Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth it for your family?
Having worked in the video game industry for years, my kids have never had to ask for the latest and greatest consoles. I’ve usually gotten them before the kids are even aware that they are coming out. Like the Nintendo Switch 2, review inbound.
If you want the TL;DR Nintendo Switch 2 review, use this link.
For our preschoolers, this hasn’t meant much until now. Oh, they’ve seen me play Astrobot on the PS5. That certainly grabbed their attention, but it’s still a bit too complicated for them to really play. Besides, the controller is massive in their miniature hands. They do their best to push buttons and pull triggers with tiny digits… But quickly run out of things they can actually do.
Beyond that, it’s not much fun when it’s just one person playing with everyone else watching. Split-screen games used to be a bigger draw, but anymore, multiplayer takes place almost exclusively online.
There are a few fantastic exceptions like It Takes Two or Split Fiction. However, those are definitely oddities in the current market.
But then there’s Nintendo. They’ve always marched to the sound of their own drum.
The Nintendo Switch is the last bastion of local multiplayer family fare. When I heard about the Nintendo Switch 2 coming out this year, I had high hopes for a worthy successor to my now well-worn original Switch and Switch Lite.
Like any good father, I got in line on launch day and snagged the shiny new consoles myself—for the kids. Definitely for the kids. So how does it stack up? Is the Nintendo Switch 2 a worthwhile upgrade, and how do the preschoolers review it? Before I get to that, let’s get the boring, but important, part out of the way.
The Hardware
The Nintendo Switch 2 may be the least interesting generational leap that Nintendo has ever made. I don’t mean that as an insult. Nintendo tends to make insane choices that no one else would ever try. Like adding a glasses-free 3D screen or replacing the controllers entirely with wands you wave in the air. Looking at you, Wii.
These attempts at innovation aren’t always successful, but they are daring.
The Switch 2 is not daring.
It is, however, the most polished hardware Nintendo has ever put out. It feels premium. Every little annoyance I had with the original Switch is gone. The innovative but clunky removable controls now snap in with a satisfying, magnetic “click”. Gone are the days of struggling to line them up and slide them into their metal tracks.
The screen is bigger now too. I had some trepidation about this because I didn’t feel like I really wanted a bigger Switch. However, they maintained the thinness and lightweight feel, so it isn’t something I’ve actually noticed. What I have noticed is the screen upgrade.
The screen is significantly larger. More than that, it’s much higher resolution, jumping from 1280×720 to 1920×1080 in handheld mode. Full 4K resolution when set in the dock for TV play. This is long overdue, considering we’ve had years of 4K games on every other console. The original Switch was looking awfully muddy.
Did I mention it does HDR now? That might seem like a small thing, but the colors pop now like never before.
The buttons and triggers feel great, with just a bit more depth and clickiness to add to the premium feel. One of the biggest benefits of the slightly larger size is that the individual detached Joy-Cons are far more comfortable. In fact, our kids can actually hold them and reach all the buttons! That’s literally impossible with any other console controller.
The last hardware comment I’ll make…
The cartridges.
Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch 2 still has them. It’ll even play your old Switch 1 games! I’m a fan of physical media and love not having to depend on internet connection, so I’m grateful for those… Though there are some downsides to the current implementation.
Not every game that comes on a cartridge is actually on the cartridge itself. It’s marked on the box if you look, but some of them are just a digital key. Which essentially gives you access to the license to download and play the game when it’s inserted in the console.
So, even though you have the physical media plugged in, it’s not actually there and ready to play. You’ve still got to download it. It’s just a little easier to share with a friend now because you can physically pass them the license.
The exception to this, at least for now, is Nintendo’s first-party Switch 2 games. Games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are actually physically on the cartridge, which is a pleasant relief. Most third-party games aren’t, but some are. If that’s important to you, just double-check the packaging.
My favorite example of a third party taking their physical media seriously is Cyberpunk 2077. The full game and even its expansion pack are on the cartridge itself. That’s kind of insane because this game is massive and GORGEOUS. I still can’t believe it’s running on mobile hardware.
The Games
My review of the launch lineup for the Nintendo Switch 2? Shockingly strong offerings.
Day one: you could get your hands on Mario Kart World, along with some third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 in the mix. Some significant frame rate and resolution upgrades for games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom too. Some game upgrades are paid, and some are free. There doesn’t always seem to be a ton of logic applied to which is which, though.
About a month after the console’s launch, Donkey Kong Bananza was released, giving us a second fantastic first-party game. Not just fantastic, but in my opinion, a reason to buy the console.
Before I get ahead of myself, let me just do a super brief review of the two games that I think are worth getting the Nintendo Switch 2 for and what my kids think of each.
Mario Kart World
If you’re reading this review and considering getting the Nintendo Switch 2, I highly recommend getting the Mario Kart World Bundle if you can. Not only will it save you $30 compared to buying the game and console separately, but it’ll give you one of the best Mario Kart games ever. Definitely the one my kids enjoy the most.
The game is huge, with tons of maps and characters to play through. Most important of all, kids of all ages can have fun together with adults without anyone feeling left out or annoyed.
If you have at least 4 Joy-Cons, you can play 4-player split screen, either on the TV or on the console itself, set up with the much-improved kickstand.
The real magic is that you can create settings for each individual player that will let them get a little extra help if they need it. For instance, I turn off all the assistance for myself and Meagan, but on the kids’ controllers, I’m able to turn on auto-steering and item use.
That means that even if they don’t understand how to use the joystick or let go of it entirely, their racer will still stay more or less on the track. Sometimes they even win! It’s kind of cheating in a sense, but hey, they’re little kids.
Think of it like bumpers on a bowling alley. This still lets them attempt to take control and get that good hand-eye coordination practice in without just feeling left behind entirely.
This game is an absolute must and a great time, not just with our kids, but also with any friends we happen to have over.
Donkey Kong Bananza
This one is a more recent release, so I haven’t beaten it yet. Even now, I can tell Donkey Kong Bananza is going to be an instant classic. There’s not a lot out there that I could even compare it to, so it’s hard to adequately describe this game.
There have been a lot of games that featured advanced levels of destruction, but this game will literally let you destroy the entire playing field. Most games that let you blow holes in walls or into the dirt end up being little more than amusing tech demos, but DKB may be one of the first games to make the whole thing actually fun. Not just fun…
Downright addicting.
I’ve been distracted from playing the main objectives so many times because I could just start punching my way through a mountain and find treasure chests, gold, and buried fossils that I can exchange for a sweet tie that lets me punch things even harder. Sweet catharsis.
Are you having a hard time picturing what this game is like? Yeah, it’s wild. Like I said, it’s hard to even describe, other than to say that it’s an absolute blast. If you like 3D platformers at all, I can’t recommend Donkey Kong Bananza enough.
You’d think with as wild and complex as this game sounds, there’d be no child participation involved, right? Wrong. While this isn’t technically a multiplayer game in the traditional sense, Nintendo was thinking of parents like us when they made it.
A little ways into Donkey Kong Bananza, you run into a little girl that ends up spending the rest of the game riding on your shoulder. Once you’ve collected her, your kids can use a Joy-Con to “shout”. This shoots out rock onomatopoeias that destroy the landscape and wreak general havoc.
It’s a little tricky at first because they have to actually point the controller at the screen to do it, but once Orson got the hang of it, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. And you can carry on with your game while they see their efforts contributing to what you’re doing. Win-win. Connected, cooperative, family play.
So yes, if you couldn’t tell, I highly recommend this one as well. There are other great games for the Nintendo Switch 2 that I could review, but these two are at the top of the pile if you want to be able to have fun alongside your preschooler. Or anyone really.
Overall Review: Nintendo Switch 2
So, is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth it for your family? Well, if you can afford it and you’re looking to introduce your kids to games they can play with you, then it’s truly the best option out there. For split-screen fun, there’s nothing else that even comes close.
The ability to not only play on the TV at home but also play on the go to kill time together in places like airports or on road trips is a major selling point for me. And I do emphasize the togetherness.
Anyone can kill time staring into a phone, but this is your only option to play split screen as a family with any mix of ages.
With games this good at launch, I have high hopes for what the future has in store for the Nintendo Switch 2 and definitely review it as a solid console that’ll grow with your family, no matter what stage you’re at.