During the holiday season, we’re republishing select articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors as part of our Best of 2023 series. Enjoy!
Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been chewing on. TodayEthan reflects on how the Switch has become a great teaching tool for Sony neophytes over time…
Here’s a truth that die-hard proponents of the console wars won’t readily admit: the grass is always greener on the other side. For any consumer committed to an ecosystem — whether it’s Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, or PC — the wealth of exclusive games that their platform of choice gets is often the most important factor in retaining their investment. Of course, the exclusive is a double-edged sword. For every hot new game on one system that players get, there’s another game unique to another system that remains tantalizingly out of reach.
As a born and raised Nintendo kid, I spent my childhood firmly rooted in a world of platforming plumbers and Triforce-hungry youngsters. And I was perfectly happy to stay there, away from all the cursing, shooting, and shooting that I would see my dad play in no time. Still, I couldn’t help but take a peek at the competition, and as I grew older, it became apparent that there were several parallel streams of gaming history that I knew next to nothing about.
Access to the Xbox 360 helped satisfy my curiosity, but even then the PlayStation was a big blue question mark. At the time, I would never have guessed that my greatest ally in discovering the history of Sony’s gaming platform would not be the PS3 or PS Vita, but a system from a completely different company.
Early in the Nintendo Switch’s life, a subtle trend began to emerge. Beneath the discourse of the missing Virtual Console and the nagging drip of retro Nintendo games was something exciting and unprecedented: former PlayStation exclusives from all generations began to leak onto Nintendo’s platform for the first time. Final Fantasy VII and Katamari Damacy, two behemoths of the Sony brand that I’ve only heard about for years through energetic recommendations from gaming YouTubers, have finally come to Switch via a port or enhanced remaster. As I sat in the dorm freshman year of college, listening to the shimmering sounds of Final Fantasy’s Prologue theme and the lively nah-nah-nahs Katamaria, I finally realized what I’ve been missing.
Fortunately, the offer did not stop there. Final Fantasy VII wasn’t the only notable PlayStation FF title coming to the Switch, with Final Fantasy VIII, IX, X and X-2, and XII finally making their way. Even Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, previously limited to the PlayStation Portable, found new life with a great remaster. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, two monoliths of the early PlayStation, have their original trilogies remade and ported to the Switch. The revolutionary RPGs Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal recently joined this lineup. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is here — also released later on the N64, of course, but an iconic PlayStation release. Klonoa is there. Chrono Cross is here. Ōkami. Devil May Cry. Ni no Kuni. Some of these titles being released on a Nintendo system were previously considered pipe dreams, but here they are.
Let’s get one thing straight: almost every classic PlayStation title that’s come to Switch is cross-platform and readily available on PS4 and PS5. That makes sense — Sony’s modern systems can and should be the premiere place to experience the full extent of PlayStation’s legacy. I’ve even bought into that ecosystem myself with a PS5 and a few legacy consoles in recent years.
Despite this, the Switch is my favorite way to play these old games. Some titles, like the original Katamari duology, feel right at home on the system, and the portability factor is second to none. It’s a comparison that’s been drawn before, but the Switch really does feel like the true successor to the Vita — a system that’s built much of its life on offering retro PlayStation titles in a sleek, modern form.
If the Switch’s current PlayStation-original offerings weren’t impressive enough, the future is just as bright. Several of the earliest Metal Gear Solid titles will join the Switch via Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 later this year. HD remasters of the Suikoden duology will similarly hit the platform in 2024. Even some of the most unlikely revival candidates are happening, with Limited Run Games recently announcing ports of niche classics like Tomba! for Switch. Between all these titles, the Switch has become the perfect way for non-PlayStation users to learn about the highlights of Sony’s retro history.
At least I would say that if it weren’t for a few frustrating omissions from the Switch’s catalog. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not expecting a bunch of early Sony franchises like God of war or Twisted Metal make a sudden jump. Still, there are some games and series intertwined with the PlayStation that deserve to return to be discovered by a new audience. Having nothing of the early Tekken title is a missed opportunity, especially with Kazuya turning Mario and friends into oblivion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Some of the old ones Ridge Racer games would be an excellent lesson in the bliss of retro racing. Metroidvanias are obviously not lacking on the Switch, but as we mentioned before, the lack of a port for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is pure madness. And for the love of all that is good, where is it Danger! with PS1? (Okay, maybe not that one.)
