The Switch launched on March 3, 2017, and alongside it was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That may be the best launch game of all time, or at least it is for a Nintendo console. The combo was enough to send everyone into a frenzy to get the console, leading to its success.
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Because it was so convenient to play games on the go or at home without worrying about syncing up save data to a cloud, the console’s fans quickly started to chant the motto, “Put it on Switch.” The Switch was great for a time, but not every game worked impressively well on the console. Some games were definitely held back by the waning hardware. They weren’t necessarily bad games, but they were rough in some places.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Complicated Multiplayer
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out at the right time on Switch to help players cope with being stuck inside during the pandemic. Players could explore their island, cut down trees, plant crops, and decorate their home to their heart’s content, and it was all a smooth operation. The one thing that wasn’t smooth was the multiplayer, which could have been hindered by the Switch’s internal chips. Going between islands was a long wait and more complicated than it needed to be, which could be fixed with the upcoming Switch 2 version.
Bayonetta 3
An Action Dip
Bayonetta 3
- Released
- October 28, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Platform(s)
- Switch
Bayonetta originated as a multiplatform game on the PS3 and Xbox 360 before Nintendo acquired it as an exclusive series during the Wii U era. Bayonetta 2 and the original game, which was ported, ran incredibly well on the Wii U, and it looked good too, as all action games should. Bayonetta 3 took a dip in quality, which is funny considering it was on a successor console to the Wii U. The graphics weren’t as impressive as they could look a bit blurry at times, and while the action was still fun and intense, it wasn’t as buttery smooth compared to other high-profile titles from PlatinumGames.
Mortal Kombat 1
Becoming A Meme
Mortal Kombat 1
- Released
- September 19, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
Mortal Kombat 1 quickly became a meme when it was released simultaneously on the Switch alongside other consoles. The characters lacked detail and appeared smooth and sometimes goofy-looking, especially when it came to their teeth. There were patches that fixed the visuals a bit, but they weren’t enough to make it look comparable to the PS5 version, for example. Beyond graphics, players had to wait through load times, and the quality of the fighting was way below average, making this version a mystery as to whether anyone at NetherRealm Studios actually played the game before release.
Hogwarts Legacy
Not Very Magical
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy had similar problems to Mortal Kombat 1, except it didn’t reach meme status quite as fast. It was the equivalent of getting a PS2 version of a game during the PS3 era, meaning that players should have known what they were getting into.
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The load times were long, the characters and the environments lacked detail, and it just didn’t feel like a big open-world adventure next to the other versions. Thankfully, the Switch 2 version is more comparable to consoles like the PS5 now, and Harry Potter fans can finally enjoy the game on a Nintendo console without feeling like they are missing out.
Super Mario Maker 2
Not As Versatile As The Wii U
Super Mario Maker 2
- Released
- June 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Switch
Super Mario Maker 2 was everything fans could have wanted in a sequel to the original Wii U game. There were more options to share levels online, it was quick and easy to make and test levels in handheld mode, and there were more options overall in what players could do mechanically, but there were also some things that the game regressed on. For example, it did not support Amiibo costumes, meaning players could not play as Link from the Zelda series or Marth from Fire Emblem. Also, in docked mode, players couldn’t use the touch controls on the Switch, so making levels became harder. The Wii U simply had a better design with the GamePad, making construction just a bit easier.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
Cloud-Based Gaming
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
- Released
- March 9, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is the example chosen to highlight the problem with the cloud version of games released on the Switch. Instead of natively porting games to the Switch in lower quality, some companies decided to host their games in the cloud to presumably boost performance. Every game in the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX ran okay, but because the internet connection wasn’t the smoothest internally on the Switch, it wasn’t as good as playing natively on a console. It’s a bit odd that Square Enix went this route since these Kingdom Hearts games were mostly from the PS2 era and should have thus run fine on the Switch.
Miitopia
Passing On SpotPass
Miitopia
- Released
- July 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Miitopia was a 3DS game originally that was an auto-playing turn-based RPG. The gimmick involved the game using Miis players who came across using SpotPass and StreetPass functionality. By 2017, when the game launched in North America, most 3DS users probably had a wide array of friends they could import into the game. It was never the system’s best RPG, but the friend gimmick made it fun to go through. While it was a good idea to make a Switch version so that new players could discover it, the new version lacked the SpotPass magic of the original, thus making the Switch port inferior.
Pokemon Scarlet/Violet
It’s Not Super Effective
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Released
- November 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Switch
It’s understandable when third parties launch poor quality versions of their games on inferior consoles, like Mortal Kombat 1 and Hogwarts Legacy. It’s less understandable when a big Nintendo partner like Game Freak launches games like Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, which looked like beta versions.
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Everything felt off about the games, which was sad because these were the pillars of the next big Pokemon generation. The games ran poorly with low frame rates, and the characters, Pokemon, and the world lacked detail. It now runs smoother on the Switch 2, but there’s no forgetting how these games looked initially for diehard Pokemon fans.
The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019)
Wonky Toys
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Released
- September 20, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
The 2019 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening didn’t have the most disastrous launch out of all of these games. That said, Zelda fans are used to titles launching with excellent performance. The game, despite being a top-down adventure, struggled a bit to keep up with the frame rate. The dip was noticeable, but it didn’t detract from the overall experience. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a low-key example, but it’s still worth mentioning as it was a blight on an otherwise great remake.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
A Big, Rough Open-World
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Released
- December 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was an absolutely massive open-world game comparable to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Wild, as they both launched in 2017. Compared to the two previous Xenoblade games, this sequel looked a bit rougher. The frame rate could dip while exploring or fighting in battles, and the quality of the graphics could lack details in some areas, from environments to characters. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition were all later releases on the Switch, and they all looked and performed better than Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which is the real mystery. Perhaps it was just a bit rushed to meet the 2017 deadline.
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