Nintendo Switch is a console that, right from its launch, already had hardware that was quite behind that of the competition. That didn’t stop it from being a great success due to its primarily portable nature. Nor has it been unnoticed that, in the last three or four years of the generation, its limitations have become apparent. Many games have been played, but far from in a way that was optimal, or even desirable. And Nintendo knows this.
That’s why it’s not surprising that Nintendo Switch 2 has promised that some games from the previous console will play better on the new console. It’s a good selling point and a great reason to replay games we love, but perhaps didn’t play under the best possible conditions. Today we’re going to talk about that: the games that should receive a patch for Nintendo Switch 2 so they can finally run in optimal conditions. Because Nintendo Switch 2 has the potential to improve even the bad aspects of Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta 3
Probably not the most flagrant case on the list, although it is certainly a particularly painful one. Although Bayonetta 3 can reach 60fps at times, it is always at the expense of the visual spectacle, something that goes against the very spirit of the game. This is something we could well sacrifice in exchange for being able to play it as smoothly as possible, which the new Nintendo console should be more than capable of.
But in all honesty, Bayonetta 3 would need more work than just a performance boost. It would need a patch to improve it to be a game worthy of Nintendo Switch 2. How likely is that? Given that its creator has left Platinum Games, the studio has suffered a massive exodus and they are busy making Ninja Gaiden 4, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Although being able to enjoy Bayonetta 3 at 60fps is already a delight.
Astral Chain
Astral Chain is the completely opposite situation of Bayonetta 3. It doesn’t need anything, for anyone to touch it, or to do anything with it. It only needs one thing and one thing only: more power. The original Switch was a very limited console for what Astral Chain wanted to achieve, and it showed in the 30fps it ran at, solid but insufficient for such a fast and precise action game like this.
Of course, as with Bayonetta 3, this is a Platinum Games title whose director has left the studio. That means that any possible patch seems impossible. But if Switch 2 can run it at 60fps, because its framerate isn’t capped at 30, the game could have a second life on Nintendo’s new console. One that is more than deserved, considering it is the most interesting game that Platinum Games released in the past generation by a wide margin.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Now that Dynasty Warriors Origins has shown that musou games are cool, it’s time to revisit some of the great modern classics that Omega Force left us on Switch. Especially on Switch 2, a console that will be able to run them. Not well. Run them. Because Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an absolutely excellent game that perfectly combines the idiosyncrasy of Breath of the Wild with the principles of musou which has a problem: it can drop below 15 frames per second.
With Nintendo Switch 2, we hope that we can simply play the game the way it was intended: with a stable framerate. We don’t need more draw distance or any kind of added gimmick. Just not having frame drops would already allow us to appreciate the absolute delight of the game, as its only problem has always been that Nintendo Switch was no longer up to par in 2020.
Pokémon Legends Arceus
Few games have suffered more from technical and budgetary limitations on the console than Pokémon Legends Arceus. The best Pokémon of the generation is also a game that, in terms of performance and visual quality, is very, very limited. Its draw distance is nonexistent, its FPS do what they can, and it is not a great example of a polished game technically at any level. But in terms of mechanics and artistry? The best Pokémon in decades, probably.
That’s why, Nintendo, if you have to give a second life to a game and only one, let it be this one. You have a second Pokémon Legends on the way, what better way to promote it than to show the public that you can do justice to the previous one? You would demonstrate that you can do things right, that there should be faith in what you are doing with it, and you would also show that you are aware of the problems with the franchise. Something that can only bring you great dividends. Think about it, Nintendo. You can only win.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
This is almost cheating because we basically know what’s going to happen. Xenoblade Chronicles X is one of the last exclusive games that have been released for Nintendo Switch, and all the rumors have pointed to it having a version for Nintendo Switch 2. Why? Because it’s normal. Their studio works closely with Nintendo and they released the game a few months before the console’s launch, how could they not have a devkit for the new console to be able to launch a version when it comes out?
Xenoblade Chronicles X is not the game that will benefit the most from the generational leap. More FPS, upscaling, better textures, or draw distance are not something that a game already excellently crafted will particularly need. But it is a demonstration of principles: we can do it, and we will. And the fact that they can do it and they do it is something we should celebrate.
