Switch 2 has only one major exclusive title on day one: Mario Kart World. But Nintendo’s support for the console is more robust than it first appears
During an hourlong presentation on Wednesday, Nintendo bombarded prospective Switch 2 buyers with information about the new console and its games, including a torrent of ports from third-party publishers. But, once the dust had settled, it was easy to succumb to a creeping anxiety. Where were all the first-party launch titles from Nintendo itself? Mario Kart World looks great, but is it $79.99 great?
Yes and no. Depending on how you define a launch game — and how you define a Switch 2 game — the Switch 2 will launch with anywhere between one and nine Nintendo games. You don’t have to expand these definitions to the absolute limit to realize that the Switch 2 is launching with relatively strong first-party support compared to Nintendo’s past systems. But it is true that Nintendo is approaching this launch a little differently.
First, a little historical perspective: In the last 20 years or so, new Nintendo consoles have launched with only two or three first-party games. For example, the Switch had The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 1-2-Switch, and Snipperclips, a small eShop game. Further back, the Wii had the admittedly killer Zelda: Twilight Princess and Wii Sports double-header; the DS the more dubious pairing of Super Mario 64 DS and Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt.
In terms of Nintendo-made exclusive games, the Switch 2 has two titles on day one: Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
