The Nintendo Switch 2‘s launch lineup is promising a lot, with some heavy-hitting titles right out the gate. Though the Switch 2‘s opening pitch has a great deal going for it, there are areas for improvement.
The Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles will be a varied bunch, and there’s a lot to look forward to. The Switch 2 Direct from earlier this month confirmed that the new Mario Kart World will be a launch title for the system, alongside Switch 2 editions of prior games and ports of major AAA titles like Cyberpunk, which were too beefy for the original platform. Donkey Kong Bananza will also be releasing only a month after the console’s launch, making it a big part of the platform’s appeal on launch.
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Nintendo Switch 2’s Launch Lineup Compared To Prior Nintendo Consoles
The Switch 2 Is Following In The Footsteps of The Switch, And Making The Same Mistakes
Switch 2 lineup:
- Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer
- Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Civilization 7 (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
- Deltarune
- Fast Fusion
- Fortnite
- Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Godess
- Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Mario Kart World
- Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
- Nobubaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
- Street Fighter 6
- Survival Kids
- Split Fiction
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition)
- Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
Original Switch Lineup:
- 1-2 Switch
- Fast RMX
- I am Setsuna
- Just Dance 2017
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove/Spector of Torment
- Skylanders: Imaginators
- Snipperclips
- Super Bomberman R
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
When looking at the history of Nintendo launch titles, it’s clear that Nintendo is trying to repeat the Switch’s success. Not only is the console seeding releases throughout the year for long-term success (doing with Bananza what the original Switch did with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey), but the Switch 2 Direct propped up the upcoming console’s indie support in a big way with Deltarune and Silksong, a strategy that paid off massively with the Switch.
There are also clear signs that Nintendo’s strategy has changed since the Switch, adapting for different purposes. The launch slate specifically highlights AAA releases like Cyberpunk 2077 and Split Fiction, demonstrating how much performance has improved in the gap between consoles. Moreover, the Switch 2’s major launch title being the exclusive Mario Kart World separates the console from its predecessor. The Switch’s biggest game on release was Breath of the Wild, which also released on the Wii U—but the Switch was trying to appeal to those who hadn’t bought into the Wii U (a demographic Nintendo sorely needed to win back). This time, Nintendo needs to get those who already own a Switch onboard, so its headlining game is fully exclusive to the new console.
On the other hand, the Switch 2 may be repeating some of the Switch’s mistakes. The Switch 2’s Welcome Tour has all the trappings of a tech demo, but Nintendo will nonetheless be charging for it—a similar situation to the Switch launch game 1-2-Switch!, which originally sold for $50. Most players agreed that 1-2-Switch! should’ve been a free ‘pack-in’ game, like the Wii’s Wii Sports, a sentiment that fans feel all the more towards Welcome Tour. Given that it seems as if Welcome Tour will ‘only’ cost $5-10, this charge seems incredibly petty, especially considering the console’s existing price problems.
The Switch 2’s Launch Titles Far Surpass The Wii U, But There’s An Eerie Similarity
Wii U Lineup:
- Assassin’s Creed 3
- Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
- Chasing Aurora
- Darksiders 2
- Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
- EA Sports FIFA Soccer 13
- ESPN Sports Connection
- Game Party Champions
- Just Dance 4
- Little Inferno
- Madden NFL 13
- Mass Effect 3
- Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition
- Nano Assault Neo
- NBA 2K13
- New Super Mario Bros. U
- Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
- Nintendo Land
- Rabbids Land Wiki
- Scribblenauts Unlimited
- Sing Party
- Skylanders Giants
- Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed
- Tank! Tank! Tank!
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition
- Transformers Prime
- Trine 2: Director’s Cut
- Frozenbyte
- Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
- Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
- Wipeout: The Game 3
- ZombiU
The Switch 2 finds itself somewhere between the Wii U and original Switch in terms of game count, boasting 21 games while the original Switch had just under a dozen and the Wii U had over 30. Size-wise, the lineup is most similar to the 3DS, which launched with 18 games.
It goes without saying that Nintendo isn’t interested in leaving a console out to dry on launch again, which is what happened to the Wii U. Compared to the Wii U’s extraordinarily limited first-party support on release, the Switch 2 is miles ahead. However, the Wii U remains an important console for comparison, as it was Nintendo’s previous attempt at a ‘sequel’ console. When looking through that lense, there are some unfortunate similarities regarding the Nintendo Switch 2’s pricing.
Part of why the Wii U failed was its price hike, costing an extra $50 compared to the original Wii for very little extra benefit. Eventually, some incredibly solid first-party games would come, but the console’s main gimmick was poorly marketed—and its major launch release, New Super Mario Bros. U, did very little to stick out from its Wii equivalent while costing just as much. The Switch 2 is adding a whopping $150 to its predecessor’s price, and the $80 Mario Kart World may not be enough to entice fans that can already play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- Brand
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Nintendo
- Operating System
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Proprietary
- Storage
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256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
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Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
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Yes