With the release of Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2025, the company caught up with the increased competition in the hybrid gaming hardware space, after their first console to fill this specific niche – the 2017 Nintendo Switch system – had long started to show its age.
One of the best features of the new device is its near-universal backwards compatibility with its predecessor, allowing the massive catalogue of Nintendo Switch titles to not just still be played, but – thanks to software updates issued through the internet – be played even better, by making use of improved performance and other features of Switch 2.
While Nintendo has issued a few free updates to allow select Switch titles of theirs to make use of new features when running on Switch 2, there are still 10 games which we at EarlyGame feel like deserve to be updated as well; not necessarily for the sake of higher resolutions at framerates, but to generally benefit from the structure of the new hardware. | © Nintendo
When this motion-controlled colorful microgame collection released near on November 3 of 2023, it was sadly overshadowed by more high-profile Mario-related games releasing in the same time period, like Super Mario RPG on November 17 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder (which is actually going to get a paid Switch 2 update next year) on October 20. Move It! has seemingly also been forgotten by Nintendo themselves, in the sense that it – while technically playable on Switch 2 – features some microgames in its rotation which require the IR camera of the Joy-Con to play; a functionality not present in the Switch 2's Joy-Con 2 controllers. The solution here is simple: Add an option in the settings which allows disabling the IR camera microgames or – even better – to replace them with new microgames making use of the Joy Con 2's mouse functionality. | © Nintendo
Intended to be the ultimate edition of the GameCube classics, this re-release bundle let players choose between two control schemes: The original system from the GameCube, where placement of the cursor (determining where the titular alien creatures are to be thrown) depends on the playable captain’s facing direction, or gyrosensor motion controls imitating the pointer controls of the Wii versions. Unfortunately, Joy-Con gyro aiming isn’t as precise as the Wiimote’s infrared sensor, making an updated "Joy-Con 2 mouse" option highly desirable. And while we’re at it, Nintendo: Please include the Pikmin Puzzle Card minigames in the bundle. We'd even scan Pikmin Amiibo to unlock them, as long as they're at least somehow preserved beyond their weird e-Reader cards... | © Nintendo
As fun as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker always was, you could tell that the 2-player mode which was added to the Switch version via DLC in 2019 was tacked on: How are two players supposed to explore a tiny turning diorama while sharing one camera? A free Switch 2 update has already fixed this with GameShare, where each system also has their own camera per system, plus better performance and HDR. Still, a bit of potential was missed by not restoring the microphone functionality from the 2014 Wii U version, cut on Switch due to said hardware's lack of a microphone. With Switch 2 including a mic, a simple toggle between the automatic lifts and mic-controlled propeller platforms would work perfectly. Also: Please restore the four Wii U-exclusive stages; again, we'd even be willing to scan an Amiibo to unlock them. | © Nintendo
Since Captain Toad was based on Super Mario 3D World, even reusing the same engine, it only seems logical that the latter (originally released in 2013 for Wii U) would get similar treatment to the former, receiving a free performance-enhancing and GameShare-enabling update. However, like Captain Toad, the microphone functionality of the Wii U version is still inaccessible on Switch 2 and even worse: When playing via GameShare, not every player gets their own camera view, meaning that your character might end up off-screen if another player moves in the other direction – despite everyone technically having their own screen! This issue also exists when playing in online multiplayer, for no discernable reason. | © Nintendo
This remake of the 2004 Nintendo GameCube classic succeeds on nearly every front: Improved visuals, the choice between original and remixed soundtracks, new secret boss fights, and much-needed quality-of-life upgrades. ...Too bad that the Nintendo Switch version feels noticeably more sluggish than the original. On GameCube, players could instantly skip through text boxes, greatly boosting replay value. On Switch, text can only be sped up slightly – likely due to the new voice effects or rendering issues – leaving players stuck with slower scrolling. And while this list isn’t specifically concerned with the technical details of the Switch 2 hardware, locking the remake to 30 FPS when the original ran at 60 just feels wrong, and could easily be fixed with a free Switch 2 update. | © Nintendo
Speaking of Nintendo Switch games which run at a lower framerate than could be expected: Kirby Star Allies is the only mainline 2D sidescrolling game in the Kirby franchise of the last couple of decades which does not manage to exceed 30 FPS in gameplay. Performance is slightly improved when playing on Switch 2, as those 30 FPS are at least hit more consistently, but Star Allies still sticks out like a sore thumb, especially after the 3D mainline hit of the console – Kirby and the Forgotten Land – recently did receive DLC allowing it to run at 60 FPS. Plus, as a multiplayer-focused title, Star Allies would really stand to benefit from GameShare functionality so that multiple Switch 2 owners can play the game together via their own system without each having to purchase the title. | © Nintendo
Of Nintendo’s many Wii U-to-Switch ports, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is often considered the weakest – not for technical reasons (though oddly, load times are longer on Switch), but because so much content was cut. Even after Nintendo already released resolution update for Switch 2, Boost Mode and the corresponding challenges remain missing. On Wii U, these let one player use the GamePad to tap the screen, creating blocks or interacting with objects for the other players on the TV. Cutting this on Switch made sense, but it could easily be brought back on Switch 2: Either via GameShare and touch controls in handheld mode, or with a on-screen cursor controlled via Joy-Con 2 mouse functionality. It would really also help if Nintendo restored the Wii U control scheme, so players could avoid accidentally triggering the midair spin which was tied to the jump button for some reason. | © Nintendo
When this 2015 arcade fighter came to Wii U in 2016, one of its most interesting ideas was using the GamePad as a second screen for player 2. The 2017 Switch version, however, relied only on split-screen for local battles (far from ideal for a fighting game) so a GameShare-enabled, performance-boosting update would be very welcome. Even better would be a paid upgrade pack with a new campaign, like Kirby and the Forgotten Land or Super Mario Bros. Wonder received: We’d love to see a classic arcade mode where each character gets a short ending cutscene, ideally alongside new fighters. Imagine the variety a capoeira-based Hitmontop, a prism-shining Diancie, or a forme-shifting Meloetta could bring to Pokkén Tournament DX. | © Nintendo
Before we reveal our final entry of this wishlist, here’s perhaps the most unrealistic idea: Nintendo recently revealed its Virtual Boy–inspired accessory, which lets you slot in the Switch to play Virtual Boy classics in stereoscopic 3D. But the built-in lenses could work with any game, provided developers specify in the code which objects belong in the foreground or background. Conveniently, many Switch titles also released on 3DS, where that depth data already existed to make use of that handheld’s stereoscopic 3D (though some games like Hyrule Warriors only released on the New 3DS console revisions). Restoring said data in the Switch ports could both qualify them as the true "definitive editions" of the titles and give the accessory real purpose beyond its currently-projected extremely niche use cases. | © Nintendo
Nintendo has actually already released a patch for New Horizons... But it only ensures cross-platform multiplayer between Switch 1 and Switch 2 users. The fact that said multiplayer still takes an eternity to get going, however, has not been addressed. While load times on Switch 2 are inherently somewhat faster, they don't fix the game's UI, which has been criticized since launch for forcing players through endless menus and screens. Limits on placeable items also stem partly from Switch hardware constraints. With it no longer being a struggle to reach the game's target 30 FPS for the Switch 2 hardware, things like background loading are no longer a concern, meaning that a small free update could go a long way in supporting the remaining player base. And yes – we still desperately need more NPC dialog options. | © Nintendo
While Nintendo has issued a few free updates to allow select Switch titles of theirs to make use of new features when running on Switch 2, there are still 9 games which we at EarlyGame feel like deserve to be updated as well; not necessarily for the sake of higher resolutions at framerates, but to generally benefit from the structure of the new hardware.
