Switch 2 has been out for over a year now, and a good percentage of Nintendo Lifers have picked one up in the last 365 days.
However, it’s also quite possible you haven’t jumped on Nintendo’s latest console just yet. With Switch 1’s colossal library, not to mention the great games on other consoles (we’re reliably informed they do exist), what’s the rush?
Still, with belts tightening around the globe, a price increase incoming in September, and a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake confirmed for later this year, many will be eyeing opportunities to pick up a Switch 2 over summer, before it costs you even more.
With that in mind, we’ve asked NL staff for their opinions on the absolute essentials – the Switch 2 games and accessories they deem necessary to getting the very best from the system.
We’d love to hear your thoughts, too. Disagree with our picks? Can’t live without that extra storage? Let us know in the polls and comments what gear and games you’d recommend to a Switch 2-curious gamer looking to jump aboard.
Switch 2 Essentials – The Console
If you’re in the market for Switch 2 hardware, there’s good news and bad news.
Bad news first: There’s only one SKU, which means no colour options if you want something brighter or Your-Favourite-Nintendo-Series-themed. Also, the price is going up in September, from $449.99 USD / £395.99 / €469.99 to $499.99 USD / £TBA / €499.99. Not great.
The good news? There are bundles available worldwide that throw in a game with the system, and some good ones, too.
Of particular interest is the Choose your Game bundle in North America, which — true to its name — lets you download Mario Kart World, Pokémon Pokopia, or Donkey Kong Bananza.
Elsewhere, in Australia and New Zealand, there’s a region-specific Pokopia bundle. While that’s all for official hardware bundles at the moment, we wouldn’t be surprised to see others pop up. Remember, though, that the hardware itself is identical in each case.
Also, keep an eye out for individual retailers whipping up deals of their own. With a plethora of Game-Key Card titles on store shelves, you may find some top games thrown in to sweeten the pot over the summer.
If you’re wondering which game bundle is best, the next section may be illuminating…
Switch 2 Essentials – The Games
A console is nothing without its games, and while Switch still doesn’t have an enormous number of console exclusives to its name yet, it’s amassed an impressive library in its first year.
Let’s get Team NL’s quickfire “indispensable” S2 game:
- “My head says Pokopia, but my heart says Bananza. Either is guaranteed to produce face-aching smiles.” – Jim
- “Donkey Kong Bananza. It doesn’t quite reach the same heights as Odyssey, but it’s got a lot of the same magic.” – Ollie
- “Mario Kart World – it’s Mario Kart.” – Liam
- “I’m going with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Machine Games’ light immersive-sim elements and spot-on presentation absolutely hooked me with a spectacular port. (Shoutout to RE9, which I haven’t yet played, but I’m jonesing — ha! — to.)” – Gavin
The usual suspects, unsurprisingly, though it’s interesting to see a pretty even spread – no single game is the system seller for us.
If you’re looking for a larger rundown of Switch 2’s best games, we’re happy to oblige with our reader-ranked Top 50.
System? Sorted. Games? Got ’em. Play time? Possibly…
Switch 2 Essentials – The Accessories
Is there anything else that’s genuinely essential?
Well, it depends on who you ask, and — obviously — your budget. If the controller that comes with the console works fine, splashing hard-earned cash on a controller has always felt like an ask, personally. That’s money that could be spent on another game!
And do you really need to spend 50 or 100 quid on a bloody Micro SD Express card when you’ve just shelled out for the system?
We’re divided on the storage question, but Team NL all agree about investing in a good pad – and something to carry your handheld hybrid in makes eminent sense. Let’s see what NL staffers are rolling with on the accessories front:
That’s us, but what about you? What’s your essential Switch 2 game? Have you invested in a non-Joy-Con controller? A Micro SD Express card? Are there any S2 accessories you simply couldn’t live without? How many questions are too many questions for an outro?
Let us know in the polls below, and take to the comments to expound further.
