Nintendo players finally get a modern, competitive version of EA Sports FC, though some compromises remain.
Hope is a dangerous thing in football, but for once, Nintendo players might be right to feel it.
We go again.
We know what we’re getting. We know it’ll be more of an evolution than a revolution. And yet, every year, we pick up the latest EA Sports football like it holds the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Why? Because for those of us who appreciate the so-called beautiful game, it’s never just about new kits and updated squads (although it is a lot about that). It’s the hope. The belief. The irrational fantasy that this will be the year everything clicks for the team we follow.
As a lifelong West Ham United supporter, my hopes and dreams are almost certainly misguided. But within the confines of EA’s ever-iterative simulation – somewhere between the microtransactions, confusing menus, and oddly structured multiplayer modes – I get the chance to lead the Hammers to glory at least once a year.Dreams can come true.
For Nintendo players, though, that dream has always been a little… fuzzy. Since FIFA 18, the Switch editions of EA’s football games have felt like the digital equivalent of a lower-league journeyman defender.
Year after year, Switch owners were served what EA labelled a “Legacy Edition” release. These were essentially roster updates running on a fossilised engine. Compared to the PlayStation and Xbox versions, they were always lacking, but they were functional, fun, and scratched that familiar football itch that re-emerges with every new season.
Things took a step forward with the rebranded EA Sports FC series, but the transition to the Frostbite engine was a lot for the OG Switch to handle. Sluggish menus, a reduced frame rate, and cardboard cut-out crowds were a distraction from a decent game of footy.
I’ve reviewed most of EA’s FIFA titles on Switch, plus EA Sports FC 24 and 25. And given the critical maulings these games often receive at other publications, I’ve certainly been one of the kinder voices. A defender, even. There’s still joy to be found in the lower leagues, after all. And ultimately, the simple pleasure of playing a fully licensed football game on a handheld system usually won me over.
