We waited 532 days for a Nintendo Direct, and all we got was a bad Wii port for Nintendo Switch.
Okay, maybe it’s a little harsh on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, but its announcement was an indication of Nintendo’s biggest problem: the Japanese giant simply can not stick to a healthy release cadence without returning to its proven strategy to release no older games, most of which we have played countless times.
I expressed all my frustration at how a disappointing number of Wii U games were transferred to Nintendo Switch, often with little or no improvements to speak of (do we really need a ‘Funky New Mode’ in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze?). But now that the pit of Nintendo’s failed console has apparently dried up, the company has turned its attention to the Wii and even the Nintendo 3DS. We get Skyward Sword HD, one of the most divisive Zelda games in recent memory, and a game I can not recall, Miitopia.
Really, Nintendo?
Instead of creating games that take full advantage of the Nintendo Switch’s feature set, Nintendo seems to be content with expanding the Switch games library with even more ports from its previous systems. And if it’s right, it’s easy to see why. These reissues sell in their millions as people flock to classic titles or games they simply missed the first time.
But what about outdated Nintendo stalwarts, like me? Does Nintendo care about the use of hardware that every generation might turn up foolishly to experience something new? Honestly, when it comes to new experiences on Switch, Mario might as well jump on my head and say, “fuggedaboutit.”
Nintendo’s Awakening
“Watching a Nintendo Direct these days can often feel like déjà vu.”
During the first year of the Nintendo Switch, I will admit that we were completely spoiled hit after hit. In 2017, Nintendo released Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, ARMS and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.. -2 Also tune in to the list, simply because it’s still the only game that really depicts what HD Rumble can do in the Joy-Con.
This stellar launch year gave the console a much-needed momentum, and, more importantly, a rosy picture of what was to come. It also helped dispel the fears that Wii U owners had that the terrible software droughts that plagued the previous generation were a thing of the past.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has struggled to maintain its excellent start on Nintendo Switch, and has used them to use some unpleasant methods that, while ideal for new adopters, leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
To date, Nintendo has released (or plans to release) 15 games that we’ve seen, and probably already paid for. Virtually all of these titles have a full fat price, and Nintendo has even gone so far as to release a compilation of classic Mario games that have a limited release date, just to encourage impulse purchases.
Looking at a Nintendo Direct these days can then often feel like déjà vu, but I had high hopes that since it was almost two years without one, we would see something new and exciting. How foolish I was not. Instead, I malaise as we watch third-party games that are largely past their expiration date, waiting for the inevitable new version to be sold under the guise of another lazy Switch port. Cue The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.
Skyward bored
“Playing Super Mario Sunshine at 30 frames per second in 720p, warts and all, simply does not cut it.”
Now there is nothing wrong with bringing back older titles. I’m a sucker for a great remaster or collection, but not if there’s no effort to make the title better or better placed on the new hardware.
There is, of course, the unusual exception, like the Link’s Awakening remake – but you only have to look at Demon’s Souls on PS5 or Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox Series X to see what a proper remaster can accomplish. The recently announced Diablo 2: Resurrected also puts people like Skyward Sword HD to shame.
Microsoft even makes retroactive games that you may have ever owned better than ever before, thanks to the FPS Boost feature and Smart Delivery. And while both Sony and Xbox drop free next-generation upgrades left and right for free, Super Mario Sunshine plays at 30 frames per second in 720p, warts and all, it simply does not cut it.
Seeing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD appeared during Nintendo Direct, with its juicy textures and washed-out color palette, brought back painful memories I would rather forget, and elicited the same kind of disillusioned reaction that I felt most of the offer of the Switch the last few years: I’ve played it before, and I would not pay the full price to do it again if there is no real incentive to do so.
Breath of the lights
Damn, you could argue that the biggest news during Nintendo Direct was for a game that wasn’t even there. Nintendo reveals that no details about Breath of the Wild 2 will be shared, despite the constant silence since the game’s first unveiling at E3 2019. Other notable Switch games like Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4 and the recently announced Project Triangle Strategy are so far away that they could just as well have been part of a fever dream at this point.
And that really says it all. I’m definitely not the only one desperate to hear more about new games on Switch instead of reliving the past for the millionth time. Come on, Nintendo – give me something new to play.