After many years of speculation, the beginning of 2025 brought the first look at the successor to the Nintendo Switch. The Switch 2 was simply a bigger Switch, but it meant that for the first time, everything carried over to the next console. Which was very helpful, as it meant I didn’t need two similar consoles on the go at the same time. Even if I did initially try that.
I talked about the last year of Switch on its anniversary in March, but there was still a three month gap between that and the Switch 2 launch. A gap which held two very large releases. And an indie release with Sugardew Island. A farming game where I would also run a shop, it handled the basics of both very well. With upgrades tied to the Harmony Tree, where I would need to fulfil the orders of the island’s residents. It kept me playing right up until Xenoblade Chronicles X in the last third of the month.
Having already enjoyed Xenoblade Chronicles 3, I was excited by the announcement of the Definitive Edition of X. Getting to explore Mira, fighting and traversing in Skells. There was an interesting story here, too, with humanity trying to survive and a countdown leading to… something. The ending was a fun time, getting transported to a mysterious place, finding my allies within, then fighting the true enemy of survival.
Just a few weeks before the Switch 2 launch came Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. An RPG where jobs are classes, with each one being levelled separately through use. Providing new opportunities within that job. Along with the regular adventure jumping between past and present, there was also an open world area that was great for harvesting resources and levelling up.
Fantasy Life was the only game I upgraded when the Switch 2 launched on 5/June-2025. Getting straight to Mario Kart World, I loved it. As I did with Fast Fusion, which provided a more high-speed alternative. Returning to beloved games such as Hitman: World of Assassination and Fortnite on a handheld was great, along with trying out No Man’s Sky for the first time. My first week of Switch 2 sure was packed of greatness.
Donkey Kong Bananza seemed like it would be an entertaining adventure to smash my way through in July. Which proved to be the case, with a joyful time collecting the Banandium Gems through a variety of areas as I made my way to the core. A fun cast of characters provided each area with some delightful interactions. And oh how I loved the entirety of the finale, including the vocal theme of the credits.
Also in July released Pokémon Friends and Ed & Edda: Grand Prix – Racing Champions. Pokémon Friends brought some fun puzzles to play to collect yarn to make plushies to decorate a room. It didn’t really hold my attention. The same can be said for Ed & Edda: Grand Prix, which felt lacking in heart despite some fun tracks to enjoy. Some great handling with the karts. The film the game was based on had a lot more character.
August would bring Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, which proved to be the best Farm Story game of all. A remake of one of the DS games, I had control of my own store, needing to make money through it to increase the bazaar’s rating. With all the usual crop-growing and people pleasing gameplay of the series, I found myself hooked into the life of Zephyr Town.
Also in August were Discounty and Herdling. Moving to a new town, I was set to run a Discounty store. Helping the town’s residents and making trade deals to expand the store. All while getting the blame for many odd events. Herdling would prove to be a short adventure, herding lost Calicorns up a mountain. Solving a few puzzles on the way and avoiding the dangers closer to the top. Another nice chill-out game to return to on occasion.
Across the rest of the year would come some big games in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which I enjoyed despite feeling it the weakest offering in some time. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which gave a much better telling of the past Hyrule’s story from Tears of the Kingdom. Kirby Air Riders, which was simply a joy to play for bouts of City Trial or general racing. And Dragon Quest I+II HD-2D Remake, which let me experience some classic Dragon Quest and be thankful for invincibility mode when I got to the end of them.
Bookending all those were Lynked: Banner of the Spark and Farming Simulator: Signature Edition. I can’t really say much on Lynked, as despite enjoying the opening, it quickly got forgot about. Farming Simulator was FS25 released on the Switch 2, which meant I was going to enjoy it. Even with its glaring optimisation troubles that provided a stuttering framerate and some curious graphical oddities.
The first game of 2026 I’d get on my Switch 2 would be one made by someone of GRcade. Go Kart Island proved to be a lovely racing adventure that had plenty to be doing as I worked to earn enough to enter the Big Race. Various characters had jobs to partake in, such as collecting items and ferrying them across the island, all while being very humorous with their chatter.
February would bring another Dragon Quest remake to be enjoying. This time of the only main series Dragon Quest game I had played before. VII Reimagined brought about a new visual style for the game, which looked lovely. The animations brought a joyful character to the enemies faced in battle, along with redone cutscenes for important events. And new additions let the combat shine with greater options to employ.
The end of February and into March would be a great Pokémon time. First with FireRed and LeafGreen being added to the eShop. Then with Pokopia, one of the best spin-off games to have been released. Letting the Pokémon world shine in a way it hasn’t before. And lastly, XD: Gale of Darkness released on the GameCube Classics app. A game I just had to jump into as soon as it released. Still waiting on Colosseum, though.
Rounding the releases out across April and May are Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection. Having enjoyed the previous Tomodachi Life, I knew what I was in for with this sequel. It was much improved in some areas, with a whole lot of customisation to get stuck into. Letting the Miis roam an entire island rather than a segmented one. Though there are things I miss from that previous game.
As for Rugrats, the collection featured one of the games of my childhood, so I was wanting to relive that classic. And Rugrats In Paris: The Movie from the PS1 still felt as great yet janky as I remembered. Though the level three missions of the minigames felt particular cruel. Now with it complete (for the first time), I’m considering which of the games would be best to give a try next. There’s also a funny coincidence that Caddicarus released a Rugrats retrospective right as this collection was releasing.
The first year of Switch 2 has been excellent for me. So many different racing games, even if Mario Kart World is the one I’ve stuck with most. Hosting Mario Kart Mondays for GRcade likely has something to do with that. Every game has given me enjoyment in some way, even those I haven’t stuck with for long. A strong start for the Switch 2, though the second feels like it could be stronger.
Not that we know much coming in this second year. Star Fox is coming at the end of this month. Splatoon Raiders is in July. The delayed releases of 007 First Light and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will give Switch 2 players some great experiences. And, for the first time since the Wii U, Call of Duty will be on a Nintendo system with the release of Modern Warfare 4. Nintendo is likely to start releasing information about their second half of the year this month, too. Which, from rumours, will be big.
Images Taken From:
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time | Nintendo Switch [Docked]
Ed & Edda: Grand Prix – Racing Champions | Nintendo Switch 2 [Handheld]
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment | Nintendo Switch 2 [Docked]
Pokémon Pokopia | Nintendo Switch 2 [Docked]
