TheNintendo Switch 2may not be launching with very many first-party titles, but what is coming to the console across its initial launch window is mighty impressive. Those who decide to take the plunge and buy the Switch 2 early will be treated to a handful of genuinely great titles that are sure to keep you entertained until more first-party games eventually release. However, as much as these games are amazing, there is one major issue with the current lineup of titles on the Switch 2: there are no mature games.
Specifically, before there’s any confusion, I’m referring to any games that aren’t specifically targeted towards children, those that contain violence, action, mature themes, and complex narratives. Nintendo may not be particularly well-known for making these games, butit has a handful of incredible mature first-party franchises under its belt that it should be using to help diversify the target audience of the Switch 2. Because, as it stands, theSwitch 2’s small launch lineupreally only caters towards a very specific audience, and it typically skews on the younger side.
The Switch 2 Lineup Is Stacked With Great Games
Donkey Kong Bananza Looks Particularly Good
I need to make it clear that I believe that, despite an obviouslack of Switch 2 exclusives, there are several amazing games releasing for the console during its launch window.Mario Kart World, while a tad iterative rather than the innovative masterpiece some may have hoped for, still delivers the same charmand quality everyone has come to expect from the series. It’s fun and great with friends, and the fact that it comes bundled in with the console is a huge bonus for many. It’s a solid game to have on the console on day one.
Similarly,Donkey Kong Bananzais looking ready tostealBOTW’sspotlightand become one of Nintendo’s most innovative games yet, if not its most innovative. Its phenomenal Direct shined a light on all of its amazing features and proved that,despite being centered around a slightly more obscure Nintendo mascot - at least when compared to Link and Mario - it can blow everyone’s expectations out of the water.Well, I suppose all the diehard Donkey-heads out there probably thought it would be amazing, and they were absolutely right.
It also bears mentioning that the third-party Switch 2 support - even if it isflopping incredibly hard- has been impressive, especially with the likes ofCyberpunk 2077helping to prove the console’s mettle and shoo off any detractors. That game runs flawlessly and looks great while doing it, something that many, including myself, never thought possible. However, that aside, Nintendo is in dire need of more first-party games, and more mature ones at that. WhileDonkey KongandMario Kartare great, they skew to a younger audience, andit’s alienating those who’ve come to appreciate Nintendo’s more mature side.
Xenoblade Chronicles Could Fix The Switch 2’s Lack Of Mature Games
It Would Offer An Epic Adventure For Older Fans
One franchise that could fix that isXenoblade Chronicles, as it is perhapsNintendo’s darkest and most ambitious series. Each entry in the original trilogy - andX, of course - tackles complex and challenging themes, like loss, war, transhumanism, identity, and more, while also engaging players in a lengthy, epic quest across huge maps. While mechanically, games likeSuper Mario Odysseycan actually end up being more skill-based, especially for those looking to pull off impressive platforming maneuvers,Xenoblade Chroniclesstill offers a more adult-focused experience.
It isn’t the only mature franchise under Nintendo’s belt.Fire Emblemdefinitely feels far more mature thanMario, with a lot of bloody battles, politics, and backstabbing going on in its plethora of complicated plots peppered with several questionably designed characters, especially its female ones.Advance Wars, while certainly cartoonish, deals with war, naturally, and features soldiers shooting each other, as well as tactical and strategic gameplay targeted towards an older audience.EvenBOTWandTOTKcould be argued to be more mature gameswith their melancholic tone and plot.
Longer runtimes and bigger ambitions, at least in the narrative department, could also help justify the ridiculous $80 price now slapped onto Nintendo Switch 2 games.
These series, perhaps aside fromAdvance Wars, are often exceptionally content-rich and can last tens of hours, potentially even over 100 if you’re a completionist. Longer runtimes and bigger ambitions, at least in the narrative department, could also help justify theridiculous $80 pricenow slapped onto Nintendo Switch 2 games.I certainly would be happier to pay that much for a newXenoblade Chroniclesgame I know I’ll sink over 100 hours intoand get a transformative narrative experience overMario Kart Worldthat’s more or less the same as the previous entry.
Nintendo Should Embrace Its More Adult First-Party Franchises
It Helps The Switch 2 Cater To A Wider Audience
The Switch 2 also marks the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to embrace its more mature first-party franchises. While it certainly did a good job of that during the Switch era, with it releasing twoXenoblade Chroniclesgames (excluding the two remasters) as well as twoFire Emblemtitles (excluding the twoWarriorsentries), and switching the tone ofZeldato be more contemplative and somber, it didn’t go quite far enough, at least in my opinion.Nintendo should be experimenting with new franchises, potentially even its ownDOOM-like FPS series, that could be a draw for a whole new audience.
As great as it is that its more child-friendly experiences can appeal to adults too, these more mature and narrative-focused games give something that its competitors have practically mastered for decades, especially Sony.Nintendo is sorely lacking in narrative-based games likeUnchartedor evenHalo, and it could do with more of them.Mario,Donkey Kong,Kirby, and its suite of party games are absolutely essential Nintendo releases and well worth keeping around. They are what give Nintendo its identity and separate it from its competition.
However, it wouldn’t hurt for the company to release a few more games in the vein of what its competitors are offering, especially when so many people areunsure about buying a Switch 2. Having a wider pool of games that appeal to an even bigger demographic than it currently caters to wouldn’t hurt, and would give Nintendo more to offer its fans. TheNintendo Switch 2should be the go-to console, but in order for it to become that, it needs to offer more than just child-centric experiences.
