Summary
TheNintendo Switchis pretty ideal forplaying co-op games. If you’re playing couch co-op, you don’t even need to buy a second controller, as a set of Joy-Con can also function as two individual controllers. You can even play together on the go.
There are plenty of Switch games that take advantage of this adaptability, but there are even more that don’t, and are missing a cool opportunity to expand the experience so you can play with friends. These are the Switch games we wish had some type of multiplayer options.
This article will include both Nintendo Switch exclusives and ports.
Okay, yes, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is already pushing the Switch to its limits with its incredible physics engine and allthe wild things you may create using the Fuse ability. But imagine how much more fun it would be if you could make said creations with your friends in the same game?
You could create humongous vehicles, mechs, and weapons together and take down Hyrule’s biggest monsters. Alternatively, you could work together when building and decorating Link’s house to help him really make it a home.
Hollow Knight seems like the perfect game for multiplayer. Fans have even created mods to use for the PC version of the game so that you may play it with your friends at the same time. The Switch doesn’t allow mods, though, so you can only play it alone.
There’s so much potential for multiplayer in Hollow Knight. If you’re struggling to beat a boss, a friend could join the game to give you a helping hand. If you want to test your mettle, you and a friend could race through the Path of Pain. Hollow Knight is all about providing a tough challenge, so adding some competition to the mix makes perfect sense.
Pokemon Snap was a fan-favourite back on the GameCube, so when a sequel launched on the Switch, it was well-received. It’s a fun and cosy experience on its own, but it could be even better if you could share the experience in co-op.
The game focuses on taking photos of Pokemon in their natural environment so that the professor can use this for their research. A multiplayer option where you and a friend can compete to take the best photos of the Pokemon would easily improve the game’s longevity past the single-player campaign.
Story of Seasons (previously known as Harvest Moon) may have been one of the main influences for Stardew Valley, but Stardew Valley wins over its predecessors in one area: multiplayer. Pioneers of Olive Town is a strictly single-player game, where you develop your farm and get to know the town’s people.
Unlike Stardew Valley, it doesn’t have any multiplayer components, so you can’t share your farm or marry another player. These extra features would make Pioneers of Olive Town even better, and help it to maintain some longevity, similar to how Stardew Valley does.
In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, you explore Aionios with six party members, plus an extra Hero who can join you as a guest. You only control one of said party members during battles, so why couldn’t the game have a multiplayer option where a friend can play as one of the other party members in co-op mode?
This is common in the Tales of series of games, and it seems like a perfect fit for Xenoblade Chronicles, especially since you have quite a lot of party members in battle at one time. It would be a great way to heighten the experience and ensure you’re healed on time…
A Short Hike is, as you may guess from the title, a game where you take a short hike. You play as a bird, Claire, exploring an island, with the goal of reaching the mountain’s summit so that you can get some phone signal.
It’s a short and cosy game that’s perfectly fine as it is, but the ability to explore the island with a friend would just take it to the next level. You could parkour together across the terrain, fish together, or even just relax and take in the scenery and music.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses isa tactical RPGwhere you build your relationships with students at the Garreg Mach Monastery and create your own army to use in battles. Three Houses has a story-focused narrative campaign, but something it’s missing is an element of multiplayer.
Many fans have expressed a desire for a PvP option, so that they can battle their armies against other players. It seems like an obvious multiplayer option to implement, so it’s surprising that it was left out. Perhaps future Fire Emblem games will let you test your strategies against fellow players.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus technicallydoeshave an element of multiplayer, but it’s very minimal: you can trade Pokemon with other players, and that’s it. A big part of Pokemon is battling, so it was disappointing that online and local battles weren’t included.
Alongside battling other players, it would have been fun if you could link up with another player’s game and explore Hisui together. It would be great for Shiny hunting - though you’d have to fight over who actually gets to catch the Shiny…
