Best Mech Games on Nintendo Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

Updated with Gundam Breaker 4. Enjoy!


What's the ultimate power fantasy for you? If it's getting inside a robot and delivering a metallic, explosive world of pain to your enemies, then you're probably a mecha fan.

From Gundam to Evangelion, mecha have been hugely popular in culture — particularly in anime — for years. And mech video games have followed suit, capturing every kid's desire of climbing inside a robot and piloting it to your heart's content.

With Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon launching on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, we Switch owners have been feeling a bit left out — so we've rummaged through our digital libraries, eShop wishlists, and shelves to make sure you're not missing out on the best mech games the genre has to offer on the little hybrid.

As for what a "mech" game is, we're considering anything where you either command or pilot a mech — a humanoid-type robot — as a mech game. And in a few instances, riding inside that mech isn't the only thing you do.

With that out of the way — "get in the list, readers!"

Daemon X Machina (Switch)

At its core Daemon X Machina is a solid mech action game that controls well and gives the player a generous helping of customisation options. Its mission structure can get repetitive, and its plot is so difficult to grasp it may as well be soaked in grease, but as long as you’re willing to put up with these and get through its initially bewildering array of gauges and icons you should have a good time with it.

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Megaton Musashi (Switch)

Megaton Musashi has a lot going for it, but there’s certainly a lot of room for improvement. The relatively disposable narrative is merely a lightweight obstacle in the way of the real fun found here: battling enemies and then tinkering with your rogue, the latter of which is the game’s primary attraction. It is a disproportionately excellent attraction, which makes the rest of the game’s issues secondary. This is definitely a worthwhile, if flawed, import with style to spare. We'd welcome an official, localised release in the West despite the game's issues; after all, Switch needs all the ammo it can get as it moves into its fifth year.

War Tech Fighters (Switch eShop)

War Tech Fighters does exhibit a few rough spots here and there, but it is undeniable that it ticks all the right boxes for any self-respecting mecha fan. If you're after a fast and exciting robot-based space shooter and don't mind long loading times and the odd awkward menu system, then this is worth a look.

SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (Switch)

SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays offers months of content in an accessible, user-friendly package that will reward players who like to tinker with squad micro-management but will also let newcomers to the series enjoy the pyrotechnics display from each engagement. The amount of fanservice (we're talking the good, wholesome variety here) is staggering and more than worth the admission price. To those who love strategy RPGs and have already exhausted all the usual suspects, we offer this advice: Cross Rays might just be the best game of this type on Switch that you've never heard of. It's a fitting 40th-anniversary celebration of the entire saga.

Override: Mech City Brawl - Super Charged Mega Edition (Switch eShop)

Ported to the Switch in 2019, Override: Mech City Brawl is a solid experience. Any graphical downgrade isn’t noticeable in handheld mode, and the action of the game distracts from anything that would stand out. Single-player and local multiplayer can provide hours of fun, but online multiplayer lets the game down massively. Even without cross-play, this is still a neat little title — and the Switch version comes with additional content such as new maps and mechs.

Panzer Paladin (Switch eShop)

Panzer Paladin is a retro throwback game that has heart, and even when there are a few minor niggles, that heart goes a long, long way. If you're into classic pixel art games and 2D mech titles, you should really give this a try; Panzer Paladin is an unpretentious, exuberant action game from start to finish, and a must for genre fans.

Gundam Breaker 4 (Switch)

Gundam Breaker 4 offers a return to form for the series and demonstrates time and again that it knows the importance of focusing on its strengths. Though its middling graphics and somewhat repetitive gameplay can hold it back a bit, the incredibly deep customisation options, snappy combat, and near-endless replayability make this the kind of game that’ll get its hooks in you deep once it clicks. If you're into Gundam, we’d suggest you pick this one up when you get the chance, especially if you’re looking for a content-rich and relatively low-investment action game to add to your Switch library.