Author: sick skills

5th June 2026 marks the first anniversary of Switch 2, the console we had known was coming for many months — years, even — before Nintendo officially unveiled it in January 2025.

With US tariffs, global economic uncertainty, RAM-ageddon, and rising prices affecting all the platform holders, it’s been a challenging period for the games industry, not least for a company launching hardware. And not just any hardware – the follow-up to Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time.

With all the games and everything that’s happened in the last 365 days, today we’re looking back, recapping the big games from the last 12 months, and asking you lovely people how you’d rate Switch 2 after a full calendar year. You’ll also find Team NL’s Year One impressions dotted throughout, and polls at the very bottom of the article.

But first, let’s start on 5th June 2025, the day Nintendo dropped a console and 25 launch games on a very, er, suspecting public…

Switch 2 Launch Year Overview

Go for launch (June 2025)

With 25 games off the bat, Switch 2 got off to a very healthy start. If Mario Kart World didn’t grab you and you’d played the other games elsewhere, though, you’d be forgiven for feeling underwhelmed.

Still, the breadth and quality were undeniable, and Nintendo-only gamers were spoiled for choice: Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, Split Fiction – all excellent video games that perform well on S2, day one.

Fast Fusion brought some system-exclusive racing, and BOTW and TOTK at 60fps led the charge on the Switch 2 Edition front. A decent spread of upgrades from the likes of Deltarune, No Man’s Sky, Fantasy Life i, and others showcased an impressively diverse, if familiar, lineup. And while Welcome Tour riled players up by not being a pack-in, there was a charming bit of software beneath all the indignation.

Following all the Switch 2 Experience previews, the system came out of the gates strong.

Hot topics: $80 Mario Kart, Game-Key Cards, pack-in software, tariffs, performance boosts with Switch 1 games on Switch 2, Mario Kart World’s open world
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Mario Kart World (9) / Cyberpunk 2077 (9) / Fast Fusion (9) / Yakuza 0 (9) / Zelda: TOTK NS2E (9) / No Man’s Sky NS2E (9) / Split Fiction (9) / Fantasy Life i NS2E (9) / Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma NS2E (9)

Ooo, Bananza (July 2025)

Donkey Kong Bananza arrived at the start of July; an ambitious destructathon from the Mario Odyssey team, and another strong exclusive. July also continued the trend of stupidly long Switch 2 Edition names, with Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV bookending the first-party offerings at the end of the month.

Elsewhere, we got Wild Hearts S (remember that?), WWE 2K25, and the system’s first real turkey in Tamagotchi Plaza – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, an NL 3/10-er. Ouch.

Despite indie dev talk that S2 devkits were like hen’s teeth for most, we started seeing some tiny games hitting the Switch 2 eShop – specifically, games which pushed system features Nintendo was keen to highlight, such as Handy Hockey (Mouse Mode) and Chillin’ by the Fire (GameChat).

Hot topics: Nintendo restricting dev-kit access, Odyssey vs. Bananza, Zelda movie casting
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Donkey Kong Bananza (9) / Super Mario Party Jamboree NS2E (9)

Drag, Drive, and cosy vibes (August 2025)

August brought the next Switch 2 exclusive, Drag x Drive, an intriguing multiplayer Mouse Mode experiment that lacked personality. Elsewhere, a titan of ball sports returned to a Nintendo platform in Madden 26, Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar brought cosy farm-sim vibes, and Bokura: Planet continued the trend of indie releases that showcased the system’s features getting waved through.

Also, Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World made former Nintendo Power podcast presenters thankful that the pod wrapped a few years back and they don’t have to repeat that ludicrous title in full. Every. Time. Good game, though.

Hot topics: Drag and Drive or Drag ecks Drive?
NL’s Highest-Rated Game of the Month: Apex Legends (9) / Kirby & The Forgotten Land NS2E (9)

All for a ‘song (September 2025)

A huge month for releases, although they were all overshadowed by one in particular.

Final Fantasy Tactics, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, Star Wars Outlaws, Cronos: The New Dawn, NBA 2K26, EA SPORTS FC 26, Hades 2, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, and some Bananza DLC all dropped in September, but Hollow Knight: Silksong stole the show.

Oh, and Galaxy 2 finally arrived on Switch alongside a new port of its predecessor.

Hot topics: Mario Galaxy Switch pricing, Are games too tough? Is Silksong too cheap? What year is it? Where are my pants?
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Hollow Knight: Silksong (10)

From Z to A, via Balls and Pits (October 2025)

Pokémon Legends: Z-A took up much of October, launching on Switch 1 and 2 simultaneously. Square Enix put out its next HD-2D title with Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake, while Sega released the long-awaited Persona 3 Reload.

On the indie front, Playtonic’s Yooka-Replaylee remaster was generally well received (though the 30fps cap on Switch 2 caused a stir with players expecting a solid 60), and BALL x PIT massively reduced global productivity for a spell there.

Hot topics: Yooka-Replaylee 30fps on S2, Pokémon discourse
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: The Touryst Deluxe (9) / Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (9)

So that was the Imprisoning War (November 2025)

In November, Nintendo published two games within a fortnight: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders.

Elsewhere, Sega launched ports of Yakuza Kiwamis 1 and 2 ahead of the cross-platform debut of Kiwami 3 in three months’ time, and the first of Tomb Raider‘s Survivor trilogy finally arrived on a Nintendo system in Definitive Edition form.

Hot topics: Myles MacKenzie
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (9) / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (9)

Beyond Redemption (December 2025)

2025 finished up with a very busy month, filled with games new and old, large and small.

On the new release front, we had Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, Octopath Traveler 0, and Rogue Prince of Persia. For games getting late-coming Switch 2 releases, Assassin’s Creed Shadows got an admirable port, ol’ faithful Skyrim less so, Red Dead Redemption got a Switch 2 Edition, and the upgraded version of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds polished things up nicely.

Looking at indies, Simogo Legacy Collection, Cast n Chill, and the excellent Skate Story stood out as we headed into the holidays, and Stardew Valley snuck out on Christmas Day in the States (although a troubled launch delayed its European release until March).

Hot topics: Generative AI in game dev, Bowser retires, Pritchard ascends, Skyrim returns…again,
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Metroid Prime 4 Beyond NS2E (9) / Red Dead Redemption NS2E (9) / Octopath Traveler 0 (9) / Simogo Legacy Collection NS2E (9) / The Rogue Prince of Persia (9) / Cast n Chill NS2E (9)

Old Horizons (January 2026)

Starting the new year, Nintendo took us back in time with Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, reminding us all what a half-finished state we’d left our islands in.

Koei Tecmo continued its solid S2 support with Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Dispatch came to both Switch 1 and 2 (although in a censored form, which caused consternation), and Square put out a well-received Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

A solid start to 2026, although in terms of games nobody had played before elsewhere, January bowed to February’s superiority…

Hot topics: Dispatch censorship, a Year In Review that actually includes the entire year
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Stardew Valley NS2E (9) / Dynasty Warriors: Origins (9) / FFVII Remake Intergrade (9) / Dispatch NS2E (9)

Resident Knight Fever (February 2026)

The cross-platform release of Resident Evil Requiem dominated our thoughts for most of the month, although Nintendo did put out Switch 2 exclusive Mario Tennis Fever. Sega’s Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was another S2 game that launched day and date across all consoles – a welcome novelty for those of us used to waiting months for a port, if one comes at all.

Reanimal and Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined continued that ‘day one, everywhere’ trend, although there was a steady stream of old games, too, including a Switch 2 Edition of Hollow Knight, Fallout 4, and Resident Evils 7 and 8.

The month belonged to Requiem, though.

Hot topics: FireRed & LeafGreen re-releases, Pokémon 30th anniversary, Virtual Boy
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (9) / Reanimal (9) / Resident Evil 7 (9) / Resident Evil Requiem (9)

Un Poko’ loco (March 2026)

Coming hot on the heels of RE9, Monster Hunter Stories 3 didn’t make massive waves, but was the second in a trio of cross-platform Capcom titles to launch in less than two months.

Elsewhere, Koei Tecmo and Sega brought versions of Fatal Frame 2 Remake and Virtua Fighter 5, respectively, Switch 2 ports of Blue Prince, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Scott Pilgrim EX delivered the indie goods, and Nintendo itself had a Mario Wonder Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with some added content to tie into The Mario Galaxy Movie’s release.

The month belonged to one game, though: Pokémon Pokopia. Becoming Metacritic’s highest-rated Pokémon game of all time, Nintendo is bundling this system-exclusive with the console this summer. It’s a winner.

Also worth noting is Handheld Boost Mode dropping out of nowhere, giving Switch 1 games docked performance and resolution on Switch 2 in handheld. Lovely.

Hot topics: Nintendo digital vs. physical pricing difference in the US, Nvidia’s DLSS 5 yassification filter, Nintendo suing the US government, Fox in the Mario Galaxy Movie, Star Fox and Ocarina remake rumours, Yoshi popcorn buckets

NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Scott Pilgrim EX (9) / Planet of Lana 2: NS2E (9) / Blue Prince (9) / Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (9) / Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (9) / The Midnight Walk (9)

Cap-dom (April 2026)

Capping off Capcom’s trio, the excellent Pragmata held its own on Switch 2, cementing Capcom as one of the system’s most impressive and reliable devs, and surely putting them in the running for Publisher of the Year gongs come December.

Nintendo let up on the Switch 2 gas a little following Pokopia and Wonder in March, although Switch 1’s Tomodachi Life proved to be a huge hit. Elsewhere, quality games like OPUS: Prism Peak and Mouse: P.I. For Hire kept things ticking over in a quieter month.

Hot topics: 007 First Light delayed on Switch 2
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Pragmata (9) / Mouse P.I. For Hire (9)

Mina and the Mysterious Mixtape (May 2026)

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book brought another exclusive to the platform in May, and Machine Games’ port of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle showed once again how capable Switch 2 can be in the right hands.

It was a bumper month for smaller dev teams, too, with Mixtape, Sektori, and Mina The Hollower bringing yet more depth and quality to the S2 eShop.

Hot topics: Switch 2 price hikes, Bubsy in good-game shocker!
NL’s Highest-Rated Game(s) of the Month: Mixtape (9) / Sektori (9) / Mina the Hollower NS2E (9)

Rebirth (June 2026)

We’re only a few days in, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Konami’s surprisingly good Switch 2 exclusive eFootball Kick-Off snuck in before the first anniversary cut-off.

Just missing the deadline are some much-anticipated games from Nintendo and Square, too, but let’s look at those below…

Switch 2, Year Two – What’s In Store?

The Adventures of Elliot and Star Fox are both June games we’re looking forward to, with Nintendo folllowing that up in July with Splatoon Raiders and Rhythm Heaven Groove (although that’s Switch 1 – the last announced first-party Switch 1 game at the time of writing, in fact).

August sees Konami doing us a Solid with Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, FromSoft’s Elden Ring arriving after a delay, and Square has Final Fantasy XIV Online lined up, too.

September brings Lego Batman and DQ XI S Definitive Edition, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 gets October day-and-date parity with other platforms. Beyond that, there’s a significant pile of “TBA 2026” titles, including Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, The Duskbloods, Layton and the New World of Steam, Oblivion Remastered, DECAPOLICE, and Valheim.

And then there’s whatever Nintendo has up its sleeve for the holidays. Fire Emblem is excellent, but it’s also a little niche. Even if the Ocarina remake rumours for Zelda’s 40th anniversary year turn out to be hot air, we’re still expecting something sizeable from Nintendo’s in-house teams for the second half of 2026. – all the more if the firm wants to attract new players to Switch 2 while putting the price up.

Polls – How would you rate Switch 2’s first year?

So, that’s your whistlestop round-up of Switch 2 game highlights from its first 365 days. Did you jump aboard in this first year, and if so, are you happy you did?

Let us know in the polls below, and take to the comments to highlight the gems not mentioned above, and the games that have defined the console (so far) for you.

Overall, how would you rate Switch 2’s launch year? (1,960 votes)

1. 10 – Outstanding!10%
2. 9 – Excellent22%
3. 8 – Great25%
4. 7 – Good20%
5. 6 – Not Bad8%
6. 5 – Average6%
7. 4 – Poor6%
8. 3 – Bad2%
9. 2 – Terrible  0.5%
10. 1 – Abysmal  0.5%

Are you happy you bought a Switch 2 in the launch year? (1,816 votes)

1. Ecstatic!37%
2. Happy35%
3. Somewhere in the middle15%
4. Unhappy3%
5. Dismayed!  0.5%
6. Didn’t get one (but I want one!)5%
7. Didn’t get one (and I don’t want one)5%

Yacht Club’s new title Mina The Hollower is filled with all sorts of surprises and secrets, but according to the lead programmer David D’Angelo, the average amount of items discovered in each playthrough right now is only “around 50 to 70 percent”.

Speaking to Eurogamer, D’Angelo explained how this means some players are effectively “missing 50 percent” of what the game has to offer.

Yacht Club Studio founder Sean Velasco added how there have been a lot of “surface level discoveries” by players so far, but “people haven’t really, really gotten down to the meat of it” – teasing some super secrets:

“There are a few very secret things in the game.”

In the same interview, the developer went on to explain how Mina can offer a “community oriented” experience, and so if you miss things, you can always consult a friend.

According to a sales update earlier this week, Mina the Hollower sold 300,000 copies in its first three days across multiple platforms including the Switch and Switch 2. The game is also currently one of the highest-rated titles of 2026. You can find out more about it in the Nintendo Life review.

Have you uncovered any wild secrets in Mina the Hollower yet? Are you planning on a completionist run? Let us know in the comments.

If you’re a Persona fan, there appears to be some updates regarding the next major entry in the Atlus role-playing series.

Ahead of the Summer Game Fest livestream, leaked images of supposed “Persona 6” character designs have reportedly surfaced online, followed by takedowns. While this is still under the rumour tag for now, IGN notes how Sega is “believed to be behind the takedowns”.

As highlighted on Persona Central, the images have allegedly come from an outsourced art team (it’s further claimed they’re verified by “several noted Persona leakers” with proven track records) and show “a blond male character, and a female character with black and red hair”. There’s also artwork of a railway station featuring the character believed to be the protagonist.

More recently, a ‘P6’ logo and concept art supposedly leaked and also led to copyright takedowns on social media.

The last major Persona title released was Persona 5 in 2016 and Persona 5 Royal eventually made its way across to the Switch in 2022. The Switch 2 got Persona 3 Reload last October as well. The Persona 4 Revival is also on the way, and could be back in the spotlight very soon.

This latest rumour follows the Atlus’ 30th anniversary Persona website seemingly teasing “the next chapter for the series”.

If we hear any updates, we’ll let you know.

A story from earlier this week about Amazon publishing future James Bond games has reportedly led to some confusion and concern about IO Interactive’s involvement going forward.

Amazon Game Studios has now issued an official response and although it’s apparently “still too early to discuss future projects”, the studio says it has a “great relationship” with the developer of 007 First Light, who already has more content planned for the new title.

Here’s the full statement (via VGC):

“Amazon MGM holds the rights to any future James Bond video games but it’s still too early to discuss future projects. We have a great relationship with IO Interactive and are proud of what we’ve accomplished together on 007 First Light. Our partners at IO will reveal more about 007 First Light in the near future and we’re looking forward to sharing what’s next.”

Right, spoiler time…

If you haven’t already played First Light (and there’s a good chance if you’re waiting for the Switch 2 version now that it’s been delayed until Summer 2026), the ending of it reveals James Bond’s mission is just getting started, finishing up with the classic line “James Bond will return”.

IOI, who self-published First Light, previously teased there could potentially be more to come in the lead up to the anticipated release. With all of this in consideration, along with the statement from Amazon, it seems IO Interactive is still on board, and (hopefully) all that’s apparently changing is Amazon taking control of the publishing rights.

Once again, 007 First Light is targeting a Summer 2026 release for the Switch 2. You can find out more about Bond’s new mission in the review on Push Square.

Have you played First Light yet, or are you holding for the Switch 2 release? Let us know in the comments.

Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company released a special retro-style Pikachu plush in Japan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon series. This was followed by confirmation the plush (and a key chain based on the same design) would be getting a local release in the future.

This plush has now been made available on the Pokémon Center, and while it seems stock has already sold out in the US and other locations like Australia, it’s worth checking back for a restock in the coming days and weeks. The Pikachu 1996 Style Plush is priced at $29.99 / £24.99 (or your regional equivalent) and the key chain is $12.99 / £9.99.

“The Pikachu 1996 Style Plush is bursting with retro charm. With its monochrome palette and pixelated features, this charming little chonkster faithfully recreates Pikachu’s original appearance in the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green video games for Game Boy. In addition to the infinitely huggable plush, there’s also the Pikachu 1996 Style Plush Key Chain that brings big-time nostalgic vibes to your bag, backpack, or lanyard.”

Apart from this retro plush and key chain, the Pokémon Center is celebrating Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with various other merch including themed trading card game items, clothing and some other exclusive items.

Did you have any luck securing one of these plush? How about the key chain? Let us know in the comments.

Famitsu has given us an updated look at the Japanese charts as the first week of Switch price increases comes into play in the region.

Those with a Switch console already in hand obviously weren’t deterred by the price change and continued picking up Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream in droves. The game nabbed an extra ~52,000 sales this week, even keeping 007 First Light‘s PS5 release from the top spot.

Elsewhere, AQUAPLUS’ JRPG Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered debuted in fifth and ninth, and Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1985 made its first appearance at seventh.

Here’s a look at the top ten in full:

Position	Game	Platform	Unit Sales (25th – 31st May)	Total Unit Sales
1	Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream	Switch	52,483	1,259,031
2	007 First Light	PS5	20,690	NEW
3	Pokémon Pokopia	Switch 2	14,122	1,038,407
4	Yoshi and the Mysterious Book	Switch 2	12,701	52,362
5	Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered	PS5	6,225	NEW
6	Mario Kart World	Switch 2	5,865	2,958,073
7	Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1984	Switch	3,719	NEW
8	Minecraft	Switch	3,480	4,214,562
9	Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered	Switch 2	2,863	NEW
10	Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV	Switch 2	2,858	202,741

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It’s the hardware charts that have seen the biggest shake-up this week, as we see the first numbers following Japan’s Switch price hike (which came into effect on 25th May).

With both Switch 1 and 2 affected by the rise, the sales boom of the last few weeks has dropped off a cliff. Switch 2 only shifted 31,751 copies this time (compared to the peak of 247,880 last week), and while that was enough to retain its crown, the standard Switch 1 model has dropped all the way down out of the thousands, bringing in a mere 229 units and falling behind the Xbox Series X.

Sales are down across the board, and the Switch systems certainly benefited from some pre-price-rise panic sales, but it’s crazy to see just how big a drop it is.

This has skewed our usual SKU comparison a little, with the PS5 coming out on top this week, with a combined total of 8,373, while the three Switch 1 models made up 6,271.

Here’s a breakdown of the figures for the week:

Position	Console	Unit Sales (25th – 31st May)	Lifetime Unit Sales
1	Switch 2	31,751	5,865,213
2	PlayStation 5 Digital Edition	6,527	1,302,820
3	Switch OLED	4,162	9,585,830
4	Switch Lite	1,810	6,972,953
5	PlayStation 5 Pro	1,479	360,308
6	Xbox Series X Digital Edition	408	31,544
7	PlayStation 5	367	5,919,834
8	Xbox Series X	304	327,214
9	Switch	299	20,300,305
10	Xbox Series S	123	342,219

< Previous charts

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What do you make of this week’s charts? Let us know in the comments.

With the ‘Rattlin’ Snake Bananza’ event firmly in the rear-view, Nintendo has announced what’s next for Donkey Kong Bananza‘s DLC challenges.

Next up is the ‘Kong Bananza Returns’ event, which gets underway next week, on 9th June, and will be sticking around until 16th.

As the name suggests, there are some Donkey Kong Country Returns-themed prizes up for grabs this time around. Those who meet the special Emerald Rush quotas can net Tiki Kong and Tiki Goon statues, adding to the already impressive DK Island collection.

This one will take place on the Canyon Layer and, as ever, you’ll have to complete Void Kong’s challenges with a special set of limitations on your perks and abilities.

Here’s the exact time that the event will begin in your region:

• North America: 1am PDT / 2am MDT / 3am CDT / 4am EDT
• UK/Ire: 9am BST
• Europe: 10am CEST / 11am EEST
• Asia/Oceania: 5pm JST / 4pm AWST / 6pm AEST

Of course, you’ll need to have picked up the Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC to take part in the event. If you want a reminder of all the events and rewards that have come before this one, you’ll find the full list in our guide below.

Will you be taking part in this event? Swing down to the comments and let us know.