Here’s our first look at Nintendo’s newly designed Nintendo Switch 2 game boxes.
While the OG Nintendo Switch’s game covers simply boasted a small Nintendo Switch logo in the top left-hand corner, the Switch 2’s branding is far more prominent, with a red band stretching across the entire width of the case and a larger Nintendo Switch 2 logo.
There’s also a change for Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, too. While Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game covers don’t have any further information or branding on them, covers for games playable on both the original and Switch 2 systems all include a clear statement about Switch 2’s upgrade information.
For instance, The Nintendo Switch 2 edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild includes the text: “Includes the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch upgrade pack. Upgrade pack also available separately.”
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, some of which cost $79.99, clearly mark the boxes as such to let buyers know what they’re getting.
You can see the new designs for yourself in the slideshow below:
There’s now also a QR code on the bottom right of all game covers that takes you swiftly to the official Nintendo website.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
When you shoot your beginner pistol in action RPGHell Clock, it feels like someone slapped the foundations of the catacombs you’re standing in with a pork chop big enough to decapitate god. There is beefy gun feel, and there is this: a gun chutney so chunksome and tactile I had to check my mouse hadn’t suddenly sprouted haptics. As a single player, single class genre entrant, it’s not quite fair to compare it to more sprawling mainstays like Diablo 4 or Path Of Exile 2. But I woke up feeling unfair today: even in its demo form, I’d much rather play Hell Clock than either of them.
BAFTA — the UK’s independent arts charity celebrating excellence in film, games, and TV — has just revealed the most influential video game of all time… and it’s probably not what you think it is.
Action-adventure game Shenmue released in 1999 on Dreamcast. It follows Ryo Hazuki’s quest to avenge his father’s death in what BAFTA calls “a detailed open-world setting that truly captures the essence of Yokosuka in the ‘80s.”
“Pioneering first-person shooter” Doom secured the runner-up prize, whilst 1985’s Super Mario Bros. took the bronze.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful that Shenmue has been selected as the Most Influential Video Game of All Time,” said Yu Suzuki, creator of the Shenmue franchise.
“At its inception, we set out to explore the question, ‘How real can a game become?,’ aiming to portray a world and story unprecedented in scale and detail. This distinction serves as a powerful reminder that the challenge we embraced continues to resonate with and inspire so many people even today. It is truly the greatest of encouragement.
“Above all, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the fans around the world who have continued to love and support Shenmue,” Suzuki added. “Your passion and encouragement have guided this journey every step of the way. And the story is not over yet, there is more to come! Thank you very much!”
Here’s the full list of the top 21 most influential games of all time, as voted by the public:
The 2025 BAFTA Game Awards are set to take place on Tuesday April 8, 2025. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Astro Bot, and Still Wakes the Deep lead the nominations with 11, eight, and eight nominations respectively. Thank Goodness You’re Here! also received seven nominations, Black Myth: Wukong six, and Helldivers 2 is up for five awards.
2024 BAFTA Game Awards winners included Baldur’s Gate 3, which secured five wins, including Best Game, with other wins for Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Viewfinder.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Jokes aside, you’d have to be a pretty big dork to think that the world isn’t wide enough for both handheld PCs and traditional consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2 (even if the latter is hogging a new FromSoft game). Partly because they are, to an extent, ingrained in each other, via the classic hardware marketplace of borrowed ideas: there’s probably no Steam Deck without the original Switch, and I’d bet my own mousing hand that the Switch 2’s optical sensor-packing Joy Cons are inspired by the Lenovo Legion Go.
No doubt the manufacturers behind portable PCs watched the Switch 2’s Nintendo Direct showcase and began furiously scribbling notes on what they could crib, be it the magnetic clip-on peripherals, the fan-equipped dock, or whatever internal wizardry that seemingly lets it run Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at 1080p. Fine by me. Just please don’t, whatever you do, follow Nintendo’s lead of trying to plaster over games with the gurning, disembodied heads of our friends and families.
Amid the furore caused by Nintendo’s decision to charge $79.99 for Switch 2 exclusive Mario Kart World, it has emerged that some of the Switch 2 Edition games announced during the Nintendo Direct also cost $79.99.
A Switch 2 Edition of a game goes beyond backwards compatibility. For example, Super Mario Party Jamboree’s Switch 2 Edition comes with a new suite of content called Jamboree TV that takes advantage of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, Switch 2 microphone, and the Switch 2 USB-C camera that will be sold separately. Along with upgraded resolution up to 1440p in TV mode and better frame rate, there are new minigames and online functions as well.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Switch 2 Edition, meanwhile, supports mouse controls with Joy-Con 2, and multiple display modes such as Quality Mode, which runs at 60fps in 4K when docked, or 1080p at 60fps on handheld; and Performance Mode, which runs a 120fps in 1080p when docked, or 120fps in 720p in handheld mode. All modes support HDR.
The Switch 2 Edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s Star-Crossed World gets new story content, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom gain additional support for the Zelda Notes service in the Nintendo Switch App that provides game help. Some games, like Pokemon Legends: Z-A, only feature performance and resolution bumps as part of the Switch 2 Edition label.
Now, via listings at U.S. retailer Walmart, we know how much fans can expect to pay for some of these Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles.
Kirby and The Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World – $79.99
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – $69.99
Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV – $79.99
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – $79.99
Perhaps softening the blow somewhat is the upgrade Nintendo will offer to existing owners of these games on Nintendo Switch. However, Nintendo has yet to reveal how much an upgrade pack costs. We do know some upgrade packs, like the upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, will be included in a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. This is the same membership that gives Switch owners access to online features and the classic library.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The most influential game of all time is Yu Suzuki’s 1999 proto open world Gashapon ’em up Shenmue, according to a public poll held by BAFTA. To claim that top spot in the top five, it beat out Doom, Super Mario Bros, Half-Life, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Minecraft hovered around the winners table laughing loudly at everyone’s jokes at number six. At number 11, Tetris had to sit on a bin because all the chairs had been taken. Dark Souls paced up and down the corridor complaining that everyone had nicked its outfit idea in 18th place, tailed in 19th by Grand Theft Auto 3. Full results below in descending order.
Nintendo hasn’t officially revealed the local pricing for Switch 2 game upgrade packs (yet), but it seems the company’s Japanese website might have already given fans a rough idea about what it might cost to enjoy certain past-generation games with various enhancements on the new system.
According to Nintendo’s Japan website, players who already own a game and want to upgrade it can expect to pay between 1,000 to 2,000 yen, which is estimated to equate to about “$10 to $15” (or the regional equivalent).
Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct highlighted all sorts of new and existing titles but one of the more interesting discoveries in the American broadcast was artwork for what appears to Yoshi’s Woolly World (officially known as Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World on the 3DS) in the “compatible Nintendo Switch titles”.
If you’re considering the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle, you might need to make a decision sooner rather than later.
While this new offering might seem like it’s just a standard offering, it seems it will actually be a “limited time” deal. Yes, according to Nintendo deal will actually be a “limited time production” through to Fall 2025 (at least in the US) and available “while supplies last”.
Kirby has been a steadfast Nintendo mascot for 33 years, ever since the character debuted in 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land for Game Boy. In addition to being a Smash Bros. staple, Kirby and his ever-evolving powers of inhalation have starred in over two dozen games, culminating in the series’ best-selling game to date, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
As we near the end of Nintendo’s current console generation, we’ve compiled a list of every Kirby game on the Switch as well as new Kirby games coming to the Switch 2.
How Many Kirby Games Are on Switch?
Six Kirby games have been released on Nintendo Switch, while 11 more retro Kirby games are playable with Nintendo Switch Online. The franchise debuted on Switch in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies; its latest release, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, arrived in 2023. A new Kirby game, Kirby Air Riders, will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025.
Every Kirby Game on Switch (in Release Order)
Kirby Star Allies (2018)
Kirby’s Switch debut came in 2018 with Kirby Star Allies. The action-platformer is played with a party of four (multiplayer or local AI) and sees Kirby combine abilities with allies to solve puzzles and enhance combat.
Super Kirby Clash (2019)
Series developer HAL Laboratories and Nintendo brought the pink puff back the following year for the free-to-play Super Kirby Clash. Like Star Allies, Clash is played with a team of four that can be controlled by other human players or AI. Unlike Star Allies, this is not a platformer but rather a standalone boss rush mode; it features a hub world for changing equipment and selecting quests, though the heart of the game is the series of boss fights that serve as those quests.
Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)
A sequel to the 3DS game Kirby Fighters Deluxe (an expanded version of the subgame Kirby Fighters found in Kirby: Triple Deluxe), Kirby Fighters 2 is exactly what it sounds like: a fighting game starring Kirby. It supports up to four players and features Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee, Gooey, and Magolor as playable characters.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022)
The series’ standout game on Switch, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a post-apocalyptic adventure in which Kirby gets sucked into a wormhole that appears above Dream Land. The Forgotten Land is the series’ first fully 3D platformer, complete with puzzles and Kirby’s signature ability-based combat. It’s the series’ best-selling game to date, selling more than 7.5 million copies by the end of March 2024. There’s even a Switch 2 version of this game currently listed to be available for preorder.
Kirby’s Dream Buffet (2022)
Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a dessert-themed multiplayer game released in 2022. It features three four-player game modes: race, minigame, and battle royale. The modes can be played separately or together as part of Dream Buffet’s Gourmet Grand Prix.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)
The series’ latest game, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of the 2011 Wii game Kirby’s Return to Dream Land. The action-platformer came to Switch with improved visuals, a new easy mode (Helper Magolor), three new abilities (Sand, Mecha, and Festival), and an all-new two-hour adventure called Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler.
Return to Dream Land Deluxe supports local co-op for up to four players, with each player taking control of either Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, or Bandana Waddle Dee.
Kirby Games Available with Nintendo Switch Online
There are 11 Kirby games available with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Those with a regular subscription can play nine Kirby games from NES, SNES, and Game Boy, while those with the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription get access to two additional games: Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (GBA) and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64).
Here’s the list of Kirby games playable with Nintendo Switch Online, ordered by initial release date:
A new GameCube library will also be available in the NSO + Expansion Pack membership on Switch 2, which may include Kirby Air Ride.
What’s Next for Kirby on the Switch 2?
The era of Kirby on Switch may be coming to a close, but the character’s journey on the Switch 2 has just begun. Kirby Air Riders was officially announced during the April 2025 Nintendo Direct as a follow-up to the 2003 Kirby Air Ride racing game on GameCube. Masahiro Sakurai, creator of both the Kirby series and Super Smash Bros., returns as director of the new game.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also on the list of games that will be getting Switch 2 upgrades. The upgrade will take advantage of the Switch 2’s improved specs and includes a new story expansion. Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World will be released on August 28 with a discounted upgrade option for those who owned the original game on Switch.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
