Wii U was Nintendo’s foray into the HD era. While deemed a commercial failure, Wii U was the medium that allowed Nintendo’s 1st- and 2nd-party studios to shift gears to the next level of expressiveness, associated with the jump in hardware capabilities brought about by HD. Indeed, that step-up in the medium brought both quantum advancements in old franchises and the appearance of brand new acclaimed ones. The following franchises with Wii U entries hit home on the medium, resulting in direct ports to the Nintendo Switch.
Old franchises which entered HD on the Wii U, with direct ports on the Switch:
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild (EPD Kyoto)
- Mario Kart 8 (EAD + EPD)
- Super Mario 3D World (EAD Tokyo)
- New Super Mario Bros. U (EAD Kyoto)
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Retro)
- Xenoblade Chronicles X (Monolith Soft)
- Pikmin 3 (EAD)
Other titles started life on the Wii U and saw either direct ports or sequels on the Switch.
New franchises which started life on the Wii U, with direct ports or sequels on the Switch:
- Splatoon (EAD)
- Captain Toad Treasure Tracker (EAD Tokyo)
- Super Mario Maker (EAD)
The Switch, in its turn, is deemed a smashing commercial success. That is an indirect testimonial to the quality of the above titles and to the skills of their respective developers with the new medium ‒ Nintendo’s first HD console.
With Switch 2 we have a straight reiteration of an established formula ‒ the new hardware being an advancement of the old hardware ‒ something traditionally practiced by Nintendo competitors. Yet, this time Big N too took this road. So it will be a ‘safe’ Nintendo generation. Sill more importantly, this will also be the first generation where Nintendo studios will be able to show their honed skills with the HD medium, rather than seek to prove themselves in front of a wider HD audience, which was the Wii U ➔ Switch reboot. And if Mario Kart World is any indication, customers are in for a real treat!