The Nintendo Switch has sold and continues to sell like absolute hotcakes. The hybrid device is one of Nintendo’s most successful products ever, and is well on its way to outselling even the mighty Wii. What this also means, is that Nintendo games are selling like crazy on the platform, even series that previously haven’t been huge hits.
The Switch’s success has meant that titles like Luigi’s Mansion, Ring Fit Adventure, and Mario Party have all crossed the ten million mark. Not to mention, while Animal Crossing reached over 30 million sales in just over a year, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe now creeps to the 40 million mark, and is easily the best selling Mario Kart game in history.
To put that into perspective, every Uncharted game ever sold totals 41 million sales. The Nintendo Switch can be an absolute gold mine for series and developers alike. But, if you don’t have Mario on the box… Well, then visibility is a key issue. This is why I think it’s well beyond time for a Switch Selects range to reinvigorate some of the early Switch standouts.
You may have seen the Selects ranges on previous consoles. The WiiU slashed the prices of New Super Mario Bros U, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Wind Waker HD, and the sleeper hit Lego City Undercover. What the Selects range also means is a reprint, so titles that are scarce return to circulation, even if they do now have a rather gaudy cover. It should also be mentioned that these are generally first-party releases or partnerships. While more obscure games are possible for a potential Selects series, Nintendo would likely want to push its own software above all else.
The Switch has been around for nearly five years now, and certain games from its early years have either been forgotten entirely, or are near impossible to find for a decent price. What a reprint and a price cut could do for them is huge, especially as the Switch install base now totals over 80 million users. So many of you have picked a Switch up in the last year to play Animal Crossing, and are looking to pick up another game to go along with it.
Yes, you’re going to buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and probably Breath of the Wild, maybe even Super Smash Bros Ultimate. These aren’t games I’d argue should be put in the Switch Selects range. These are evergreens, and they won’t sell any more copies with a price cut, they’re already essential. A price cut does wonders for the games people are on the fence about. Even if something is critically acclaimed, sometimes you just aren’t sure you want to drop £50 on an unknown entity.
The reason I am suggesting a Switch Selects range now, is to give a few stellar early Switch releases a second chance. They may have had modest success, but the ones I’m going to mention here are titles I think Nintendo could give second wind with a price cut, and some more players flooding into the communities. Also, some are just well-crafted games that people, for whatever reason, just didn’t flock to upon release. So, enjoy my list of Switch games I think would benefit hugely from a Switch Selects range and my reasons why.
ARMS
This game is the reason I made this list. A first-party title that has been cruelly overlooked. While not as essential as Super Smash Bros, or quite as technical, ARMS provides an interesting and methodical fighting game unlike anything else on the platform. It’s also filled to the brim with interesting character design and personality. Seriously, I had the main theme stuck in my head for months, the game is just a delight.
It is however the first entry in a franchise, and possibly a style that’s hard to get across easily. I think a drop to £20 would do the game absolute wonders, while a boost to the online community would invigorate the game all over again. Seriously, this game is fantastic, but I do understand why people could be unsure. Nintendo, if you only choose one game to reprint and slash in price, please give ARMS the support it deserves.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Now, here’s a game that could do with a reprint. Have you tried to find a physical copy recently? Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a great game that sold moderately well, though for clarity it was the best selling entry in the series. But, it could easily sell a few more with the current install base on the Switch.
RPG titles might not be for everyone, but Three Houses throws in a lot of family drama and Hogwarts-style school bickering. It’s almost worth playing for the three different stories alone, but luckily it has a rich, engaging strategy game wrapped around it. If this was back on shelves with a decent price cut, I would love to see how far this beloved, but niche, series could go.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
This entry will have a lot of the same reasons as Fire Emblem, so apologies for the repetition. However, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is getting harder to find physically, which is a shame because this is a stellar entry in the franchise that also sets the path for the future of the series. In fact, it also has incredible DLC, Torna – The Golden Country, which further enhances the deep narrative of the main quest.
A budget reprint of the title with all the DLC on the cart would be magnificent, and frankly would be a huge boost as the series gears up to an inevitable Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This is a huge, epic, sprawling space opera of an RPG, that anybody who enjoys the genre should try out, so a Switch Selects version could be perfect for RPG lovers all over.
Yoshi’s Crafted World
I’m going to be frank with you, I didn’t enjoy Yoshi’s Crafted World. But also, I’m a man in my thirties with little free time. The ideal market for a Yoshi game is most likely small children, and I think they’d have a blast with this adorable cooperative adventure. The main problem is that when parents look at the shelves for a game to buy alongside the Switch, Mario is the first port of call, as he should be.
How do you convince people to drop an extra £50 on a similar 2D platformer, but one that doesn’t even have Mario in it? Yoshi’s Crafted World might not set the world on fire with innovation, but it’s still a competent title that children would love, so a price cut and a reprint could help get it in the hands of more people who would truly relish this adorable adventure.
Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
I feel like this is cheating, as this game already has Mario on the box… But, I still feel like not enough of you have played this surprisingly engaging strategy title. Mario & Rabbids is the combination nobody knew they wanted, but it works like a charm regardless.
Marrying the Mushroom Kingdom with grid-based tactical gameplay that takes a few cues from X-Com, Kingdom Battle sees our favourite plumber and friends team up with the Rabbids, while using guns and traps to battle enemies. Honestly, at first glance, this looks like such a strange game that I imagine a lot of people didn’t give it a shot. But the love poured into both the gameplay and the world is infectious, especially with the utterly brilliant Donkey Kong DLC. It often has a price cut on the eShop anyway, so why not just make it official, slap a Selects icon on the box, and get this charming little thing in the hands of the many Switch players who don’t even know how much they’d love it yet.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
I know this isn’t a Nintendo title, but stick with me here. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a borderline masterpiece. I picked it up as a fan of the DQ series, and also hungry for a building game with a bit more to its bones. What I didn’t expect, is that 150 hours later I’d have memories of one of my favourite RPG adventures in years and a teaming island to look after.
Builders 2 takes the mechanics of games like Minecraft and improves them in some seriously smart ways, making building a breeze, and encouraging you to make whatever your imagination can design. It’s also got an engaging story, accentuated by building mechanics, that somehow, these all blend together into one amazing package. It’s hard to explain how it’s a Dragon Quest game without playing it, and the fact it’s a niche sequel can also be off-putting to some people.
I think this is an utterly incredible building game, thanks to smart mechanics, and a wonderful RPG on top, that both newcomers to the genre or the Dragon Quest series can still get dozens of hours of joy from. Just play this game. Nintendo please give it a price cut and a reprint as well, but just in case they don’t, play this game anyway.
Super Mario Maker 2
Yes, another Mario game. But given the huge push for community content, at this point, you would assume Nintendo wants Super Mario Maker in the hands of as many players as possible. After an initial surge, support slowly died down, with just the community providing new levels and worlds to bring this game back to life. Getting it in the hands of more players with a price cut would be fantastic, as not only could people enjoy some of the best 2D Mario levels ever made, but the next best level designers could be waiting in the wings.
Truly, I’d also love some extra DLC or content from Nintendo themselves to add to this robust package, but a Switch Selects version would at least give this platform a much-needed boost years after release.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope this gives people the feel of the huge potential a Switch Selects range could offer existing Switch owners. If you’re looking for more gaming but less spending right now, be sure to check out our best free Switch games guide and save those pennies.