In case you haven’t heard, Nintendo announced that it will be launching a handheld only Switch on Sept. 20 called the Nintendo Switch Lite.
This new version of the Switch aims to make portability easier than its predecessor by sporting a smaller size and having Joy-Cons that are attached to the system permanently.
The Nintendo Switch Lite will launch at a lower price than the original ($199), but with that price drop also comes the removal of some critical features that the Nintendo Switch is known for.
Features such as detachable Joy-Cons, motion controls, and arguably the most prominent feature of the Switch, the ability to dock and play on your TV, will be completely absent from the Lite. Due to these removals, games that currently do not support handheld mode will be unplayable out of the box.
It is important to note that the Lite will still be able to play non-handheld games; however, they won’t be playable without extra equipment, namely a set of Joy-Cons.
Here are four games that you won’t be able to play with the Nintendo Switch Lite (out of the box).
Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party was a surprising success for Nintendo when it launched in late 2018. The go-to party game was praised for its impressive count of mini-games and unique boards for players to enjoy (or rage at) with friends and family.
The original announcement that the game would only be playable in tabletop mode was a head scratcher to many. Forcing players to play with a single Joy-Con and not allowing them to use their pro controllers was a decision that left fans unhappy.
Because the game offers no handheld support, the only way for Nintendo Switch Lite owners to play Super Mario Party is to use the Lite as their display, paired with one or two separate Joy-Con controllers.
Due to the lack of detachable Joy-Cons on the Lite, this makes Super Mario Party an expensive endeavor for those who want to play it on Nintendo’s new console.
With Joy-Cons remaining at a hefty price of $79.99, playing this party game with more than two people will cost players nearly $420 dollars in total.
Although Super Mario Party is easily one of the best Mario Party games in the franchise’s long history, this game is best avoided on the Lite until more accessible options become available through updates or price drops in hardware.
