Hands-on Impressions of the Nintendo Switch 2 and upcoming games

I was invited to the Nintendo Switch 2 experience in Amsterdam, where I was lucky enough to get some hands-on time with the new hybrid console. After a round of applause from around two Nintendo employees per person (seriously, it was like an ocean of red shirts), the press first got to play some Mario Kart World. But before diving into the games, let’s take a closer look at the console itself.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Console itself

It’s black! No, seriously, that’s the first thing that really struck me. I feel like Nintendo’s usual playfulness is a bit lost in this design. The original Switch had its iconic red and blue theme, while the OLED model featured striking white Joy-Cons that contrasted with the black main body. But visually, the successor is just… a whole lot of black. Hopefully, we’ll see more cosmetic options soon.

Holding it made for a more positive experience. It’s noticeably thinner—almost like a tablet with Joy-Cons attached to the sides. The weight felt very similar to the OLED Switch I brought on this trip, but it’s distributed more evenly. If I had to estimate, it’s about 15% larger and feels great in hand. It’s hard to put into words why, but the build quality seems higher; despite being thinner, it feels more durable. (Not that I could do a bend test…)

The screen has increased in size, and although I was initially concerned about it not being OLED, the HDR colours were vibrant, and the black levels were decent. But I’ve only gotten to see it in a dark hangar, not exactly out in the sunlight where this kind of test would be more important. I still think we’ll see an OLED model in the near future, likely as a way to squeeze out extra revenue once console sales stabilise. The games looked great and ran smoothly. But if you’ll allow me, can I admit to being a little disappointed by the increased bevel?

The OLED model I’ve grown accustomed to over the years was amazing, featuring a more evenly distributed black border (bevel) around the edges, which gave it a balanced look when powered on. In contrast, both the Switch 2 and the original Switch have large areas of unused screen space, especially on the sides rather than the top. It always bothered me about the original console, and I have no doubt it will remain a design flaw in the years to come.

Buttons feel largely the same in handheld mode. The analog sticks are slightly bigger but feel almost identical to before. The tiny – and + buttons make a return, while the shoulder buttons are larger and more comfortable to press. Overall, it’s exactly what you remember, with the biggest change being the C button, which connects to the new social features. I didn’t get a chance to test them, though I’m not really the target audience anyway.

Mario Kart World Impressions

We played two rounds of Mario Kart World against each other (1v1 with AI), and right away, we both noticed how slow we were moving. Apparently, this was intentional—the mode we were playing was 50cc, with all accessibility features enabled. I guess word got out that journalists are terrible at games after that infamous Cuphead video, and they didn’t want to take any chances.

We picked our racers (obviously the cow, the new standout entry!) and faced off, hoping to test some new items. I wasn’t lucky enough to find anything I hadn’t seen before, but Jason, who was with me, managed to collect a gold grocery bag. It transformed his appearance into a random other racer, though we have no idea what kind of advantage that actually provides.

Drifting felt off, possibly due to the accessibility settings, but I couldn’t snake my way through a straight road like I’m used to. Once you enter a drift, you’re fully committed, with your kart turning sideways and becoming harder to control. I quickly decided to limit drifting to wide corners only.

Rails are an awesome new addition. You can snap to them on most levels and pretty much spam the jump button to perform tricks, just like when you’re in mid-air. You can now collect up to 20 coins, double the usual 10, which significantly boosts your speed. A fun detail I noticed: if you’re in one of the last positions, a car will drive in front of you, constantly dropping coins to help you catch up and stay in the race.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t test any of the open-world content. I played four races across three different tracks, but the accessibility features made it a poor test for someone who’s spent as many hours in Mario Kart as I have, the slow speed quickly became dull. Still, I have no doubt I’ll be spending most of June with this game.

Donkey Kong Bananza Impressions

Mario is not the showrunner 3D platformer this time around. That honor goes to our furry ape friend and his love for bananas… and mining, apparently. In DK Bananza, you can smash through walls, dig into the ground, and hurl entire slabs of concrete at enemies. The world becomes your playground—within its limits.

You can dig into the ground, but only until you hit the bedrock. The game allows for some creativity in how you approach levels, but it’s not like you can go through entire levels and skip them altogether. It feels great, though, and it’s much more of a collect-a-thon than a traditional 3D platformer. What I played required little to no precision, just finding all the gold, bananas, hidden soundtracks, and more, which were scattered throughout the level. It looks amazing and feels even better.

You can clap your hands to trigger a kind of echolocation to find hidden gems. The game features mid-level mini-games, as expected from Donkey Kong titles. They’re challenging to complete but entirely optional.

We played with the Joy-Con unattached, on a TV, which allowed us to pound our chests or use the Right Joy-Con to aim while throwing. You can even punch if you want to turn it into a workout.

Time will tell how big the game is and what the longevity looks like, but you can count on a review from me when it launches. In the meantime, you can check my Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review HERE.

Metroid Prime 4 Impressions

I love the Metroid games, but I’ve skipped the Prime series until now. I’m not sure why, but they always felt several steps behind similar first-person experiences on competing platforms, so they were never a high priority for me. I was very tempted when Metroid Prime released on the Nintendo Switch, though, I just haven’t found the time to check it out yet.

Having played Metroid Prime 4, the temptation only grows. The demo did a fantastic job showcasing the controls and capturing the feel of playing as Samus in first person. I could even see her eyes reflected on the visor when firing my arm cannon.

The demo was played with the left Joy-Con in hand to control movement and the right Joy-Con as a mouse to aim. The accuracy was pixel-perfect, and I had no trouble strafing or targeting weak spots on the boss. However, about 10 minutes in, I started feeling pain in my underarm and wrist. Being 37 certainly plays a role, I can’t get up from a couch without an accompanying grunt, but I still doubt this is an ergonomic setup most gamers could withstand for hours on end.

It’s a really odd choice by Nintendo not to launch an attachment for more ergonomic mouse use. I would have definitely considered snapping one up—if only for this game.

The short demo featured cutscenes with giant mechs and various allies battling space pirates. It culminated in a boss fight against a massive specimen with several Metroids latched onto it as parasites. I dodged attacks, strafed to the side, and rolled into ball form beneath blast waves while aiming with precision, reminiscent of GoldenEye and TimeSplitters controls. It was glorious. Still, I’m curious how this plays in handheld mode, as that’s how I’m most likely to experience the game. For me, the Nintendo Switch has always been a handheld first and foremost.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World Impressions

This may come as a surprise to most, but the game I’m most excited to play on the Nintendo Switch 2… is DLC. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is my favourite Kirby game ever, and despite some performance issues on the base Switch, I thought it was a near-perfect adventure.

It was super colourful, brimming with joy and featuring a funny, innovative use of the Mouthful ability, allowing Kirby to transform into larger objects. It even had one of the coolest and most difficult optional boss fights in recent memory, I nicknamed it ‘Sephimoth’ for a reason!

So, I was super happy that the Star-Crossed World demo was playable at the event, and it was one of the first games I checked out. So, what can you expect? Well, pretty much more of the same, but running much better. The GIF-like animations on the horizon were gone, the draw distance was improved, and content-wise, it looks like we’ll mostly be revisiting already known places, but now with a crystal/ice layer on top. It also seems we’ll get a few new Mouthful abilities. This will be a day-one purchase for me—it’s just a shame we have to wait until August for it.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Impressions

I don’t have much to say about this glorified, price-tagged tech demo, and it seems like everyone I’ve spoken to shares the exact same opinion: “why on earth is this a paid game? It should come pre-installed on the Nintendo Switch 2 for free.” The internet’s opinion appears unanimous on this, and when’s the last time you saw that happen?

We got Astro’s Playroom on the PlayStation 5, and this aims to do the same for the Switch 2, teaching you about the new technologies and the hardware itself. I played a game where I had to dodge bombs using the precise movements of the mouse cursor, and another where I had to pinpoint the HD rumble’s peak intensity. Each of these games is fun once or twice, and sure, they adequately showcase what the hardware can do, but Nintendo slapping a price tag on this sullies the entire experience.

Drag x Drive

First of all, this should have been called WHEELS. Nintendo had a good thing going with ARMS on the Nintendo Switch, and they should have continued that trend. And I’m not just talking about the naming convention, it would have been great to see the same level of polish and the introduction of iconic new characters.

Drag x Drive is a wheelchair basketball game where you control each wheel with a Joy-Con in mouse mode—either on a table or on your legs. The controls are functional and responsive (perhaps too much so: if one hand’s motion is even slightly less intense, you’ll end up turning instead of moving in a straight line). Still, I can’t see myself playing it for more than a couple of games in my lifetime, and I’ve already had my one match.

Like I said earlier, using mouse mode isn’t very ergonomic, and it puts a lot of strain on your wrists and lower arms. You have to exert significant effort just to move around, and after a single game, I could feel the unusual motions taking a toll on my shoulders.

Visually, the game is overwhelmingly grey and uninspired. Where ARMS introduced unique, vibrant characters, here you’re left with a generic wheelchair-bound character navigating an equally dull basketball court. It’s completely devoid of color and creativity. Honestly, it feels like it should have been one of the mini-games included in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.

Conclusion

We ended on a negative note with those last two games, but I still have a pre-order for the Nintendo Switch 2. It looks like games will run better on it, the screen seems decent enough despite not being OLED, and the sturdiness of the device was a pleasant surprise. In handheld mode, it looks like it will be more comfortable to hold for longer gaming sessions.

The Joy-Con 2 mouse mode hasn’t convinced me yet, and if Nintendo is serious about it, they’ll need to release an attachment soon. I also hope we won’t have to wait long for additional coloured Joy-Con 2 options, I’d like my console to look a little more interesting than the default black version available at launch.

Overall, what’s needed most now are some unique new games to accompany the launch. Mario Kart World will keep us busy for over a month, and Donkey Kong Bananza + Metroid Prime 4 aren’t too far off, but I’m eager to hear what’s next.