We played Nintendo Switch 2 and its launch games – Full impressions

It’s a strange feeling to go hands-on with an entire roster of new blockbuster Nintendo games that, just a few hours before, we didn’t even know existed, but that’s exactly the situation we found ourselves in at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience event in Paris, France.

Before it opens to the public later this week, Nintendo invited select press to try out Switch 2 and its launch games, hot off of the Nintendo Direct broadcast which finally confirmed that Switch 2 will launch on June 5, and launch with Mario Kart World and around 20 other games.

At the Experience events – which are also taking place in other cities around the world – Nintendo is showcasing most of its launch games. The big hitters are the first-party titles Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Metroid Prime 4, but there’s also Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, and a whole host of improved older games.

VGC’s Switch 2 hands-on impressions video:

Let’s start off with those big hitters: Mario Kart World was, for me, one of the most pleasant surprises of the Nintendo Direct. I wasn’t convinced another Mario Kart game could generate enough excitement on its own to prop up a launch lineup, but World’s reveal changed my mind. Following Forza Horizon’s lead with a more open world-like approach is an inspired choice, and I can’t wait to find out more.

As it happens, a big open map isn’t an easy thing to demonstrate at a quickfire hands-on event, so we were limited to shorter races that, in truth, played very much like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. What was very noticeable, however, was the vast increase of players on screen – from 12 to 24 – and the sheer variety of characters and items this time. Races frequently felt like utter carnage, with a Mario Cinematic Universe-worth of cameos chicaning down the track at every turn.

Even in this short experience, Mario Kart World won me over – I’m convinced it’s going to be a fantastic launch game.

There were more question marks for the other big launch window game, Donkey Kong Bananza. Everybody was expecting a new 3D Mario in this week’s Direct – especially because the team behind it has been quiet for nearly eight years – so it was a big surprise when the iconic ape came smashing onto the screen instead. That is, of course, assuming that it’s developed by the Odyssey team: a Nintendo spokesperson told me to “please wait for the game to release and check the credits”.

Bananza’s core mechanic is its destruction – I’m already hugely jealous that somebody else came up with the pun Red Faction Guerrila – with DK able to smash through the ground and environment with his fists. DK is able to punch forwards with one button, and downwards with another. He can also rip up chunks of the ground with the right trigger, then throw it, or even surf atop it.

It’s important to note that I was only able to spend 20 minutes with DK, and the demo was clearly designed as an introduction, with a tutorial area inside a mine, and then a larger outside area. But in this brief demo, I thought smashing through the environment didn’t feel as tactically satisfying as it needs to be for a core mechanic, and I often had issues with the camera, after literally digging myself into a corner.

Bananza is clearly a big adventure game that, like Odyssey, will shine on the scale and variety of its ideas, and that’s difficult to show off in a short demo, so I’m happy to sit on the fence for now. There’s clearly evidence that this could be a big, Odyssey-like experience: there are lots of collectibles to find, NPCs to meet, and suggestion of in-depth mechanics, like that rock surfing. I’ve confident it will deliver, but I don’t think it was a strong demo.

Next, there was Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the first game I was able to try out with Switch 2’s new mouse controls. By itself, the functionality is slickly implemented: you don’t need to change a menu setting or press a button to use the Joy-Con as a mouse, you simply flip it on its side and start using it. Practically, it feels exactly like any mouse you’d use on a desktop PC, allowing for precise tracking.

This fluidity was appreciated during the Metroid demo, as I found myself frequently switching between mouse mode and gyro aiming. The Prime series is not a hardcore shooter at heart, and during adventure elements, I preferred the comfort of wielding two Joy-Con controllers by my side, as I found the Joy-Con a little uncomfortable as an FPS mouse.

Though it works well, its ergonomics mean it’s not particularly long, and I had to hold it in a claw-like grasp. However, once I got the boss sequence of the demo, which requires players to hit four weak points across a giant monster’s body, I quickly realized that the extra precision provided by the mouse mode really did help. I’m not convinced I would use mouse mode for an entire game like this – not least because it would ideally require a desk or table (though Nintendo claims it will work held on your leg) – but it seems to be a desirable side option.

Elsewhere at Experience, the standout surprise for me was Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It’s fair to say that this title left many viewers scratching their heads in the Switch 2 Direct, not least because it’s designed to show off the Switch 2’s new features, and yet won’t be packed in for free. There’s evidence here, however, that there’s enough of that brilliant ‘weird’ Nintendo playfulness to justify its small purchase price.

Welcome Tour has players controlling a tiny person atop a gigantic Nintendo Switch 2, interacting with other console dwellers to learn about its features and try out silly mini-games. We were only able to try a few, but the imagination and playfulness on show made them memorable, and soon we were calling over other journalists to share the experience.

One game, designed to show off Switch 2’s 4K resolution output, challenges you to complete World 1-1 from the original Super Mario Bros, only it’s pixel-perfect, meaning it’s the size of a postage stamp on your television, and slowly fills the screen from edge-to-edge as you progress further into the stage. Another game, sure to expose the tech frauds among us, challenges you to guess which framerate an animation is running at. Damningly, one journalist, who is due to appear on a show with tech experts Digital Foundry this week, failed the test.

At the far corner of the Paris Experience event were the Switch 2 Edition games, the improved – and expensive – Switch 1 ports that Nintendo is repackaging with new features and nice visuals. At 4K 60fps, Tears of the Kingdom is undeniably a better experience here: this is a monster adventure game that still chugs on the original Switch, and revisiting it in silky-smooth form on Switch 2 feels like a compelling offer, especially because it’s being bundled with the Switch Online Expansion Pack.

The other titles, such as Mario Party and Kirby, seem less compelling, even though they have significant new content added to them. It’s worth noting that Metroid Prime 4 is also a ‘Switch 2 Edition’ Switch 1 port, though we were only able to play it in its 1080p performance mode. So far, it feels like we’re going to have to see more before we’re convinced by the Switch 2 Edition games – especially at $80.

I was able to spend time with lots of different experiences at the Switch 2 hands-on event then, and I share further impressions of each in the video embedded near the top of this page. Crucially, however, I wasn’t able to spend a significant amount of time with any of Nintendo’s big hitters, which especially feel like they will only unravel their true nature over a greater length of time, though we’re left excited to do so.

The Switch 2 hardware itself, from our brief time with it, feels like a stronger second attempt at realizing the original console, with a UI that looks crisper and runs smoothly, and Joy-Cons that are pleasingly larger and feel premium in your hands. The screen, though LCD, is also pleasingly large and closer to the OLED experience than I expected. Whether that’s a strong enough proposition to convince Nintendo fans to upgrade remains to be seen. 

Because as a platform, there are still question marks around what Switch 2 is doing differently, and if it’s enough to convince fans to upgrade. Sadly, we weren’t able to try the new GameChat feature linked to the new C button. The other big new thing, mouse controls, while fuelling some fun experiences here, is far from revolutionary in gaming. We had a fun time sampling Switch 2’s launch games, but Nintendo definitely has a bit more to do if it wants to convince consumers this is more than just a better Switch.

But maybe it doesn’t have to. The third-party games on display at the preview event all looked and felt like modern titles. That’s to say, they didn’t feel compromised like we’ve become used to from Switch ports of PS4 and Xbox One titles.  Split Fiction, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and Cyberpunk 2077 look like they’ll offer compelling versions on Switch 2 (though the latter did seem a little pixelated in portable mode), suggesting Nintendo’s hybrid console could well become viable choice for multiplatform games.

The VGC team will be trying out Switch 2 plenty more in the coming weeks, as will the general public as those Experience events open up, and at the very least, it’s nice to have a bit of excitement back in the games industry. Nintendo hardware launches don’t come around often, and rarely disappoint, so we’re excited to find out more about what’s next.