Getting a Switch 2? Pick Up These 3 Nintendo Games, Too
While first-party developers and popular AAA game publishers like Microsoft are bringing their games to the Switch 2, the best games on the console will still pull from Nintendo's back catalog.
The Switch 2 is backward-compatible with the original Switch's game cartridges, letting you keep your library intact. Nintendo's website explains the virtual game card sharing system for the Switch and also confirmed that "Switch 2 editions" of existing games are in development -- these games will be vastly improved versions of Switch games, with better graphics, improved frame rates and in some cases, more content to play through.
Seven separate Switch games will have Switch 2 editions on launch. They're mostly older games that pushed the original Switch's hardware to the limit, with a couple exceptions. Here are all of the confirmed Switch 2 upgrades so far.
Every Switch game confirmed to be getting a Switch 2 Edition upgrade
Nintendo
CNET has compiled an extensive list of games getting a Switch 2 edition upgrade during the launch day release batch. These are the seven games we know are getting Switch 2 editions:
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Sid Meier's Civilization 7
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
If you want to know more about what kind of upgrades you can expect from a Switch 2 edition of an old game, we've collected all of the info here.
Now Playing: Switch 2 Launch Games | Obvious Skill Issue 5
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How much will Switch 2 Edition upgrades cost?
Switch 2 Edition upgrades seem to be retailing for $20. Since Switch games retailed for $60, these upgrade costs are in line with the new normal for Switch 2 game prices. We also know that the Switch 2 Edition for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will both be free upgrades for anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
The games I wanted to see Switch 2 Editions for (and why)
When Switch 2 Editions were first announced, there were three games I wanted to see upgrades for. As it turns out, they're all getting key improvements to coincide with the launch of the Switch 2. Here's why you should grab these games on the new Nintendo console.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Nintendo
Developer Game Freak has struggled to make mainline Pokemon games work on the Switch. Sword and Shield's toxic "Dexit" controversy largely overshadowed the fact that the game had some of the most disappointing graphics on the console, and Pokemon and NPC models frequently suffered from sudden pop-ins as players explored the game's Wild Area.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet caught even more flak for its performance issues. The pop-in issue returned, but this time, distant models frequently skipped frames in their animation cycles.
While the game was larger and more ambitious with a grander open world, the game's performance suffered as a result. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have both had a hard time reaching 30 frames per second outside of most towns, and certain areas like Kitakami and Tagtree Thicket absolutely tank the frame rate.
Scarlet and Violet are getting free updates to support the games on the Switch 2's hardware, and we've seen proof that they'll finally run in 4K resolution at a consistent 60 frames per second. The graphical fidelity won't blow your mind, but the generation nine Pokemon games will finally get a chance to shine once they're unshackled from the crushing performance issues.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom's art style does a lot of heavy lifting, but the Switch 2 can really help this game out.
Nintendo
There's no doubt that Tears of the Kingdom is a beautiful game, thanks in large part to its strong art direction and cel-shaded models that make the world feel vibrant and alive. Despite that, the game doesn't do much to improve on Breath of the Wild's visual fidelity, and it suffers from blurry, low-texture terrain that muddies up the experience.
But Tears of the Kingdom's true sin lies with its performance. While the game fairly consistently reaches its 30 fps cap, there are sections of the game that drop the performance to 15 to 20 fps, which makes Tears of the Kingdom feel choppy and outdated. Areas like The Great Sky Island and the Depths, rainy days and even the core Ultrahand ability all push the Switch to its limit, and the game is drastically slower when you're in these areas or just trying to glue two items together.
The Switch 2 Edition for Tears of the Kingdom is free with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and it's packing more than a facelift and a performance upgrade.
While this upgrade will stabilize the game at 60 frames per second even during more taxing areas, the new Zelda Notes feature will also allow players to wield the Ultrahand more effectively than ever before. Ultrahand creations are the beating heart of Tears of the Kingdom's open world, and being able to import more builds will completely change the game.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
The uncanny blend of real and cartoony graphics is a key part of the Forgotten Land, but the game is held back by some low-texture models.
Nintendo
Plucked out of Dream Land and plopped down into an eerily real world, the titular pink power puff stands in stark contrast to his environment in this 3D Kirby game. Kirby and the Forgotten Land creates a world that, in many ways, visually clashes with the protagonist and his enemies, which makes it more interesting to explore. The new Forgotten Land is an analog to the real world, and it's modeled very differently from the usual cartoony landscapes and character designs that players have come to expect from the series.
While the Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land doesn't do much to fine-tune the graphical inconsistency in the base game (stages like Scale the Cement Summit stand out as winners, while Natural Plains and Winter Horns look disappointing in comparison) it adds a lot of new content that isn't available on the original Switch. In fact, the Switch 2 upgrade pack for this game is more like a DLC expansion.
This $20 Switch 2 upgrade pack includes an entirely new campaign -- when a meteor strikes the Forgotten Land, it completely warps the landscape. Every single level has received a "b-side," which reintroduces familiar platforming challenges with new twists and turns. This Switch 2 upgrade is a great excuse to return to one of Kirby's best platforming adventures.
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