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Note: We’ve updated this article to reflect the one-year anniversary of the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo started as a humble playing-card company in the late 1800s, but ended up saving the video game industry from a financial crash in the early 1980s. Since then, Nintendo has had an illustrious history and has gone on to become arguably the most important console manufacturer of all time. Let’s take a walk down memory lane as we look back at the company’s console hardware highlights.

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Related: Evolution of Sony PlayStation consoles

Nintendo has been on a roller coaster this century. While its dedicated handheld business has remained strong despite competition from Sony and an explosion in mobile gaming, its console business has been up and down, to say the least. GameCube, a fairly direct competitor to PlayStation 2 and Xbox, sold fewer than 22 million units. Nintendo tried something radically different with Wii and it paid off in spades, selling more than 101 million units. With Wii U, Nintendo again shied away from directly competing with the more traditional (and powerful) consoles offered by Sony and Microsoft, but this time it failed, selling fewer than 14 million units. With nearly 15 million sold already, Nintendo Switch has surpassed expectations, outsold Wii U in less than a year, and looks primed to have another tremendously successful year in 2018. How did we get here?

Switch’s reveal back in October 2016 came as little surprise. A console/handheld hybrid had been heavily rumored, and to some, it appeared to be nothing more than a second attempt at Wii U that addressed its biggest flaw (the need to be tethered to a console plugged into the wall). The immediate reaction from the investment community wasn’t strong; while Nintendo’s stock price had recovered somewhat since its Wii U era collapse, it dropped again in the immediate wake of the announcement, and analysts doubted its appeal. Much of Wii’s success stemmed from reaching a mainstream audience, attracting those who wouldn’t typically buy a games console. Considering the continued surge of interest in free-to-play games, some questioned the potential of the Switch.

Nintendo certainly appeared confident, setting the system’s price higher than many of us here at GameSpot predicted. Even with its premier launch game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, being available in functionally identical form on Wii U, strong sales at launch were inevitable. There’s a die-hard audience out there who is going to pick up any new piece of hardware, particularly when it comes with the potential to play future Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games.

Sure enough, sales were strong right out of the gate, setting various records for the company by outselling all of its previous systems, including Wii. By the end of its launch month, it had sold 2.74 million units, despite Nintendo planning to ship only 2 million total in that timeframe. It did this in part by making the unusual–and pricey–move of shipping consoles by air in addition to sea. Clearly, the early demand was there.

There were early stumbles. We knew in advance of Switch’s release that it would launch without Virtual Console or its premium online service, and Netflix–and every other streaming service–would be absent. (Streaming services are still nowhere to be seen except, oddly, for Hulu.) But in the wake of its release, supply problems (which lasted much of 2017) and technical issues threatened to upend Nintendo’s momentum. A number of users reported that their dock had scratched the system’s screen. Some found the dock warped the console due to extreme heat. And many of those who used the Joy-Con controllers wirelessly found the left Joy-Con would briefly lose connection with the system. The dock issues only affected some, and after a period of silence, Nintendo began quietly offering repairs for Joy-Cons to those who were impacted.

What appeared to be a potential mass recall situation blew over; despite all of this, Switch’s momentum carried on. The system masterfully executes on its vision–the basic concept of being able to seamlessly move from portable to docked mode and vice versa works every bit as well as you’d hope. Just as importantly, it’s somewhat quietly had one of the greatest debut years ever in terms of its game lineup. Run through a list of releases from the first year of Switch versus that of PS4 or Xbox One and it’s not a crazy argument to say that Nintendo’s console comes out on top. That’s a fact that may have been lost on some Switch owners. Thanks to its exceedingly basic Eshop (seriously, where’s the Wii shop music?), those who don’t check in routinely may miss out on some quality Switch game releases.

The Eshop has been home to so many good games thanks to solid third-party support–a trouble area for Nintendo platforms in the past. While we’ve occasionally gotten decidedly inferior versions of multiplatform games, and some of the big-name releases of the past year haven’t shown up, Switch has still amassed a very strong lineup. It’s easy to naysay ports, but whether they come from Wii U (a system that few people bought) or other platforms (where people still may have missed them), the abundance of re-releases on Switch has made it easy to build up a huge library of quality games. And thanks to Switch’s hybrid nature, many of these games feel like fresh experiences in handheld mode. Quick-fix games like Gonner or Graceful Explosion Machine, for instance, can be more appealing when you can easily jump in for a round. Being able to play a single day in Stardew Valley across multiple short sessions or collect one moon in Super Mario Odyssey before turning the system off transforms those games into different types of experiences that wouldn’t be possible on other platforms.

Year one for Switch has not been without its flaws. Accessories–particularly the $90 dock for those wanting to connect to a second TV–feel excessively priced. The system’s user interface, while pleasantly minimalist in some ways, still lacks some of the features we’ve been hoping to see for quite some time now: better game management and folder support, system-level rumble settings, and an activity log. Worse still is the absence of any way to back up save data; even older system like PSP (saves could be backed up to a PC) and Vita (cloud saves) offered some option, yet Switch offers nothing. Particularly for a system that is meant to be played on the go, where it could easily be dropped, the inability to do anything to protect your Breath of the Wild progress beyond developing an ironclad grip is worrisome.

Online support remains rudimentary. Voice chat support is laughable, and the system lacks any kind of messaging or invitation features at the system level. And Nintendo faces an unappealing task in asking those who have enjoyed online multiplayer for free to this point to begin paying for it after 18 months, assuming its paid online service launches in September as planned. It’s been delayed multiple times now and we still know very little about it, beyond the fact that it will grant access to online multiplayer, exclusive deals, and a library of online-enabled classic games. That last point is of course the most intriguing, particularly with no sign of Virtual Console surfacing. The specifics of exactly how that will work remain to be seen but will play a large role in determining how worthwhile it is.

Despite some shortcomings, Switch’s future is bright. Sales thus far have exceeded those of PS4 through a comparable period following its launch, and investors seem confident, with Nintendo’s stock price doubling since Switch’s release and reaching heights not seen since the Wii’s heyday. And that’s with good reason: Switch’s handheld nature opens the door to sell multiple units per household, rather than the one-per-family you traditionally see with consoles. That may seem unimportant to you, but a larger install base can only help in convincing third parties to continue or expand their efforts on Switch.

We don’t yet know if Nintendo will be able to keep up the software momentum seen in 2017–we didn’t go more than a few months without a big new first-party game, and it’s still kind of wild to think we got Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey in the same year. To Nintendo’s credit, it does feel like it’s finally inclined to open the floodgates to some extent, confirming the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4 and bringing the Pokemon RPG to a non-handheld that fans have been wanting to see for years. Beyond all that, there’s the unrealized, unexpected potential of the system: Labo, while not appealing to everyone, showcases functionality no one realized was possible. And we’ve yet to see alternate Joy-Cons that are more than just new colors. Combined with what we can hope will be a quality online service, there’s good reason to feel that year one for Switch was just the start of something greater.

Nintendo Switch has just turned a year old, and already the system has no shortage of quality games to play. Even before a flurry of big-name third-party ports release for the system–Bayonetta 2, Skyrim, L.A. Noire, and Doom–there were already a ton of worthwhile options on Switch. There are Nintendo’s flagship titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Splatoon 2, and a variety of other Switch games you may have missed. Beyond that, though, there’s a burgeoning selection of games that cost no more than $20.

These budget-priced games are not a concept exclusive to Switch, nor is this system the only place to find many of them. But given the system’s only a year in, it’s incredible how the platform is bursting at the seams with games to play. Particularly, if you’re just getting a system now, it can be hard to find things to play, in part because the Eshop needs some work.

In the gallery above, we’re highlighting Switch games that are available for no more than $20 on the Eshop. This is far from a comprehensive list, but if you’re looking for a cheap Switch game to pick up, you can’t go wrong with any of these options. Many are not Switch exclusives, but it’s often the best platform to play them on, thanks to newly added features or the sheer convenience of having a version you can play both on a TV and on the go. These games are presented in no particular order; they’re simply titles that are worth a look.

For an analysis of Nintendo Switch’s first year, be sure to read our feature discussing the console’s various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we still want to see from the console, and the best games on the console as of 2018.

The release of the Nintendo Switch a year ago marked the beginning of an amazing year for Nintendo. With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as its major launch title, the Switch quickly rose to the top of console sales charts and dramatically increased Nintendo’s revenue. And in the year since its launch, there has been no shortage of fantastic games coming to the hybrid console, from huge first-party games like Mario and Splatoon to indie darlings like Owlboy and Celeste. The library only seems to be expanding and improving with every consecutive release.

In this gallery, we’re taking a look back at Switch games that received a score of 8 or higher on GameSpot since the console’s release. That includes reviews for new games and updates to reviews of older games that were ported to Switch. Check out our choices for the best games released on the Switch. And with the console’s library continuing to expand, make sure to check back often as we update this feature over the coming weeks and months.

For an analysis of Nintendo Switch’s first year, be sure to read our feature discussing the console’s various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we still want to see from the console, and the best Switch games under $20.

It’s been one year since Nintendo unleashed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it hardly feels like it. Most games would have run their course after a few weeks–maybe months–but the latest Zelda game is the gift that keeps on giving. People continue to uncover new ways to manipulate its physics systems, sometimes for sheer fun and sometimes to gain a unique advantage over a specific moment in the game. And besides, many of us are still chasing every equipment upgrade or hidden Korok seed, even though we don’t need them; it’s the sheer delight of going on a Hyrule adventure that makes us want to chase every goal, no matter how small.

While players have gone to great lengths to uncover new and exciting things in the finished product, developers at Nintendo have, over the course of many interviews, unveiled lots of interesting anecdotes from the game’s development. We’re convinced that Breath of the Wild is one of the best and most interesting games ever made, so to gain so much insight into its creation has been a treat. Join us on a journey through some of the most interesting revelations from the past year, and share your own tales of adventure in the comments below.

Breath of the Wild is out now for both Nintendo Switch and Wii U. If you’re interested in Zelda guides, check out our recipe and cooking manual, our beginner’s guide, or just our general list of everything you might want help figuring out. And of course you shouldn’t miss our official review of Breath of the Wild. You can also check out our full Breath of the Wild review, our guide roundup, or our feature detailing everything you need to know about the game.

Breath of the Wild is a year old, which also means Nintendo Switch is a year old. For an analysis of Nintendo Switch’s first year, be sure to read our feature discussing the console’s various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we still want to see from the console, the best games on the console as of 2018, and the best Switch games under $20.

Not for the first time in its history, there were those who believed Nintendo was doomed in light of the Wii U‘s struggles, and that its only option was to become a third-party developer, a la Sega. The Nintendo Switch has silenced many of those critiques: Its sales have exceeded those of PS4 through a comparable period following its launch, surpassed projections, and helped to boost Nintendo’s market value to levels only exceeded during the heyday of the Wii.

And all of that is not without reason: the Nintendo Switch is great! Provided you have some use for removing it from the dock–whether it be to take it to work, school, bed, or, let’s be honest, the bathroom–it provides an experience unlike quite anything else. It’s also quietly built up an excellent library of games in just a year, even setting aside big hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.

But there’s also room for improvement. Areas in which Nintendo has historically struggled are present and need to be addressed, and there are other spots that this already solid system could be made even better. Let’s run through what we want to see.

For an analysis of Nintendo Switch’s first year, be sure to read our feature discussing the console’s various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, the best games on the console as of 2018, and the best Switch games under $20.

It has been a year since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released, and we still love it here at the GameSpot office. After all, it won our coveted Game of the Year Award for 2017, so it’s no surprise that we still spend time exploring Hyrule even now. There’s just so much to enjoy across the hundreds of hours you spend exploring its world, from solving its myriad shrines and climbing mountaintops to purchasing a house and riding a motorcycle.

To commemorate Breath of the Wild’s one year anniversary, we’ve compiled 60 things that we still love about the game. Click ahead to see them all, and be sure to tell us what you love about the game in the comments below.

Breath of the Wild is out now for both Nintendo Switch and Wii U. If you’re interested in Zelda guides, check out our recipe and cooking manual, our beginner’s guide, or just our general list of everything you might want help figuring out. And of course you shouldn’t miss our official review of Breath of the Wild. You can also check out our full Breath of the Wild review, our guide roundup, or our feature detailing everything you need to know about the game.

Breath of the Wild is a year old, which also means Nintendo Switch is a year old. For an analysis of Nintendo Switch’s first year, be sure to read our feature discussing the console’s various successes and failures. In addition, you can also check out our features detailing all the Wii U games we ported to Switch, 13 things we still want to see from the console, the best games on the console as of 2018, and the best Switch games under $20.