Super Smash Bros.
One of the Switch’s biggest unique selling points is the ability to take console-like gaming on the go with you, wherever you need. On top of that, Nintendo’s intuitive approach to control inputs, especially regarding multiplayer with the Joy-Con and additional Pro controllers, ensure that you’re always prepared for a quick multiplayer battle of whatever you want to play. And when there’s a feud among friends that needs to be settled, there’s no better way to resolve it than with some Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo’s all-star brawling series is incredibly likely to hit the Switch at some point, considering there’s been a title on every home console system since the N64. While Nintendo would need to look into clever ways to overcome the limited input options on a single Joy-Con, the thought of having a great-looking, compelling brawler with us wherever we go is certainly enticing. Imagine how fast those commutes would go then.
Dock your Switch back at home and continue the battle on the big screen for those truly tense and all-important grudge matches where performance and screen size cannot be used as excuses. Top it off with Nintendo’s suggested push into eSports (as was eluded to in their initial Switch reveal trailer with Splatoon 2) and Super Smash Bros. seems like a no-brainer for Nintendo’s hybrid system. Now, all we need to do is wait.
Animal Crossing
If you’ve ever truly got into an Animal Crossing game, you know how it pretty much consumes your thoughts at all hours of the day. At first, the series was bound to home consoles, meaning vacations or lengthy commutes would often leave you contemplating all of the hard work you could be doing in your town on your travels. Then, the series branched out onto the DS and 3DS, and we were free to develop our towns whenever we saw fit. In the process, though, we were then confined to a smaller screen, and performance was limited by the hardware specs.
So what could be better than merging the power of a home system, with the portability of a handheld console to ensure you’ve got quite literally the biggest and best Animal Crossing title to date? What’s more, Animal Crossing’s freedom and pick up and play nature means it’s the perfect game for five minutes or five hours. C’mon Nintendo, you know it makes sense.
WarioWare
Like many of Nintendo’s latest pieces of hardware, the Switch is jam-packed with neat little features and tech to enhance your gaming experience. From the HD Rumble to the Joy-Cons’ multiple control methods, to the touch screen and motion controls of the entire system, the Switch’s features need to be put to good use and showcased. And what better way to do exactly that than with a WarioWare title.
Scribbling on the touch screen of your DS or waggling your Wii remote wasn’t a chore in WarioWare, it was a ton of fun because of the way the series always finds such fun and intuitive ways of making you do these things. When the Switch is in its early stages and some of its features have yet to be fully utilized, what better way to showcase them than with a ton of frantic, hilarious minigames perfect for playing on the go or at home?
Pokemon
If you ask Nintendo fans one series that they’d love to see on the Switch, chances are a good few of them would say the Pokemon series. For some time now, players have been itching for a proper, 3D quest to be the very best there ever was. And no, we’re not talking about another spin-off like Colosseum or XD.
Imagine it. A Pokemon title that builds further on the changes made to the series in Sun and Moon, in a fully 3D environment, with a ton of Pokemon to catch, that you can play on your big screen TV, as well as throw in your bag when you need to head out. Is this a pipe dream? Quite possibly, but heck, most fans would love to just see a more traditional title – without the giant 3D world an’ all. After 2016 saw the ‘mon celebrate their 20th anniversary and become a cultural phenomenon once more, Pokemon on the Switch is a match made in heaven and a surefire system seller for Nintendo.
Mario Party
When you’re not really feeling like a super competitive feud-settling game like Mario Kart or Smash Bros, there’s nothing quite like a bit of Mario Party to lighten the mood and pass the time. With its board game set up, simple and enjoyable mini games, bright colors, and cast of classic characters, Mario Party is a strong title to add to the Switch’s arsenal.
After all, in the Switch reveal trailer, we saw the system being taken to various places being used as a multiplayer system in its portable mode. Say you take your Switch with you to a family member’s or a friend’s place: Mario Party is the kind of game where everyone can get involved, and you don’t necessarily need a plethora of controllers for everyone to get in on the action if the mini-games are designed as such. If Nintendo wants the Switch to reach the dizzying heights of success that the Wii did, then making use of the system’s unique features and wrapping them up in fun, bite-sized packages is a perfect way to do that. And Mario Party would be a perfect fit.
Pikmin
Now, we already know that the next Pikmin title is in development (alongside the 3DS game), and it seems almost guaranteed at this point that it’ll release on the Switch. While the series is by no means a system seller, it’s strategic management gameplay is actually a perfect fit for the Switch.
Sitting at home, you’ve got a choice of fully-functioning control options at your disposal, as you survey the work of your Pikmin on a much larger scale thanks to the bigger screen size of your TV. On the go, and the Switch’s touch screen becomes a perfect feature for Pikmin. Selecting different groups and sending them on their own tasks is far easier when you can simply tap and drag things to where you want them to go, rather than using analog sticks and buttons. Sure, it might be a little more difficult to control when you’re at home, but it never stopped the first two games from delivering some of the most rewarding and enjoyable gameplay on the GameCube.
Which Nintendo series do you think are perfect fits for the Switch? Let us know down in the comments below.
Published: Mar 9, 2017 01:06 pm