The Nintendo Switch delivered on the promise of the Wii U – to reinvent how we think about playing video games. It’s hard to understate the power of playing a major title on the TV and then taking it with you on the subway, office, bed, bathroom wherever. The Switch Nintendo has finally achieved what they’ve failed to do for three generations: create a console where I would look first to Nintendo on a multi-platform release. Beyond all that, I think the nature of how people are playing the Switch leads to some great opportunities for specific types of games. Here are three genres that aren’t represented on the Switch but would make an excellent addition to the lineup.
WarioWare
That’s right, I just made WarioWare a genre and I have no problem with that. I could include Mario Party or ‘Party Games,’ but I mostly just mean WarioWare. The frantic quick game pace is perfect for the mobile system, but more than that, WarioWare games are very free to be inventive with how to use the unique features of a system.
From the size of the JoyCons, its advanced tilt and rumble features, to the rarely used touchscreen and ability to detach and attach controllers quickly, WarioWare is the perfect title to experiment with how groups can have quick, bizarre, unique fun with the Switch.
Roguelike
Roguelikes have seen a resurgence in popularity recently and I think they would make perfect companions to the switch. Roguelikes, named after genre progenitor Rogue , are typically adventure/exploration games with the core kicker – once your character dies you start over. Many Roguelikes feature a relatively short core playtime, but with high difficulty and replayability.
Games like FTL and Brogue can be played through in 1-2 hours, or far less if you have bad luck with your randomly generated world. The short playtime is a great fit for the mobile Switch, but these games typically feature a deep core complexity that makes them fun to dig into at home on the big screen as well.
These games tend to be made by smaller development studios, which seem like they’re finding an easier home with the Switch than with previous Nintendo consoles, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
CCG
Magic: The Gathering is one of the greatest games ever, but now that I have to live in a tiny apartment and have limited time, it gets increasingly difficult to buy, store, and sort through all my cards. For me a good CCG has to be mobile and I thought the iPad would be the perfect device for them, but I think the limited control inputs force a simplicity that was refreshing at first, but leaves me wanting more. The portable screen combined with controllers and the ability to move to a bigger screen for more complicated deck building makes the Switch a potential digital CCG powerhouse.
Tactics Games
The Switch is another perfect fit for tactics games. They play great on both a big screen and portable. The latest entry in the famed Disgaea series just came out on Switch so it isn’t a total tactics desert. But I just wanted to take a moment to say that we need the return of Advance Wars and the Switch is the place for it. The series has been largely abandoned by Nintendo since the Gamecube and it has been sorely missed.
The Switch is the most exciting Nintendo console since the Wii, and hopefully, unlike the Wii, it will remain so by creating a library that takes advantage of the console's unique features. What other genres that aren’t represented on the Switch would be a perfect fit?
