The Best Square Enix Games On Nintendo Switch

Square Enix has always had a knack for crafting unforgettable RPGs, but the Nintendo Switch brought a new kind of magic to the table. Suddenly, sprawling adventures that once demanded a couch and a television could now be carried around in a backpack. While not every Square Enix title made the transition gracefully, some of them feel tailor-made for the Switch’s hybrid charm — games that turn handheld sessions into epic sagas and docked play into cinematic marathons.

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Whether it’s reimagined classics, bold experiments, or massive open-world stories squeezed onto a tiny cartridge, these are the Square Enix gems that feel right at home on Nintendo’s beloved handheld-console hybrid, the Switch.

7

Harvestella

A Gentle Apocalypse Drenched In Stardust

Systems

Released

November 4, 2022

ESRB

T for Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Language, Use of Alcohol

Somewhere between a farm life sim and a fantasy action RPG lies Harvestella, a game that tries to grow crops and save the world at the same time — and somehow, it mostly works. It’s not quite Rune Factory and not quite Final Fantasy, but it’s got a melancholic soul that’s hard to ignore.

Set in a world plagued by a seasonal catastrophe called Quietus — a time when crops wither and people fall ill — Harvestella builds its stakes slowly. The game doesn’t just hand players a sword and send them on a quest. It makes them plant carrots first. Then it makes them care about those carrots. The combat, while serviceable, isn’t the main event — it’s the rhythm of daily life, the connections built with townsfolk, and the sense that everything might be slipping away just as it’s starting to feel like home.

It’s a slow burn, sure, but for players who don’t mind watching the sun rise over a pixelated field of bellhops and fairy-like bosses hiding in seasonal dungeons, there’s something strangely comforting in the end-of-the-world energy that Harvestella quietly hums with.

6

Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory

When Button Prompts Become A Love Letter To Nostalgia

Released

November 13, 2020

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Language

This one’s for the rhythm game fans who also remember the exact moment Sora picked up his Keyblade for the first time. Melody of Memory is a curious entry in the Kindgom Hearts series — a music-based spinoff that doubles as a sprawling recap of the KH saga, told entirely through its soundtrack.

From “Simple and Clean” to “The Other Promise,” the game leans hard on emotional muscle memory. Every level is essentially a musical stage where players glide, slash, and dodge along note-lanes made of memories. And while the gameplay is rhythm-first, there’s still just enough lore buried between beats to give longtime fans a reason to stick around.

What’s wild is that it’s the first Kingdom Hearts title to land natively on a Nintendo platform in years — even if it’s just a retrospective in disguise. For players who grew up watching Sora chase light across multiple dimensions, this one hits harder than expected. Plus, there’s something deeply surreal about battling Heartless to the tune of a jazzed-up “Traverse Town.”

5

Trials Of Mana

A Second Chance At Glory, Wrapped In Mana

Trials of Mana (1995)

Systems

Released

September 30, 1995

ESRB

e

The 1995 Super Famicom original (Seiken Densetsu 3) never officially left Japan until Trials of Mana dropped its 3D remake on the Switch in 2020 — and what a redemption arc that turned out to be.

The remake preserves the spirit of the original while smoothing out some of its more archaic edges. It keeps the unique character selection system, where players choose a trio from six protagonists, each with intertwining backstories and personal motives. That alone gives the replay value some serious teeth, but the real surprise is how well the revamped combat works. The fluid, real-time action finally lets the Mana series step out of its legacy’s shadow.

It still wears its old-school JRPG heart on its sleeve, from class upgrades to magic-flinging bosses, but it’s no nostalgia trap. It’s a functional, well-paced, and surprisingly emotional RPG that feels right at home on the Switch, even decades after its original form was left behind in Japan-only obscurity.

4

Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster

Love, Loss, And Blitzball

Released

March 18, 2014

ESRB

T For Teen due to Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence

There’s no overstating the legacy of Final Fantasy 10. It was the series’ first fully-voiced entry, the first to drop pre-rendered overworlds, and the first to really dig into themes like fate, mortality, and the weight of inherited trauma — all under the sunny skies of Spira.

The Switch version doesn’t change what made the game great. The HD facelift still holds up, the music still slaps, and the turn-based combat, powered by the classic Sphere Grid system, remains one of the most strategic setups in the series. But it’s Tidus and Yuna’s story that carries the emotional core, especially as it begins to unravel into something far more tragic than the opening beach vibes suggest.

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Final Fantasy 10-2, on the other hand, is still divisive — part dress-up RPG, part tonal whiplash — but beneath its pop-idol presentation is a shockingly deep job system and some of the series’ best combat mechanics. And honestly, booting up “To Zanarkand” while curled up on the Switch screen hits like a sucker punch every single time.

3

Octopath Traveler

Eight Strangers, Eight Journeys, One Gorgeous Octagon

Released

July 13, 2018

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol

HD-2D wasn’t just a visual gimmick — Octopath Traveler practically birthed an entire aesthetic movement. Those shimmering sprite-and-shader visuals became a new standard, but underneath the pretty facade was a surprisingly hardcore RPG.

Its structure is unusual: eight separate protagonists with eight separate storylines. There’s no central villain pulling the strings. No team unity arc. Just eight paths crossing in a world that feels quietly stitched together through shared themes of revenge, redemption, and discovery. Each chapter unfolds like a miniature novella, with its own tone and stakes, making Octopath feel like an anthology more than a single story.

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Combat-wise, the Break and Boost system brings the kind of tactical crunch that rewards foresight and timing over button mashing. And it helps that the soundtrack goes unreasonably hard for a turn-based RPG — tracks like “Battle at Journey’s End” could probably sell out a concert hall on their own.

2

NieR: Automata The End Of Yorha Edition

When Philosophy Meets Power-Chording Swordplay

Released

March 7, 2017

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence

The fact that NieR: Automata even runs on the Switch is a minor miracle. The fact that it runs well is borderline witchcraft. Yoko Taro’s existential android opera lands in full glory with The End of YoRHa Edition, and while the textures take a slight hit, the storytelling doesn’t lose an ounce of its impact. Automata is a game where side quests casually spiral into full-blown existential breakdowns and boss fights are often just philosophical debates with explosions.

2B and 9S’s journey through a desolate Earth long abandoned by humans is as bleak as it is beautiful. And it’s not just surface-level brooding — this is a story layered with themes of identity, memory, and the nature of purpose, delivered through shifting gameplay styles that refuse to sit still for more than ten minutes.

For players who missed it on other platforms, this version is an all-access pass to one of the most uniquely haunting experiences Square Enix has ever published — all packed neatly onto a handheld device.

1

Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

A Love Letter To Classic JRPGs That Outclasses Them All

Released

September 27, 2019

ESRB

T For Teen // Crude Humor, Simulated Gambling, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence

This is Square Enix doing what it does best — crafting a traditional JRPG that doesn’t feel outdated, but instead feels timeless. Dragon Quest 11 S is the definitive version of a modern classic, combining the best parts of old-school charm with just enough modern convenience to keep things from feeling stuck in 1992.

The world of Erdrea is massive, colorful, and soaked in that Akira Toriyama art style that somehow never ages. The story hits familiar series notes — chosen one, ancient evil, ragtag crew — but the execution is so elegant it doesn’t matter. Characters like Erik, Sylvando, and Veronica aren’t just party members, they’re personalities that stick in the memory long after the credits roll.

What makes the Switch version special, on top of the portability, is the extra orchestral soundtrack, the quality-of-life features, the 2D mode that lets players play the whole game like a classic SNES-era RPG, and even the bonus content baked into side stories and post-game segments that add real depth to each party member. It’s a masterclass in how to modernize tradition without losing its soul — and its also probably the most replayable RPG on the Switch.

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