As I grow older, the prospect of new gaming hardware excites me less and less.
It’s not that I’m jaded about new consoles, it’s more of the fact that consoles are becoming more homogeneous. The Switch 2, released in June of this year, feels like another step towards parity between the big three manufacturers.

Over the last twenty years, Nintendo has been including new ways to play into each of their consoles. The DS had two screens, one of which was a touch screen, the Wii introduced motion controls, and the original Switch allowed you to take your games from the TV with you on the go.

Here, the only truly novel addition is that of a mouse sensor built into the controllers. It’s interesting, sure, but I’m doubtful that developers will make good use of this innovation beyond the initial wave of launch titles.

Beyond that, it’s an improvement on the original switch hardware. Better performance, better screen, smarter design, and overall, a more enjoyable experience to pick up and play. I just can’t help but feel that the classic Nintendo magic is absent.

But a console is only as good as its games, right?

I bought several to play and so far, they’ve all been fantastic experiences. I’ll start with the third-party games, as those are less unique to the hardware. I’ve bought two games from other developers, Split Fiction, and Hitman: World of Assassination. The former is a co-operative game only and must be played with two players. It’s about two aspiring writers trapped in a big-tech device meant to extract stories from the minds of authors around the world. Each level has its own gimmick, and you’re swapping between sci-fi and fantasy worlds as you fight your way to freedom. I can’t think of a better game to play on the system with a friend, as the Switch is such a couch co-op centered proposition. I’ve played numerous other games by Split Fiction’s developer, Hazelight, and they haven’t steered me wrong yet.

Hitman, on the other hand, I’m more torn over. It’s a collection of three games in one, where you’re tasked with. On one hand, it’s a fantastic collection of the best stealth games made in the last ten years. On the other, there are some performance issues and glitches on top of a game that’s dependent on a central server for unlocking new tools and perks. Yes, the game is completely playable offline, but by doing so you lose the ability to try different approaches unlocked by gaining experience. The developers, IO Interactive, promised to patch issues relating to the former, however the lock to a server to track unlocks is present regardless of platform. It’s been a sticking point for the community since the first game launched back in 2016 and I can see why.

I should also mention the controversy surrounding Game Key Cards, Nintendo’s solution to rising production costs in the industry.

Essentially, some cartridges will only hold a digital license to the game you’re buying. To play it you’ll need to download the game from Nintendo’s servers first. This can create an issue with games preservation later down the line. If Nintendo shuts down their servers there could be no way of playing these games in the future if you don’t already have it downloaded to your console.

It’s an improvement on the original switch hardware. Better performance, better screen, smarter design, and overall, a more enjoyable experience to pick up and play. I just can’t help but feel that the classic Nintendo magic is absent.

Preservation passion

Preserving games is something I’m passionate about. I want to be able to play the games I purchase no matter if I’m playing them the day they launch or ten years later. By creating these cards Nintendo is endangering those chances to save a few bucks on cartridge storage.

I’m a big fan of what Ross Scott is doing with his Stop Killing Games initiative. It’s a push to get legislation passed in the EU that would help curb companies from making games unplayable when it’s no longer in their best financial interest to do so.

With all that out of the way, let’s look at what Nintendo’s making for their new console. I want to highlight two games here, Mario Kart World, and Donkey Kong Bananza.

First up is Mario. He’s back in a new karting adventure, the first in over a decade. What sets this game apart from the previous entries is the open world environment and the addition of a few new modes. I wasn’t overly impressed with the open world. It’s well-crafted for racing but driving around in free-roam mode gave off a sense of eerie emptiness, despite all the extra traffic around.

Where Mario Kart World shines, though, is in its new and changed game modes. My favorite is a knockout mode, a point-to-point race where you must be above a certain position at each checkpoint along the way. It creates a different kind of tension while racing which I love, everyone scrambling for the best position they can just before a checkpoint, only to do it again a minute later. The online is even more frantic, now that the racer limit is 24, all of whom are throwing shells and peels all over the track. It’s the most chaotic karting experience I’ve ever had, well worth a look if you’re interested.

Lastly is Donkey Kong Banana. Made by the same team as Mario Odyssey back in 2017, this is probably my favorite game I’ve played on the Switch 2. As the name suggests, you play as Donkey Kong, punching and digging your way through to the planet core. Bananza’s main gimmick allows you to destroy pretty much the entire level you’re in. See an interesting wall? Punch your way through it and find out what’s on the other side. I found myself becoming nearly hypnotized by the havoc I could wreak. DK gets various power-ups as well and my favorite allowed me to turn into an elephant and suck up the earth like a vacuum. The closest I can liken it to is power washing, with how satisfying it is to do over long periods of time. I think Bananza takes my crown as favorite Switch 2 game because I found myself trying to maximize my time with the game by neglecting other duties, this article included.

So, with all of that said, is the Switch 2 worth picking up? Probably not at this time.

I love the hardware, and so far, there are some stellar games, but there’s not quite enough on the platform to justify its purchase yet. Maybe by around Christmas this year or next, it would be worth purchasing. For now, consider it only for the diehard Nintendo fan in your life.