By the end of September 2017, six months after the original Switch launched, the console had sold over 7.5 million units worldwide. Considering that the the Switch’s predecessor, the Wii U, only sold a lackluster 13.5 million units worldwide in its five years on the market, the Switch’s success was a big deal.
Let’s be honest, Breath of the Wild and the mind-blowing handheld/console hybrid design are predominantly to thank for those initial 7.5 million units. Breath of the Wild is one of those rare, once-in-a-lifetime games that captured the imagination of several generations at one time. Nintendo couldn’t have asked for a better launch game.
As for the other Nintendo titles released during the Switch’s first six months on the market, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle are all top-tier Nintendo developed/affiliated titles that were received well and sold admirably (insanely, in MK8 Deluxe’s case) but weren’t necessarily system-sellers. Other titles, like 1-2 Switch, Arms, Snipperclips, and Pokken Tournament DX all sold at least a couple million copies each, but none of them had much staying power beyond their initial release windows. The Switch would have to wait until October 2017 before another landmark game, Super Mario Odyssey, increased consumers’ desire for the console.
I bring up the Switch because the Switch 2 has, unfortunately, a lot to live up to. Even if Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey were the only two games released for the Switch in all of 2017, millions would have purchased it.
Does the Switch 2 have a must-own game yet? If you’re on the fence about upgrading to a Switch 2, particularly at the higher price point of $449.99, is the console worth getting now or waiting until a later time?
The majority of you who read “Nintendo is Great” have likely already made up your minds about where you stand with Switch 2. For those who aren’t sure, however, I’d like to analyze the exclusive, first-party Nintendo Switch 2 titles, take a cursory look at the third-party titles released so far and determine whether the Switch 2 is a must-have device for the masses. At the end of the article, I’ll include my personal thoughts and whether I’m satisfied with the console and its games six months out.
I’m not discussing the console itself in this article because, frankly, my opinions on it haven’t changed since I got mine in late June 2025. If all you want is a more powerful Switch iteration that feels considerably more refined and elegant and can play your already-purchased Switch games with higher FPS, resolution, etc, you should absolutely get the Switch 2.
Alright, without further ado, let’s discuss the Switch 2’s first-party Nintendo titles and see what the consensus is.
JUNE
MARIO KART WORLD
Mario Kart World was supposed to be the Breath of the Wild game-changer launch title that redefined how we all perceived Nintendo’s most successful series. The first Mario Kart game with an open-world had potential to be absolutely overwhelming and incredible. Instead, the consensus is the game is fun, but nothing groundbreaking and certainly not worth the $80 price tag.
The open-world elements in particular were criticized as being boring with large sections of the map having very little to do. These criticisms haven’t stopped the game from selling nearly 1:1 with the console itself, however, so maybe consumers don’t mind or they just haven’t read critic reviews/rando thoughts on the Internet.
Mario Kart World will likely sell well for the rest of the Switch 2’s life, but I still think the majority of players will consider Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the pinnacle of the series.
Conclusion: Fun romp worth playing, not system seller
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 WELCOME TOUR
I feel silly even including this title here. No one’s buying a Switch 2 for what amounts to a digital instruction manual of the Switch 2’s many features. There’s definitely some enjoyment to be found here, but none of us should have had to pay ten dollars for this little curio (even though it’s still better than 1-2 Switch and that thing cost fifty dollars). Perhaps one day soon Nintendo will realize their mistake and make this “game” a free download in the eShop.
Conclusion: Not intended to be a system seller. Still should have been free.
JULY
DONKEY KONG BANANZA
In July 2025, Donkey Kong Bananza arrived from Nintendo EPD, the same team that worked on Mario Odyssey. Reviews were, like Mario Kart World, mostly positive, but some people/critics didn’t care for the overemphasis on beating the crap out of environments vs. platforming. Some of the world designs were also critiqued as was the performance of the game in certain areas. Donkey Kong and Pauline’s relationship, however, was heavily praised and those that enjoyed the game appreciated that Bananza wasn’t just a Mario title with a Donkey Kong skin. DK Bananza is its own unique beast, but it’s not a unanimous crowd-pleaser.
Conclusion: Curiosity will bring many here, but not system-seller.
AUGUST
DRAG X DRIVE
Oof. I’m pretty sure we’d all forgotten about this one, even though it only released three-ish months ago.
Drag X Drive is best described as a wheelchair basketball game, controlled with the Switch 2’s unique mouse capabilities. Released at a $20 price point in the eShop, few were expecting the game to move mountains. Still, even at this low price, Drag X Drive has been likened to an unfinished tech demo. Couple this with ugly character models and lack of options and one wonders why Nintendo released the game at all.
Conclusion: Even less memorable than ARMS. A reason for people to not buy a Switch 2
NOVEMBER
HYRULE WARRIORS: AGE OF IMPRISONMENT
The third installment in the Hyrule Warriors series takes place during Tears of the Kingdom, specifically Hyrule in the past. All of the characters from that time period/game are playable and the fighting is as wild and insane as previous Warriors titles.
If you’ve never ventured into the surprisingly vast world of musou games, imagine a small group of warriors working together to take on hundreds of enemies on a large battlefield. Musou is the proper evolution of the hack-and-slash, so if you enjoyed Golden Axe, Shinobi, etc. back in the day, there’s a very good chance you’ll like a Warriors title.
Therein lies the problem with Age of Imprisonment, though. Even if you like the Zelda franchise, that doesn’t mean you enjoy the non-stop fighting that the game provides. Age of Calamity, the previous Hyrule Warriors game, may have sold 4 million copies, but I think that was only because of Breath of the Wild’s insane popularity. Even though Age of Imprisonment is generally considered to be an improvement on its predecessor, I can’t see this game breaking out beyond the fanbase overlap of Zelda and Warriors games.
Conclusion: A hoot if you’re into this sort of thing. Not a system-seller.
KIRBY AIR RIDERS
And you thought Hyrule Warriors was niche. At least it’s connected to the immensely successful Zelda franchise. How about a Kirby spin-off sequel that’s coming 22 years after the original? That’s Kirby Air Riders, a.k.a. Masahiro Sakurai’s next game. The latter point, I think, is a bigger deal on the Internet than real life, but it does deserve to be mentioned. Nintendo gave Sakurai two Directs and an enormous amount of time to discuss the game’s mechanics and hype up the game. His involvement is clearly a selling point to some people.
Will this translate into sales and general interest, however? I wonder. Kirby is universally adored as a character design, but his games are often hit-or-miss. Mario Kart World is also a racing game, and while the two are very different in their overall design and mechanics, I can’t help but think Nintendo should have waited and released Kirby Air Riders in 2026 for more impact. If people buy the Switch 2, they’re going to choose one racing game, and it’s going to be Mario Kart World.
Conclusion: Not even remotely close to a system seller.
That’s it! These are the six Switch 2-exclusive titles, the reasons you may or may not want to buy a Switch 2 this year.
“But Dylan,” you cry, “What about Pokemon Legends Z-A or Metroid Prime 4: Beyond? Those are on the Switch 2 also!”
Sure, but you don’t need a Switch 2 to play them. The aforementioned games do have Switch 1 versions, and while they may not look as good or run as well, millions will purchase them on Switch 1 without giving their upgraded cousins a second thought.
As far as I’m concerned, the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions - specifically those released by Nintendo themselves - are only worth getting on Switch 2 if you’ve either a) never played the Switch 1 title before or b) you desire the extra performance boost/content that the Switch 2 editions provide. I will be getting Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for the Switch 2 because I anticipate the game looking/running its best on the new hardware.
Some of the Switch 2 editions can run pricey. Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree both cost $80, an absurd amount of money for older games. Buy the original Switch cartridges used on eBay, then shell out $20 for the new DLC if you want. Don’t encourage Nintendo’s ridiculous pricing tactics.
As for third-party titles, about 100 games have been released thus far. Popular titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, Split Fiction, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades II and weird niche stuff like Chillin’ By The Fire and all three Atelier Ryza games for some reason. If you want to take these games on the go, a Switch 2 might be your best bet compared to a Steam Deck. Still, the majority of these third-party games aren’t exclusive titles. To me, they are not reasons to own a Switch 2.
OVERALL…
The Switch 2’s first-party lineup thus far is, frankly, anemic compared to the original Switch’s. Chalk it up to poor timing, but none of Nintendo’s 2025 AAA games captured the zeitgeist for more than a month or two.
Mario Kart World was intended to dominate Switch 2 discussion for at least the rest of the year, but the Internet has moved on quickly. DK Bananza is Nintendo’s other heavy-hitter, but again, while generally received well, critically it’s not the home-run Odyssey was. Welcome Tour and Drag X Drive are throwaway titles at best, and Age of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders speak to the passionate Nintendo nerd in me, but I don’t see them moving the needle much.
Personally speaking, I find Mario Kart World and Age of Imprisonment to be enjoyable, but disappointing. I was expecting more from both, especially given the new hardware. I’m grateful AoI runs at 60fps in-game, but I still feel like its predecessor, Age of Calamity, had more personality. Mario Kart World’s little touches, like the character-select menu and insane amount of unlockable stickers, have tons of personality, but the tracks themselves are severely hindered by the game’s large, often barren, open world. Only Donkey Kong Bananza has felt like a truly “next-gen” experience to me, a different style of Nintendo platformer/smash-em-up than anything they’ve ever created in the past.
Mario Kart World and DK Bananza will likely dominate Christmas sales, along with Pokemon Legends Z-A (the latter on both Switch 1 and 2), and maybe that’s what Nintendo intended. I wonder, though, if any of these games will have the consistent sales legs that Switch 1 games like Odyssey and Breath of the Wild have had. Possibly, but not because of their overall perceived quality.
If you really like Nintendo games and your Switch 1’s lookin’ a little tired, you should absolutely buy a Switch 2 this holiday season. If not for what’s available now, then for what will eventually come out in the following years. But if this current lineup doesn’t speak to you or if you’re surprised by the less-than-rapturous reviews for tentpole titles like Mario Kart and Donkey Kong, I would hold off and not feel bad about it.
For now, the Switch 2’s unbelievable success is, in my opinion, coasting off of the Switch 1’s seemingly neverending goodwill and mountain of amazing titles. At some point, however, Nintendo will have to make with some fabulous, must-own Switch 2-only games or the casual audience that made its predecessor so popular will move on to the next shiny bauble.
It’s happened before. It can happen again.
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I'm hopeful 2026 will be the year Nintendo really brings the Switch 2 love. We should see a new Mario, maybe even a new Zelda or at least an announcement. It seems like Nintendo is planning to buy more development studios so maybe some good stuff will come out of that.
As paltry as the Switch 2 library is, I’m reminded that Nintendo is the last company standing in the console wars. Even a few months in the Switch 2 has about as many exclusives as the PS5 has had in five years and probably more than the Xbox Series consoles.