Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
It is surreal to think that exactly one year ago tonight, I was standing outside our local GameStop, waiting in the crisp air for the highly anticipated midnight launch to pick up my very own Nintendo Switch 2. The past 365 days with Nintendo's newest console have certainly been an interesting journey, filled with spectacular highs, a few noticeable lows, and plenty of gaming memories. So let's take a look at the Nintendo Switch 2 1 year after it's launch, the good, the bad, and what my physical game library looks like.
Physical Media and My Switch 2 Game Library
As many of you know, I am a massive proponent of physical media. In an era where digital game keys and all-digital storefronts are becoming the norm, I firmly believe in owning the physical cartridges for my collection. Physically, I picked up Mario Kart World right at launch. I also recently talked about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Beyond those, I managed to score some killer deals on games like WWE 2K25, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, and Metroid Prime 4. I also grabbed Marvel Cosmic Invasion, which is absolutely fantastic, along with Madden 26 on a deep discount, and the highly anticipated Donkey Kong Bananza.
Out of this entire stack, there were really only four titles that I felt absolutely compelled to buy on day one: Mario Kart World, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. The rest of the games in my library were either picked up because the retail price was simply too good to pass up, or because I figured I would give them a try.
The Good: Hardware, Performance, and Upgrades
Let’s talk about the system itself, because there is a lot of good here. First and foremost, the games look significantly better, the console plays much smoother, and the audio quality has seen a definitive upgrade. One of the best features of the Switch 2 is how it handles backward compatibility. Original Nintendo Switch games look absolutely fantastic running on this new hardware, and there is a definitive, noticeable graphical upgrade when playing your older titles.
Additionally, the overall user experience has been vastly improved. The speed of the Nintendo eShop is a night-and-day difference compared to the original system. Browsing for games, checking out sales, and navigating the digital storefront is incredibly snappy and responsive, which was a much-needed quality-of-life improvement.
The Disappointments: Library, DLC, and Nintendo Classics
It hasn’t been a perfect year. What am I disappointed in? First and foremost, my physical game stack represents all the games I actually felt compelled to buy during the entire first year of the Switch 2's life. Frankly, there just wasn't enough in the first-party or third-party library that truly got me excited.
Unlike Mario Kart 8 Deluxe—which, admittedly, had years of development and DLC behind it—we really haven't seen a whole lot of new content added to Mario Kart World since launch. Then there is the issue of the $20 add-on and upgrade packs. At launch, if you were a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you received the enhanced upgrades for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom at no additional charge. But for almost everything else, Nintendo charged a premium. The Super Mario Bros. Wonder upgrade pack is the only one I have actually purchased. And while it looks brilliant and plays flawlessly, I honestly don't know if it is truly worth a $20 overall life improvement.
The classic catalog offerings have been hurting. The GameCube side of the Nintendo Classics lineup leaves a lot to be desired—they desperately need to do better on that front. Even the Nintendo 64 online library and the other legacy online services haven't received a ton of great, must-play additions this year. The one major exception is the Virtual Bo, which is incredibly cool, but you are forced to use the headset to play it, meaning you can't just kick back and play Virtual Boy games natively on your living room TV.
Final Thoughts
I will admit that I do really enjoy the Nintendo Switch 2. It is fantastic, but it is not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination. It has performed well, but it could have done better in several key areas. I firmly believe that the somewhat sparse first-year games library, combined with the noticeable price increases across the board for games and upgrades, have held the console back.
What do you think? Have you picked up a Nintendo Switch 2 yet? How many physical games have you added to your library? What do you enjoy most about the system, and what would you like to see Nintendo improve in year two? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
#NintendoSwitch2 #Switch2 #Nintendo #Switch2Review #MarioKartWorld #YoshiAndTheMysteriousBook #RetroGaming #PhysicalMedia #NintendoSwitchOnline #GameCube #Nintendo64
It is surreal to think that exactly one year ago tonight, I was standing outside our local GameStop, waiting in the crisp air for the highly anticipated midnight launch to pick up my very own Nintendo Switch 2. The past 365 days with Nintendo's newest console have certainly been an interesting journey, filled with spectacular highs, a few noticeable lows, and plenty of gaming memories. So let's take a look at the Nintendo Switch 2 1 year after it's launch, the good, the bad, and what my physical game library looks like.
Physical Media and My Switch 2 Game Library
As many of you know, I am a massive proponent of physical media. In an era where digital game keys and all-digital storefronts are becoming the norm, I firmly believe in owning the physical cartridges for my collection. Physically, I picked up Mario Kart World right at launch. I also recently talked about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Beyond those, I managed to score some killer deals on games like WWE 2K25, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, and Metroid Prime 4. I also grabbed Marvel Cosmic Invasion, which is absolutely fantastic, along with Madden 26 on a deep discount, and the highly anticipated Donkey Kong Bananza.
Out of this entire stack, there were really only four titles that I felt absolutely compelled to buy on day one: Mario Kart World, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. The rest of the games in my library were either picked up because the retail price was simply too good to pass up, or because I figured I would give them a try.
The Good: Hardware, Performance, and Upgrades
Let’s talk about the system itself, because there is a lot of good here. First and foremost, the games look significantly better, the console plays much smoother, and the audio quality has seen a definitive upgrade. One of the best features of the Switch 2 is how it handles backward compatibility. Original Nintendo Switch games look absolutely fantastic running on this new hardware, and there is a definitive, noticeable graphical upgrade when playing your older titles.
Additionally, the overall user experience has been vastly improved. The speed of the Nintendo eShop is a night-and-day difference compared to the original system. Browsing for games, checking out sales, and navigating the digital storefront is incredibly snappy and responsive, which was a much-needed quality-of-life improvement.
The Disappointments: Library, DLC, and Nintendo Classics
It hasn’t been a perfect year. What am I disappointed in? First and foremost, my physical game stack represents all the games I actually felt compelled to buy during the entire first year of the Switch 2's life. Frankly, there just wasn't enough in the first-party or third-party library that truly got me excited.
Unlike Mario Kart 8 Deluxe—which, admittedly, had years of development and DLC behind it—we really haven't seen a whole lot of new content added to Mario Kart World since launch. Then there is the issue of the $20 add-on and upgrade packs. At launch, if you were a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you received the enhanced upgrades for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom at no additional charge. But for almost everything else, Nintendo charged a premium. The Super Mario Bros. Wonder upgrade pack is the only one I have actually purchased. And while it looks brilliant and plays flawlessly, I honestly don't know if it is truly worth a $20 overall life improvement.
The classic catalog offerings have been hurting. The GameCube side of the Nintendo Classics lineup leaves a lot to be desired—they desperately need to do better on that front. Even the Nintendo 64 online library and the other legacy online services haven't received a ton of great, must-play additions this year. The one major exception is the Virtual Bo, which is incredibly cool, but you are forced to use the headset to play it, meaning you can't just kick back and play Virtual Boy games natively on your living room TV.
Final Thoughts
I will admit that I do really enjoy the Nintendo Switch 2. It is fantastic, but it is not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination. It has performed well, but it could have done better in several key areas. I firmly believe that the somewhat sparse first-year games library, combined with the noticeable price increases across the board for games and upgrades, have held the console back.
What do you think? Have you picked up a Nintendo Switch 2 yet? How many physical games have you added to your library? What do you enjoy most about the system, and what would you like to see Nintendo improve in year two? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
#NintendoSwitch2 #Switch2 #Nintendo #Switch2Review #MarioKartWorld #YoshiAndTheMysteriousBook #RetroGaming #PhysicalMedia #NintendoSwitchOnline #GameCube #Nintendo64
