What to play next on Switch 2

Plus Magic x Final Fantasy, Nintendo launch lineups through history and Jafar.

Hello there! This week in the newsletter we’re looking through some of the Switch 2 options beyond the obvious, sussing out the latest in Magic and Lorcana, and trying to see a pattern in Nintendo’s launch lineups through history.

But first, I wanted to touch on Microsoft’s announcement of an Xbox-branded handheld last week. The ROG Xbox Ally X will be very interesting if, as promised, it can shape Windows into something that’s functional to use on a dedicated gaming device. And to me, it seemed obvious that this is just the first step. A version of Windows for gaming hardware that gives access to Game Pass and Microsoft Store but also all the other PC marketplaces? That’s clearly Xbox going forward. But over multiple IRL conversations I’ve realised that Microsoft still has a lot of work to do to get the word out about Xbox games on PC, Xbox Play Anywhere and PC Game Pass. People are confused about how a Windows machine can play Xbox games, or have assumed that you have to stream games to the ROG. Not the case of course. Console and PC have been mingling in the Xbox ecosystem for a long time.

Mario’s rags to riches

By Tim

Switch 2’s biggest draw is Mario Kart World, arguably followed by the incredible 4K 60fps versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. But what is there beyond that, a week and a bit after launch, to take advantage of the system’s increased graphical power? I’ve played an awful lot of stuff, so I thought here I’d give you some very quick thoughts on what I’ve enjoyed the most.

Bravely Default HD: One of the all-time best 3DS games is practically unchanged here, and to be honest I didn’t realise how fond I was of Bravely Default until I was hit with a massive wave of nostalgia at the opening town. It’s a beautiful take on the traditional Square RPG.

Cyberpunk 2077: Running at 40fps, this is an extremely impressive version of an excellent open world. Motion aiming is a welcome addition, though the rest of the Wii-style gesture controls are best left turned off, and cloud saves work seamlessly so you can continue from console or PC.

Fast Fusion: I’m always up for some F-Zero style sci-fi racing at 800km/h, and this scratches that itch. Races are graphically lush but you will have to put up with some pixely artefacts given the game is clearly upscaling from a low resolution base. Especially noticeable in handheld.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma: At this point you probably know if you like Rune Factory. The comfort food routine of growing and selling turnips, the maternal warmth of big-boobed deity figures, cheesy anime storylines, simple but gratifying combat. This is the best one, in all of the above categories.

Sonic x Shadow Generations: Sega should be called out for selling upgraded Switch games for Switch 2 at full price, with no upgrade path for existing owners, but if you’re new to this game it’s still absolute top tier 3D Sonic. Generations runs at 60fps, Shadow gives you the option but looks far nicer at 30.

Super Mario Odyssey: I’ve gone back to check out many Nintendo games to see how they run on Switch 2, and this is the biggest (free) transformation by far. It loads fast and looks to be running at 4K HDR on dock and 1080p in handheld. It was always a wonderful game, but now it looks properly high-end.

Yakuza 0: I never got into the original-style Yakuza games, but this cleaned-up port of a 10-year-old game surprisingly got its hooks into me over its opening hours. It looks great, combat is ridiculous, and I can’t wait to get caught up in all sorts of silly schemes on the streets of Kamurocho.

What to play

• There’s a lot to see on Game Pass this week. In terms of brand new games there’s sci-fi cloning character study The Alters, co-op first-person shooter FBC: Firebreak, which is set in Remedy’s Control / Alan Wake universe, and hack-and-slash roguelite Lost in Random: The Eternal Die. But also added is Barbie Project Friendship, Kingdom: Two Crowns, EA Sports FC 25 and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

• Over on PlayStation Plus it’s time for the monthly drop of new stuff, which is headlined by FBC: Firebreak. That’s right, it’s coming to both services on day one, and it has crossplay, so it’s clear Remedy really wants to get a critical mass of players here. Elsewhere we have Battlefield 2042, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2, We Love Katamari Reroll, Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, Train Sim World 5 and a few others. Those paying for Premium also get the PS2 port of the original Deus Ex.

• A lot of people are browsing the eShop looking for something to do with their new Nintendo Switch 2, and publishers are obliging with some big bundle discounts. You can get the current versions of Persona 3, 4 and 5 for $52, the Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga with all the DLC for $20, six Assassin's Creed games for $66, Monster Hunter Rise and DLC for $20, Metal Gear Solid master collection for $45, or the expanded version of Atari 50 for $44. None of these are guaranteed to be better on Switch 2 than they are on Switch 1, but they work!

• Free on the Epic Games Store this week is Two Point Hospital! It is the best hospital management sim around and, frankly, you need it. This is one of the best free games I’ve see non the Epic Games Store in ages, so run, don’t walk, to this one.

Magic the Gathering meets Final Fantasy: A licence to print money

By Alice

Every now and then, a collaboration comes around that you just know is going to be huge. Something that fans of both sides are going to go ham for. Pairing up Magic the Gathering and Final Fantasy is exactly this kind of collaboration.

It’s one of those events that has lapsed Magic players returning to stores and brushing up on their deck building skills.

It almost doesn’t matter whether the cards are any good, just that they have beautiful art and are at least vaguely playable. Luckily, though, they mostly are.

For starters, the legendary artefacts series of the Crystals are pretty handy. Each does something suited to their colour (white gives double life gain, blue adds a brutal amount of extra milling, green doubles counters, etc). As four costs, they are absolutely brutal, and pretty essential in a lot of decks.

Moogles’ Valor is an absolutely adorable card. Costs far too much mana to play, and thus likely won’t be used much in standard or draft play. However, the Moogles themselves are adorable and the ability to give all your creatures indestructible while also creating a potential tonne of 1/2 Moogle tokens means I’ll likely run one in my commander deck.

Shoutout also to Travelling Chocobo. It’s a specific card, but if you’re playing a bird deck with a bunch of landfall triggers, it’s essential. On a related note, I now want to build a green/white bird deck with a tonne of landfall triggers.

I do wish the set had leaned a bit more into the Final Fantasy lore. I get that it’s difficult to do, given how disconnected the games are, but it still would have been cool to lean in a bit more like the Lord of the Rings crossover did. But I love the full art cards, and the rare Chocobo full art colourful cards. This might not be a set that will see play in modern in the future, but it is one that’s fun to play now, and Final Fantasy fans will love to collect.

Bricks, Boards and Beginnings

by Alice

The latest Lorcana set has everyone’s favourite flaming homosexual Disney villain corrupting the beautiful haven of Archazia’s Island into his “menacing fortress”. According to the description of the set, his reign may be the greatest threat Lorcana have ever faced.

It sounds really serious, doesn’t it? Like a great opportunity for lore. But once again, I didn’t really get any of that from playing this set. The art was beautiful, the cards played well, but it still just seems like a random assortment of Disney characters, with their cards themed to their movies.

Jafar doing an extreme makeover of the island and being a huge threat should feel menacing. When I play Magic the Gathering, you at least get a sense of the power of the Planeswalkers, and the different mechanics give at least a general gist of what’s going on in the lore, and those who are interested can look up the full details to follow the storyline.

I don’t get any of that from this set or Lorcana and I think that’s the problem this game has. No set feels unique, I don’t feel like I’m progressing a story, and there’s very little hook to go to the next set. Each set is a great point to jump in, because you don’t feel like you’ve missed anything that’s gone before, which is great for new players, but not so great for existing players.

Maybe I’m missing something, though? Maybe there are aspect that Disney fans realise that us mere casual observers can’t see.

Like all Lorcana sets, Reign of Jafar plays well, it’s enjoyable, I had a good time playing it. There’s just nothing there that makes me want to go deeper. I keep hoping that that magic set that makes it all come together drops soon.

Retro Esoterica

by Tim

Nintendo has a pretty consistent one-two-punch approach to first-party launch titles. The Switch had Breath of the Wild and 1-2-Switch, and the Switch 2 has Mario Kart World and Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but it’s a template the company has applied for 35 years.

Looking just at the home consoles, there’s a clear through-line in the launch lineups for the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, and Gamecube, where Nintendo produces one game that celebrates the major innovations of the console within its established franchises (Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, and Luigi’s Mansion), plus a partner game that brings a more grounded sports vibe to drive instant action and deliver graphical wow factor (F-Zero, Pilotwings 64, Wave Race: Blue Storm).

The template was tweaked for Wii though, as the inclusion of the sports game with the console made Wii Sports unquestionably the main attraction, fully committed to exploring the gimmick of the system, while Twilight Princess demonstrated the impact of the new controllers on a traditional game. It was a similar dynamic for Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros U on Wii U, except of course for the fact that neither was a pack-in.

In portable systems, you can see the same one-two-punch approach, but it’s a bit different. For the Game Boy, GBA and DS, the launch title pairs work together to show how close the system can come to replicating at-home favourites, while also being portable-forward or making use of some system gimmick. There’s Super Mario Land and Tetris, Super Mario Advance and F-Zero Maximum Velocity, Super Mario 64 DS and the pack-in Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt.

As with Wii, things were different for 3DS. The pairing of Pilotwings Resort with Nintendogs + Cats makes this the only system with no Mario or Zelda on day one, and seems designed to show how the 3D display and enhanced graphical fidelity could enhance the casual-friendly fare of the Wii and DS. It’s the one launch where both of the games felt like secondary support titles, which is potentially part of the reason Nintendo made sure to hold Breath of the Wild back for Switch.