The Nintendo Switch 2 launched on June 5, 2025. Many players have been anticipating the release of the system mainly for Mario Kart World, the console’s premiere title.
The Switch 2 is a hot item right now, with stores constantly selling out of the console, even with Nintendo’s president issuing an apology for not meeting demand. With the $500 price tag for the console with Mario Kart World (or $450 for the console set with no game), many have questions up in the air.
A month after its initial release, does the console live up to the hype? Are the first party offerings from Nintendo worth the price of admission to the next generation of Nintendo?
The console packaging is very compact and straightforward, which immediately gets you started on setting up the dock and the console itself. Setting up the console was a breeze as my Switch 1 games were all ready to download and data backups were readily available with the Switch Online plan.
The Daily Sundial previewed the Nintendo Switch 2 in April at the Los Angeles Experience event. Even since that initial impression, it was amazing to see how light the console is and how much ergonomically better the new Joy-Con 2 controllers are. Also, the screen being bigger and better than something like the Steam Deck really shows that Nintendo is going all out for this generation of Nintendo Switch.
An upgrade to the Nintendo Switch has been long overdue, with games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom having framerate drops, and the latest Pokémon games having bad performance. Thankfully, this upgrade proves substantial with titles like Mario Kart World showcasing 4K HDR visuals and the Switch 2 screen for handheld mode supporting 1080p, HDR and up to 120 frames per second.
The new GameChat feature for the online service finally “modernizes” the online experience with video/voice chat during gameplay with up to 12 friends on call. This feels like a long time coming as voice chat being the norm happened almost 20 years ago with the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation. However it limits video chat, either gameplay and/or video of a player with a webcam to four players. This limit feels odd as the service seems similar to Discord which has more lax limits and GameChat also doesn’t let you add people to the call after initially starting the chat. Hopefully Nintendo irons out these issues soon.
We’ll take a look at everything Nintendo has made available for the launch day of the Switch 2 including Mario Kart World and smaller releases like the Welcome Tour, Zelda Switch 2 Editions and Nintendo GameCube classics lineup. A future article will dive into 3rd party offerings.
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World is the premiere title for the Switch 2 and is a sequel to one of the best-selling Nintendo games of all-time, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the original Nintendo Switch. When starting the game, players are greeted with the title screen, Mario driving through the new open world, where all the game’s racetracks are interconnected and contextual. At any moment during the main menu, players can take control of the character driving in the background, to instantly transition to the new Free Roam mode.
In Free Roam, players explore the vast open world to familiarize themselves with the new tracks by activating “P-Switches” to start missions, or find “?” panels and “Peach Medallions” to unlock stickers for their karts.
It is amazing to see how massive the world is, and there is a lot more to do than initial impressions. The P-Switch missions seemed basic, with “grab the 8 blue coins before time runs out” type goals. But others really add variety and even are references to past games where one of the missions made me race in a recreation of Ghost Valley 1 from Super Mario Kart.
In every mode, players can obtain food bags that unlock new outfits for the main characters, such as Mario getting his “Sunshine” shirt from Super Mario Sunshine along with other cool outfits like Wario’s biker outfit or race suits for almost all the characters.
Unlocking all the outfits and wondering what’s available for everyone keeps players on their toes as well as all the NPC characters from Mario history being playable such as a Goomba or even the Penguin from Super Mario 64. Though, in my opinion, unlocking the NPC characters doesn’t make any sense, as players are under the mercy of the Kamek item, transforming you during a race which is rare and usually gets you characters you’ve already unlocked.
The rest of the modes are pretty standard; such as Grand Prix, Battle Mode, and the new mode, Knockout Tour, which adds a change of pace similar to the Free Roam mode. Knockout Tour is a rally across multiple tracks, differing from the Grand Prix, where the last four racers of each checkpoint are eliminated from the race. This and the 24 racers in all races, adds to the frantic gameplay that Mario Kart is known for and ramps it up further.
All the new tracks look stunning in 4K on the TV and it is nice to see older tracks from previous Mario Kart games becoming reimagined for this new experience rather than being 1-to-1 copies from their original games, as all the new mechanics add on to these returning tracks’ new coat of paint.
Drifting and items are staples for the series, but having rail grinding, wall riding, doing multiple tricks in the air and charge jumping adds more depth that hasn’t been seen in a Mario Kart game since Mario Kart DS, almost 20 years ago.
The game shines in the presentation, from the graphics being highly detailed, animations being extremely cartoony, and an astonishing soundtrack, Mario Kart World looks absolutely beautiful during any moment of the game.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was known for having perhaps the best Mario soundtrack ever, but this game surpasses it, with original music being recorded with a live band and instruments. We get many genres represented from jazz, electronic and rock to remixes from previous Mario games, especially from lesser known games like the Underground theme from Super Mario Land, “Drifting Away” from “Warioware, Inc: Mega Microgame!” and more.
Once you race all the tracks, there isn’t too much incentive to return besides the little missions or stickers to unlock in Free Roam. With this game being $80, the price is steep and would’ve been a sure sell if it had a story mode to tie all the missions together, but I still recommend it.
The game will be supported by Nintendo for the entire Switch 2’s lifespan with DLC that isn’t confirmed but considering all the DLC Mario Kart 8 Deluxe got on the original Switch, it seems likely.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
This game is peculiar to say the least. As the name suggests, it is a tour to the Switch 2 system, providing tech demos and mini-games for the various capabilities of the console and having quizzes to learn the decision-making process to aspects like the Joy-Con 2’s design or how these controllers connect to the system with magnets.
The $10 price tag remains questionable for me, but even if I weren’t reviewing Nintendo’s day one offerings, I’d still purchase it because I personally enjoy looking into Nintendo history; even reading the Ask the Developer series Nintendo put on their site for the Switch 2 system and Mario Kart World.
Some of the demos are interesting, the new HD Rumble 2 really felt like there were beads inside the Joy-Con 2 controllers in its maracas demo. An amazing minigame showed how versatile the system stand is for tabletop mode, with the game asking you to set the stand to 30 degrees.
Overall, this felt like a very “PR” game as the quizzes felt like monotonous homework to unlock the tech demos and minigames. There are some cool facts you learn but even that doesn’t really justify the $10 price tag. The most apt comparison is “Astro’s Playroom” on the PS5 which was a tech demo/free game to show off the PS5’s capabilities while celebrating the PlayStation’s legacy, and part of me wishes we got something like that for the Switch 2; an actual game rather than an app that plays like an interactive museum.
Zelda Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Editions
The critically acclaimed mainline Switch Zelda games are available on the Switch 2 with upgraded editions, utilizing the full power of the console, allowing these games to run in full 4K, 60 frames per second on a TV, and 1080p, 60 frames per second in handheld mode.
For the most part, these are pretty much the same games with better fidelity and the new “Zelda Notes” functionality, which is essentially a companion app for these games. Through the Nintendo Switch app on your phone, you can access unique dialogue from characters with “Voice Memories,” access the game’s map, set markers/waypoints in real time and upload/download items and creations shared online through QR codes. There even is GPS functionality for Shrines and even the hidden Korok Seeds making it easier to complete the game.
These are cool additions to the game but, to me, it seems a little odd for it to be behind an app on your phone, especially achievements and daily rewards. As someone who skipped Tears of the Kingdom because of the shoddy performance on the original Switch, I’m glad I’m finally playing this game through and seeing what everyone liked about this game, such as the item fusing, constructing and more.
Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics
As someone who grew up with the Nintendo GameCube, I was eager to see how this would run on the Switch 2, but was dismayed at the Switch 2 Experience event where I saw frame rate drops and overall an unstable emulator for my favorite games. However, I hoped that these errors were just due to it being a “work-in-progress” build, and thankfully, I was right (for the most part.)
I played Soulcalibur II entirely through, unlocking all the characters and finishing the Weapon Master mode, a bit of Zelda Wind Waker and a bulk of F-Zero GX and can say the emulation is great and serviceable to anybody with a Switch 2 and the Online Expansion Pass.
The games look good, upscaled to 4K on a TV, but makes 2D elements of the game more noticeable. Textures on characters in Soulcalibur II can distract you if you squint your eyes but elements like HUDs and menus seem lower-res, due to the emulation focusing on the 3D assets of these games rather than 2D.
The widescreen setting was forward thinking for supported games as it enhances the experience of these games, but occasionally hiccup in the frame rate, which is more noticeable in F-Zero GX but not a deal breaker. The online functionality seems like an afterthought Nintendo threw in, so it is heavily dependent on player’s connection.
In time, Nintendo should work out the kinks of the emulator, but it is still great to have this day one, and have more titles coming in the future.
Final Thoughts
Some may say that the price of the console is too much, or not worth it now, but that is because many take the price of the console of what is currently out right now instead of the years of support and games the console will get in the future.
But certainly, if you feel like the Switch 2 isn’t worth it right now, then wait for those new games to release for you to get on the Switch 2. As of right now with Nintendo’s offerings, I’d say it definitely is worth the price, and upcoming games like Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sweeten the deal, welcoming us into Nintendo’s next generation.
Stay tuned for Nintendo Switch 2 reviews coming soon including 3rd party titles.
