Though underpowered and with an online store stuffed full of shovelware, I still think the Nintendo Switch is one of the best consoles of all time. Launching all the way back in March 2017, the handheld hybrid has shown remarkable longevity.
I think it’s the best console on the market for both kids and time-poor adults, thanks to the pick-up-and-play philosophy baked into the design of the hardware. What's more, the Nintendo Switch Pro controller is probably my current favorite gamepad. Yet, as much as I admire the success the Switch has garnered, I came super close to selling mine recently.
I’ve owned the Nintendo Switch OLED since the day that it launched back in late 2021, and while I think that upgraded screen is fabulous, the reality is I’ve just not played it all that much over the past 3.5 years.
The reality is I’ve just not played my Switch all that much over the past 3.5 years"
I played the hell out of the brilliant Metroid Dread when it launched alongside the OLED model, I’ve dipped back into Mark Kart 8 Deluxe every now and then, I completed the excellent Switch port of Alien: Isolation, sank over 50 hours into the remarkable The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and maybe about 10 into Super Mario Wonder. But that’s it. For context, I’ve put more time into Elden Ring than every one of those games combined. And that’s before the new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dropped.
The fact Steam Deck OLED is so damn good hasn’t helped my poor, dust-covered Switch. Valve’s handheld PC is remarkable, and you can amass an excellent library of games for not much money, thanks to regular Steam sales. That business strategy stands in sharp contrast to Nintendo’s approach of rarely dropping the price of its first-party titles, which can cost as much as $70.
Having barely touched Nintendo’s handheld this year, I came seriously close to selling it a few weeks ago. But you know what? It’s now a decision I'm glad I didn’t go through with.
Direct and to the point
Enter last week’s latest Nintendo Direct. For me, that’s perhaps the best showcase Nintendo has put on in years. Packed full of actual in-game footage — which is always welcome in an age of gaming where far too many titles still make their debuts with trailers that are 100% pre-rendered — the iconic Kyoto-based company teased a bunch of new games I’m legitimately excited to play.
Chief among them is obviously the newly retitled Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. This was the first actual gameplay we’ve seen of Samus’ long-awaited sequel, which was first announced at E3 2017, mere months after the Switch's launch. The fast paced Spare Pirate-blasting action looks very similar to last year’s brilliant Metroid Prime Remastered, which is in no shape a negative.
I’ve adored the Prime series ever since the original Gamecube entry. The chance to step back into the mighty metallic shoes of Aran is reason alone for me to keep my Switch OLED.
But Beyond was far from the only game that got my blood pumping from the Direct. As a big fan of 2019’s Link’s Awakening, I was thrilled by the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, which is due for release on September 26. Another welcome return to the top-down gameplay of old, it’s a Zelda title that actually lets you play (brace yourself) as Princess Zelda, and not elfen icon Link.
Outside of spin-off Hyrule Warriors, this is really the only time Nintendo fans have been given the chance to play as the character, which is a big deal. And no, I’m not counting those three games that launched on the ancient CD-i. God, I’m old. Anyway, Echoes of Wisdom looks really promising, with Zelda’s long range staff-based combat and a seemingly greater focus on puzzles than Link’s Awakening making this feel like a fresh spin on the iconic franchise.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership is another first-party game due out before the end of the year — it’s currently penciled in for October 7 — and it looks like an eye-catching entry in a series I’ve always had a lot of time for. Personally, I’m a big fan of the new cel-shaded art style, and I think Brothership is going to look superb on my Switch OLED’s incredible screen.
New Horizons
Another couple of titles I’m planning to pick up? Lego Horizon Adventures and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Despite the former being co-developed by Guerrilla Games Studio Gobo, it looks like it sticks to the formula that have made so many of the Traveller’s Tales Lego games a hoot to play down the years. And how wild is it to see a PlayStation IP pop up on a Nintendo system?!
As for the return of Nintendo’s lovable ape, I can’t wait to replay a high-def version of a challenging platformer I first fell in love with back on the Wii. Admittedly, I'm a sucker when it comes to buying remastered Nintendo games I’ve already played through on a previous console generation, and Donkey’s HD port will almost certainly get my money.
There is one elephant in the room, though, and sadly I’m not talking about the Dumbo-shaped version of Mario we got in Wonder. The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially coming, with The Big N confirming it will be revealed by April 2025.
"With Metroid Prime 4 due out in 2025, I'd be amazed if it wasn't a Switch 2 launch game"
With Nintendo’s track record of re-realising games, every title I just talked about may also come to the Switch’s successor (the name of the machine hasn’t actually been confirmed yet). Considering Metroid Prime 4 is slated for a 2025 release, I’d be absolutely astonished if that wasn’t a Switch 2 launch game.
Currently, I’m not planning to buy Nintendo’s upcoming console, mainly because it's been heavily rumored that it will have an LCD screen rather than an OLED panel, which is a big downgrade in my book. If Nintendo goes the hybrid route again, I could play games in Docked mode on my LG OLED G3, sure. Yet seeing as almost exclusively played the best Switch games in Handheld mode, I’d rather wait until the Nintendo Switch 2 OLED becomes a thing.
For the time being, I’m just glad Nintendo has finally given me a reason to dust off its little console, which is something I really wasn’t expecting again given that we’re so far into the Switch’s lifecycle. Well played, Nintendo.
