Since 2017, we’ve seen a huge number of ports come to the Switch, many of which seemed impossible before. Surprises like Doom (2016), which came out the year the system launched, and 2019’s Witcher 3 showed that while clever optimization was needed, Nintendo’s console could provide playable and fully immersive portable versions of some of the biggest video games around.
With the passage of time and the release of Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen platforms, the Switch ports keep coming – the excellent Pentiment was a particular highlight this year. Fingers crossed for Ace Combat 7 and Stray, although recent disappointments like Batman Arkham Trilogy show that caution is warranted. The Switch is in its eighth year, and the tech inside it was hardly bleeding edge in 2017.
There’s still life in the old hybrid though, and besides, many of the games we’d still like to see ported over can run perfectly on the current console. There’s also the issue of over 140 million systems sold, which means a huge addressable audience for developers considering a Switch port in 2024.
So, as we bask in the summer sun in one hemisphere (and settle in for a cozy winter in the other) with the knowledge of an upcoming official Switch successor announcement, let’s look back for one last burst of “Please Nintendo, can I have a little more?” — summer review of fantastic games we’d still like to see on Switch which remain Missing in action.
You’ll find a mix of Wii U ports (yes, there are still a few), some Wii gems that could use Donkey Kong Country Returns HD treatment, a bunch of third-party classics, plus some personal favorites we’re just not ready to give up. We missed games that are already playable through Nintendo Switch Online, or something that is very likely to appear there (eg Diddy Kong Racing).
So now we present our definitive alphabetical port switching wishlist. Which just so happens to mean we’re starting with a few real unfulfilled dreams…
Alan Wake 2
The first Alan Wake is on Switch in remastered form. It’s not an impressive port, but it signals Remedy’s interest in the console and ignited our fever dreams that the GOTY-winning sequel might have a chance.
What are the odds?
Control-style cloud version? Maybe, but who really wants that? As much as it pains us, it looks like this and the next game on the list will need more power than the current console can muster if they want to make the transition to Nintendo hardware without major compromises.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Another 2023 GOTY, Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 struck a nerve with series fans and newcomers alike, and with both 1 and 2 already on Switch in Enhanced Edition, completing the BG set would be a treat.
What are the odds?
Very slim – realistically, this is another one for the “Switch 2” wish list. If Nintendo’s next console is, as suggested, an iterative update of the current hybrid, and if third-party developers are preparing to hit the ground running with ports that aren’t resilient to the current model, we could watch a launch lineup for the ages! Okay, we’re getting ahead of ourselves with that hypothesis. However, it forces us.
Generally speaking, almost any game that launches with a new console sells well thanks to the limited set of options for early adopters (there’s a reason why Ubisoft always comes in early with something), so if we were a developer of any size, we’d consider getting stuck in on day one.
Enough pies in the sky. Let’s turn to something the current Switch can do in its sleep.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Nothing more to say, really. Strange that it was never on a Nintendo console, and strange that we’ve had two (excellent) collections but no Symphony.
What are the odds?
There are question marks surrounding Symphony’s Requiem compilation and Rondo of Blood being a Sony exclusive, but we don’t see anything stopping Konami from releasing a standard, standalone port. Or, you know, investing in the series’ most famous entry and making it available in sparkling form with extras on all platforms.
Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become editor. It can currently be found squashed under a Switch backlog the size of Normandy.
