Since 2017, we’ve seen a huge number of ports coming to the Switch, many of which previously seemed impossible. Surprises like Doom (2016), which came out the year the system launched, and 2019’s Witcher 3 showed that, while smart optimization is needed, Nintendo’s console could delivering perfectly playable and fully immersive portable versions of some of the greatest video games.
As time went on, and Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen platforms launched, Switch ports kept coming — the excellent Pentiment being a particular highlight this year. Fingers crossed for Ace Combat 7 and Stray, although recent disappointments like Batman Arkham Trilogy show that caution is warranted. The Switch is in its eighth year, and the technology within 2017 was hardly cutting edge.
However, there’s still life in the old hybrid, and besides, many games we’d still like to see ported over could work perfectly on the current console. There’s also the matter of more than 140 million systems sold, which means a large addressable audience for developers considering a Switch port in 2024.
So, as we bask in the summer sun in one hemisphere (and settle in for a cozy winter in the other) with the knowledge of the impending official announcement of the Switch’s successor, let’s take a look back for one final exhaust ‘Please, Nintendo, can we have some more?’ — summer review fantastic games we’d still love to see on Switch who remain missing in action.
You’ll find a mix of Wii U ports (yes, there are still a few left), some Wii gems they could use Donkey Kong Country Returns HD treatment, a bunch of third-party classics, plus some personal favorites we’re just not ready to give up. We’ve left out games that are already playable via Nintendo Switch Online or anything that might appear there (eg Diddy Kong Racing).
So now we present our final Switch port wishlist, in alphabetical order. Which just so happens to mean we’re starting with a few real let your dreams go…
Alan Wake 2
The first Alan Wake is on Switch in remastered form. It’s not an impressive port, but it signaled Remedy’s interest in the console and fueled our fever dreams that the GOTY-winning sequel might have a chance of coming.
What are the chances?
A Control-style version of the cloud? Maybe, but who really wants that? As much as it pains us, it looks like this and the next game on the list will need more power than the current console can muster if they want to make the jump to Nintendo’s hardware without serious compromises.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Another 2023 GOTY from Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 struck a chord with series fans and newcomers alike, and since both 1 and 2 are already on Switch in enhanced edition form, completing the BG set would be a treat.
What are the chances?
Very thin – realistically, another one for the ‘Switch 2’ wish list. If Nintendo’s next console is, as suggested, an iterative update of the current hybrid, and if third-party developers are preparing to go with ports that aren’t viable on the current model, we could check out the all-time launch line-up! Okay, let’s get ahead of ourselves with that hypothesis. It drives us though.
Generally speaking, almost every game that launches with a new console sells well thanks to limited options for early adopters (there’s a reason why Ubisoft always gets in early with something), so if we were a developer of any size, we’d consider getting stuck on day one.
Enough pie in the sky. Let’s turn to something that the current Switch can run in its sleep.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
I have nothing more to say, really. It’s weird that it was never on a Nintendo console and it’s weird that we had two (excellent) collections but no Symphony.
What are the chances?
There are question marks around Requiem the Symphony and Rondo of Blood compilation is a Sony exclusive, but we don’t see anything stopping Konami from releasing a standard, standalone port. Or, you know, investing in the most famous part of the series and making it available in great form with add-ons on all platforms.
Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, working his way up to editor. It can currently be found squashed under a Normandy-sized Switch backlog.
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