{"id":124449,"date":"2022-05-02T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-130897"},"modified":"2022-05-02T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T17:00:00","slug":"feature-will-these-10-classic-western-rpgs-ever-come-to-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2022\/05\/02\/feature-will-these-10-classic-western-rpgs-ever-come-to-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: Will These 10 Classic Western RPGs Ever Come To Switch?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/ed52298f79281\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/ed52298f79281\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Trying to define a Western role-playing game quickly becomes a difficult, nebulous task. Games from the 1980s \u2013 like <strong>Ultima<\/strong> and <strong>Might and Magic<\/strong> \u2013 laid a clear foundation, but WRPGs released from the 2000s onward hardly resemble their ancestors. The genre has developed into one of massive worlds with staggering amounts of player choice and action that developers 40 years ago couldn\u2019t have imagined.<\/p>\n<p>So grab your wizard hat and Sword of a Thousand Truths \u2014 we\u2019re taking a chronological look at the probability of these 10 classic Western-developed RPGs to one day make it to our favourite handheld hybrid, including a couple which veer into action-RPG territory&#8230;<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Ultima (1981)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Without Ultima, we don\u2019t think any other RPG on this list would exist. This seminal role-playing game not only paved the way for WRPGs, but also inspired Japanese role-playing games like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nes\/dragon_warrior\"><strong>Dragon Quest<\/strong><\/a>. Random battles, stat distribution, a fantastical world to explore \u2014 you name it, Ultima did it first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 2\/10<\/strong> &#8211; Unfortunately, we\u2019re more likely to find a real-world Gem of Immortality than get a port of any of the numerous Ultima games. The original creator, Richard Garriot, moved on from the franchise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/business-50757073\">to become an astronaut<\/a>, and there\u2019s no precedent of Ultima games being ported to Nintendo consoles. Electronic Arts owns the rights now, and we\u2019re pretty sure all its development houses are busy working on Maddens and Battlefields \u2013 but don\u2019t quote us on that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Diablo (1996)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c4d7dc91ca773\/diablo-1996.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c4d7dc91ca773\/diablo-1996.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Diablo (1996)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Blizzard<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>A remake of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/diablo_ii_resurrected\">Diablo II<\/a> made a lot of sense. The sequel to Blizzard\u2019s original dungeon crawler popularised the action-RPG genre that thrives to this day, yet many consider Diablo II the pinnacle that any subsequent game has yet to surmount. The first <strong>Diablo<\/strong>, however, didn\u2019t receive the same genre-defining praise, but there\u2019s no doubting it&#8217;s an influential game that shockingly hasn\u2019t yet received a remaster after all these years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 5\/10<\/strong> &#8211; Guessing whether or not Diablo will one day make it to Switch is about as easy as unravelling Belial\u2019s latest web of lies. Vicarious Visions found success resurrecting Diablo II on Switch \u2013 that\u2019s true, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/diablo_iii_eternal_collection\"><strong>Diablo III<\/strong><\/a> also received a port that we\u2019d argue makes for the best way to play Blizzard\u2019s controversial follow-up. If some developer or another gets around to remaking the first Diablo, we\u2019d expect it on Switch the same way we expect the Lord of Terror to <em>somehow<\/em> make another improbable return in <strong>Diablo IV<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s a big <em>if<\/em> without even mentioning the <a href=\"https:\/\/diablo.fandom.com\/wiki\/Hell_Bovine\">Hell Bovine<\/a> in the room: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/features\/talking-point-how-does-microsofts-purchase-of-activision-blizzard-impact-nintendo\">Microsoft now owns Activision Blizzard<\/a>. There\u2019s precedent for Microsoft allowing games it publishes to release on the Switch (see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/ori_and_the_blind_forest_definitive_edition\"><strong>Ori and the Blind Forest<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/n64\/banjo-kazooie\"><strong>Banjo Kazooie<\/strong><\/a>), but until the dust settles on that massive acquisition, who can say how Microsoft will treat Activision Blizzard games?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Fallout (1997)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/e1acaab87eb32\/fallout-1997.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/e1acaab87eb32\/fallout-1997.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fallout (1997)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Bethesda<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The Switch has become an unlikely home for many classic computer role-playing games, such as the enhanced editions for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/baldurs_gate_and_baldurs_gate_ii_enhanced_editions\">Baldur\u2019s Gate<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/neverwinter_nights_enhanced_edition\"><strong>Neverwinter Nights<\/strong><\/a>. But where is the original <strong>Fallout<\/strong>? The 1997 classic deviated from previous CRPGs by thrusting players out from Vault 13 into a post-apocalyptic America \u2013 resplendent with 1950s imagery and nukes \u2013 rather than a fantasy world, creating a wholly unique setting that deserves a retool for modern sensibilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 5\/10<\/strong> &#8211; The question, much like with Diablo, is whether or not the Switch\u2019s massive install base tempts Microsoft as it now owns Fallout\u2019s current developer, Bethesda. We know Bethesda <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2018\/08\/bethesdas_pete_hines_says_switch_game_releases_have_been_a_huge_success\">loves to port its properties to the Switch<\/a>, and the Switch does have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/fallout_shelter\"><strong>Fallout Shelter<\/strong><\/a> available on its eShop. We\u2019re fairly confident in saying that the Switch would make too tempting of a home for a Fallout re-release if it were to happen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/60fccce6c9a4d\/might-and-magic-vi-the-mandate-of-heaven-1998.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/60fccce6c9a4d\/might-and-magic-vi-the-mandate-of-heaven-1998.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">The 3DS Company \/ Ubisoft<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The long-running Might and Magic series arguably inspired the games on this list as much as Ultima. Many consider the sixth entry, <strong>The Mandate of Heaven<\/strong>, to have ushered in a golden age of WRPGs with the fully explorable world of Enroth that enthralled players back in the late &#8217;90s, slaying the previous grid-based exploration seen in other Western role-playing games like a fearsome dragon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 3\/10 &#8211;<\/strong> Ubisoft owns the rights to Might and Magic and all its subsequent spin-off series at the moment. The company seems content with exiling the franchise into the crowded wastelands of the mobile market. Though much like Bethesda, Ubisoft enjoys porting its games to Nintendo Switch as much as it loves milking its best-selling franchises for every penny. If a Might and Magic remastered collection were to happen, we\u2019d expect the game to pop up on Switch without a doubt \u2013 but with how little brand recognition the Might and Magic series wields these days, we won\u2019t hold our breath.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Deus Ex (2000)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/91ab9e5a7cd4a\/deus-ex-2000.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/91ab9e5a7cd4a\/deus-ex-2000.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Deus Ex (2000)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Eidos Interactive \/ Square Enix<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The first <strong>Deux Ex<\/strong>, developed by Ion Storm and now championed by Eidos Montreal, successfully merged Western role-playing games with first-person shooter elements, setting a precedent for other hybrid RPGs (<strong>Mass Effect<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/bioshock_the_collection\"><strong>BioShock<\/strong><\/a>, anyone?). Players solved scenarios in any way they saw fit: through extensive dialogue trees, hacking computers, or with guns if words weren\u2019t their forte.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 6.75\/10<\/strong> &#8211; Only once has a Deus Ex game appeared on a Nintendo console, and that was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wiiu\/deus_ex_human_revolution_directors_cut\">Deus Ex: Human Revolution &#8211; Director\u2019s Cut<\/a> on Wii U. The latest main entry in the series, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/games\/ps4\/deus_ex_mankind_divided\" class=\"external\">Mankind Divided<\/a><\/strong>, came out a year prior to the Nintendo Switch. When there\u2019s another Deus Ex game, the Switch might not be able to handle it, but if the original is ever remade or remastered, we wouldn\u2019t need JC Denton to infiltrate Eidos Montreal to uncover whether it\u2019s coming to Switch or not. It most likely would.<\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2022\/05\/embracer-group-to-acquire-crystal-dynamics-square-enix-montreal-eidos-montreal-plus-ips-for-usd300-million\">Embracer Group in the process of acquiring the studio and IP from Square Enix<\/a>, perhaps we&#8217;ll once again see activity in this series.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/140393ab4ae77\/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-2002.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/140393ab4ae77\/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-2002.900x.jpg\" alt=\"The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Bethesda<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Whenever Todd Howard and friends ever stop porting Skyrim to every system imaginable, we very much hope they port the older Elder Scrolls games to Switch. None more so than <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.purexbox.com\/games\/xbox\/elder_scrolls_iii_morrowind\" class=\"external\">The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind<\/a><\/strong>, the title that launched both the series and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-nintendo-switch-open-world-games\">open-world RPG genre<\/a> into popularity as if it used a <a href=\"https:\/\/elderscrolls.fandom.com\/wiki\/Scroll_of_Icarian_Flight\">Scroll of Icarian Flight<\/a>. Morrowind, like many titles on this list, is a little rough around the edges, but perhaps a polished re-release ahead of <strong>The Elder Scrolls VI<\/strong> to drum up hype is in order.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 5\/10<\/strong> &#8211; There\u2019s no saying when or if Bethesda has plans to re-release Morrowind or other TES games. But despite Microsoft\u2019s acquisition, we\u2019d expect any remake or remaster to wind up on the Switch with how strong Bethesda and Nintendo\u2019s relationship seems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Bloodlines (2004)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d1097d02fa831\/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2004.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d1097d02fa831\/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2004.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (2004)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Activision<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Often labelled &#8216;Deus Ex with vampires&#8217;, <strong>Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Bloodlines<\/strong> lurked out of sight like a particularly stealthy vampire when it debuted, eventually gaining a cult-like status. For some time the series has slumbered until recently when Hardsuit Labs and Paradox Interactive revived the franchise with the announcement of <strong>Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Bloodlines 2<\/strong>. To this day Bloodlines has some of the best writing seen in a WRPG, making it a shame that so many missed out on it the first go around. This game begs for a remaster or a port more than any other on this list.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 7\/10<\/strong> &#8211; The Vampire: Masquerade franchise is being brought back to life like an improperly slain vampire. Ahead of Bloodlines 2, <strong>Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Swansong<\/strong> releases next month on multiple platforms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2021\/11\/vampire-the-masquerade-swansong-has-been-delayed-again\">including the Nintendo Switch<\/a>. With two games in the works and perhaps a vampire renaissance on the horizon, a remake of the cult classic that also lands on the Switch seems like an inevitability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006)<\/h2>\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/neverwinter_nights_enhanced_edition\">better or for worse<\/a>, we got the first Neverwinter Nights on the Nintendo Switch in 2019. BioWare\u2019s role-playing classic, along with Baldur\u2019s Gate, laid the foundation for its later mega-hits in Dragon Age and Mass Effect \u2013 and its sequel, <strong>Neverwinter Nights 2<\/strong>, though Obsidian Entertainment took the reins for the second outing. But as of now, we haven\u2019t yet gotten the follow-up on the Nintendo Switch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 7\/10<\/strong> &#8211; CRPGs have seen somewhat of a renaissance on the Nintendo Switch, with enhanced editions galore being ported to it. It\u2019s somewhat of a surprise that only the first Neverwinter Nights received the Switch treatment, but we expect before long some developer or other to wrangle the licensing from whatever demon-infested dungeon it languishes in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Dragon Age: Origins (2009)<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/10eba53d44fe0\/dragon-age-origins-2009.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/10eba53d44fe0\/dragon-age-origins-2009.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Dragon Age: Origins (2009)\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">Electronic Arts<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>It\u2019s been over a decade since <strong>Dragon Age: Origins<\/strong> impressed the gamers and critics alike with its complex characters and incredibly engrossing narrative. We\u2019re sorry for pointing that out, and hope you don\u2019t feel as old as we do. But \u2013 and stay with us here \u2013 a decade denotes the \u2018classic\u2019 status, does it not? If a Dragon Age collection game to the Nintendo Switch similar to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/games\/ps4\/mass_effect_legendary_edition\" class=\"external\">Mass Effect: Legendary Edition<\/a> (and where&#8217;s that by the way?) were to appear, we\u2019d be first in line to pre-order.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 2\/10<\/strong> &#8211; Sadly, we have no confidence a Dragon Age collection would wind up on Switch after the Mass Effect collection skipped the console. Surely, Dragon Age: Origins would run well enough, but the third game in the series, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/games\/ps4\/dragon_age_inquisition\" class=\"external\">Inquisition<\/a><\/strong>, might struggle on the Switch\u2019s hardware.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Witcher II: Assassin of Kings<\/h2>\n<aside class=\"picture embed img-900x\">\n<div class=\"img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d05a53c7554d4\/witcher-ii-assassin-of-kings.large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/d05a53c7554d4\/witcher-ii-assassin-of-kings.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Witcher II: Assassin of Kings\"><\/a><span class=\"image-credit\" title=\"Image Credit\">CD Projekt Red<\/span><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>If you argued <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/witcher_3_wild_hunt_-_complete_edition\"><strong>Witcher III: Wild Hunt<\/strong><\/a> epitomised the WRPG genre, we\u2019d be hard-pressed to disagree. Few games on this list received as much universal praise as Geralt\u2019s third role-playing adventure, which focused heavily on an involved narrative with an abundance of difficult choices to make with every quest. We\u2019re looking at you, <a href=\"https:\/\/witcher.fandom.com\/wiki\/Bloody_Baron_(quest)\">Bloody Baron<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To the surprise of many, Witcher III made it to the Nintendo Switch. And so too did the spinoff card game, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/thronebreaker_the_witcher_tales\"><strong>Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales<\/strong><\/a>. But what about the first two games CD Projekt Red developed? The first Witcher game wears its age on its sleeve, but <strong>Witcher II: Assassin of Kings<\/strong> is a formidable WRPG in its own right.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Probability: 5.5\/10<\/strong> &#8211; Unlike many WRPG developers, Microsoft has yet to buy CD Projekt Red (knock on wood). If we one day get a Witcher collection, we\u2019d likely get a version on a Nintendo console.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>There are doubtless dozens of Western-made RPGs that could have graced this list with how massive the genre has grown from its humble beginnings. Let us know in the comments which of your favourites we missed, and vote in the poll for which of the above you\u2019d most like to see ported or remastered for the Nintendo Switch.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trying to define a Western role-playing game quickly becomes a difficult, nebulous task. Games from the 1980s \u2013 like Ultima and Might and Magic \u2013 laid a clear foundation, but WRPGs released from the 2000s onward hardly resemble their ancestors. The genre has developed into one of massive worlds with staggering amounts of player choice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124449\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}