Where are all the games in Switch 2 presented?

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been unveiled. But, in a small promotional video, Nintendo chose to mainly show off the new hardware, in addition to a small glimpse of what appears to be a new Mario Kart game. It was an incredible moment, and a curious decision. For Nintendo above all game console manufacturers, the connection between hardware and software is an intense and symbiotic one – and Nintendo’s unique games are the first reason to buy its consoles.

Change 2 will be no exception. In fact, this will be many In fact for the Switch 2 more than previous Nintendo consoles, because the Switch 2 does not have a significant new gimmick of its own, give or take things like mouse mode for its controllers. It’s a direct hardware upgrade: a bigger, better Switch, with similar features. Why do players who aren’t fussed about upgrading to the latest tech bother getting one? To play the latest Mario Kart, Super Mario, or Animal Crossing, of course – which makes no more than one of the games from the initial sales seem baffling.

We will have to wait and see what Nintendo’s plans are for the release of Switch 2 games. It is important that, while there are leaks about the console itself for many months (if not years) before its announcement, there are next to no leaks about its first party game, Mario Kart aside – and there is no main content of the game. , a. The video ad doesn’t really give much away about it.

Otherwise, the discussion is all about ports of existing or already published third-party titles Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Red Dead Redemption 2, Steel Glass Solid Deltaand even Halo: The Master Chief Collection. These games are widely known, and the publishers’ interest in bringing their recent hits to a stronger level in addition to the 146 million-selling Switch is clear.

Nintendo itself has completed its own Switch 2 titles, and seems happy to wait a little longer – perhaps until the Nintendo Direct on April 2 – to reveal them. Maybe Nintendo has some surprises in store. Maybe he wants to give each game its own chance to shine. Or maybe Nintendo’s marketing people think it’s better to wait to introduce the game until people have a chance to play it on their own hardware, to enjoy the experience differently. game of Switch.

There’s an important comparison here, and that’s Switch’s video ads. Like the Switch 2 teaser, this is just a new reveal, and a similar challenge: a glimpse of the unannounced. Super Mario Odyssey. But Nintendo has seen a few other games play on the Switch, from its own studios and other publishers. There is a port of SkyrimNBA games, and many known ports or releases of Wii U’s favorite titles The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8and Splatoon 2. These games were used to introduce some of the Switch’s unique features, like its ability to switch between home TV and portable gaming, and its detachable controllers for portable local multiplayer.

The Switch 2 is backward-compatible with Switch games, so – since Nintendo refuses to share many of its new games – why wouldn’t it use the same game book again, and only show some existing titles running on the new machine? The answer lies in the significant difference in terms of deployment between Switch and Switch 2.

First, the Wii U was a seller. Favorite games Mario Kart 8 so there is no game back in 2016, and the wider audience will be excited at the prospect of getting its hands on the games on the new console, and excited to the anticipation of the (already well-publicized) new Zelda title coming to new hardware. . The same cannot be said about Switch games; I think most people watching the Switch 2 announcement video already have a way to play them. Even show, say, Switch 2 version of the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond dangerously sending the wrong message: Why do we need a new console?

Second, the Switch is a new concept that needs to be explained when the first console is announced, and this would be next to impossible without the game being played in the new content that was paid by Nintendo’s new founder. The same isn’t true of Switch 2, which has more than the original. It is very easy to understand what this console is from a simple presentation like a weekly video. Arguably, the addition of Mario Kart footage doesn’t add much to the video, beyond hinting at the upcoming game Nintendo has in store.

Maybe Nintendo didn’t focus on gaming in the Switch 2 reveal video just because it didn’t have to. With the console doing so well on the market, and with the confidence of fans and investors at an all-time high, there’s no real reason for Nintendo to go straight for sales. Harder on Switch 2 than to satisfy our curiosity. He can pay for himself, does not rush his business, and makes us wait. But still. A little more would be nice!