Nintendo Switch 2 launch games: Every Switch 2 game available on day one
Here’s our guide to every Switch 2 launch game available on June 5
The Nintendo Switch 2 launch is now less than a week away, meaning the launch game line-up is all but locked in.
No fewer than 28 games will be available on Switch 2 when it launches on June 5, consisting of a mixture of Switch 2 exclusive games, Switch 2 Edition upgrades of existing games, ports of PS/Xbox titles new to Nintendo, and GameCube re-releases.
12 existing Switch games will also be getting free upgrades, meaning if you already have a Switch and are making the step up to Switch 2 there may be a reason to dig out some of the back catalogue.
Below is the full list of Switch 2 games available at launch and how much each game will cost (all prices are for the digital versions on the Switch 2 eShop – physical prices may differ).
One thing you may notice is that for all the discussion about $80 games, there’s thankfully a solid selection of Switch 2 launch games that cost far less than that.
Should the launch line-up change as last-minute additions are announced, we’ll update this list accordingly.
Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
Hamster Corporation / Namco
There used to be a time, back in the glory days, when Ridge Racer was synonymous with system launches.
No fewer than seven consoles and handhelds had a Ridge Racer game in their launch line-up, and while most of these were Sony systems, Nintendo got in on the act too with 3DS day one release Ridge Racer 3D.
The tradition finally returns, in a sense, with the first ever home release of the original arcade version of Ridge Racer (as opposed to the PS1 port).
This will also launch the Arcade Archives 2 series, a shiny new arm of the Arcade Archives series by Hamster Corporation, which has re-released around 470 classic arcade and Neo-Geo games to date on Switch and other formats.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Square Enix / Cattle Call
$39.99 / £33.99
When it was originally released on 3DS back in 2012, Bravely Default was critically acclaimed for its rich storyline and deceptively deep battle system.
Originally designed as a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, it eventually evolved into its own unique adventure with 24 different jobs to assign to your party.
This new Switch 2 version naturally gives the 3DS version’s 240p visuals an enormous upgrade, but it also upgrades the user interface.
With the ability to fast forward event scenes and the addition of a couple of new mini-games too, it feels like RPG fans who didn’t play Bravely Default back in the 3DS days should probably consider this one of their priorities.
Civilization VII – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade
2K / Firaxis Games
$59.99 + $9.99 upgrade / £49.99 + £8.99 upgrade
The latest entry in the hugely popular turn-based strategy game was released earlier this year on other formats, where it was generally well received.
The Switch version of Civ 7 already performs relatively well, and while frame rate drops are common this is less of an issue in a strategy game where split-second reaction times aren’t really needed.
That said, developer Firaxis promises that the Switch 2 version will still perform better, as well as the obvious increase in resolution. It will also support larger map sizes and more players in multiplayer.
Easily the most useful addition for the Switch 2 version, however, will be the support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, which should make it the console version of Civ 7 that feels most like the PC experience (at least in terms of what’s provided out of the box).
Oddly, there doesn’t appear to be an actual standalone Civilization 7 Switch 2 Edition available as a single purchase, meaning the only way to get it on the eShop is to buy the Switch version, then the $9.99 / £8.99 upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition.
This extends to the ‘physical’ release, which is just a code in a box containing the Switch version and the Switch 2 Edition upgrade.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
CD Projekt / CD Projekt Red
$69.99 / £59.99
Many a performance nerd will be keeping a close eye on Cyberpunk 2077 when it launches on Switch 2, because no other game in the launch line-up is likely to push the system to its limits like CD Projekt Red’s game will.
The Ultimate Edition contains both the base game and the Phantom Liberty expansion. This is particularly interesting because the PS4 and Xbox One – which early analysis suggests Switch 2’s power may be in line with – didn’t get the expansion, because it was created with the more powerful PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in mind.
It wasn’t clear if Switch 2 would be able to handle Cyberpunk, then, but given the console makes use of Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling, the results from recent gameplay footage released by the studio appear to be very impressive for a handheld.
Cyberpunk is also one of the few third-party Switch 2 launch games that will include the full game on the cartridge, rather than the Game-Key Card alternative most other publishers have opted for.
Deltarune
8-4 / Toby Fox
$24.99 / £20.99
The successor to developer Toby Fox’s hugely successful Undertale is something of a work-in-progress, so anyone jumping onto it now isn’t going to be too far behind everyone else.
The game’s release has been split into episodes, of which Chapter 1 and 2 were already previously released for free.
The Switch 2 version, priced at $24.99, will consist of Chapters 1 and 2, as well as the brand new Chapters 3 and 4, which will release on Switch 2 launch day on all formats, ensuring everyone is up to speed at the same time.
Don’t worry about how much of an investment you’re making on an unfinished game, however. Fox says when the remaining Chapters 5, 6 and 7 are released, they’ll be added as free updates to the existing version, meaning $24.99 / £20.99 is all you’ll ever pay for the full adventure.
Fox has also confirmed that the game will be cross-buy on Nintendo platforms, so if you’re not quite ready to buy a Switch 2 console on day one, you can buy the Switch version instead, happy in the knowledge that when a Switch 2 is finally in your possession Deltarune will already be sitting in its library.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Level-5
$62.58 / £TBC
Upgrade: $2.59 / £TBC
This is a bit of a last-minute addition, as developer/publisher Level-5 only just confirmed on May 27 that Fantasy Life i will be a Switch 2 launch title. As such, it isn’t yet available to pre-order on the eShop.
The game is a sequel to the criminally underrated 3DS RPG life sim Fantasy Life, and has you living on an island and choosing one of fourteen different jobs (which you can switch between to get different missions).
This new version, which was only released on other formats on May 21, has a time travel element which lets you take on the prehistoric version of the island too.
Early Metacritic indication appears to suggest it’s a great game with lots to do, so if you’re looking for a Switch 2 launch game that you’ll still be playing throughout the inevitable post-launch drought that all systems get, this could be a strong option.
The Switch 2 version features higher resolution, smoother frame rate and faster loading, but if you already bought the Switch version and are now peeved that a Switch 2 version is releasing a fortnight later, fret not: because this is a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game, owners of the Switch version can buy the Switch 2 upgrade pack for just $2.59.
Fast Fusion
Shin’en Multimedia
$14.99 / £13.49
German indie developer Shin’en has been doing sorcery with Nintendo hardware ever since the impressive DS shoot ‘em up Nanostray.
It’s the Fast series of eShop games, however – Fast Racing League on Wii, Fast Racing Neo on Wii U and Fast RMX on Switch – that have really cemented the studio as a team of magicians who always push Nintendo’s systems beyond what many think the hardware is capable of.
Its fourth entry, Fast Fusion, brings the series up to 4K with HDR support, and also features split-screen local multiplayer which, based on its trailer, appears to still happily whizz past at 60fps (we’d expect nothing less from Shin’en to be honest).
The series was inspired by Wipeout and F-Zero, and in case that wasn’t obvious enough Shin’en has announced that Jack Merluzzi – who provided voices for F-Zero GX – will serve as the announcer in Fast Fusion.
Fortnite
Epic Games
Free
Epic Games’ perennially popular free-to-play shooter / racer / rhythm action / Lego survival game is already available on the Switch but it’s fair to say it’s not the best version available.
While it’s perfectly serviceable, the Switch version of Fortnite runs at a lower resolution than on other formats and is capped at 30 frames per second, which can be problematic in the fast-paced Battle Royale mode or its lightning quick Rocket Racing mode.
Not much has been shown of the Switch 2 version yet but it should be comfortable running at at least 60fps, or maybe even 120fps if Epic optimises it well or decides to offer performance and graphics mode options – this remains to be seen.
What’s clear, however, is that because Fortnite’s Epic Games Store exclusivity on PC means it currently doesn’t run on Steam Deck, the Switch 2 version will instantly become one of the best ways to play the game on handheld.
Hitman: World of Assassination – Signature Edition
IO Interactive
$59.99 / £54.99
If you haven’t been keeping tabs on the world of Hitman in recent years, World of Assassination is a rebranded version of 2021’s Hitman 3, with all the content from 2016’s Hitman and 2018’s Hitman 2 included.
This means if you’re new to IO Interactive’s rebooted Hitman series, World of Assassination will essentially serve as three games in one, with more than 20 locations to explore.
This Signature Edition also contains a bunch of extra content that has been released over the years, including all Hitman 2 Expansion Pack and Hitman 3 Deluxe Pack content, Contracts mode, Escalation, Elusive Target arcades, the Freelancer game mode and “featured live content”.
While Hitman 3 was previously released on Switch, the console’s relative lack of power means it was a cloud-based game that could only be streamed. With the greatest of respect to that version, this is therefore the first ‘proper’ release of the game on a Nintendo system.
Hogwarts Legacy
Warner Bros Games / Avalanche Software
$59.99 / £49.99
Upgrade: $9.99 / £9.99
The Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy will render at 1440p resolution while docked, and at the screen’s full 1080p resolution when in handheld mode. Both modes will also support HDR.
The game will also support Nvidia‘s DLSS upscaling technique, and will feature “improved lighting and shadow quality, anti-aliasing, and much more significantly upgraded graphics for a deeper immersive experience” compared to the original Switch release.
The Switch game was criticised for lengthy loading screens every time the player entered or left a shop in Hogsmeade, but these loading screens have now been removed according to the publisher.
Players who own the Switch version can currently upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $10.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Capcom
$39.99 / £32.99
Capcom’s action strategy game was originally released on PlayStation, Xbox and PC in July 2024, but the publisher then said in November that it had failed to meet its sales expectations.
That’s not necessarily a fault of the game itself – with a current Metacritic rating of 80-84 depending on format, Kunitsu-Gami tends to win over the majority of people who play it.
If it’s passed you by before, the aim is to rescue villagers and make preparations during the day then fight the hordes of evil spirits who arrive at night.
The Switch 2 version features mouse controls for its menus, as well as new content called Otherworldly Venture.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Nintendo
$69.99 / £66.99
Upgrade: $9.99 / £7.99
This might be the first time that the same game has been a launch title in two subsequent generations, but just as Breath of the Wild was a day one title on the original Switch, so too does it find itself in the Switch 2 line-up.
As fantastic as Breath of the Wild was, its open world exploration often caused problems for the game’s performance, which is why the Switch 2 Edition could be a literal game changer, with a higher resolution, HDR support and – based on what we’ve played of it – a much smoother frame rate.
It also adds support for Zelda Notes, a new mobile app which adds eight new features including GPS-style voice navigation to help you find those missing Koroks, audio logs from various characters, extra item storage and free daily items.
If you already have Breath of the Wild, the Switch 2 Edition upgrade costs $9.99 / £7.99, but if you subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack the upgrade is included as part of your subscription.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Nintendo
$79.99 / £66.99
Upgrade: $9.99 / £7.99
If Breath of the Wild is going to get a shiny improved version, then it’s only fair that its direct sequel gets the same treatment.
Like that of its predecessor, the Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom also ups the resolution, adds HDR support and substantially boosts the frame rate, making it feel much more polished as a result.
It too supports the Zelda Notes app, and as well as all the features it offers for Breath of the Wild it also gets the ability to generate QR codes for any blueprints you’ve made with the Ultrahand tool, which can then be shared with other players.
As with Breath of the Wild, the Switch 2 Edition upgrade for Tears of the Kingdom costs $9.99 / £7.99, but is also available as part of a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.
Mario Kart World
Nintendo
£66.99 / $79.99
It’s sometimes easy to forget that Mario Kart World will be the first brand new main series Mario Kart game in 11 years. We’ve had mobile spin-offs, deluxe re-releases and AR toy cars, but this is the first ‘proper’ new Mario Kart in more than a decade.
Because of this, simply calling it Mario Kart 9 and slapping a bunch of new tracks and racers in there would have probably been enough to guarantee tens of millions of sales, but Nintendo has decided change is overdue, giving the series its biggest shakeup to date.
The most obvious example of this is the new vast open world which players can explore alone or with friends, but it’s the new 24-player Knockout Tour mode, Mario Kart’s take on a Battle Royale style online race, that feels like it could be the greatest new addition.
Not only will Mario Kart World inevitably be the biggest selling launch title on Switch 2 by far, it’s also all but certain to still be one of the system’s best-selling titles once it’s run its course and we’re moving onto Switch 3.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nintendo
$9.99 / £7.99
A lot has been made about the fact that Welcome Tour will cost $9.99 / £7.99 instead of being free software pre-installed on the console, but let’s put that to the side for now.
Welcome Tour is designed to explain all the new features of the Switch 2 in an entertaining way, with a series of mini-games and a sort of scavenger hunt that takes place in a museum shaped like an enormous Switch 2.
We’ve loved what we’ve played of Welcome Tour so far because, like previous Nintendo software such as Game Maker Garage, Labo and WarioWare DIY, it doesn’t just tell you what each thing does but explains the engineering behind it, meaning it promises to be a genuinely fascinating guide to how the Switch 2 works, rather than just some throwaway tech demos.
Whether you decide that’s worth $9.99 / £7.99 is a choice that comes down to personal taste, but it seems that those who opt to try it out will at least get their money’s worth.
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Koei Tecmo
$69.99 / £57.99
The Nobunaga’s Ambition series of turn-based grand strategy games dates back to 1983, and – like many of Koei Tecmo’s historical games – is far more popular in its native Japan than it is in the West.
Awakening is the 16th main game in the series and, like most of its predecessors, has players choosing a daimyou (warlord) during Japan’s Warring States period as they attempt to take over more regions of Japan, eventually unifying the country.
As well as support for 4K resolution and enhanced graphics, the Switch 2 version contains support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.
The Complete Edition subtitle means it includes all previously released DLC as well as six entirely new scenarios, including The Birth of Nobunaga, which “sets the stage for the onset of the Sengoku period”.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Sega
$39.99 / £34.99
The original Switch launched with Puyo Puyo Tetris, an interesting mash-up of two of the most popular puzzle games of all time (though it’s fair to say Tetris has a far greater global following).
The sequel, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, was released in 2020 and offers more of the same, with players able to choose either Puyo Puyo or Tetris style gameplay and taking on opponents who could also be using either style.
If you already have the first Puyo Puyo Tetris, the main difference here is that first game’s Story mode has been replaced with a completely new one, but for the most part the gameplay is very similar.
That said, the new 2S version on Switch 2 will add a new mode called Puyo Tetris Doubles – a 2v2 mode where pairs share the same board – and Joy-Con 2 mouse support, allowing a second player to use a cursor to point out potential moves.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear to have an upgrade on offer, meaning if you bought Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on Switch a few years back you’ll need to pay the full $39.99 / £34.99 again for the Switch 2 version.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Marvelous
$69.99 / £59.99
Upgrade: $9.99 / £9.99
If you’re new to the Rune Factory series, it started life as a spin-off of Story of Seasons (aka Harvest Moon) and takes that series’ farming and social simulation features but then mixes it with a dollop of fantasy RPG.
Guardians of Azuma is a spin-off that’s coming to Switch, Switch 2 and PC on June 5, and has players trying to restore the four seasonal towns in the nation of Azuma while also trying to take on the Blight, which is led by a giant black dragon. And you thought normal farmers had it tough.
Although the game will be released on Switch on the same day, the Switch 2 Edition – which is $10 / £10 more expensive – features higher resolution visuals, improved frame rate and support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, which publisher Marvelous says “brings greater precision and flexibility to village-building”.
If you already pre-ordered the Switch version – or are a big Rune Factory fan and want the limited edition physical box set which only contains the Switch version – you can buy the Switch 2 upgrade for $10 / £10.
Shine Post: Be Your Idol!
Konami
¥8,800 (around $60)
If you live in the West and are made of money, and decide you want every Switch 2 game that’s available on day one, Shine Post: Be Your Idol! is the only one that may cause you problems.
This is the only Switch 2 launch game that’s exclusive to Japan, meaning you’re either going to need to import it or hope the Switch 2 has the same region-hopping eShop functionality of the original Switch.
Based on the Shine Post manga and anime, Be Your Idol! is a management simulation game where you act as the new manager of an idol office, auditioning young women to see if they could be the J-pop stars of the future.
Even if you do decide to buy Be Your Idol! it might be pretty impenetrable – while some Japanese eShop games also support English, and automatically switch to your language once they’re downloaded, Shine Post is strictly Japanese-only, and seems to be fairly text-heavy.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Sega
$49.99 / £44.99
Sega’s part-remaster, part-sequel to Sonic Generations is a brilliant addition to the Sonic series, and came highly recommended when we reviewed it late last year.
That review was for the PS5 version, however. By all accounts the Switch version isn’t quite as impressive, with Digital Foundry discovering that it ran at a bizarre 31.5fps at launch, leading to constant stuttering.
Hopefully the Switch 2 version will fix those issues for Nintendo players and finally deliver stable and smooth performance in what’s an otherwise brilliant pairing.
Sonic Generations is a solid remaster of the underrated 2011 platformer, while Shadow Generations adds a bunch of new stages to the package along with a new open-world hub section.
Sadly, as with the Switch 2 version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Sega has opted not to include an upgrade route for Sonic x Shadow Generations, meaning if you have the Switch version it’ll be another $49.99 / £44.99 for the privilege of playing it on Switch 2.
Split Fiction
EA / Hazelight Games
$49.99 / £44.99
It’s long been said that Switch is a great console for co-op play, meaning a launch version of Hazelight’s latest co-op platformer is something of a no-brainer.
Like It Takes Two before it, Split Fiction is a brilliant adventure designed only for two players – it can’t be played solo – with the Switch 2 version offering either local or online co-op play.
Developer Hazelight has pointed out that Switch 2’s GameChat feature is ideal for playing Split Fiction 2 online, and the game will also support the GameShare feature, meaning you can stream the game locally to someone else with a Switch 2 (or even an original Switch) and play co-op with them.
Obviously, with so many high profile titles available on day one it might be tricky to persuade a friend to also buy a copy of Split Fiction, but that’s where the game’s Friend Pass system comes in, meaning you only need one copy of the game to play it co-op with someone else online.
What’s more, the game also supports cross-platform play like all the previously released versions, meaning if a friend with the PS5, Xbox Series X/S or PC version already has the game you can play with them.
Street Fighter 6
Capcom
Base game: $39.99 / £34.99
Years 1-2 Fighter Edition: $59.99 / £49.99
You can’t beat a good fighting game on a handheld – their short bursts of action are perfect for playing on the move – and Street Fighter 6 is a very good fighting game, as our 5-star review showed.
With a brilliant World Tour mode designed with single-player in mind, it’s the first Street Fighter game in a long time where solo play doesn’t feel like an afterthought.
The Switch 2 version is available in two versions, a $39.99 / £34.99 base edition, and a $59.99 / £49.99 Years 1-2 Fighter Edition.
While the base game may be enough for those who just want to dabble, anyone who can see themselves playing this for the long haul should almost certainly go for the Years 1-2 Fighter Edition.
That’s because that extra $20 / £15 gets you the $30 Year 1 Character Pass and the $30 Year 2 Character Pass, as well as extra stages and character colours, offering a huge saving versus buying everything separately.
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
Konami
$49.99 / £44.99
Pre-order price: $39.99 / £35.99 (ends June 4)
It speaks volumes that of the countless RPGs that have come out of Japan over the years, players still speak highly of Konami’s PS1 titles Suikoden and Suikoden 2.
This HD remaster is based on the PSP ports of both games which were only released in Japan, and added quality of life features like widescreen support and the ability to move diagonally.
Naturally, improved visuals are the main addition here, with the Switch 2 version promising a higher resolution and frame rate compared to the Switch version, which was locked to 30fps.
Again, there’s no way to upgrade from the Switch version to the Switch 2 one, but if you don’t have the Switch version and were considering buying this to scratch an RPG fix, you might want to pre-order it.
That’s because if you pre-order before launch through the Nintendo eShop website, you’ll not only get a pre-order bonus containing some in-game items, but you’ll also be able to buy it for a special pre-release price of $39.99 / £35.99, instead of the $49.99 / £44.99 it’ll become at launch.
Survival Kids
Konami
$49.99 / £44.99
The original Survival Kids was released on the Game Boy Color back in 1999, and was conveniently added to the Switch Online Game Boy library earlier this month.
That was presumably to raise awareness of this new Switch 2 exclusive, which has the potential to be something of a hidden gem among the console’s launch line-up.
As the name suggests, Survival Kids tells the story of four children who follow a treasure map and end up stranded on a desert island. They have to work together to gather resources and solve puzzles to get off the island.
The game supports local co-op for two players and online co-op for up to four players (or two one device and two on another), with full support for GameChat.
Konami also says the game “takes full advantage of the console’s unique communication and game-sharing features”, and while that doesn’t explicitly confirm that it supports GameShare – where players can stream the wirelessly or via GameChat to others who don’t have it – if confirmed, that could be the feature that makes it a must-have for fans of online co-op.
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut
Sega / Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
$49.99 / £44.99
While Yakuza 0 is technically the sixth game in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series, the fact it’s a prequel means many fans recommend it as the first game to play anyway.
Set in 1988, the game tells an enthralling (and occasionally brilliantly silly) tale of warring Yakuza clans fighting for a patch of land called the Empty Lot.
It also offers a breathtakingly detailed (albeit fictional) take on Tokyo’s Kabukicho area and Osaka’s Dotonbori as they would have looked in the late ‘80s. Like the rest of the series, nothing does a living city quite like Yakuza / Like a Dragon.
The Director’s Cut version of Yakuza 0, which will be exclusive to Switch 2, features new, never-before-seen cutscenes along with a new English dub (the original game only had a Japanese dub with English subtitles).
It also includes a new Red Light Raid online four-player mode with up to 60 playable characters.
Nintendo Classics: Nintendo GameCube
The original Switch already gives access to a selection of retro games if you subscribe to its Nintendo Switch Online service. NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Colour games are available with the basic subscription, while the Expansion Pack adds Mega Drive / Genesis, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64.
Switch 2 adds another Expansion Pack system in the shape of the Nintendo GameCube, and renames the whole shebang Nintendo Classics while it’s at it.
Three GameCube games will be available on day one, with more to come in the future. Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo, Luigi’s Mansion, and Pokémon Colosseum have already been confirmed, but here’s what’s coming at launch.
F-Zero GX
Nintendo / Amusement Vision
Included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
Unless you count the quirky online multiplayer game F-Zero 99, F-Zero GX remains the last console release in Nintendo’s futuristic high-speed racing series.
The game boasts the typical Grand Prix mode you’d expect in racing games of its type, as well as the series’ first Story mode, where you take Captain Falcon through a series of challenge-based races.
With 30 cars on-screen at the same time, comically fast speeds reaching up to 2,500kph and a 60fps frame rate, it remains a visually impressive game to this day.
That should hopefully remain the case when it comes to Switch 2, especially because the console’s GameCube emulation should upscale its polygonal graphics to ensure they remain crisp at higher resolutions than the original console’s standard-def output.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nintendo
Included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
Ever since the Switch launched players have been asking for a port of The Wind Waker HD, the brilliant Wii U remaster of the GameCube classic.
While that never materialised, this Switch 2 port of the GameCube original, upscaled through emulation, will do just fine for now, especially if it’s available as part of the Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription for no extra cost.
When it originally released The Wind Waker divided opinion, with some fans in favour of its wildly different cel-shaded arts style and others mortified that the new ‘Toon Link’ made the game look like it was aimed at children.
Time has established The Wind Waker as a much-loved entry in the series, however, one that may not be the trickiest Zelda game ever made but has its own lovely vibe nevertheless.
Besides, according to Nintendo, having the GameCube version doesn’t mean a port of the HD remaster is now off the table.
SoulCalibur 2
Bandai Namco
Included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
The addition of SoulCalibur 2 is a promising sign that the GameCube library on Switch 2 might not consist entirely of first-party games (though Nintendo did originally publish this one in Europe).
Bandai Namco’s weapons-based fighting game remains a joy to play to this day, and its brilliant Weapon Master Mode has you travelling across the land and taking on opponents in a series of fights, often with special conditions attached.
SoulCalibur 2 already got an HD re-release on PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2013, but that was based on the PS2 version of the game, not the GameCube one. That may not seem like a big deal but each version had an exclusive character.
The PS2 version had Heihachi from Tekken as a guest character, while the Xbox version got comic book character Spawn.
The GameCube version got none other than Link from The Legend of Zelda, making it objectively the best version of the game, making its re-release here all the more welcome.
Free Switch 2 upgrades
As well as all the Switch 2 games above, if you’re upgrading from the original Switch you may also have some games that are eligible for a free upgrade.
There are free Switch 2 upgrades coming to 12 existing Switch games at launch, separate from the paid Switch 2 Edition upgrades for Zelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
If you’ve got any of the below titles, playing them on Switch 2 will add new features. Some will ‘only’ get GameShare support, which means players with multiple Switch consoles – be that Switch or Switch 2 – can play multiplayer with only one copy.
Others will be getting resolution boosts, frame rate upgrades, HDR support or a combination of all three. Here’s the full list of games getting free Switch 2 upgrades on June 5, and what these upgrades entail.
51 Worldwide Games
- GameShare support: up to four people can play 34 games. Share locally or share online via GameChat.
Arms
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- Frame rate: optimised for Nintendo Switch 2 for smoother movement (even when playing with three or more players).
- HDR support
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain
- GameShare support: up to four people can play in Party Mode. Share locally or share online via GameChat.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Visuals: Optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- HDR support.
- GameShare support: two people can play all of the courses. Share locally or share online via GameChat.
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- Supports Joy-Con 2 mouse controls
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
Pokémon Scarlet & Pokémon Violet
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- Frame rate: improved for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- Frame rate: improved for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2 (including Bowser’s Fury).
- HDR support.
- GameShare compatibility: up to four people can play Super Mario 3D World. In Bowser’s Fury, two people can play together, with one player controlling Mario and the other controlling Bowser Jr. Share locally or share online via GameChat.
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- HDR support.
- GameShare support: two people can play together, with one player controlling Mario and the other controlling Cappy. Share locally or share online via GameChat.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- HDR support.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
- Visuals: optimised for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
- HDR support.
