(Credit: René Ramos; Bandai Namco Studios; Iron Galaxy Studios; Nightdive)
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been available for almost two months, and the honeymoon phase is almost over. The system's two biggest launch window games are out, the spectacular Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, with Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends: Z-A coming this holiday season. So, the Switch 2 is about to enter a bit of a summer-fall release lull. Still, I have more Nintendo Switch 2 games than I can handle. By embracing cross-gen gaming, my Nintendo Switch 2 backlog will satisfy me for months.
Buy the Nintendo Switch 2
Moving Forward Without Leaving Games Behind
Nintendo didn't invent the idea of enjoying old games on new hardware. For example, PC gamers love revisiting their libraries after upgrading their rigs. Likewise, earlier PlayStation and Xbox consoles had backwards compatibility, albeit inconsistently. However, from the PS4/Xbox One era onwards, consoles have featured gaming libraries that mostly carried forward from one platform to the next. Plenty of games hit last-gen and current-gen systems. Even marquee blockbusters like God of War: Ragnarok and Halo Infinite straddled generations.
So, with the Switch 2, it's great to see Nintendo finally maintain a sense of continuity between systems. In the past, Nintendo consoles could play old games through strange workarounds like having the old components directly built into the machine. Although the Switch 2's backward compatibility isn't perfect, it's far cleaner than Nintendo's previous attempts. Not only do most Switch 1 games run on the Switch 2, but many perform better thanks to the additional console power. As a result, my experience with Switch 2 isn’t starting from scratch; it’s the next leg in the Nintendo marathon.
Sharing the Switch Wealth
Leveraging the original means Nintendo and other companies can continue creating games for the enormous Switch 1 market. In 2026, we're getting niche but exciting entries in the Rhythm Heaven and Tomodachi Life franchises. Unlike 2018, when the 3DS continued to receive software to the annoyance of Switch owners, any cool games slated for Switch 1 are easily enjoyed on Switch 2. There is no need to carry another system.
For example, not long ago, an excellent remaster of the seminal shooter System Shock 2 was released for modern systems. I received the Nintendo Switch version, which instantly became one more thing I was excited to play on Switch 2. Sure, it doesn't take advantage of the system's full features (mouse support would be nice). But it's still an elegantly enhanced version of a landmark game, an immersive sim so important it earned a spot in my video game history book. I replayed the BioShock series on my Switch, so returning to its forebearer has been awesome.
By embracing cross-gen gaming, my Nintendo Switch 2 backlog will satisfy me for months.
By allowing Switch 1 games to be a viable option in the early Switch 2 era, developers will hopefully be encouraged to keep making more modest-sized games. Pushing the limits of expensive graphics technology genuinely threatens the stability of the current games industry. But handheld gaming always provided an alternative with smaller, cheaper, faster, but still high-quality releases. By merging handheld and console functionality, I was always afraid the Switch concept threatened to make that old approach to portable play obsolete. But by targeting Switch 1 specs, while keeping access to the Switch 2 audience, budget games can survive.
Another recent Switch 1 game I've enjoyed on Switch 2 is exactly this kind of handheld game I’m talking about. Patapon 1 and 2 were delightfully quirky PlayStation Portable games you could only get away with on a platform like that. A bizarre mix of rhythm and strategy, they let you create squads of little eyeball guys and guide them in battle by issuing commands on beat. They were a little one-note, despite the deeper customization, so perhaps they're not best-suited for extended play sessions on the TV. Still, Patapon 1 and 2 were great fun on the go, and that’s still the case with the Nintendo Switch remaster that has also found its way into my Switch 2 rotation.
Fun on Switch 1, Better on Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 still needs exclusive, boundary-pushing releases to make the case for its own existence. It needs big, beautiful games like Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, and Yakuza 0, titles that couldn't run on the original Switch, to demonstrate the generational leap. But even with these kinds of games, the Switch 2 thankfully has it both ways. Since launch day, we've seen free and paid upgrades (albeit with some confusing messaging) to Switch 1 games that boost their visuals to Switch 2 quality. Switch 1 owners aren't left behind, and Switch 2 owners get their money’s worth with games that leverage the system's power.
These Switch 2 upgrades have expanded my library quite nicely. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is another excellent remake of the classic skateboarding games. I'm not familiar enough with the original games to notice details that make this version less reverent, such as missing music or altered level progression. However, on its own terms, shredding across the stages and doing tricks is just a ton of fun. The controls strike the perfect balance between accessibility and depth, and I can play as Doom Guy or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. And the smooth performance on Switch 2 makes nailing combos all the sweeter.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Shadow Labyrinth is the kind of game I might have been on the fence about, but am more likely to try because it's on Switch 2. The strange game takes Pac-Man, the yellow circle arcade mascot who eats things, and drops him into a dark and moody sidescroller. It’s Bomberman: Act Zero levels of nuts that tie into a larger, reimagined Namco mythology. The core side-scrolling and swordplay are pretty generic, but the game looks nicer on Switch 2.
My Summer of Oldies But Goodies
Eventually, developers will probably stop making new Switch 1 games. If the PS4's longevity is any indication, that might not be for a while. Still, with backward compatibility as a killer app, the Switch 2 will continue to have added appeal by tapping into the huge Switch 1 library. My folders are overflowing with everything from Resident Evil 4 to Xenoblade Chronicles X, from 1000x Resist to John Wick Hex. I’m finally playing every single Ninja Gaiden game this summer. Those old games are made exciting again.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a promising start, but it will take time before many amazing original games roll in (especially if many developers have yet to receive devkits). But I'm already playing mine on a near-constant basis. I haven't been this excited to clear a backlog since lockdown. The Switch 2 has given me an even larger appreciation for not only the legendary Switch 1 library, but by new systems' welcome ability to maintain a strong link to the past.
About Our Expert
My PCMag career began in 2013 as an intern. Now, I'm a senior writer, using the skills I acquired at Northwestern University to write about dating apps, meal kits, programming software, website builders, video streaming services, and video games. I was previously a senior editor at Geek.com and have written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I'm the author of the gaming history book Video Game of the Year: A Year-by-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977, and the reason everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.
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