PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are refusing to go gently into the good night; raging instead with top-tier releases and exciting reveals for the next generation of consoles which hits the shelves this holiday season. PC has also risen to the challenge with its electrifying mix of inspiring indies and AAA titles. In the glut of announcements, it can be easy to overlook the innocuous Nintendo Switch.
Fear not, we bring you a list of games which are set to dazzle the flickering screens of the Switch. From supernatural mysteries to oddball sports, debuting classics to returning iconic characters, here’s what’s in store for the Nintendo Switch in 2020.
Paper Mario: The Origami King
The sixth entry in Nintendo’s spin-off RPG series will see Paper Mario make his debut on the Switch. Our beloved Italian plumber will be out on yet another rescue mission to save Princess Peach, whose castle has been sealed by the titular evil King Olly. Up against the Legion of Stationery — an army of sentient office supplies like rubber bands, coloured pencils, and sticky tape — Mario will take part in ring-based strategic battles and use well-timed combos as well as new abilities. Taking a page out of Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, Mario can execute a 1,000-Fold Arms trick which will allow the players to stretch their arms to win battles or solve puzzles.
Among those aiding Mario in his quest will be new friends (King Ollie’s sister Olivia) and old foes (Bowser!). Along with the ragtag bunch, Mario will traverse colourful papercraft settings such as desert oasis, rapids, ruins, sewers, and mansions. In fact, to aid you on this quest, make sure to stock up on your Nintendo Cards for a smooth and fun gameplay. Players can expect a fun adventure along with the usual secrets and treasures, mini-games and in-game rewards when Paper Mario: The Origami King launches on July 17.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise
A young woman is murdered in a rural Pacific Northwest town. An FBI agent — with an unhealthy love for coffee and conversations with an invisible character — makes the trip. Naturally some supernatural, police procedural hijinks ensue.
One would never know why they didn’t just slap the ‘Twin Peaks’ title on Deadly Premonition, seeing how the game was an unmissable homage to David Lynch’s TV series. Much like the series, the 2010 video game too was critically polarising and eventually became a cult favourite. It made its way to Switch last year and the sequel hits the console on July 10.
True to the original, the follow-up needs some explaining too. Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is both a sequel and a prequel. Players can control the eccentric Francis York Morgan in an open world, single-player, survival horror adventure as the FBI agent solves yet another murder-mystery.
The original game, released for the previous generation, was panned for its dated graphics, inconsistent voice acting, and performance issues. However, these shortcomings added to its B-movie charm. Putting out a game that remains appealing while running smoothly on Switch will be a challenge for the developers.
Sports Story
Most Nintendo Switch exclusives ride on their heritage. Imagine the smile of pleasant surprise plastered across gamers’ faces when Golf Story became the unheralded success story of 2017. A game in the vein of the classic Mario sports titles, Golf Story was a cute RPG with tons of humour.
Golf Story was also rather simplistic with its three-button gameplay. For the sequel, Aussie studio Sidebar Games have decided to go all out. The announcement trailer revealed a smorgasbord of sports: tennis, football, baseball, volleyball, and cricket! Fans of the original, don’t fret! Golf makes the cut too – and rather than dealing with each sport individually, players will compete in something called a ‘Decasportathon’, a mash-up of sports which looks like a blast to play.
The original had a variety of activities and challenges to complete and one can expect the sequel to up the ante on that front as well. Complemented by the over-the-top yet charming brand of storytelling, Sports Story — slated to release sometime later this year — should be a game to grab for anyone, sports fan or not.
Crysis Remastered
Rejoice gamers! Time to dust off the 2007 meme: “Can it run Crysis?” Apparently, the Nintendo Switch can.
The graphically-intensive FPS from developers Crytek was a pain to run back in the day, spawning numerous jokes. Yet here we are 13 years later, and it’s coming to the portable console. “Crytek’s ground-breaking, critically acclaimed first person shooter is back! Crysis Remastered is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch — the game’s debut on a Nintendo platform,” read the announcement.
The release date hasn’t been confirmed, but Crysis will be a great get for Switch owners. In its original iteration, Crysis was a gorgeous game and an even better shooter. The weapons were solidly futuristic, the intelligent enemies weren’t bullet sponges, the nano-suit added engaging powers and the level design was refreshingly open for a shooter. The ‘remastered’ tag only raises the expectations, and therein lies the issue. While technology has improved manifolds, it would be interesting to see if Nintendo Switch is able to run the game as well as its PC and console counterparts.
Bravely Default II
JRPG giants Square Enix are set to continue their love affair with portable Nintendo consoles through Bravely Default II — oddly, the third game in the series. The first Bravely Default, which came out in 2012 on the 3DS, was critically acclaimed thanks to a fresh spin on the good ol’ turn-based battle system. Players could select the ‘Default’ option during combat to store points, and launch multiple attacks with the ‘Brave’ option. 2015’s Bravely Second, also on 3DS, used the same system and the latest entry is set to carry forward the gameplay and aesthetics.
The story, however, is brand new, which means you don’t have to rush through the previous two titles to join in the fun. It is also a cookie-cutter, grand JRPG tale of warring kingdoms, elemental crystals, a gritty main character and companions ranging from distressed princesses to mysterious scholars. Gameplay remains the series’ biggest USP. The aforementioned battle system adds an element of resource management and a job system helps customise your play style. Be warned though, Bravely Default II is punishing. Mindless grinding will only get you so far and you will die often if you don’t learn to play by its rules.
The release date is yet to be confirmed but you can give the demo a trial run. Bravely Default II’s systems, and the legacy of Square Enix x Nintendo collabs (including the great Octopath Traveler), make this a can’t miss.
Conclusion
There you have it. An enthralling mix of exclusives and ports that is sure to keep you busy for the remainder of this year. By virtue of being a utility console, Nintendo Switch will always boast a colourfully diverse mix of genres and experiences. As far as sheer variety of video games goes, anything the PlayStations and Xboxes can do, the Switch can do better.
