Cliff Notes – Which Switch games will get Switch 2 upgrades
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The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to feature special editions of existing Switch games, with potential upgrades for titles like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which have performance issues on the current hardware.
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There is skepticism regarding the effectiveness of upgrading other popular titles such as Animal Crossing and Mario Kart, as their performance may not significantly improve with the new console’s capabilities.
- Concerns have been raised about the potential reintroduction of the Wii U GamePad functionality, with doubts about its practical application and whether it would enhance gameplay experiences in a meaningful way.
Games Inbox: Which Switch games will get Switch 2 upgrades?
Will the two Zelda games get an upgrade on Switch 2? (Nintendo)
The Monday letters page is not convinced bringing back the Wii U GamePad for Switch 2 is a good idea, as a reader thinks the Zelda movie should’ve been animated.
Unnecessary changes
Very interesting to see it confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will have special editions of Switch 1 games. I will be very interested to see what difference it will make and what games will be included, since the way they word it implies it won’t be an automatic thing but more like a PlayStation 5 update.
I would guess Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of The Kingdom will get one, as they both have some performance issues. But I don’t see how something like Animal Crossing or even Mario Kart could really benefit. The mainline Pokémon games are a mess but it’s not a lack of horsepower that’s the problem, but Game Freak being a bad game developer.
Nintendo is very good at getting games to look good without pushing any technical barriers and even games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Mario Odyssey, and Luigi’s Mansion 3… I’m not sure how you improve them without completely remaking them? I guess you could add some ray-tracing and a 60fps option for Luigi’s Mansion but apart from Zelda I’m not sure there’s any game that would have changes that ordinary people would notice.
Hooper
No idea
I can very easily believe this rumour about the ‘C’ button being to turn the Switch into a Wii U GamePad, that’s absolutely the sort of thing Nintendo would do. They don’t like to give up on an idea and I agree that Nintendo Land was a great game that I’d like to see come back. It’s not deep but it’s definitely the best party game I’ve ever played.
The problem is I never saw the GamePad used for anything else worthwhile. The GamePad bits of Star Fox were the worst part and everything else was just a map or inventory or other minor thing that you could’ve easily done without (and have done in the games that have already been ported to modern formats).
If Nintendo had any big ideas for the GamePad it sure didn’t make that clear when the Wii U was around, so I’m not sure what the point of bringing it back is. Maybe they’ve had some late-breaking brainwave but if it’s just to port Nintendo Land over I’m all for it, but it seems a strange use of their time and money.
Onibee
Gut reaction
I was very on the fence regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as I wasn’t interested in the feudal Japan setting. Especially, as I would love to see one set in the Ancient Roman empire, but oh well. But for some reason I purchased it and having played through it for a bit here are my early thoughts.
It’s exactly what I expected from an Assassin’s Creed game. But visually I think the game looks gorgeous on my Xbox Series X. I’m also starting to get interested in the Japanese culture. And I like Naoe very much. As for any debates or controversy over this game. I have little interest in any of that.
To me it represents the worst of internet culture. Where rumours, hearsay, and various complaints spiral out of control, spurred on by narcissistic YouTubers, etc. It’s the same thing when Xbox made some games multiformat. As an Xbox Series X owner I could not care less. But to listen to some people you would think it’s the end of the world. So yes, I’m very much enjoying Shadows. Like I said, I bought it because I listen to my gut telling me to do so and I don’t regret it, as it’s a great game.
icelticghost
Mass market pricing
Firstly, I think everyone is way off with their price of the Switch 2. £400 may look cheap compared to Steam Deck and the other home consoles, but this is a family friendly machine that Nintendo needs parents to buy for their kids.
The Nintendo 64 launched at £250 but was quickly slashed to £150. Now, while I don’t think they will sell it at a loss, their profit on each console does not have to be that high in the beginning, Nintendo just need to get it in as many homes as it can.
The fact that many people have stuck with the previous gen consoles because the PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X are so expensive is something Nintendo needs to overcome. Selling games is where the real money is, and a video game company has to sell consoles to do that.
So, I will say the Switch 2 will launch for £299, which may seem unbelievable to some but that is still a lot of money; even though Nintendo have a fanbase that would pay anything and buy two as well. I think that’s a lot more realistic than £400.
SiFiJedi
GC: Nintendo always tries to sell its consoles at a profit and the OLED Model already launched at £309.99, but who knows – maybe you’re right. Hopefully we’ll find out on Wednesday.
A Link to middle age
A live action Zelda movie seems like such a bad idea to me. I guess the idea is that serious, or at least semi-serious, animated films don’t do well but I would’ve thought How to Train Your Dragon would be the obvious comparison to make (especially when trying to sell an idea to a movie exec) of the type of tone you’d be looking for from a Zelda movie.
I know it’s not 1:1 but it’s in the same ballpark and a good match, I think. But a live action movie? The casting for that is going to be a nightmare and probably get caught up in culture wars (especially as I agree Link should be played by a woman – Peter Pan panto style). But whoever they pick they’re immediately going to start looking too old with the sequel.
Do we really want Tom Holland, or whoever they choose, pushing 40 when he’s in the third part of the trilogy? I can’t think of a single reason that live action makes sense, and I do worry that Nintendo is getting some very bad advice for its movie ventures, whether they’re successful or not.
Gorf
Movie logic
I’ll be very disappointed if Naughty Dog go back to working on Uncharted. They said they were done with the series and I can’t believe they’d go back for any reason other than Sony told them too, which isn’t the sort of thing that’s likely to end up with a great game.
If, on the other hand, they end up making something brand new, maybe this fantasy game people have been hinting at, I will be very impressed. If Naughty Dog can use their fame to just do whatever they want that would be amazing and would finally be a move towards games acting like movies.
If a director has a big hit, critical or commerical, they’ll almost always get enough funding to make one or two films of whatever they want and only if they’re a flop will they be reeled in again. This never happens with games.
Even Hideo Kojima is just making a sequel to his last game, even though he’s completely independent now. If things don’t work out and Naughty Dog are sent back down the Uncharted mines then at least they had a couple of chances to do whatever they want.
If what they’re working on next is just a sequel though, either Uncharted or The Last Of Us, then what’s the point? That moment of power and the chance to make whatever they want is gone. The can do The Last Of Us Part 3 anytime they want, in fact Sony will probably insist they do, so go for broken now while you have the chance.
Tacle
Current formats
Why is the next Batman game limited to the next gen if consoles? It’s like companies really want money but aren’t smart enough to sell to people that aren’t upgrading to the next console.
PlayStation 5 sold really well and Xbox Series X/S exists. Unless it takes, like, five years to come out, how can they justify the numbskull-ery?
Bobwallett
GC: They’ve only just started it, so it’s definitely going to take at least five years to come out. But the rumour clearly states that it’s also planned for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Old masters
I’ve been watching the Metroid Prime 4 trailer again and again and I really can’t figure out whether it’s something the Switch could do or not. The graphics do seem too good, but I think only if you assume it’s an open world game. But I get the feeling everything is taking part in very small ‘rooms’ again, like the previous games.
That’s fine, that’s what the games have always been and I doubt even the Switch 2 will be that powerful, but the smaller the area the more you can put into the graphical detail and enemy animation, etc. Or at least that’s how I understand it.
So, I think probably that footage is running on the Switch. Whether it’ll be even better on Switch 2 I don’t know. I guess so, but I very much doubt it’ll suddenly become proper open world, because that would change the whole design.
Developers always get the best out of a console right as it’s on its way out and Retro Studios were always one of the best. I mean, the remaster of Metroid Prime 1 is one of the best looking games on Switch and that’s based on a GameCube game!
Sometimes it’s not about polygons or ray-tracing or all that stuff, it’s just talented artists able to create a sense of immersion, and that’s something I expect Metroid Prime 4 to have no matter what its technical abilities are.
Horon
Inbox also-rans
For this Tencent news to be in any way good news for Ubisoft I’d want to see proof that they’re going to make something other than games in those three franchises. I’m not holding my breath.
Kosh
OK, so Patapon and Everybody’s Golf is coming to Switch now. So how about we have Bloodborne next? I don’t see why not, because it’s being just as ignored as those franchises at the moment.
Cronan
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