It was short, but often very impressive play sessions that we took on the Reveal event in Paris to get a first look at Switch 2 games. Contrary to our expectation, the number of Nintendo-inhouse hits was limited. There will still be enough material for the release, because it seemed as if the Switch 1 had been deliberately suffered in the past few months so that the successor starts all the better.
In the halls of the Grand Palais in Paris stood felt a hundred television, everyone stocked with a switch 2 and a short demo. The main focus was on Mario Kart World, which took the most space in the entrance area. All other games were shifted to the second floor.
Since third -party manufacturers mainly had ports in store (see Hades, Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, etc.), we do not respond in this article to all games that were shown, but only those that we consider important for the profile of the new console.
Mario Kart World
It is the bundle game and probably the only real system seller for the start of the Switch 2, which only attracts attention because of the name. After all, almost 70 million copies were deducted by the predecessor. Anyone who has not lived behind the moon for the last 30 years should know how the basic principle of Mario Kart works. Basically, the system remains the same, provided you disregard a few new items, the driver field raised on 24 vehicles and the open game world.
Open game world? When the concept was explained to us, we at first thought of something like "Mario Kart meets Forza Horizon". But far from it. All routes may have been placed in a coherent world and be accessible in a free roam mode according to its own discretion, but the concept has a completely different background that has the most influence on the Grand Prix mode. Instead of just folding four routes as single events of a cup one after the other, you now drive the four courses of a cup in a row.
That means: You grab a driver from the Nintendo universe and choose a vehicle that can no longer be composed of individual parts. There are only pre -made cars and motorcycles. Then it goes on the first route that will drive her in full for three rounds to determine a winner. So far, so well known.
Now comes the new part: As soon as you crossed the finish line of the first course, you can seamlessly go off a lively and used by uninvolved NPCs, on which all 24 participants jet around the bet on the second course.
The highlight is that this country road basically represents part of the second route, because it is the first and second of usually three rounds. You drive the actual second route only at the end and even for a round, before going on again on the next country road for the third course.
This left us a strange aftertaste. As fun as the concept in theory and practice may be, it has its pitfalls. Because if the actual courses are only extended for a single round, there is little time to internalize them for later attempts. In addition, the feeling that all streets were too wide to present us to present a real challenge for experienced players. Sure, with 24 pilots, narrow streets would be counterproductive. But without a close, sharp -angled curves and tricky narrowing, driving finesse plays a subordinate role. As Mario-Kart fans who spent hours in time trials for hours to optimize ideal lines on courses such as Yoshi's slopes or the Royal Raceway, we felt a little underwhelmed.
Apart from the usual chaos by item bombardment, very little happens on the way from one course to the next, which is sometimes due to the fact that the country roads consist of many long straights and that some courses are no longer more round courses, but stretch with a dead end as a fixed end.
Let's put it this way: at least in the 100ccm class, Mario Kart World's Grand Prix mode looked very tame and maybe even a little too entry-friendly. This also applies to the properties of the karts and motorcycles. Although it is still amphibian vehicles that can still slide thanks to extendable wings and can even drive on water surfaces. You can even slip along railings or rail lines along the side wall of a tunnel, if not for a short time. But there was nothing on the very wide courses of the first cup that would have tempted us to exploit special driving techniques. Simple drifts usually meet perfectly to keep up in the driver field.
Is there a time-trail mode at all in the face of these rules? Can you create your own Grand Prix compilations in online duels and thus change the sequences? Can you attend courses as self -contained events with three rounds to be moved? Questions about questions that could change a lot about fun.
After all, a game mode was beyond all doubts. He should save the game even if all other modes should really be too tame. It's about the co-mode.
Now without crap, we rarely sweated like that at Mario Kart. The KO mode cuts the end of the driver field in the checkpoint of the individual courses, so that the driver keeps leaving until only the elite remains. With this regulation, the chaos in the ITEM fire takes over. Anyone who is threatened by the excretion tries to make up for a few places with all of them. Nobody knows friends anymore.
In our test game against 23 human games (in the closed network of the Grand Palais) we were in first place for some time until we were catapulted into midfield by a blue tank. From the moment the route was like a battlefield. Because we only came to a short time, at least ten other players saw their opportunity to step down. We only flew around our ears, bobslip ombs and turtle armor, which unfortunately promoted us to sixteenth in front of a checkpoint. Zackbum, end of the race. Kart: 0 km/h, pulse: 180.
First impression:It is Mario Kart - an almost indestructible game principle that is undoubtedly fun even in an open world with coherent (and possibly something to broad). In any case, the co-mode was awesome and our protection that this offshoot will also be gambled on nights. However, we hope that the rest of the game will rely on driving finesse in the long term, which was not yet apparent in our (admittedly very short) playing session in a low driver class.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
We waited for this title for 8 years - by no means for nothing. In fact, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was our favorite at the presentation of the Switch 2. Not only because the title demonstrated the new mouse control excellently, but because it was also the most graphically impressive what the Switch 2 in Paris had to offer. Some third-party games may have been technically superior-above all cyberpunk 2077-but no other title could serve so much bombast and dense atmosphere in 4K or 120 Hertz.
Incidentally, we were not made a choice at our allusion: We played the first-person adventure for the forced to do 1080p in 120 Hz mode, but were taken with the absolutely stable image rate and the basic presentation. So there was no reason to complain.
It should be said that the game also appears for the old Switch. For Switch 2 there is only an upgrade. According to the first trailer, the Switch 1 version will look very similar to the 120-Hertz performance mode, but with a significantly lower display quality, which will probably be around 900p and a picture rate of 60 Hz.
Doesn't sound like a generation jump on paper. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is therefore by no means a technical yardstick for the graphical performance of the Switch 2, but it is a proof of how convenient it should be for developers to provide refrigerated versions for Switch 2 if they prepare assets and program code from the outset.
But now to the content: Metroid Prime 4 begins with a breathtaking space battle in which bounty hunter Samus Aran demonstrates the firepower of her glider before landing in a military camp. This camp is under fire from space pirates. Reason enough for Samus to get out and let the arm blaster speak yourself.
Surprisingly, Metroid Prime 4 sprayed very strong Halo-Vibes in this sequence. They became clear in the first moments of the 10 -minute demo. Probably because dense first-person shooter action overlay the idea of the typical Metroidvania game system, but also because atmospheric was served a lot. Sci-fi war bombast, heroic soldiers who die for the good cause, bright explosions, a gigantic mech warrior who cleaned a scene and more. Yes, during the short and tube-like playable demo there were some well-placed wow moments to experience.
However, puzzles were still missing in the demo. It was only hit if Samus did not scan ourselves in the spherical shape of the spherical or objects that were rolled up together in order to learn more about the history and circumstances of the scenario. Nevertheless, the demo showed excellent how the typical metroid game mechanics are compatible with the switch-2 mouse control.
Not only can opponents be shot over the pile with free destinations by mouse, while you can still use the lock system with which you concentrate on an opponent (and circles him in a penalty). Even doors could be opened faster than usual with special locks, as their four glowing closures were reached with the mouse at lightning speed. Significantly more convenient than with an analog stick, mind you. Already after the first minute we no longer wanted to go back to the analog stick voluntarily.
Switching between the ordinary controller control and the mouse control would have been possible at any time. No switching mechanism in any menu was required. This is how it will be in the finished game: if you want to use the mouse function, you simply put the narrow side of the right joycons on the table, or on a mouse pad. Or if necessary on the pants. All facetons remain easily accessible and retain their function, be it to jump, to confirm menus, to activate morph ball or to switch to scan mode. If the analogstick is to do the work of looking around and goals again, you take the Joycon back in hand. It's that simple.
Apart from the fact that the mouse movement on a rough table surface was only grooved (on the other hand on mouse pad and trouser leg), the new control variant is completely convincing. It is more reliable than the tiring show function in the Wii style made of Metroid Prime 1 and, apart from the ergonomics that takes some getting used to, brings typical PC haptics that are immersed in the gameplay without thinking. One can argue about the question of how ergonomics could be improved. Maybe third -party manufacturers will help. Even if not, the mouse function is undoubtedly the best new feature of the Switch 2 and a real gamechanger.
At the latest at the boss of this demo, the quick mouse control proved to be a blessing. He adopted two of his four weak points alternately by protective shields, which forced us to always target other parts of his body at high speed. Only when all four smaller target points were cracked did he open his large weakness on the stomach. Until then, however, some time passed when we avoid his fire, aborted projectiles, absorb healing balls or even escaped pressure waves - depending on the situation with a double jump or by morph ball.
This boss was a rather tough guy. Not particularly difficult to do, but resistant and thus a preview of what Core gamers expect: bosses who demand patience and a good eye.
Atmospheric as well as play -mechanically, the new work by Retro Games left no doubt about its quality. Since the same developer studio had also taken over the remaster of the first part and thus the Metroidvania structure of the original should have analyzed well, we assume that exploration and puzzle shares in Metroid Prime 4 do not disappoint. At this point, however, this is a pure guess, so we are waiting for the end result that will definitely be released in 2025. When exactly is open.
First impression:Bombastically and clearly our current favorite title on the switch 2. There was still nothing to be seen of puzzles and more complex contexts, but presentation and action generated goose bumps. The mouse function is (not only) a hit in this game!
Donkey Kong: Banaza
Donkey Kong: Bananza was one of two titles in Nintendos in-house-line-up, where we were not yet sure what we should think of them. In terms of content, the game is not similar to any former representative of the series. So far it has always been about real bananas, the big monkey shifted his interest this time to gold and other shiny objects that only have banana form. Therefore also the name that combines the expression of Bonanza (for gold pit or gold rush) with the yellow fruit.
In order to find the gold mentioned, Nintendo's slightly irritable primacy literally digs into the ground - with the bare fist or with all sorts of coarse boulders that he gets to grasp.
What ultimately comes out with the idea is an extensive exploration and collective rage game that develops a violent addiction factor. You want to remove every little piece of rock, brutally plunge into the rock massif like in a water basin and literally wild to find the last tiny gold nugget. Has buried something from bladder film. Once started, it is difficult to stop with it.
Fortunately, such thoroughness is not necessary. Donkey Kong can scan the area using Sonar stampers, so you can see exactly whether it is worth digging in a certain rock massif. The rest determines playful intuition and a little subtle leadership in level design. In addition, spin -in explosive stone types help to remove larger massive thoroughly.
Have you ever surfed over the floor on a piece of rock? Here belongs to the small multiplication table of the game principle. You see, Donkey Kong: Bananza presents a very crazy game concept. It is quick, slightly chaotic, if not hectic, and it is guaranteed to help steam after the end of the day.
Nevertheless, when we played, we were not sure whether the game design will work in the long run or whether it motivates it in the long term. Addiction factor or not, we have not yet been able to grasp the true core and meaning of the game in the demo. At least we hope that the developers will not rest on the endless collecting and digging. There has to be something else.
The technique of the game also gives us a mystery. It is undoubtedly impressive that Donkey Kong can dig through all the rock, which is a little reminiscent of Red Factation. Flying particles and endlessly changeable tunnel architecture leave a nice optical fragrance. On the other hand, some graphic elements look extremely simple (albeit nice and bright and bright), while the dissolution of the game is by no means striving towards 4K.
Based on the stylish, albeit somewhat flat lighting and texture, it was possible to see at first glance that some graphic elements are even surprisingly rough if they do not even exceed the standard typical switch 1 games. The best example is the title hero itself. His fur looks like it consists of hard plastic snippets.
The main argument of technology is the destructibility of the environment, which would certainly not be possible to this extent on Switch 1. On the other hand, the Switch had 2 problems keeping the frame rate stable. More than once, we saw clearly how the desired 60 fps collapsed. Never very long, but too often to present an exception.
Also striking, if only a question of taste, is the return of the title hero to his original design from the 80s, which was also used in the Super Mario film two years ago. The waist slim and shoulder shoulder shoulder Donkey Kong Country design now gives way to a somewhat more cozy and comic-typical round design.
First impression:We could hardly fill ourselves at the ditch, climbing and collecting in the demo. Donkey Kong: Bananza unfolds an insane addiction factor with its extremely liquid and fast gameplay. Nevertheless, we are not yet 100 % convinced of the sense of play because we do not know whether it will be out for a hollow collecting in the long run or will follow even deeper game elements.
As a technical demo, the destruction of the environment was very impressive. Graphically, we found the presentation "only" in order. Nintendo's typical timeless graphics packaging as well as the high number of particles around the stylistic attacking points, but if we look at some details (such as Donkey Kongs almost Lego-like flat fur or the ever-generic texture with broken tunnels), we involuntarily raise an eyebrow. In any case, we are excited to see how the final game will be.
Drag x Drive
The second title that was not 100 % convinced was Drag X Drive. In itself a cool idea: You control a wheelchair basketball athlete by virtual inserting both tires and compete in matches of three players per team. For this again, the mouse function of the Switch 2 came into play. This time, however, in both hands, because both left and right Joycon served as a virtual mouse and drove the tires by postponing or subsequently pushing the tires. There is not much more on the control. If you press one of the shoulder buttons, a brake is activated on the respective side so that you are strongly striking in curves.
All other movements in this slightly rabid three-against-three basketball game were carried out by gestures. For example, if we wanted to throw the basketball into the basket, we raised a joycon and fought a throw. Winding worked very similarly when we offered ourselves on the field for a pass. However, the pass of the ball was carried out by the simultaneous activation of both shoulder keys and not by a gesture.
We were enthusiastic about the idea of itself, as well as the overall concept that is obviously focused on inclusion, but the execution felt a bit sluggish. Maybe even a bit too realistic, because the locomotion was exhausting in every respect and, despite a very tight turning circle, conveyed little general dynamics when using the brake. You fight more with a wheelchair instead of understanding it as a natural vehicle. This control probably has a lot of potential for subtleties that experienced players can tease out. A little more arcade-typical exaggeration would have been good for the game principle.
We also had the feeling that throwing the ball almost automatically. Every time we threw the ball, he went into the basket-even with a distant three-point threshold. That shouldn't mean that a strict auto-Aim was at work, but it was obviously helped in some form.
In text form, this criticism is nothing more than a somewhat pointed complaint at a high level. The trailer already suggests that the game principle can be a lot of fun and also bring the control of a number of tricks. For example, we did not have tricks and stunts at the basket throw, but they belong to the concept. The version available in Paris was still unfinished (as we understood it) and could only be played by six players at the same time instead of against the CPU. The program may still have a lot of fine -tuning.
Graphically, Drag X Drive did not stand out at all. Figures and environments were not very meaningful in general and stylistically, as if it were still a concept work. Hopefully a lot will happen.
First impression:A good game idea, which still has to be worked on. Drag X Drive urgently needs a bright graphic profile and a little more arcade dynamics. However, what the program did very well was the mediation of the two-mice concept.
Switch-2 versions: Zelda, Kirby and Mario Party
After more than 200 hours of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and almost 300 hours of play Tears of the Kingdom, the oath was in the air in my air, despite their enormous fun. This is just the lot of a complete solving author-at some point you canceled your snout. Under these circumstances, it should be understood as the highest possible compliment if a Switch 2 version of these two mega plates will make you want to travel to Hyrule. 4K resolution, HDR contrasts and butter-soft 60 FPS can do wonders.
Yes, Botw and Totk really look so good. Kirby and the forgotten land also shone almost like a brand new title thanks to the HDR and KnackSchharfer graphic. Mario Party Jamboree even gets new mini-games including camera, microphone and mouse support. In addition, the loading times of these titles were at least halved, if not shrunk to a third. We weren't the only ones who raved about that Zelda and Kirby should have always looked like this.
Of course, in view of the necessary payment upgrades of these Switch 2 editions, we also crunch with our teeth. Put money on the table again for a paid game, be it through a dedicated upgrade pack or in the case of Zelda as part of the Nintendo online extension package? Doesn't sound like a customer -friendly sales strategy.
What most critics escape is that there is a lot of work in the downward compatibility of the Switch 2 that does not do itself. Switch 1 and 2 may use both NVIDIA GPUs, but they are not compatible with one another in PC manner because they have been modified for their handheld suitability (and Nintendo's special requests). So that the Switch 2 can play a large part of the predecessor's games, a translation layer for Shader had to be written and an emulation level for program codes tailored to the chips had to be set up.
These two steps were roughly sufficient for a large part of the Switch 1 games, or so far that they start and run. However, much more sensitive, time -consuming tweaking is necessary for perfect reproduction. And for an open 4K versions with HDR and super-liquid 60 FPS.
Nintendo does not charge the work on the general downward compatibility. These games just run. In particular, the over 120 published in-house titles, including special titles such as Ring Fit Adventures. The latter can be used further if you use the old joycons for the ring. This is also only possible because almost all Switch 1 control units are accepted by the Switch 2, from simple Joycon to the Pro Controller.
Even better: Switch 1 games that receive official upgrades for higher resolution, HDR and other sparrow, will also work without a paid upgrade-and often run more smoothly than on switch 1. Only without HDR, doubled image rate and high resolution. Nintendo finances the work on these games against the upgrades against what should not be blamed for the Japanese. It is not as easy as some imagine, especially with a device optimized for low power consumption.
No wonder that of the over 1,500 Switch 1 third-party games, just over 20% run perfectly, while over 70% can have even smaller mistakes. According to the current status, 171 titles do not run at all and require intensive post -processing on the part of their programmers if they should be playable on Switch 2 at some point. Whether they will ever make it is in the stars. After all, some are already eight years old. Who knows whether their source code is still stored somewhere.
