The Switch 2 Is No Longer Just the “Nintendo Console”

If you are a longtime Nintendo fan, no matter your age, then September 9th probably left you quite astonished at how Nintendo is now finally, finally, feeling right on par with its longtime competitors.

It is no secret that the first Nintendo Switch lacked hella graphical power. And although there are many of us on the “wellll, gameplay > graphics” team (including me, to an extent; poor visuals can definitely be detrimental to the gaming experience). Graphics really can add something special, as PlatinumGames has beautifully demonstrated over the years with their absolute wizardry on Nintendo hardware. Which always hampered with the decision of gamers to adop a Switch 1, they simply thought it as a side system.

But I digress, we’ll talk about that another day. We’re here to talk about a bombshell of a Nintendo Direct!

The Switch 2 competes on all fronts! Nintendo’s latest system is shaping up to be for anybody and everybody. We are no longer shackled to the concept of, “Well, you gotta own a PC/Xbox/PS5 and a Switch for those Nintendo games.”

Noooooope.

This system is becoming a legitimate staple that can seemingly play almost anything and everything, and Nintendo made that point VERY clear when they started flexing their third-party support like they had just snagged the entire release calendar from the competition.

You’re telling me we’re getting Persona 6 right alongside the other big boys and girls???

And Capcom just keeps coming back to Nintendo providing goodies; Geralt, yet again continuing on his path toward Skyrim-levels of ridiculous re-releases, has made his way onto the Switch 2. Monster Hunter Wilds looks incredible! Mega Man is back for the platformer lovers. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is coming to Nintendo, and we Nintendo owners do not have to sit around waiting an entire year for a rerelease!

Although it was already becoming evident with the first Switch, I truly love seeing RPGs return to Nintendo in a way that reminds me of the company's dominant SNES and DS days.

Not only are we getting Persona 6, but we’re being absolutely showered with an RPG avalanche: P4 Revival, Danganronpa, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, Romancing SaGa 3, Eternal Anima, and many more. That isn’t even mentioning the already robust RPG lineup available on the system.

Now, onto the big homies.

WE GOT A NEW METROID 2D ACTION PLATFORMER!

If you are like me and thoroughly enjoyed Metroid Dread, then you can probably already see the potential of this new iteration. The new mechanic of sucking up someone’s soul like some damn heroic villain looks incredibly refreshing, and I cannot wait to see how it ties into the story.

The action looks frantic, the game looks like it will have a legitimate skill curve, and that is exactly how I wanna sweat a Metroid game. And don’t let the term “2.5D” fool you either: The game looks gorgeous!

Then we have the new Kirby game, which looks exquisite.

Absolute cinema.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land proved that Kirby works remarkably well in 3D, and World Beyond looks like Nintendo asking “How about Kirby XL???” Although, to the distaste of some boys out there, sometimes the answer really is that bigger is better. I also love how Nintendo seems to be aiming for those spring release windows with Kirby and the Forgotten Land and now Kirby and the World Beyond. It just fits. The bright, vibrant colours of Kirby alongside the blooming colours of spring almost feel made for each other. This is absolutely going to be a day-one purchase for me.

But we ain’t called Grumpy Gaming Suite for nothing. We gotta be mad about something here!

The recycling bin is back in full force with rereleases of Pikmin 4 and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Both were fantastic titles on the first Switch, but it does get tiring seeing games released over and over again. We already saw plenty of this during the Switch 2 launch window, where a significant chunk of the lineup consisted of upgraded or remastered Switch 1 titles.

And although that is not entirely a bad thing, it definitely leaves a bad taste in some people’s mouths when you supported these games the first time around, only to see them released again with even more content attached. Dandori Academy does look like a boat tonne of fun, though. I would probably enjoy the hell out of it.

There were honestly so many games shown during this Direct that I cannot possibly do all of them justice here. But if you haven’t watched it yet, you reeaallyyy gotta. It is absolutely worth the watch. We didn’t even talk about the supplemental Ocarina of Time direct. We eating!