Now that we’re a week out from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, several of us here at MonsterVine have had the chance to try out quite a few of the launch games for Nintendo’s latest console. From fighters to strategy games and everything in between, let’s talk about how this launch lineup fares with all the Switch 2’s upgrades and new features.
Street Fighter 6
Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom | Price: $39.99
I reviewed Street Fighter 6 way back when it came out in 2023 and had a blast with the game, so I was pretty stoked to check out the Nintendo Switch 2 version. Luckily, the fighting game has been translated pretty wonderfully to Nintendo’s newest console. All the modes and features are here, and I didn’t encounter any technical issues with the framerate while fighting. This is an important factor for a fighting game, so I’m glad that Street Fighter 6 is viable on the Switch 2. The standard Joy-Cons probably aren’t the best controller for my preferred classic control scheme, but the game itself still works very well with the system.
I will say that the gyro-oriented modes added to the Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 were a little underwhelming. You basically move the Joy-Con around in certain ways to do attacks, throws, and the rest, but it feels awkward and, beyond the silliness of the Calorie Contest that challenges you to burn calories, a bit tacked-on. It might be fun for a couple goofy rounds with friends, but that’s about it. (Spencer)
Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition
Publisher: IO Interactive | Developer: IO Interactive | Price: $59.99
The Hitman series has been a joy to play, and the Signature Edition is nearly the best possible package. Before this release for Switch 2, the only way to experience it was through a cloud streaming version of the game.
For Switch 2 launch this package includes almost the all of the goofy-but-serious content of IO Interactives modern Hitman series including everything from Hitman (2016), Hitman 2 (2018), and Hitman 3 (2021), but somehow lacking some of the Elusive Targets and the previously PlayStation exclusive, The Sarajevo Six missions. All of which is still sold separately, which feels a little strange considering this is a $60 package, which is a collection of content, the oldest of which is from nearly a decade ago. On top of the missing content, the performance of World of Assassination leaves a lot to be desired. The visuals look great in some areas, but in both docked and handheld modes, the frame rate bounces all over the place, and just panning the camera causes drops and stuttering. If you were hoping to grab World of Assassination, I’d suggest waiting a bit longer to see if it’s patched, or if you have a non-Nintendo platform, you’ll be better off playing there if you can’t wait. (Austin)
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Publisher: Marvelous | Developer: XSEED | Price: $69.99
It’s easy to get sucked into a game like Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, as the cycle of battling monsters, building villages, and farming to make some cash is a pretty addictive one. This newest entry in the series does this all as well as you’d hope, all with sharp visuals and a consistently solid framerate on the Switch 2. The combat is varied and satisfying, the characters are charming, and completing villager requests and streamlining your farming and building scratches a very specific itch in my brain. If you’re a fan of games like Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, you won’t want to miss Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.
Another neat feature from the Switch 2 version comes in the form of village building. You can utilize the Switch 2’s mouse mode to more accurately and smoothly build your villages, whether you’re dropping tracks or creating buildings. It’s a small feature but a handy one that allows for greater precision, which I appreciate. (Spencer)
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut
Publisher: SEGA | Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio | Price: $49.99
The Yakuza series is one that is constantly praised by the folks here at MonsterVine and I am finally giving it the time it deserves. Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the many, many games in the series but I am told the perfect place to pick things up. With the launch of the Switch 2 not having a lot of exciting new games, it happens to be the perfect time for me to start digging deep into the series.
The Switch 2 package has enhanced visuals and had me easily forgetting that the original Yakuza 0 is over 10 years old! Great performance in docked 4K and frame rates that keep going both docked and handheld. It also boasts 25 min of extra cutscenes and an all new multiplayer mode, Red Light Raid, which is reason enough for superfans to play the game all over again.
Now that I can take this good-looking, wacky, slice-of-life-japan-mafia game on the go, I have no excuses not to play it… I just hope it doesn’t take me long to re-learn the out-of-order facebutton placement that Nintendo insists on, because I can’t keep failing the karaoke mini game. (Austin)
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening
Publisher: Koei Tecmo | Developer: Koei Tecmo | Price: $69.99
Having never played a Nobunaga’s Ambition game before, there was a lot for me to take in when I tried Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening on the Switch 2. Thanks to a variety of comprehensive tutorials, I think I actually figured out how the incredibly complex game worked and, despite not being great at it, have been enjoying trying to unify Japan using various resources and strategies.
One thing that’s great about the Switch 2 version is that it works with mouse mode. It feels very smooth and comfortable to drag your way around the map in mouse mode, and clicking the many options scattered throughout the screen using a Joy-Con is quite natural. Plus, this Switch 2 release is the complete edition, so you get plenty of additional content to take part in. All in all, this is a great way to play Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening. (Spencer)
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Publisher: SEGA | Developer: Sonic Team | Price: $49.99
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of the Sonic series, I decided to dip my toes into this latest release, and see how everything performs on the Switch 2, and at least from a performance perspective, things run great! I was glad to see that the frame rates match the fast-paced running around that the Sonic games are known for, no dips, no hitching, and nothing to get in the way of playing the game, except maybe for the gameplay itself… Seriously, who thought the annoyingly chatty Omochao was a good idea?
Generations has a bit of a cult following for being “one of the good ones” when it comes to 3D Sonic games. As someone without any nostalgia for those games, it’s hard to see what folks like about them, and while Generations has some 2D-focused levels, they couldn’t fully distract me from the content I didn’t find myself enjoying. I found myself having more fun playing the Keanu Reeves voiced Shadow content, if nothing else, to hear Mr. Reeves say some absolutely ridiculous things. I hope they keep making 3D Sonic experiences in the years to come, maybe a fleshed out version of what they were trying in Frontiers to keep the Sonic sickos happy. Until they make a Sonic game for me (2D search action Sonic, like Ori?) I will awkwardly wear my Sonic Crocs in public and try to be polite when Sonic fans strike up a conversation with me while I wait in line for a chili dog. (Austin)
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Publisher: SEGA | Developer: SEGA | Price: $39.99
Ladies and gentlemen, we finally got those handheld rights to Tetris, and they even bundled Puyo Puyo with it. What a steal. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is an updated release of the 2020 game, where you can play Tetris against someone playing Puyo Puyo or the reverse! With the release of the Switch 2, I figured this would be a perfect game for the handheld console so it was a no brainer to check out.
What I found was a game stuffed with modes I didn’t expect. First off is a cute story mode where the worlds of Puyo Puyo and Tetris are merging together, and you need to solve the mystery before disaster strikes. There’s also a half dozen other modes like traditional versus, Swap (where you’re constantly swapping between a Tetris and Puyo board), or Fusion, where Puyos and Tetriminos will rain down simultaneously. In addition to all that, you can play just normal ass Tetris or Puyo Puyo if you want to stick to the classics.
A Switch 2 release means additional content as well, with the new “Puyo Tetris Doubles” mode freshly added in. In it, you and a friend will share the same Puyo Puyo or Tetris board while you compete against another group of doubles playing against you. It’s an interesting way to play these games as you try to coordinate with your friend to form more elaborate combos as you both have pieces entering the board simultaneously.
With a breadth of game modes to satisfy, and even more cosmetic items to unlock, I can’t think of a better game to play on the go than Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S. (Diego)
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Publisher: Nintendo | Developer: Nintendo | Price: $9.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a collection of tech demos, mini-games, and education that’s surprisingly not free and simultaneously worth the price of admission. I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed every little detail and bit of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
The minimal approach to the art design of the characters and world only amplified the beauty of the 3D rendered hardware show. Glimpses into the inner workings of the hardware and the history of Nintendo products scratched a nerdy itch I didn’t realize I had. It’s a bit of a bummer that it wasn’t free, but I found myself unable to pull myself away from Welcome Tour after I started it, and have been thinking about it more than any other game available at launch. I hope Nintendo will add more content to this as new first party hardware is released, and while some of the mini games encourage using two people, adding a sleek way to pull up the catalog of mini games, tech demos and quizzes to offer a better experience to show friends and family would be a welcome addition. (Austin)
Survival Kids
Publisher: Konami | Developer: Unity Games | Price: $49.99
Survival Kids is a sometimes satisfying but overall lacking survival game that struggles a bit with its concept. It can be fun to traverse islands and solve puzzles for a bit, but the repetitive nature of the game and some odd design choices keep it from being a standout Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.
It can be fun to play for bits at a time, but some peculiar choices and the game’s repetitive design make it hard to recommend to most. Kids may enjoy the multiplayer aspect with friends and family, but it’s not the best game of the Switch 2’s launch library. (Spencer)
Credit: Capcom
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Publisher: Capcom | Developer: Capcom | Price: $39.99
One of the sleeper hits from 2024, and a respectable port that’s better in docked mode, but still acceptable in handheld mode. Kunitsu-Gami is a genre-blending take on an action tower-defense game. The Switch 2 is nearly identical to other versions of the game except for a couple of notable differences. The framerate is noticeably lower than the targeted 60, but keeps things pretty stable around what feels like 40 (thanks Welcome Tour for testing my ability to detect frame rates on the Switch 2). Where the visuals take a hit is in handheld mode. Whatever scaling/sampling is taking place gives things a bit of a muddy/sparkly look. If you’ve ever tried to play a system-intensive game on the Steam Deck, you know what I mean. It isn’t a deal breaker, however, and I found myself enjoying things pretty equally across both modes.
Another welcome addition to the Switch 2 version of Path of the Goddess is mouse-mode support. At any time, using the split JoyCon control scheme, you can simply use the right JoyCon as a mouse, and easily place your auto-attacking soldiers. This just makes interacting with menus, or setting up the perfect defence is easier, without sacrificing the use of controller-style combat controls, something I prefer much greater than the use of mouse and keyboard for the direct action sequences. While you can do something like this on a PC, the transition from mouse mode back into controller mode is seamless on Switch 2. I hope to see more developers implementing these types of flexibility when it comes to playing games on the Switch 2, and this is probably my favorite way to play Path of the Goddess. (Austin)
Mario Kart World
Publisher: Nintendo | Developer: Nintendo | Price: $79.99
Mario Kart World is an ambitious take on the tried-and-true mascot racing formula that mostly succeeds in its ambitions. The open world could use a bit more content, and I’m not quite sold on 24 players, but the visuals, new Knockout Tour mode, and multiplayer make this a more than worthwhile Nintendo Switch 2 launch title.
There’s a lot to unlock and some truly exciting modes to try, even if free roam could be a bit more robust. If you want to have an exciting time racing around impressive courses – especially with friends – then you can’t really go wrong with Mario Kart World. (Spencer)
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Publisher: Square Enix | Developer: Silicon Studio | Price: $39.99
Thirteen years after its initial release on the 3DS, Bravely Default finds a new set of wings on the Switch 2 with Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. The game follows Tiz, Agnès, Ringabel and Edea as they traverse the land in search of reclaiming the four lost crystals from darkness. I’m only a few short hours into the game, having meant to dive into it on its initial release but never getting around to it, and I’m finding a charming story filled with a cast of characters who each have a nugget of interest that has me eager to learn more (even if they so far fall into some typical tropes personality-wise).
New to the Switch 2 edition is a full retooling of the games visuals, quality of life updates like the ability to speed up combat, and some new minigames that utilize the Switch 2’s mouse mode. Now while it plays like a typical turn-based RPG, unique to it is the Brave and Default system where you can choose to guard and bank a turn so that you may use multiple turns the next time (Default), or forfeit future turns immediately at the cost of being left defenseless (Brave). I found myself in an interesting juggling act during boss encounters as I choose when to play it safe and Default on my turns or go all out and have everyone Brave. The game’s gotten its hooks in me good and deep and can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for a hefty RPG to sink their teeth in with their new console. (Diego)
