Nintendo Switch 2 preview — All the games I played at the NYC press event

GamingTrend was recently invited to New York City to take part in a Nintendo press event. While I was attending, I got to see a few upcoming Nintendo games, many of which will release alongside the Nintendo Switch 2. While I have played on the Nintendo Switch at parties, I personally own a Switch Lite, so there were some interesting growing pains! Read on for a summary of my opinions on these games and how the Switch 2 comes into play!

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

The Galactic Federations’ research facilities are being attacked by Sylux and his Space Pirates. To make matters worse, the Metroids are fusing with the space pirates to control their minds, making them more powerful in the process. Now, another research facility is assailed, but luckily, Samus Aran is nearby and ready to assist. Of course, first, she has to stylishly take out a few of her enemies' spaceborne defenses in a bombastic intro cutscene. On top of Samus’ agile aerial moves, it showcases the scale of the battle, with Galactic Federation troops rushing to muster up a defense while under enemy fire. Although, it is kind of goofy to watch Samus land and slowly ascend from her ship, which looks very similar to her helmet. In the midst of a grand intro that showcases the scale of the battle, it’s like a splash of warm water to the face, not exactly shocking, just a tad bit whimsical and odd, and I’m here for it.

While the opening of the game is stylish, it also respects the players' time, and pretty much instantly, we’re taking control of Samus. Players can use both controllers to aim, lock on to enemies, roll, jump, and blast away space pirates. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond incorporates the Nintendo Switch 2's new mouse mode, or not! Players can choose between two joycons, or a joycon and a mouse, or even two mice if you prefer! It’s a surprisingly seamless transition. Finding a good grip, on the other hand, might be a bit of a journey.

Samus can also turn into her morph ball form, fire rockets, pelt enemies with her standard attack, and charge it up for some more substantial damage. It’s all there, and with a good amount of polish. I had a blast while blasting! If I had to make a minor critique, it’s that the boss of the first level is a little bit too tanky for my taste, and some of his telegraphing feels offbeat. Although, those complaints pale in comparison to how good it feels to get into the groove of combat, dodging, weaving, and playing aggressively once you get the hang of the controls and his attack patterns.

In terms of art style, honestly, this game reminded me a lot of Halo, specifically Halo Reach. Something about the enemy design, rocky terrain, architecture (especially the doors), color palette, and, oh yeah, the alien invasion, are all reminiscent of Halo Reach, especially the campaign’s sword base level. That being said, it clearly does its own thing as well, which can clearly be seen by looking at Sylux’s cool design.

I genuinely had fun with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and I feel like out of all the games I played, it best demonstrated the potential of the new controller system.

Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV

Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV is a pretty good evolution to the Mario Party family, even if it’s a bit of a mouthful to say. The game was split into six mini-games, which take full advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2's systems, like the gyro sensors and accelerometer. Let's start with Shell Hockey, basically air hockey with Koopa shells and a chaotic twist; when you get towards the end of the match, tons of shells spawn. The game is 2v2 without a 1v1 option unless you’re fine with an extra puck sitting in the corner, although that could be used for some random fun homebrew rule sets. What really makes this game stand out, however, is the use of the Switch 2’s mouse mode, which makes you feel like you’re grasping an air hockey pusher.

Next up is Stuffie Stacker. This one’s pretty simple: You’re given a pool of blocks, and you want to build a structure that’s taller than your opponents within the allotted time frame. The blocks themselves are in a box at the top of the screen, and you have to click and drag them down. There are a lot of shapes that are pretty easy to build with, think of Tetris blocks, but other times the game will throw a plushie in your block pool. Adapting your block tower to accommodate a big ol’ Yoshi plush is surprisingly challenging, especially if the blocks you’ve received beforehand aren’t conducive to a cohesive structure to begin with.

Moving on, we have Toad-ally Electric Escape. Do you remember that jump-scare maze game from the early 2000s? Well it’s basically a four-player version of that, but instead of a loud noise and a creepy JPG gracing your screen, you have to start the maze over again, and the Toad you’re guiding with the controller gets electrocuted, the latter of which is arguably worse. However, in an act of mercy, the developers added checkpoints to the game. In an equal and opposite act of maliciousness, they added collision physics, so you can bump your enemy into the wall (if you’re evil like that).

The next game on our list, Bob-omb Makeover, is pretty simple. Bob-ombs are sent down a factory conveyor belt towards two opposing teams of two players, each of whom has a can of spray paint. The two colors are hot pink and periwinkle, and the goal for each player is to paint as many of the Bob-ombs on the conveyor belt as possible before they move on. After a few waves, the final event has a really big Bob-omb, which counts for extra points, but is extra effort to color. Players have unlimited paint, but players have to shake the can every once and a while to refill them. Once again, the haptics here are outstanding, making it feel like you’re really shaking a paint can and feeling the ball slam up and down inside of it.

Getting towards the end, we have Bowser Filter. This one might be the most simple of them all, as you’re sorting envelopes into two piles. Clean envelopes get sent to the folder file, and envelopes marked with Bowser’s likeness go in the trash. Each player gets a separate pile, so it’s whoever can finish their own pile first. The biggest curve ball is the addition of a third pile with envelopes that have hearts.

Finally, we have the final mini-game, Pull Back Attack. This one is a four-player game with two teams of two facing off in toy cars. Both teams start by their goal posts on opposing ends and are separated by a long, rather thin track of wood. The objective is to get your car into the enemy goal as many times as possible before the timer runs out. Much like real toy cars, players drag back their toy vehicle, and the further they pull back, the further forward they will go. The problem? Well, like we said before, the track isn’t very roomy, so pulling back a little too far can slingshot you off of the edge, so you have to be precise in your movements. At the same time, you might want to get a little reckless to push your opponents off the track. If you happen to flip over, then you can shake yourself back upright. Oh yeah, and there are Thwomps, so be careful of them!

Do you know how I said I was only going to cover six mini-games? Well I lied. There’s a seventh, but it was being displayed separately from the others and uses a whole different area of the Switch 2’s tech, so I’m not counting it with the others. The game I’m talking about is Bowser Live, and just like its namesake, it’s rambunctious, extreme, and will most likely result in noise complaints. Let me explain. Bowser is hosting his own show, and you’ll need to be as lively as possible if you want to win. You’re on camera, specifically the new hardware for the Switch 2. Some of the mini games I played include Goombalancing Act, where players try to balance a stack of goombas on their heads, and Talking Flower Says, basically Simon Says. The final mini-game I played wasn’t named, and it amounted to Bowser asking us to create as much noise and motion as possible. I’m not sure how fair this one is, because the other team seemed to put a lot more passion into their performance, but our team ended up winning! Seems like there might be some hidden strategies to body movement here. Watching your friends pop out of a warp pipe is both cheesy and wholesome, and the slight jankiness of the camera adds to the charm.

Overall, this is a good lineup, and I could definitely see myself playing some air hockey with friends on game night. At the same time, a little bit more customization or the ability to change the player count for some modes would be a nice addition.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is an absolute haven for any gamer who craves destruction. This 3D action platforming game has players assuming the role of Donkey Kong, who was just chilling in the Ingot Isles, mining the popular new golden bananas, when all of a sudden a new group of baddies called VoidCo show up and steal them. Now it’s Donkey Kong’s job to get them back.

Just about everything is destructible in this game, from the open world itself to the enemies you find within it. You bet that traversal and combat are very satisfying! Also, don’t discount collecting stuff, as constantly hitting banana-like ores makes all kinds of twinkly noises to get the dopamine a-flowin’. That’s not to say that the game is all style and no substance, as Donkey Kong can pick up and throw materials that have different effects. For example, if you throw a chunk of rock at an enemy, it perishes, who would have thought! For real though, Donkey can pick up materials that interact with others. For example, I came across metal that I couldn’t break, but then I found a purple material I could throw at it, and the metal exploded. There is depth here, and there is also simplistic brute force. I love the way both are implemented, as they feel great.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

I only played a little bit of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, but from what I did play, it’s an amazingly interactive, gamified tutorial for the Nintendo Switch 2. Players will traverse a Nintendo Switch 2-shaped landscape, playing mini-games and finding information about their console. The haptics are genuinely an incredible feat of engineering, too. One of the games has you shake maracas, alternating between one filled with beans and one containing a rubber ball, and it feels very realistic. You can feel the rubber ball thumping around inside. Although, I do have to say, I believe it would have been better to include this game with the Nintendo Switch 2, rather than selling it separately. A lot of emphasis was placed on just how deep the game dives into detail on the system, so maybe that justifies the price, but they still could have offered just the basic tutorial version for free.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World truly lives up to its name. Between the Grand Prix, the Knockout Tour, and the Free Roam mode, there’s a whole world to explore. Let's start by explaining the Grand Prix. 24 players race across four courses, trying to earn the most points. The race isn’t just confined to the standard tracks; the paths between the tracks are just as important. Moving on, we have Knock Out Tour, where, as the name implies, players are knocked out of the race for falling below a certain placement by the time they finish. Now for the final mode, Free Roam. If you’re like me, and every time you play a racing game, you think, “Man, I wish I could just go off roading and explore,” then this mode might just put a smile on your face. Drive around with friends at your leisure and explore the map however you’d like!

Nintendo GameCube: Nintendo Classics

My time with this one was brief, but I enjoyed it. This collection of games allows you to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, Super Mario Strikers, and Soul Calibur II. I only had time to play the first game in that list. Glimpsing into the past by playing Wind Waker on a modern controller that fits the era with a fun GameCube makeover was a treat. The experience was a little janky, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I really appreciate getting the opportunity to go back and experience a game that came out over 20 years ago. It really was a simpler time in gaming history, a time where lootboxes and battle passes weren’t the name of the game, a time where I could chase a pig around an island with a sense of whimsy. It feels like those at the front of modern gaming have lost that to an extent, so playing Wind Waker was a wholesome reminder that I can still do those things!

Hades II

Finally, we have the last game in the preview roundup, Hades II. What made this a special experience for me was the combination of it being my first interaction with the game (despite the fact that I loved the prior installment) and the fact that I played it using the new Switch 2 Pro Controller. Let's touch on Hades II first. Right off the bat, I have to say that the art direction is, once again, insanely good, as is the voice acting. If you’re playing a Hades game, it’s safe to assume that anything having to do with the aesthetics will be top-notch. The woodsy aesthetic is a welcome evolution from the previous game’s more aggressive, harder look that emphasized Hades’s desire for control. The gameplay also feels familiar yet fresh. The new magical ability resource is a welcome addition that adds complexity to combat without feeling overbearing. The new Tarot Card system is a fun new form of meta progression, and I like how unlocking one card reveals the adjacent cards’ buffs.

On the note of the Switch 2 Pro Controller, it feels pretty good in the hand. It’s comfortable, and the build feels solid. The face buttons are large but not overly so, making them feel satisfying to press. The joysticks and bumpers are also pretty good. One thing I should mention is that I accidentally pressed the customizable buttons on the back of the grip one or twice. They take a little getting used to, but I’m excited about their addition nonetheless.

Wrap Up

That was everything I tried at the Nintendo press event. Between all of the new games and the new Switch 2 features, this will be a very interesting generation indeed. From the simple fun of Jamboree to the new evolution of Metroid Prime, I enjoyed everything I played. While there were some growing pains in adapting to the new tech, I see the potential in all of it. I would like to extend my thanks to Nintendo for inviting GamingTrend to the event! For more Nintendo news, stay tuned!