Another year in decline and the Switch ports are coming thicker and faster than ever.
Looking back at our wishlist from last year, we saw Batman Arkham Trilogy, Metroid Prime, The Case of the Golden Idol, Vampire Survivors, Potion Craft, Metal Gear Solid 1, 2 and 3 coming to Switch in 2023 — some coming in in fantastic shape, while others would have been better off staying at home on their original consoles. Oh Arkham Knight, everything was so predictable!
With upcoming releases like the original Tomb Raider trilogy, the highly anticipated Braid: Anniversary Edition, and Nintendo’s own remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the steady stream of past games getting new life on the Switch doesn’t seem to be drying up anytime soon. And there are plenty of classics that we would still welcome with open arms.
And if a successor to the Switch is announced early next year? Hey, throw this on the ‘Switch 2’ wishlist. And maybe try Arkham Knight one more time?
All right, let’s launch this ship. To steer! Hard to transfer!…
Baldur’s Gate 3
When it comes to 2023 GOTY, TOTK, Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 and the game just below this entry can be found dancing hand in hand, while a huge crowd of other contenders including Star field, Spider man, and Mario, clamoring around for attention. BG3’s addictive gameplay and sharp wit captured the hearts and minds of many gamers this year — of course we’d love to see this come to Switch.
What are the chances?
Low. Lowwwwww. Larian’s excellent Divinity: Original Sin 2 struggled on the Switch, and given the problems the team had implementing all the features in the Xbox Series S version, we just don’t see that happening. Maybe on some new Nintendo hardware though. Also our next pick…
Alan Wake 2
Look, Remedy bought the first Alan Wake to Switch in remastered form. Is it a disappointing version of the classic? It was, but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming that this GOTY-winning sequel could one day grace a Nintendo console in the form of a non-cloud version.
What are the chances?
So, very low. Cloud streaming version according to Control might be a shout, but we’re not the biggest fans of it. Ultimately, we think this falls into the same category as Baldur’s Gate 3 — fingers crossed for ‘Switch 2’.
Repentance
Like the sound of a 16th-century Bavarian murder mystery that has you poring over manuscripts at the local monastery? We’re big fans of fonts around these parts and have been intrigued by Pentiment and its signature gameplay ever since it launched for Xbox and PC in November 2022.
What are the chances?
Hmm, it’s made by Obsidian, which is now owned by Microsoft, so while it’s possible – hey, we’ve got ports of Ori games – it’s less likely than we’d like. Still, if MS and the big N can continue the little love that allows things like Jet Force Gemini to come to Switch Online, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pentiment could find its way to a Switch or similar Nintendo system in the future.
Tomb Raider: The Survivor Trilogy
Contains Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raiderand Shadow of the Tomb Raider, this trio was developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal and could probably run on Switch (with the usual caveats) given proper care and attention. Along with the Switch-bound original trilogy, and Feral handed over a fully usable Lara Croft collection, it would be nice to put this trilogy as well.
What are the chances?
Arguably, while Embracer Group owns the IP and developers, and given how the company has been selling off its hasty acquisitions in 2023, who’s to say what the future holds? We’d love to see these matches, but we certainly wouldn’t bet on it at this point.
Immortality
Another indie hit we can’t wait to see on Switch. We’re big fans of Sam Barlow here (he is a wonderful guy), and we would like to see Her story on Switch too. But if we had to choose, we’d probably take the award-winning Immortality first.
What are the chances?
Well, the Switch can handle FMV very well, and the excellent Telling Lies port suggests that this could translate quite well as well. Fingers crossed.
Wind Waker HD / Twilight Princess HD
Yes, we still want them. They are ready and waiting, right? Our uncle said so.
What are the chances?
Hmm, look. If we were Nintendo, at this stage, we’d probably save them for the next console. Either of these games would help flesh out the first party lineup very nicely, potentially maintaining that once-a-month first-party launch rhythm that got the Switch off to such a good start all those years ago. We would love to play them on the Switch — add them to the lineup and there’s no mainstream Zelda you can’t play on the hybrid — and if the new hardware is backwards compatible, everyone’s a winner.
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