Over the past few years, Nintendo have really shown what the Switch can do. With titles like The Witcher 3 and Doom Eternal not only being ported, but working pretty damn well on the handheld console, the sky really seems to be the limit for Nintendo.
Here are 10 games I would love to see on the Switch (as soon as portable).
10) Viva Pinata (Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS)
Sure, we’ll probably see the Rare Replay collection come to Switch if Viva Pinata makes its way over, but I especially want Rare’s gardening simulator to be ported above all the other games.
With Ori and the Blind Forest and Cuphead being massive hits on the Switch, there is obviously a market for family friendly Microsoft titles on the Switch. Viva Pinata would most certainly scratch that itch.
Initially released in 2006, the game sees you try to attract as many pinatas as possible to your garden. This life simulation game has surprisingly deep mechanics, amongst them the hidden cross breeding mechanics and sour pinatas.
With a whole host of unlockables, achievements and incredibly colorful and detailed characters, Viva Pinata is still incredibly addictive today. The world is undeniably beautiful, and just thinking about it makes me want to boot up my Xbox 360.
There has also already been a decent Viva Pinata title on the Nintendo DS, so the series is no stranger to portable Nintendo consoles.
Who knows, if a port goes ahead, we might even see Viva Pinata 3 on the Switch some time in the future.
9) Fall Guys (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows)
Regardless, Fall Guy could easily get a second birth on the Switch. The handheld console is known for its fast pace, fun and addictive gameplay, making Fall Guys an ideal game to port.
In Fall Guys, you play against a host of online competitors in various platforming challenges in a battle royale game style. Think Takeshi’s Castle but as a video game.
I am certain there is a place for this one on the Switch. It would be mutually beneficial for Fall Guys to be ported to the Switch. Fingers crossed!
8) A GameCube Back Catalogue
More of a general one this, I think the Switch would greatly benefit from having a back catalogue of Gamecube titles available either as a collection or as an additional benefit of the Nintendo Online service, alongside the NES and SNES libraries.
Fans were ecstatic to see Mario Sunshine make its way to Switch, so there is obviously still a great deal of demand for the older titles.
Although it’s only £20 a year, many fans feel like they’re not getting enough bang for their back. Imagine how much happier you’d be if you got Luigi’s Mansion, Double Dash and Twilight Princess as part of your yearly membership fee.
If Nintendo offered this, I’d bite their hand off. Imagine the possibilities!
7) Batman Arkham Series (Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
The Batman Arkham series was one of the crowning achievements of last gen gaming.
These action adventure titles were perfect examples of atmospheric storytelling and tight gameplay. The series are full of memorable boss battles (especially the Scarecrow ones from Arkham Asylum) and locales.
The latter titles were open world games, and although Arkham Origins especially feels too grand for the Switch, we have seen crazier things happen.
Playing as Batman through this now legendary series of games would be a joy to behold on Switch.
What do you think?
6) The Fable Games (Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox)
If Peter Molyneux didn’t run his mouth so much, then the Fable series would have a much better place in gaming history than it in fact does.
However, Molyneux made unkeepable promises with every title, and although all three games were great in their own right, they never lived up to the hype. Perhaps with a new lick of paint, these titles would be at home on the slightly more modest Nintendo Switch. Let’s just keep Peter away from the ad campaign if this ever happens!
The Fable games are action RPGS set in the fictional nation of Albion, built on Medieval Britain. There are surreal, magical themes that run throughout the three titles, and each game poses interesting moral questions to the player. I especially like the third title that lets you make weighty decisions as king or queen of Albion.
The worlds in Fable games are always very charming and idiosyncratic. You will find yourself playing mini games in the pubs for hours on end. This is an indication of how lived in and authentic the Fable universe is.
These titles could easily run on the Switch, and together would constitute a nice little package that would surely sell well.
5) Skate 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
While we wait on the inevitable disappointment that is Skater XL’s Switch port, we can dream of EA’s 2010 Skate 3 making it’s way over too.
More realistic than the Tony Hawk games, and with considerably more natural and intelligent controls, Skate 3 was in my opinion the magnum opus of the series.
You take control of an up and comer skater, completing a variety of challenges to sell boards and promote your brand. The open world is so inviting, and the killer soundtrack - which ranges from Neil Diamond to Dinosaur Jr. to ODB - will keep you playing for hours on end.
The skatepark creator easily invites 5 hour sittings, and the hall of meat challenges wherein you do as much damage to the skater as possible are legendary.
This one has just never gotten old for me. I could still to this day sit down and skate around the world for way too long.
It would be nice to see a truly great 3D skate game hit the Switch. This one feels unlikely but… maybe?
4) Portal 1 & 2 (Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android)
Arguably Valve’s best games - which is saying something - the two Portal games are still revered for their innovative gameplay and hilarious writing.
Whether you are antagonised by the infamous Glados or Wheatley (Stephen Merchant), the Portal series is some of the most fun you can have with video games.
The premise is simple, but effective; the player runs through a set of test chambers. The puzzles are solved by finding solutions with your portal gun; by shooting two portals, you can go from A to B in the snap of your fingers.
Although it sounds simple, the challenges in Portal are incredibly complex and well designed. Portal 2 cracks things up a notch with a much deeper story and an equally addictive multiplayer mode.
These two would surely sell brilliantly on the Switch. There’s no reason these games couldn’t be ported. Considering they looked great at the time of initial release, it shouldn’t even take that much work.
Would you like to see these on Switch?
3) GTA V (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5)
After L.A. Noire and The Witcher 3, GTA V is surely only a matter of time away from a Switch port, right?
Now, this one is mighty optimistic. The download size of GTA V is around 95GB, a staggering 3 times more than the base storage on a Switch light. If this were to run on the Switch, then I’m not sure how much the necessary downsizing would have a negative impact on gameplay and graphics.
But this is my dream list, so let’s just think about it for a moment.
Can you imagine driving around Lost Santos as Michael, Trevor or Franklin on the go? Better yet, imagine rolling round online with friends, doing heists or playing in the casinos. GTA V is probably the biggest game world in history. If somehow it was ported to Switch, then it really would be a monumental achievement for Nintendo. A big statement of intent.
Plus, we saw GTA Liberty City sell well on PSP, so we know there’s a market there for GTA handheld games.
Do you see it happening?
2) A Sonic 3D Compilation
Nostalgia sells.
Port 3/4 3D Sonic games onto Switch for £50 (not ideal but realistic) and watch the money fly in, Nintendo.
Seriously though, who wouldn’t want to see a Sonic equivalent of 3D All Stars, only without the timed release?
Games like Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, Sonic Heroes and Sonic Unleashed were met with good reviews on launch, but haven’t aged well. With a new lick of paint or maybe even a full remaster a la Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, Nintendo could do a lot worse than reviving the blue hedgehog.
Fundamentally, the Sonic games listed above are fun, with great fast paced gameplay and original platforming sections. This could be hours of fun if they’re brought over to the Switch properly.
1) Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Wii)
Mario’s 35th Anniversary on the Switch was just awful. Sure, we got Mario 64, Sunshine and Galaxy ported to the Switch, but there were no noticeable improvements to the gameplay or visuals. And yet, Nintendo had the audacity to slap a £50 price tag on it. Not only that, it was a timed release. The game is now no longer available to buy.
If all that isn’t bad enough, we didn’t get Super Mario Galaxy 2 in the 3D All Stars collection, arguably the greatest 3D Mario game of all time.
Bar greediness, I don’t see any reason why this won’t be ported to Switch in the near future. There is a guaranteed audience for something like this, even if a £50 price tag is slapped on it.
Like its predecessor, Galaxy 2 again focuses on platforming across 3D planets in space. The platforming, controls, power ups (Yoshi!) and camera are all vastly improved from the first game.
If this isn’t released on the Switch at some point across its life cycle, I will eat my own hat.
