The Nintendo Switch 2 is already on one heck of a run. Though it has yet to see new installments of some heavy-hitter franchises, Nintendo’s latest console has built up an impressive library of games over its first year and a half. A chunk of that list includes excellent Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of the Switch’s best games. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and more have gotten substantial updates that have helped make great Nintendo games even better. That trend is continuing too, as evidenced by the upcoming Pikmin 4 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy.
Though Nintendo has upgraded a fair amount of the Switch’s crown jewels so far, there are still a few games begging for the Edition treatment. That includes some top-tier games that could benefit from a tech boost and more niche ones that feel built for the Switch 2’s mouse controls. If there are any more Switch 2 Editions left in the tank, we hope that these make the cut.
5
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Following the release of the Switch 2’s excellent Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, a Three Houses boost feels like a no-brainer. The tactics game brought the series to new heights of popularity in 2019 and gave the Switch one of its finest RPGs. It could use a visual and performance boost to bring it more in line with Fortune’s Weave as a treat, but that’s not the main draw. It would be a great excuse to bundle in all the content featured in its Expansion Pass, including its Cindered Shadows DLC. Heck, toss in a few alternate Fortune’s Weave costumes for characters like Seteth who appear in both games as a bonus.
4
Super Mario Odyssey
If we’re not getting a new 3D Mario game for a little longer, maybe we can at least visit one of the best out there. A Switch 2 upgrade for Super Mario Odyssey feels inevitable considering that Nintendo loves to spruce up the Switch’s best games and resell them, “Greatest Hits” style. Odyssey doesn’t need much in the way of a technical upgrade, but it would be great to see it bundled with an add-on game in the same vein as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. For my money, the compact Bowser’s Fury is an underrated 3D Mario game that transcends its pack-in status. I’d love to see the team at Nintendo EPD get a chance to make another game of its scale that serves as a tasty appetizer for Mario’s next full 3D adventure.
3
Super Mario Maker 2
Frankly, I can’t believe that Super Mario Maker 2 has yet to get a Switch 2 Edition. Maybe it’s just a matter of low sales giving Nintendo cold feet, but Super Mario Maker 2 feels like it should have been a day-one Switch 2 port. Two words: mouse controls. No series feels as custom-made for Switch 2’s wacky control gimmick than Super Mario Maker; I’m begging Nintendo to let me create levels with a mouse. Beyond that, it feels like there’s a real opportunity here for Nintendo to toss in a modern variant of Mario Paint to spice up the package and position Super Mario Maker 2 as the ultimate creative suite. At the very least, would it be too much to ask for a Super Mario Bros. Wonder theme for levels, too?
2
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3, in my view, is the unsung hero of the Switch library. While it received plenty of acclaim in 2019, you rarely hear it talked about in the same breath as Fire Emblem: Three Houses or Kirby and the Forgotten Land. A great Switch 2 Edition could help change that. Boosting the game to a smooth 60 frames per second could help developer Next Level Games’ excellent animation really sing. There’s plenty of room to package in some additional content too, whether that’s more multiplayer levels, some minigames that play with mouse controls, or a proper DLC.
1
Game Builder Garage
More than any other game on this list, Game Builder Garage is here for purely practical reasons. Nintendo’s charming game development tool is one of a few Switch games that’s straight up not compatible with Switch 2, thanks to its reliance on the original Joy-Cons. Nintendo ought to fix that eventually, even if it’s just for preservation reasons. But like Super Mario Maker 2, an upgrade that adds mouse controls to the mix feels like a slam dunk. Game Builder Garage had potential as an educational tool when it first released in 2021, and an upgrade that makes it even more tactile feels like exactly what it needs to fully pay its pitch off.
