Nintendo is perhaps the only console manufacturer to have left the building while on top. While the Switch is a hybrid console, it wasn’t designed todominate the handheld marketlike the 3DS was - Nintendo realized mobile phones had taken over. Instead, the company focused its energies on providing a unique selection of first-party titles on the Switch that would see many series reach new heights of commercial success.
After a rocky start, the 3DS excelled because Nintendo stopped focusing on the 3D gimmick and did what they do best: deliver quality games. Some 3DS games are still exclusive to that console, and need to be experienced by a new generation. Here are the ones that need a Switch 2 remaster, stat.
The Zelda series always delivers a top-of-the-line adventure experience, and A Link Between Worlds was no different. This 2013 sequel to a 1991 SNES classic was everything fans of A Link To The Past could have wanted. It embodies thebest of The Legend of Zelda’s unique mechanics, intuitive dungeon designs, charming visuals and a reasonable amount of gameplay freedom.
A Link Between Worlds won a slew of Game of the Year awards, not just as a handheld title, but in the overall gaming market. With the game being over a decade old now, it’s time for Nintendo to revisit the past and remaster this as a link between console generations.
A Link Between Worlds was originally planned to be a straightforward remake of A Link To The Past, but was reworked into a sequel.
Tomodachi Life was one of Nintendo’s strangest experiments, but that’s exactly what Nintendo are so good at: creating established IPs out of outlandish concepts. Tomodachi Life is essentially a cozy game with a twist and it’s much weirder thanAnimal Crossingand its ilk.
You could create a lookalike Mii of yourself, marry them off, and watch them throw concerts with a hilariously terrible voice synthesis program. Tomodachi Life was a meme generator that kept on giving: it deserves to be on the Switch 2.
Back when Tomodachi Life launched, it generated controversy over the lack of LGBTQ+ relationship mechanics. Nintendo claimed the next release would be more inclusive: a remaster would allow the company to live up to that promise.
If not for Fire Emblem: Awakening, the series might have ceased to be. Previous entries on the DS hadn’t been localized at all due to Fire Emblem’s lack of success in English-speaking regions. That shows the impact this game had: at this point we have to remind ourselves that Fire Emblem was once unpopular in the West.
Fire Emblem: Awakening revitalized its series with a stronger focus onrelationship mechanics. It also added a casual mode, allowing you to play without permadeath, and had the best story Fire Emblem had seen in years. A remaster on the Switch 2 would serve as a suitable look back. While we’re at it, the Fates titles deserve remasters as well.
Shin Megami Tensei 4 was once a niche series in the West. Nocturne had a cult following on the PS2, but mainstream success simply wasn’t in the cards for Atlus at that point. That all changed once thePersonasub-series started gaining traction, and by the time Shin Megami Tensei 4 launched on the 3DS, there was a sizeable contingent of RPG fans waiting to welcome it.
The success carried through into a sequel titled Apocalypse on the same platform. Yet despite a Switch remaster being assured to be a slam dunk, none surfaced throughout the Switch’s lifetime. It’s time for Atlus to rectify this by remastering both games on the Switch 2.
4Dragon Quest 7: Fragments Of The Forgotten Past
True, Dragon Quest 7 also has a PS1 version. However, it’s the 3DSremakethat we want remastered. The original PS1 version was incredibly slow-paced and took over a hundred hours to finish. It also felt outdated even back when it was launched; it was a PS1 game with the ethos of a SNES one, and at that point the PS2 had already been out for a year.
The 3DS remake featured full 3D graphics, better pacing and a more accessible gameplay loop. Its portable format also made it easier to get through in short sessions, as it was still a very long game. This is the version we want on the Switch 2: the hybrid nature of the console would make it easy to experience Dragon Quest 7 the way you want.
This 3DS remake is still one of the longest JRPGs of all time: we clocked it at 94 hourshere.
There’s nothing brave about the way Square Enix and Nintendo have defaulted on delivering a remaster of this title. Bravely Default was a game that all but carried the 3DS for its JRPG audience: it had unique gameplay mechanics, a compelling job system and a mind-bending storyline with one of the most underappreciated plot twists in JRPG history.
The follow-up, Bravely Second, was all but disowned by producer Tomoya Asano. Another sequel called Bravely Default 2 came to Switch and PC, but the first two titles remain trapped on the 3DS. A remaster on the Switch 2 would bring Bravely Default to a wider audience: if it does well enough, Bravely Second could get one too.
Code Name: Steam was marketed heavily before its launch. The game was poised to be the next big Nintendo IP, with Intelligent Systems at the helm. It featured hybrid gameplay mechanics similar to theValkyria Chronicles series, and had an eye-catching comic book aesthetic.
It was a massive flop. Code Name: Steam undersold expectations and has faded away as a footnote in the 3DS' history. The game’s bugs on launch led to critics and audiences alike being soured on it before giving it a proper chance. A Switch 2 remaster that fixes the issues is the shot at redemption this game deserves.
1Stella Glow
Stella Glow isn’t just one of the best strategy RPGs on the 3DS, it’s one of themost underappreciated RPGsof all time. This game had everything: beautiful visuals, lovable characters, incredible music, a compelling story and consistently fresh tactical gameplay.
This was Imageepoch’s swan song: the underrated developer had gone bankrupt before Stella Glow even launched. It was nevertheless a glorious and rewarding adventure that we are glad hit store shelves. What we wouldn’t give to see that happen once more, with a Switch 2 label on the box.
