The best Switch 1 games to play on Nintendo Switch 2
By Dave Aubrey
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a bunch of brand new launch games you can play right now, but you can also enjoy vast upgrades to your existing Nintendo Switch games thanks to backwards compatibility and the extra horsepower of the Switch 2. These are games that you might already own, and can enjoy upgrades of for free.
We’re not talking about Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, which are native Switch 2 ports, but original Nintendo Switch games that are looking and running better than ever on Nintendo Switch 2. If you’re interesting in Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, you can get the Zelda Switch 2 upgrades for free. If you want more from your existing library, get ready to replay these Nintendo Switch classics.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is a wonderfully expressive 3D platformer, and one of the best in the business. It even ran at 60fps on the original Nintendo Switch, but that came at the cost of a clear resolution. Nintendo used some ingenious tech to keep the game running smoothly with detailed visuals, but the image quality could often be a bit fuzzy around the edges. This isn’t a problem on Nintendo Switch 2, where the resolution is sharper than ever while retaining that crisp 60fps playback.
Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors
All of the Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors games are best on Nintendo Switch 2. The two Fire Emblem games, Warriors and Warriors: Three Hopes, have solid performance improvements to ensure smooth gameplay, but the two Hyrule Warriors games are far more interesting. Age of Calamity was infamously poor performing on Nintendo Switch, despite having some great gameplay, and Switch 2 fixes that. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition, meanwhile, had the strange quirk of running at 1080p in both docked and handheld modes, which meant the handheld mode got a downsampled image, at the cost of performance. With Switch 2’s 1080p screen and extra power, Definitive Edition now looks and runs incredibly on the handheld, like it was always meant to be that way.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom
Both of the top-down “2D” Zelda games on Switch had some awkward framerate fluctuations when traversing the world and fighting monsters, which wasn’t appreciated. Luckily, both of these games have received new Switch 2 specific updates, and they now run at a perfectly smooth 60fps at all time, while having a sharper overall resolution that makes a replay worthwhile.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are infamous for how poorly they look and run on Nintendo Switch. It doesn’t matter what you do, these games just feel marred by poor performance and visual quality, and it’s unignorable, regardless of how good the games underneath the problems are. Well that’s no longer a problem on Nintendo Switch 2, as the framerate is finally running at a smooth 60fps, models animate cleanly into the distance, and visual quality has been buffed in pretty much every respect. This is a Switch game you can’t afford to ignore on Nintendo Switch 2.
Bayonetta 3
The finale of the Bayonetta trilogy was definitely held back by poor performance on the original Nintendo Switch, and sadly, the lower resolution hasn’t changed on Nintendo Switch 2. What is good news, though, is that the performance is now a solid 60fps even in intense battles. This game is still a Nintendo Switch exclusive, and this is now the best possible way to play it.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Super Mario 3D World is a great multiplayer Mario game from the Wii U, but Bowser’s Fury is a much more bold and interesting evolution on the Mario formula. This takes Mario open world, while still delivering bite-sized levels and challenges to accomplish. It looks crisper than ever on Nintendo Switch 2, and it feels like a true glimpse of what the next 3D Mario game could be like.
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Also known as 51 Worldwide Games, this compilation of traditional board and card games from around the world has been updated on Nintendo Switch 2 with full GameChat compatibility, making multiplayer game sessions more interesting than ever, with the capability to put your face into the game for those that have connected a webcam to the Switch 2.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Things still aren’t perfect here, but DQ Builders 2 ran really quite badly on the original Nintendo Switch, especially as you built up your town and world — the potential of which is near-limitless. You won’t hitting a solid 60fps in a busy, built-up world on Nintendo Switch 2, but the framerate can more than double in busy areas when compared to the original console. A perfect 60fps seems unattainable, but if you already have DQ Builders 2, then you’ll find returning to it on Nintendo Switch 2 way more enjoyable.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Deep down we’re hoping that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt gets a fully-fledged Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and an affordable (if not free) upgrade path, but as of right now, that’s not been confirmed. In the meantime, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Nintendo Switch 2 is far better than on the original console. While originally the game rarely hit 30fps and dynamic resolution suffered for it, on Nintendo Switch 2 the 30fps cap is maintained and dynamic resolution is much higher, resulting in a much more playable game, even in the busy streets of Novigrad.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
It hasn’t had a specific update, but Super Smash Bros. Ultimate benefits from the increased horsepower of Nintendo Switch 2 in those truly testing moments. Specifically, we’re thinking of 8 player Smash with plenty of items turned on. On the base machine this was a huge challenge and it was the only time it would fall short of the 60fps target. On Nintendo Switch 2 this is smoothed out, so your Super Smash Bros. parties can play out in style. And yes, your original Switch controllers will work fine.
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