stages and story modes, there are still some more minor tweaks that are added in each entry.
One of the best examples of this are the badges in Splatoon 3. These are rewards for reaching certain ranks, or playing different modes a certain number of times. Each of these badges will require both skill and dedication, so collecting even a handful is a big challenge.
For most of your time in Super Mario Odyssey, you won’t notice anything similar to a traditional achievement system. In fact, you won’t find anything akin to this until after reaching credits. Once you finally reach the adorable Easter-egg-packed Mushroom Kingdom, you’ll have the chance to talk to Toadette.
Finally, blessed with a mainline Mario appearance, Toadette displays a series of challenges for Mario to complete (and even be rewarded for) that look a lot like a typical achievement system. So, on top of the massive post-game moon hunt, you’ll also be able to try out these challenges to get some extra content from the game.
