Round Table: Switches and Wishes

Just over a year into the console’s lifespan, the Switch has become an unquestioned success. Nintendo and its supporters have been able to give the system a strong amount of software, but as most video game fans will tell you, more is always better! Read on to find out which games and genres the Nintendojo staff would most like to see come to the console in the near future.

Robert Marrujo

I keep thinking of different GameCube games I’ve been waiting eons for Nintendo to bring back to life in some form or another, whether it’s Virtual Console or just a straight remake. Luigi’s Mansion is one. Yeah, I know, it’s coming to 3DS, but I want the real thing and I want it on Switch. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! would be pretty legit with online multiplayer. I love Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but this is still a fun installment to come back to, especially for the Shine Battles (which are nowhere near as good in Deluxe). Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes would also be delights as portable experiences.

Beyond that, while I’m stoked for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze to come to Switch, I am desperate for Donkey Kong Country Returns to get a full HD overhaul. Maybe I’m nuts, but I honestly believe that was one of the most gorgeous games I’ve ever played, regardless of it being on Wii. It was almost like the console being underpowered forced Retro to be even more ambitious with the game’s visuals. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is in a similar boat, but I digress. I also thought that DCKR was slightly more polished feeling in terms of level design, so if Retro could just go get that on Switch real quick, I’d be much obliged!

I’m going to go in a slightly different direction with my last pick. So, I’ve been plugging away at ,em>Mother 3. It’s amazing and as soon as I’ve beaten it I’ll be gushing about it here in the ‘dojo. However, as much as I want it on Switch (and really feel like it’ll be here eventually), please Nintendo, for the love of all that’s decent in this world… do not pull a Square Enix and get rid of the pixel graphics like they did to poor Chrono Trigger. Mother 3 has some of the absolute most mesmerizing visuals I’ve ever seen in a pixel-based game. The animations are wonderful and it would be a travesty if this crucial element of the game were to be lost in an attempt to “freshen” Mother 3 for a contemporary release. I want it on a Western Nintendo console, but I want the real thing!

In all the years we’ve been at the ‘dojo together, I don’t think I’ve agreed with Robert as much as I do right now.

I would LOVE to see Donkey Kong Country Returns make the jump to Switch. In fact, if it had been ported alongside Tropical Freeze as part of a package, it would have been a Day One purchase for me. While Tropical Freeze is a gorgeous game from a technical perspective, I found it to be painfully unfun when it launched on Wii U. I loved the addition of Cranky Kong (and his Scrooge McDuck inspired control scheme) and the return of David Wise, but the difficulty level just made the package a bit too frustrating for my liking.

I’m also going to agree with Robert that the Switch really needs some GameCube love. That system remains one of my all-time favorites, and there are so many wonderful gems that have never been updated or ported. I would love to see HD updates for Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Super Monkey Ball and Eternal Darkness, just to name a few! Just think how great Isle Delfino would look with some technical upgrades!

Wrapping things up, I really would love to see Cuphead appear on Switch. I’m sure it might seem a bit ironic given I was just complaining about the difficulty level of Tropical Freeze, but something about that title really has me compelled to play it but, alas, Xbox One is the one current gen system I am still without. It’s probably the gorgeous art direction. Hopefully the game won’t remain forever exiled to Microsoft’s console.

Maurice Tyler

I’m not much of a sports gamer, but for the Switch not to have a football game at this stage seems a bit odd. So, I’d like to see the obligatory Madden NFL 19 as well as the full cadre of other sports titles that are available on other consoles.

For my nostalgia fix, Blast Dozer (I know I’m showing my age) has always been high on my wish list. This game would work well as portable brain candy.

Rounding out my list, I would love to see some classic, Triple-A, traditional racing titles a la Need for Speed and Burnout.

Now that the Switch has proven itself as a money making machine, 3rd-party vendors should have no problem with providing it with proper development support.

Super Mario Sunshine must be one of the only major pre-Wii Mario games not to get a re-release and it’s a crying shame! Fludd brought a whole new set of challenges and introduced some interesting navigational puzzles — it also made the old school platforming sections that much harder! The setting was also just beautiful and is one that I would love to revisit again on Switch.

Beyond that, I really do think that the success of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle could act as a nice lead-in for more complicated turn-based strategy games. I would definitely get XCOM 2 again if it came to Switch- especially if it was a deluxe version of the game with its feature-filled expansion pack. Nintendo, start talking to Firaxis Games!

Kyle England

I’m a simple guy. So that means I have an incredibly demanding list of titles that must appear on Switch. Barring F-Zero, I think we are covered for the time being on new games that have been announced. Nintendo has an incredible opportunity here to pad out each year with remasters and ports between the brand-new games.

First, we need Virtual Console with every single platform that Nintendo has ever had that will work for Switch. I don’t want just the NES, SNES, and N64 classics. I want Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and more. Nintendo DS and 3DS probably could never work with the hardware, so we’ll have to nix those. Wii games will be tricky– we might need to remaster or retool some games to work with the Joy-Con gyro rather than the pointer. However, any Wii game that supported the Classic Controller can easily be ported to only accept that control input on Switch VC.

The ports of Wii U games are good and well, but I’d love to get some curated packs of games from Wii + GameCube era that are remastered and optimized for Switch. Here’s some ideas:

New Super Mario Bros Collection: These games sold like gangbusters. Combine all four New Super Mario Bros. games (+ New Super Luigi U), remaster them in 1080p, and throw them on the Switch. I know that reactions to the series have been mixed, but you can’t deny the appeal. It’s the perfect series for Switch with the pick up and play multiplayer that you could do on the go.

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 Remastered: It’s pretty self-explanatory. The star pointer can be retooled to use gyro aiming, and perhaps the game can be updated in a such a way that you could use the Switch Pro Controller.

Fire Emblem Radiant Duology: Remaster Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn and stick them in a pack together! Add some Amiibo functionality and DLC packs to this. Fire Emblem is only getting bigger and Nintendo would be behooved to cash in on the GameCube and Wii games. These are some of priciest games available on the secondhand market and it would be nice to get to play them without dropping nearly $100 per title.

Wii Sports Resort Remastered: Yes, I know we got Wii Sports Club on Wii U, but ehhhh… If you want to get some huge mainstream success, why not retool one of the most successful video games ever created? Wii Sport Resort was the superior Wii Sports title, so that’s the one I think should get the remaster treatment. All of the activities can work with the Joy-Con with only some slight modifications. It’s time to bring Wii Sports back into the limelight. There are a lot of Wii consoles sitting in nursing homes that have done nothing but play Wii Sports since 2006– let’s give them a reason to update!

Paper Mario: Re-Stenciled: I am super biased here because Paper Mario on N64 is probably my favorite video game ever. I would love to see a total remake of the first two Paper Mario games using the graphics (not gameplay) from Color Splash. This will never happen. But I will dream of it forever.

Switch can be the platform to experience all of the best Nintendo games ever made. There is a chance here to build a platform that can house the past, present, and future. The concept for Switch is perfect, and I would love for all games we have now to be forward-compatible to generations of upcoming Nintendo hardware.

That’s it from our staff! Which games are you hoping eventually come to Switch? Sound off in the comments below!