Summary
- The Switch 2 launch had more new games, including RPG Bravely Default, offering better variety than the original.
- The Switch 2 boasted impressive new ports like Cyberpunk 2077, enhancing the selection compared to the original Switch.
- The Switch 2's backwards compatibility, GameCube support, and upgraded ports outshine the original console's 2017 launch lineup.
2017 began relatively strongly thanks to the Nintendo Switch launching at the beginning of March. That’s nearly unheard of for a console, as most tend to release sometime during the fall or holiday season. It was a struggle for Nintendo fans to get their hands on one, but those who managed to were overjoyed thanks to a particular set of Nintendo Switch launch games.
10 Things To Do First With Your Nintendo Switch 2
Make sure the Nintendo Switch 2 is set up and ready for many hours of gaming with this handy list of things to do after unboxing the new console.
How does the Switch 2 compare? It technically has more games at launch thanks to backwards compatibility, which is always good to see in a new console. Does it have a strong list of new games, though? Let’s compare the two consoles and see which one boasted the better games library at launch.
Brand-New Launch Day Titles (Switch 1 Win)
Link Takes The Lead
- Switch: 1-2-Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Bomberman R, and Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together
- Switch 2: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Deltarune Chapters 3+4, Fast Fusion, Mario Kart World, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Shine Post: Be Your Idol!, and Survival Kids
Both the original Switch and Switch 2 featured a handful of new games, ranging from exclusives to debuts on multiple platforms. The original Switch got 1-2-Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together, and Super Bomberman R, which were all new launch day games. 1-2-Switch and Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together were clever puzzle and party games that effectively demonstrated the Joy-Con’s unique functionalities. Super Bomberman R was also exclusive, not appearing on any other console until 2018, and served as a fun refresh for the Bomberman franchise. The obvious star debut was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which did admittedly come to the Wii U as well, but most consider this game a must-have on Switch and one of the best games in the Zelda franchise.
The Switch 2 got Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Deltarune Chapters 3+4, Fast Fusion, Mario Kart World, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Shine Post: Be Your Idol!, and Survival Kids for its new launch day games. Deltarune Chapters 3+4 technically launched a day before on other platforms, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma was released on Switch as well as Switch 2 on launch day. The rest of the lineup is all exclusive, though, with Shine Post: Be Your Idol! As the one outlier since that game has only been released in Japan so far. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is an update based on the 2012 3DS game, a classic Square Enix title and a must-have for RPG fans on the Switch 2.
Survival Kids is a co-op game from Konami, Fast Fusion is a racing game akin to the Wipeout series, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is more like a paid tech demo than a game, in the same vein as Astro's Playroom but carrying a price tag. The big launch title is Mario Kart World, which features a semi-open world, new modes like Knockout Tour, and tons of costumes for each character. It’s a good update on the series, but can it compete with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? The simple answer is no because of the sheer amount of content in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which gives the original Switch a win.
New For Nintendo (Switch 2 Win)
An Easy Win For The Switch 2
- Switch: I am Setsuna
- Switch 2: Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman: World of Assassination, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, and Yakuza 0
This category will go through Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 launch games that were ported from other consoles but had never been released on a Nintendo platform before. The only new port the original Switch received was I Am Setsuna, a Square Enix turn-based RPG that launched in 2016 for various platforms, including the PS4. This “lineup” obviously pales in comparison to the new ports for the Switch 2, including Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman: World of Assassination, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, and Yakuza 0.
8 Biggest Differences Between The Nintendo Switch 2 And The Original
How does the Switch 2 outdo its predecessor? Here's a breakdown of all the major differences between the two Switch handhelds.
Hitman 3 did come to the Switch in 2021, but only through their cloud-based service. In 2023, the game was rebranded as Hitman: World of Assassination, which included the trilogy on other consoles but not the cloud-based version on Switch, which makes Hitman: World of Assassination mostly new for Switch 2 owners. Cyberpunk 2077, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, and Yakuza 0 are completely new for Nintendo, and they all run great on the Switch 2. The only odd one out there is Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess from Capcom, which is a solid action game with Pikmin-like vibes, but it is not an essential addition to the Switch 2.
Enhanced Ports (Switch 2 Win)
Catching Up To The PS5 And Xbox Series X/S
- Switch: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Human Resource Machine, Just Dance 2017, Little Inferno, Skylanders: Imaginators, and World of Goo
- Switch 2: Civilization 7, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Fortnite, Hogwarts Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune, and Dunan Unification Wars
These games did appear on Nintendo consoles before, but they were enhanced for the Switch and Switch 2. The original Switch got enhanced ports of The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Human Resource Machine, Just Dance 2017, Little Inferno, Skylanders: Imaginators, and World of Goo. Of those games, Just Dance 2017 was the biggest upgrade, as the Joy-Cons effectively captured the motion controls of dancing, compared to the odd Wii U setup. The other games were fine ports, and it was nice to see them come to a more modern platform.
The Switch 2 got more ports and bigger enhancements via Civilization 7, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Fortnite, Hogwarts Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars. Of those games, Hogwarts Legacy needed the biggest upgrade since it ran poorly when it launched on the original Switch in 2023. The Switch 2 version makes it look closer to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions, allowing Harry Potter fans can finally enjoy the game properly on a Nintendo platform.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are both great Switch games, but the Switch 2 versions are admittedly leagues ahead of the original performance levels in load times alone. Thankfully, online subscribers can get the enhanced upgrades for free if they already own the digital or physical editions of either game. Combined, they might be a bigger reason to get a Switch 2 than even Mario Kart World.
Retro Support (Switch 2 Win)
Along With Backwards Compatibility
- Switch: N/A
- Switch 2: Wii U, 3DS, GameCube, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, N64, and Sega Genesis
Backwards compatibility is always something fans look forward to when a new console launches, and support for it can be hazy at best. Xbox consoles have been good about backwards compatibility for decades now, and Nintendo has had some decent support too from their console and portable line of systems. The original Switch, unfortunately, had no backwards compatibility at launch, which left Wii U discs and 3DS cartridges gathering dust. In 2018, a year after launch, Nintendo Switch Online came out, and with it, offered twenty NES games in its digital library, which was a cool incentive to try out the program. The service on Switch eventually added support for games from the SNES, Game Boy, GBA, N64, and Sega Genesis.
8 GameCube Games That Should Be On The Nintendo Switch 2
This handled console could give these games a second chance at life.
The Switch 2, of course, got all of those retro games at launch, along with GameCube support, which is exclusive to the console. The GameCube games include F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Soulcalibur 2. Not only that, most Switch physical and digital games will work on the Switch 2. For many, though, the GameCube games alone are a win, as fans have been asking for this addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service for years.
The Verdict
Switch 2 Has An Unfair Advantage, But Wins Regardless
In retrospect, the only thing the original Switch had going for it at launch was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The other original games and ports were fine enough, but the Switch 2 simply outdoes that launch on sheer volume alone thanks to backwards compatibility and better ports. It seems unlikely that Nintendo will ever outdo a launch like this unless the Switch 3 also has backwards compatibility, but that doesn’t seem like a very Nintendo thing to do. Fans will find out in about a decade, but for now, let’s give a hearty cheer for the Switch 2’s exceptional debut.
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