A Complete, Exhaustive Overview of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
Spared no expense.
Nintendo is Great is a Substack devoted to exploring the world of Nintendo - their games, their consoles, their merchandise - in mostly chronological order, starting with the NES and continuing to the upcoming Switch 2.
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Fair warning: this is a massive beef jerky of a post, a Slim Jim XXL, the likes of which Macho Man would (I hope) be proud. Please read responsibly…
You were there…
You were there in 2016 when Nintendo showed off the Switch in a snazzy trailer with lots of wealthy millennials playing Mario Odyssey (of all games) at a rooftop party.
You were there when poor Reggie Fils-Aimé announced the Wii U at E3 2011 to tepid response.
You were there when Electronic Gaming Monthly provided the freshest, hottest coverage on the E3 announcements of the Wii and the Gamecube, page after page of screenshots for Excite Truck and Luigi’s Mansion.
You were there when GamePro told us that the Nintendo 64 was delayed yet again.
You were there when Target unveiled a SNES demo kiosk in the electronics section, complete with Super Mario World.
You were there when your dad surprised you with an NES Action Set for Christmas. One minute, no Nintendo. The next minute, Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt and a changed life.
You were there, and so was I.
We’ve seen it all, man. Nearly 40 years of Nintendo console announcements, unveilings, misgivings, and botched reveals.
Today, we witnessed another, the first in almost nine years.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is nearly upon us. Shall we dance?
MARIO KART WORLD
Before I dive into what Nintendo showed today with the Switch 2 Direct, I strongly encourage you to check out the Direct yourself if you have any interest in this new console at all. Especially now that it’s over and you can fast forward at your leisure.
Just don’t fast forward through the trailer for Mario Kart World. The game looks awesome.
24 racers on the track at once. Weird new power-ups that appear to change your costume mid-race. Mario and co. can grind, they can wall bounce, they even fly vintage planes. One course looks to be based on Level 1 of the original Donkey Kong.
In addition to the standard Grand Prix mode, Nintendo also announced Knockout Tour, a nonstop race from one course to the next. Failure to be in a certain place by each checkpoint results in your elimination. Basically, an Endurance mode.
In Free Roam, the entire world is open for you to explore and, presumably, find shortcuts, secrets, and Miyamoto knows what else.
No word on Battle Mode yet. Let’s hope Nintendo features robust multiplayer battles right from the start instead of the anemic, halfhearted garbage featured in Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U.
Nintendo knew they couldn’t screw up the next Mario Kart. When a franchise becomes far and away one of your biggest all-time sellers (75 million worldwide on both Wii U and Switch), you better bring that Nintendo good-good or don’t even bother.
Mario Kart World looks like a massive Nintendo flex, a true and proper sequel to the legendary Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the first must-have Switch 2 game.
Nintendo, you salty dogs, you’ve (more than likely) done it again.
THE C BUTTON A.K.A. GAMECHAT
Behold! A new button has emerged!
And if you have friends and you play games with them, you might appreciate Nintendo finally embracing the future.
“C” stands for “chat,” or GameChat as Nintendo’s calling it.
Audio/video chat with up to four of your friends while playing a game together. The Switch 2 has a microphone feature built into the system, and according to the video, also has noise cancellation in case your little brother’s actin’ a fool in the background.
Screen share if you’re feelin’ frisky and your Internet can handle it. Not sure if the Switch 2 or the Internet in the video was having a hard time, but there were definitely some significant frame rate drops happening.
One cool feature: you can play different games while you chat, so you’re not all stuck pretending you want to play Super Mario Party together. I’ll play Mario Wonder, you play Princess Peach: Showtime. Perhaps, in time, our nation will heal.
You can also connect the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera to the system and reveal yourself to the world. Insert your visage over the existing game footage and hope the result doesn’t look too weird and granulated to your friends (RIP Internet). Certain games, like Super Mario Party Jamboree, will take more advantage of the camera than others.
GameChat will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership to use, but if you don’t have one, you still have until March 31, 2026 to give GameChat a whirl. I imagine this 10 month grace period will also allow Nintendo to work out any potential kinks with millions of people using this new feature.
Kudos to the actors/employees who had to pretend like this was their first time playing a Nintendo game. No sarcasm, they did a good job of seeming like they were in awe of everything they were experiencing.
GAMESHARE
GameShare allows up to four systems to play the same game using one cartridge. This option is available for Switch and Switch 2 consoles, although the video infers that the GameShare option needs to be enacted from a Switch 2? Maybe I’m mistaken there, the video’s not exactly clear.
Only certain games will be eligible for GameShare, and the ones shown in the video are all older Switch 1 titles, like Clubhouse Games and Super Mario Odyssey. Games that have already made all their money, in other words.
Nintendo says GameShare is also planned for “select games exclusive to Switch 2” and I don’t doubt them, but this will be far in the future after Mario Kart World has already sold 50 million+ copies.
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 HARDWARE CAPABILITIES
Let me tell you how I play my games, Switch or otherwise.
On a 37’ Toshiba 1080p HD TV from 2009. It’s not smart. It’s not dumb. It’s a TV that functions precisely as it should. No menus. No ads. Just a regular ol’ HD TV, like Mom used to make.
My Switch stays docked all the time. I’ve never once removed it from its dock to play in handheld mode. I play with the same Pro Controller I’ve had since 2020, the year I bought the Switch; its charge remains unparalleled. I’ve heard handheld mode looks rough these days. According to some haters, handheld play has looked rough since the Switch launched in 2017. I wouldn’t know.
I’m telling you all this because what follows is going to be a recitation of facts. No emotion. No real interest on my end. I’m glad the Switch 2 has better specs than the Switch, and if I ever do upgrade to an intrusive and obnoxious 4K smart TV, I’m glad my Switch 2 games will look slightly shinier on it. I only care about the specs, in so much that they allow Nintendo to create games that they literally couldn’t with the original Switch.
The Switch 2’s screen is slightly larger than the Switch’s at 7.9 inches. Perfect for all those aging millennial and zoomer eyeballs.
The Switch 2’s screen is 1080p. At long last!
Screen supports up to 120fps. For compatible titles.
“Vivid” LCD, HDR Support. Blinded by the light.
Joycon 2’s are magnetic. Magnets make everything better, but we’re still not sure how they work.
Bigger SL/SR buttons. Was anyone asking for this? Was this a problem? I don’t know the answers, please share in the comments.
Larger control sticks. Go big or go home.
Mouse controls using Joy-Con 2. Using the Joy-Con 2 as a mouse to control, say, a new Mario Maker game or any number of RTS games typically found only on PC could be pretty rad.
Improved speakers, clearer audio. Sparkling and crisp, like the aural equivalent of a Fresca.
Built-in mic for easy voice chatting. Surprise! Nintendo already told us about this one during the GameChat section.
3D audio. Mario’s viciously loud waa-hoos from all directions.
New stand, freely adjustable viewing angle. The new stand is extra flexible, which is worth at least $100 of the new console’s asking price.
Two USB-C ports. For the new Camera, mostly. Give Nintendo more money.
Larger, faster storage. The system itself comes with 256 GB of storage, which is great unless you plan to buy hundreds of digital games.
New dock, 4K support. Thine eyes will see the glory.
Fan ventilation for powerful cooling. Even your new hype console needs to cool off every now and again.
Plays compatible Nintendo Switch games. If you’re curious, head over to this website to look at the list of non-compatible Switch games.
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 WELCOME TOUR
Want to know more about your brand-new Nintendo system and shell out more money for the privilege?
Welcome to the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a digital instruction manual that shows off what the Switch 2 can do. This looks like a perfectly fun little tech demo thingie that could be installed into every Switch 2 for free, but no. Nintendo admits that they’re going to charge for it, like the raging capitalists that they are. The price is unknown right now, and who knows, maybe it’ll be worth the cost of admission. Buuuut what they showed in the direct looks lackluster and, frankly, insulting.
OTHER STUFF
- Gamecards
Same as the Switch 1 gamecards, but they have red borders instead of black and feature faster data-reading speeds. Ok!
- Additional Storage
You can only use MicroSD Express cards for additional storage. Sucks that regular MicroSD cards from the Switch era won’t be compatible.
- Transfer Data
Use system transfer to move all your Switch 1 data onto your Switch 2, then dump your old Switch in the trash.
- New Pro Controller
It has a C button, guys. Also, new GL and GR buttons, which allow you to “assign existing button controls.” Is the latter a convoluted way to say remapping controls? Because if so, I’m here for it. Also, an audio jack, for flavor.
- Release Date
June 5th, 2025, about two months away.
“NINTENDO SWITCH 2 EDITION” GAMES
This nonsense was rumored and now here we are.
Switch 1 games re-released for Switch 2 with shinier, happier visuals and, in the case of certain games like Super Mario Party Jamboree, a bit of extra content.
If you already own these games for the Switch 1, you can upgrade them for an unknown price. Definitely a price, though. And methinks it won’t be $10 or less.
This is one of the worst lessons Nintendo could ever learn from this most recent console generation. Thanks to Sony and gaming consumers for complaining about the needless PS4-to-PS5 remasters and then buying them en masse anyway.
All my complaining aside, I will absolutely be purchasing the Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Switch 2 Edition because I don’t really consider the latter a Switch 1 game at all anymore.
INTERMISSION
You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned anything about the prices of the console or the games yet, and we’re already over 1700 words into this thing. This is because Nintendo themselves “failed” to mention the prices in the Direct. I will touch upon the price of everything at the end of the article.
DRAG X DRIVE
A robot wheelchair basketball game where you use the Joycon 2’s mouse feature to roll around and shoot hoops, like an OG.
I do not like the art style on this game at all. Very early 2000s ugly going on here. Lots of metal and dirt and darkness.
Honestly, the game looks very barebones or unfinished or something. Hoping this is an early preview of the game and there’s more to it than just some forced awkward motion controls.
THIRD-PARTY PUBLISHER SHOWCASE
The Switch has sold 150 million copies, so naturally, third-party publishers continue to chomp at the bit to work with them.
Elden Ring: The Tarnished Edition – Go on, fight your big beasties and feel good about yourself.
Hades II: Underworld tomfoolery.
Street Fighter VI: If I’m not mistaken, this is the first Street Fighter game on a Nintendo console since Super Street Fighter IV for the 3DS. Also in this preview, I learned that amiibo still exist.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion: Fighting to save the planet in giant mech suits is always a good time, but the overwrought anime vibes in here are a bit much.
Split Fiction: If you have a friend, this game’s for you.
EA Sports FC/Madden NFL: Either way, you’re playing football.
Hogwarts Legacy: Give JK Rowling some more money – or don’t!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4: Grind responsibly.
Hitman: World of Assassination: A world of assassination seems like an awful lot of death, if you ask me.
Project 007: James Bond: Probably won’t be as iconic as Goldeneye 007, but a 90s boy can dream.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster: Square Enix is the undisputed king of English game titles that sound like they make sense, but don’t.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut: The only game where you can beat up rival Yakuza gangs and go bowling for hours at a time.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment: I’ve already put hundreds of hours into the first two Hyrule Warriors games. They are some of my favorite Nintendo-adjacent titles (particularly the first one) of the last decade. Needless to say, I’m unreasonably stoked for this one.
GAMECUBE GAMES ON NINTENDO SWITCH 2
When I saw the Gamecube logo pop on the screen, it felt like Christmas morning all over again.
Not saying this addition to the online service is worth getting a Switch 2 by itself, but… this is huge. I really just assumed that Nintendo would HD remaster every single Gamecube and Wii game that they deemed worthy, charge us $60 a pop, and leave the rest to rot in the digital wasteland.
Nope. Now we’re gonna get classics like Wind Waker alongside random oddities like Chibi Robo. Dare I hope for Smash Bros. Melee and Cubivore in the future? I dare…
GOOD GLORY, MORE THIRD-PARTY GAMES
Deltarune, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4: Toby Fox’s magnum opus gets a couple extra shots of life.
Borderlands 4: Stylized Mad Max cyberpunk loot-n-shoot.
Civilization VII: Finally, a real reason to use the mouse controls!
WWE 2K/NBA 2K: Let’s hope these games look/run better than they did on the original Switch…
Survival Kids: Like “Lord of the Flies,” but the kids actually work together.
Enter the Gungeon 2: You like bullets on your bullets?
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions: Looks like a take on No Man’s Sky, but third-person and with (potentially) lots of players helping one another explore unknown worlds.
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition: One of the most depressing games of all time, now on the Switch.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade: Will the whole FFVII trilogy come to Switch? Can Square Enix shove oh-so-many gigs onto a tiny Switch cart? I want to believe.
MONTAGE TIME – The following games were shown in quick succession back-to-back in the direct.
Kunitsu-gami: Path of the Goddess – creepy lookin’ hack-and-slash.
Hollow Knight: Silksong – this game may or may not exist.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar – also coming to the Switch 1. Farm your brains out.
Goodnight Universe – you’re a baby, I think.
Two Point Museum – create a museum, fill it with the art, be cultured, etc.
Wild Hearts S – a Koei/Tecmo Souls-like, maybe?
Witchbrook – a witch college life sim.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S – play Puyo Puyo or Tetris or both at the same time.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuna – build a village, battle baddies? (some of these clips are about three seconds long).
Marvel Cosmic Invasion – remember those Switch 1 games in last week’s Direct? Yeah, they’re all coming to Switch 2. Marvel beat-em-up, looks awesome.
Star Wars Outlaws – yet another Star Wars game.
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition – Koei Tecmo’s been poking Nobunaga in the gut for forty years, and they’re not about to stop now.
Fast Fusion – in lieu of a new F-Zero…
Shadow Labyrinth – Pac-Man devours souls, the game.
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army – Young high school detective partners with demons to solve mysteries and murder other demons, also the game.
No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files – another anime mystery game, only this time in the future and in space and possibly it’s all in your head.
Reanimal – The three seconds shown of this is enough to convince me that it’s the scariest game of the year. No huge multi-limbed hairy girl-spider climbing after me, ever, thanks.
Fortnite – for the kids.
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Racer – with this release, my inner child and my inner old man is satisfied at the same time.
Professor Layton and the World of Steam – a cup of tea, followed by an absurd amount of cryptic puzzles.
Tamagotchi Plaza – cute weirdos do weird things in cute ways.
Human Fall Flat 2 – clay human-thing yearns to become real boy and possibly find some gravity in the process.
THE DUSKBLOODS
Could this be the dumbest name for any From Software title ever?
That’s not a rhetorical question, the answer is an emphatic yes.
Looks like From Software business as usual. Slay large obscene creatures with your powers, die a lot, and learn Valuable Life Lessons in the process (“slaying that eldritch horror really gave me time to reflect…”). The only difference? Multiple playable characters, so it appears.
Also, this is the first From Software game exclusive to a non-Sony console. We’ll see how long that lasts.
KIRBY AIRRIDERS
A sequel to Kirby’s Air Ride 20+ years later wasn’t on anyone’s Switch 2 bingo card, I don’t think. But Sakurai’s last game (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) sold nearly 36 million copies, so he can make whatever he damn well pleases.
This was a teaser trailer, so not much was shown other than Kirby cruising on a star next to other Kirbys driving other vehicles. But I imagine we’ll see more soon, given the 2025 release date.
DONKEY KONG BANANZA
The first 3D free-roaming Donkey Kong game ever, complete with a fresh, new redesign of the titular character. Smash and bash your way through the environments, with nary a Diddy or Dixie in sight (at least at the moment).
This looks like classic aggro Donkey Kong at his finest, mad about anything and everything. And hey, the game can help relieve your own stress. Upset about how much Switch 2 games cost? Fire up Donkey Kong Bananza and get out that aggression. Just pummel the crap out of that mountain. Go on, it’ll make you feel better.
Pour one out for a 3D Mario title coming later this year too, I don’t think that’s going to happen anymore. Which is fine. It’s been a minute since Donkey Kong had a game to call his own.
HARDWARE OPTIONS / PRICING/FINAL THOUGHTS
Nintendo’s releasing two SKUs for Switch 2. One contains just the system itself for $449.99, while the other contains the system and a digital copy of Mario Kart World for $499.99. Yes, these are expensive, but not surprising. I was hoping for $399 myself, but was expecting $449. As for the $499 bundle, it is absolutely the better option if you want Mario Kart World.
Mario Kart World costs a staggering $80 for either the physical or digital copy. $80!
Look: I’m sure the game’s gonna be great. I’m gonna be part of the problem and buy it, but most people aren’t used to buying Nintendo games at $70, let alone $80. It’s a bold and potentially dangerous move on Nintendo’s part.
Donkey Kong Bananza costs $70, which I expected. I expected Nintendo to raise their prices for all their big-name titles to $70 a la Tears of the Kingdom. But Mario Kart World is a blow. The crazy thing is, they know it! Hence the $30 price reduction for the digital version if you get the $499 Switch 2 bundle.
But hey, guess how much those Nintendo Switch 2 Editions cost? A reasonable $50, you say?
Well, according to Video Games Chronicle, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games cost $80, just like Mario Kart World. This is according to “multiple US retailers,” although they do not link to any sources.
I sincerely hope this article isn’t true. Sure, if you already own the original Switch 1 games, you can upgrade for hopefully no more than $20, and that’ll be that. But you know there are suckers who will just slap down the $80 and think nothing of it, while the rest of us weep. I’m not sure if Nintendo’s just completely tone-deaf to the world’s economy at the moment. Perhaps they’re sippin’ on that hubris again, just like they did with the Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo 64.
Either way, for the Switch 2 to succeed in massive numbers akin to the Switch 1, Nintendo needs to bring families to the table. I just can’t see Little Billy getting $70 and $80 games for Switch on a regular basis, especially when Mom and Dad might be shutting their wallets due to uncertain economic times. This pricing structure, specifically for games, is a major gamble for Nintendo.
And hey, I know America is not the world. But the Switch 2 and its games are expensive just about everywhere. I won’t list all the prices here, but Europe, Australia, Canada, and Japan are feeling the pinch as well.
We shall see what happens in the days ahead.
In the meantime, my plan is to get a Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, if I can, on the launch day.
If I do, I’ll let you know if it’s worth the price of admission.
If I don’t, I’ll be one of many on the metaphorical sidelines, watching and waiting to see if Switch 2 ascends to the heights of its predecessors or if Nintendo is forced to choke on a piece of humble pie.
Woah, that article was way too long! Thanks for reading. If you made it this far, please treat yourself to a complimentary one-month paid subscription. You deserve it!
Just two small points since you asked for people to chime in: I don't think anybody asked for it but the larger SL and SR are a feature I'm happy to see; I've spent many an evening playing Donkey Kong Country and NSMBU Deluxe in CO-OP and that weird bracket with the hollow feeling SL and SR just feels awful after a while. The buttons are very mushy.
The SL and SR ARE the magnets and seem to create extra points of connection so the new side ports don't get worn out or bent.
With that out of the way I was glad to read your post! I enjoyed your small tangent about your TV and I sometimes feel I'm the only other Switch owner who plays primarily docked so that was gratifying. As I mentioned in my write up I think the pricing and lack of 1st party exclusives for the first 6 months will be talking points for years to come but to some extent, I feel it was inevitable given the manufacturing cost of Switch game cards, the fact they are only produced in Japan and of course the current 'situation' with world trade.
Great overview. Pretty much summed up my thoughts. Especially on the pricing strategy, which I won't repeat here..
But I will say that it certainly looks like they've taken precautions to ensure there's no game drought anytime soon. But they'll need to keep the tap running on first party titles however to keep the launch hype momentum running. The last thing they'll want is for the conversation to move off new games and focus more on price.
They'll have a few bangers penciled in over the next two years to keep the conversation buzzing and favourable. A new Zelda of course, Mario Odyssey 2 for sure, most likely a Mario Wonder 2 will appear sooner rather than later, and you know a mainline Pokemon game will be coming down the pipeline.
So they have the goods. But they'll also have sales targets and shareholders expectations to meet. Are those goods gonna be good enough to sell enough numbers at their higher prices? They're trying to fill the Switch's humongous shoes.
It's gonna be interesting to see how this all plays out.