19. The Elder Scrolls: Blades
The Elder Scrolls: Blades tries its best to simulate that good old Elder Scrolls feel. The game’s graphics are sharp for a mobile title, and its first-person combat is on par with the main Elder Scrolls games.
Even though Blades is free, the game isn’t compatible with older phones, so it’s a good thing Blades is coming to the Switch.
Bethesda started its E3 Showcase with some Blades news, such as new quests and systems. However, that was nothing compared to the Switch version reveal, especially since gamers can seamlessly transition between their Switch and mobile copies without losing any progress.
Oh, and the Switch version will support multiple control schemes, including attacking by swinging a Joy-Con like a sword.
However, the mobile version is marred by questionable design choices, such as time-gated content and annoying microtransactions.
Gamers are critical of these issues, so here’s hoping Bethesda patches them out in time for the Switch version’s release.
18. Trials of Mana
Square Enix is on a remake/remaster kick. The company is rebuilding Final Fantasy VII from the ground up, remastering Final Fantasy VIII, and rereleasing titles such as Chrono Trigger.
The company also remade Secret of Mana with new graphics and voice acting, but while many gamers praise the SNES original, they also claim the recent remake is flawed, which is why I’m both excited and concerned for its sequel, Trials of Mana.
The remake of Trials of Mana was announced during Nintendo’s E3 Direct, and unlike Secret of Mana, Square Enix is completely revamping Trials’ gameplay.
Instead of a bird’s-eye view, the remake will utilize a third-person perspective and include new features such as enemy juggling and dodge rolls.
Under normal circumstances, I would be excited for the Trials of Mana remake, but since the Secret of Mana remake was botched, I am skeptical.
Still, early previews from other sites (such as Game Informer and IGN) explain the Trials remake is a marked improvement, so maybe Square Enix had to make a lemon before it could make a lemon meringue pie,
17. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics
Full disclosure: I am a huge Jim Henson fan. I adore The Dark Crystal, and I was over the moon when I heard the movie would receive a Netflix prequel, so imagine my surprise when a tie-in game was announced during Nintendo’s E3 Direct.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics is exactly as it sounds: a tactics RPG similar to Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics.
Many gamers are no doubt chomping at the bit for a new tactics RPG that isn’t Fire Emblem (not that there’s anything wrong with Fire Emblem, mind you), and any video game that takes place in the imaginative world of the Dark Crystal should be fun, right?
As much as I want to be excited for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, I’m skeptical. The graphics and animations in the trailer look stiff and plasticky. Moreover, the studio behind the game is BonusXP, which mostly develops free mobile titles.
Studios known for mobile titles aren’t usually up to the task of producing larger, console games, but then again, BonusXP also made the excellent Stranger Things: The Game and is developing Stranger Things 3: The Game.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics could go either way, so here’s hoping it turns out to be a sleeper hit.
16. Empire of Sin
Even though this game isn’t exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, it still debuted during Nintendo’s E3 Direct, so it counts as a Nintendo game for the purpose of this list.
Empire of Sin will be a story-driven strategy game set in the 1920s. Players will take on the role of a mafia don as they try to control Chicago by any means necessary.
This could include bribes, backstabs, and XCOM-inspired combat. And the game’s graphics certainly nail the noir aesthetic.
The game is developed by the unproven Romero Games, a studio led by the legendary John Romero.
The man has developed some of the best video games ever, such as Doom, as well as some of the worst, including Daikatana. Therefore, Empire of Sin’s upcoming quality is basically a roll of the dice.
15. Contra: Rogue Corps
The legendary Contra series has hibernated since 2011. The franchise defined the run and gun genre, so many gamers hold Contra in high regard.
After Konami’s series of mistakes revolving around Hideo Kojima (and the company’s apparent vindictiveness towards ex-employees), many gamers lost faith in the company. But then Konami announced Contra: Rogue Corps via Nintendo’s E3 Direct.
Contra: Rogue Corps is a twin-stick shooter that will let players fight hordes of enemies with bombastic weapons, characters, and action.
For crying out loud, one playable character is a cyborg Panda with a minigun, and the trailer shows a soldier suplexing a rocket into the ground.
Regrettably, many gamers simply can’t divorce Contra: Rogue Corps from Konami’s past mistakes, and neither can I. That’s not to say the game will be horrible, though.
I want Konami to return to its halcyon days, and I’m cautiously optimistic Contra: Rogue Corps will lead the way. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if Konami somehow shoots itself in the foot.
14. Alien: Isolation
Nintendo announced a metric ton of games during its E3 Direct, some of which were revealed via montage. One of the more notable montage entries was Alien: Isolation.
Unlike the previous Alien game, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Alien: Isolation is a solid title. Thanks to claustrophobic corridors and a scarily intelligent xenomorph, Alien: Isolation is one of the best survival horror games ever produced, and it will soon be available on the go thanks to the Nintendo Switch.
Instead of being a straight-up port, the Switch version will include some new features, including gyroscopic aiming and HD rumble, which probably means gamers will be able to look around by moving either Switch in handheld mode or the Pro Controller, as well as feel the alien’s footsteps as it creeps around.
Or perhaps the Joy Cons will emulate a heartbeat and rumble faster and harder when the alien is in pursuit. Either way, the Switch version sounds terrifyingly amazing.
13. The Sinking City
Seemingly every developer is hopping on the Nintendo Switch bandwagon, which is good news for genres that aren’t widely represented on handheld consoles. Case in point: Lovecraftian horror games such as The Sinking City.
The Sinking City will revolve around investigating supernatural events and maintaining the protagonist’s sanity, all hallmarks of Lovecraftian horror.
The game will also include gun-based combat since the main character is a private investigator, and PIs are nothing if not known for their ability to survive shootouts almost as well as they solve mysteries.
While early previews of The Sinking City have generally been positive, we don’t know how it will run on the Switch. With any luck, the game will play smoothly without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity.
12. Dauntless
When our Greysun Morales reviewed Dauntless, he explained it stands out from its inspiration (i.e., Monster Hunter) and claims it is “one of the best free-to-play games that I’ve ever jumped into.” That’s fairly high praise and makes you wish you could play Dauntless on the go. Well, consider that wish granted via Nintendo.
At E3, Nintendo announced Dauntless would launch on the Switch later this year.
Even though Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is currently available on the Switch, Dauntless streamlines the Monster Hunter experience and focuses squarely on the giant monster action. And the game is free-to-play, to boot.
Even though players still need to fight plenty of monster to craft and upgrade weapons and armor, Dauntless cuts out busywork such as gathering materials for traps and brewing potions that let characters fight unhindered in extreme conditions.
Best of all, Dauntless features cross-save and cross-play functionality, so gamers can seamlessly transition between consoles without losing any progress, as well as team up with any and all Dauntless players regardless of console.
The same can’t be said for Monster Hunter: World.
11. New Super Lucky’s Tale
The original Super Lucky’s Tale is a solid, if average, collectathon platformer reminiscent of games like Super Mario 64. Super Lucky’s Tale sounds as if it would launch on a Nintendo console, but oddly enough, it’s on the Xbox One and PC, not the Switch.
Or at least, that used to be the case. The port, called New Super Lucky’s Tale, didn’t receive a huge reveal trailer during the Nintendo E3 Direct.
However, Nintendo launched a video that promises the “New” in the title isn’t just for show and refers to features such as “new friends” and “new skills.”
New Super Lucky’s Tale’s announcement came as a complete surprise. But, when you think about it, Nintendo popularized collectathon platformers, so I can’t think of a better home for an improved version of Super Lucky’s Tale.
10. Minecraft Dungeons
I’m a sucker for dungeon crawlers. If I see a game that uses an isometric camera and promises tons of enemies and loot, I am instantly drawn to it. This is why I’m intrigued by Minecraft Dungeons, even though I’m not a huge Minecraft fan.
Announced during E3, Minecraft Dungeons is less about mining and crafting and more about dungeoneering.
The game apparently sits halfway between vanilla Minecraft and Diablo, as combat will rely on looted items rather than character spells and abilities.
That’s not to say players won’t be able to cast spells, just that arcane chaos will likely depend on equipped items, if the trailer is any indication.
More importantly, Minecraft Dungeons won’t be afraid to throw tons of enemies at players. More monsters mean more loot, after all.
So, if players ever wanted to team up with their fellow Minecraft compatriots to slaughter skeletons instead of craft cathedrals, Minecraft Dungeons might be the game for them.
9. The Last Remnant Remastered
The Last Remnant is an underrated game. It features a mix of familiar RPG story staples/cliches and unique combat mechanics, but the game is bogged down by technical problems when played on consoles.
The Last Remnant was eventually remastered for the PlayStation 4, which fixed the technical issues found in the original, but not even people who expect the Spanish Inquisition could have expected a Nintendo Switch version.
Out of nowhere, Square Enix revealed the game would launch on the Nintendo Switch, or to be more specific was already available on the Switch.
So many companies like to announce that games/ports are in development that it’s easy to forget the simple pleasure of watching a trailer for a game, getting hyped, and realizing that you don’t have to wait for the release.
This Switch version is a welcome surprise, especially since The Last Remnant is a unique RPG.
8. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
After the Spyro Reignited Trilogy was announced, gamers everywhere expected a Nintendo Switch port. After all, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy was ported to the Switch, so why not the game that stars the other classic PlayStation mascot?
At E3, audiences finally received confirmation that Spyro was indeed heading to the Switch.
Unlike other games on this list, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy announcement was little more than a footnote during Nintendo’s E3 Direct, but Spyro doesn’t need a lot of fanfare. Gamers already know what the Spyro Reignited Trilogy looks and plays like.
All Nintendo needed to do was state the game was coming to the Nintendo Switch, which it did. That’s all the hype a household name like Spyro needs.
7. Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions
Western audiences have received so many stellar JRPGs that it’s easy to forget some have yet to make it overseas. Two such titles are Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions, or at least those were two such titles.
At long last, Square Enix is releasing these games worldwide.
Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions are fairly popular in Japan thanks to their branching story paths, a rarity in JRPGs but a common trope of western RPGs.
This raises the question of why Square Enix took their time bringing the games westward. Regardless, with the English releases of Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions, western audiences will finally have access to the full SaGa, um, saga.
6. Panzer Dragoon
The original Panzer Dragoon was ahead of its time, an on-rails arcade shooter that put gamers in the shoes of dragon rider who wasn’t a pilot but rather a glorified, living turret.
Players had some minor control over the dragon, but the game was less about avoiding obstacles and more about shooting them down thanks to a full three-hundred and sixty-degree camera.
Panzer Dragoon’s gorgeous soundtrack and beautiful art direction helped it stand out in a crowd, but the franchise hasn’t seen a new entry since 2002.
Even its supposed spiritual successor, Crimson Dragon, is a pale imitation, so imagine our surprise when Nintendo unveiled a remake of the original Panzer Dragoon during its E3 Direct.
We honestly thought the series died with the original Xbox, but it has apparently found new life on the Switch.
The Panzer Dragoon’s remake’s trailer implies the game will feature the original’s vistas and enemies with new, HD graphics, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
More importantly, it will still be an on-rails shooter since changing the formula would anger the remake’s target audience, i.e., fans of the original.
5. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Even though Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom was released on multiple platforms, the original Ni No Kuni has remained a PlayStation exclusive, or at least it did until Bandai Namco confirmed the game would launch on the PC and Nintendo Switch.
Technically, Bandai Namco is releasing Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered on PC (and the PlayStation 4) and porting the original version to the Switch.
The Switch rendition will run at lower resolutions, but it will still feature the same characters, combat, and Studio Ghibli art that set the game apart from other JRPGs. With any luck, Bandai Namco will soon release Ni No Kuni 2 on the Switch as well.
4. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Out of all the games Square Enix either remade, re-released or remastered, Final Fantasy VIII was not one of them. Gamers were starting to worry the company had forgotten the title, but then Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy VIII Remastered during E3.
Unlike most other remastered Final Fantasy titles which feature cleaner textures and better resolutions, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will include numerous reworked models on top of the usual texture and resolution reworks.
If anything, the remaster will give gamers a taste of what Final Fantasy VIII would have looked like had it been developed for the PlayStation 2 instead of the original PlayStation.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered’s trailer promises the game will launch in 2019 for multiple consoles, including the Nintendo Switch.
With any luck, the game will set the standard for future Square Enix title remasters. Fingers crossed for an eventual Legacy of Kain remaster.
3. The Witcher 3
Call this entry cheating if you like, but I don’t care. The freakin’ Witcher 3 is freakin’ coming to the freakin’ Nintendo Switch.
Granted, the Switch version of The Witcher 3 is the least visually impressive rendition of the game and won’t run at resolutions higher than 720p, but nothing short of black magic could be responsible for this port’s existence.
Better yet, the entire game is crammed onto a tiny Switch cart, including the base game, two expansions (which are bigger than most other open-world RPGs), and all the DLC.
No extra content needs to be downloaded aside from patches, which is a big deal since the same can’t be said for the Switch versions of DOOM, Final Fantasy X-2, and Spyro Reignited Trilogy.
The Witcher 3 is one of the best open-world RPGs ever produced, but it was only available on consoles and gaming PCs, none of which are known for their portability.
Now that The Witcher 3 is coming to the Switch, anyone can enjoy the game anytime, anywhere.
2. No More Heroes 3
During an interview with Kotaku, Suda51 claimed that No More Heroes 3’s development would depend on Travis Strikes Again’s sales numbers. Since NMH3 was announced during Nintendo’s E3 Direct, Travis Strikes Again clearly sold very, very well.
Even though the announcement trailer is a pre-rendered cutscene, it does more than enough to demonstrate the game will be balls to the wall insane. Sure, past No More Heroes titles have been absolutely fubar, but NMH3 will surpass them in sheer mind-melting awesomeness.
NMH3’s trailer features alien pyramids and robots, a tokusatsu transformation, Macross missile spam, and Travis Touchdown hamming it up for the camera. What’s not to love?
NMH3’s 2020 release can’t come soon enough.
1. The Legend Breath of the Wild Sequel
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a breath of fresh air for the Zelda franchise. The game is flawed, but for the most part, it is still breathtaking.
Most if not everyone who played it probably wanted a sequel, and Nintendo is delivering on that hypothetical desire.
Even after Nintendo made gamers’ wishes come true with a surprise Banjo-Kazooie for Smash announcement, the company surprised audiences again with a trailer for a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel.
Like so many other videos, the announcement is just a pre-rendered cutscene with zero gameplay, but dear god does it set the mood.
Creepy music, an underground cavern, and what I’m pretty sure is the desiccated (but still animated) corpse of long-time Legend of Zelda villain Ganondorf.
Given the game’s dark tone and sequel status, virtually every gamer on the Internet is comparing Breath of the Wild 2 to Majora’s Mask. And, even though the trailer only gives the barest of hints regarding the story, I’m hyped.
Then again, the trailer implies we will fight a Ganondorf lich, which just might be the most awesome concept ever. Here’s hoping a demo will be playable during next year’s E3.
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