Nintendo has been bringing the best franchises to the public on its systems for decades, with no shortage of admiration for Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokemon. With each console, fans get a chance to dig into something refreshing within one of these series or be introduced to a new Nintendo game that utilizes the next generation of tech. Last week brought Nintendo fans the first extensive look at the Nintendo Switch 2, which did feature a taste of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, but left a sour taste in the mouths of many due to its controversial $9.99 tech demo title, Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour.
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The pricing for games on Switch 2 has already been the subject of much debate and controversy. These concerns have only been amplified by new rulings with tariffs in the United States that could also inflate the price of the console itself. Historically, Nintendo has been keen on making family-friendly games for everyone to enjoy without much cost concern surrounding the titles. People will pay for the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour game when it launches in June, but honestly, they shouldn’t have to.
This is in no way striking the Switch 2’s effort of bringing the best of the console’s functions out within a singular title, as this has been done successfully with PlayStation and Team Asobi’s Astro Bot and Astro’s Playroom. The problem lies in the fact that these types of demo games have been free before. If you’re like me, when I got the Nintendo Wii for Christmas, the first game I was able to play with my family was Wii Sports, which was a sneaky way of getting players, especially someone like me, to play sports with a new approach. Wii Sports was already a part of the Wii console for free (thanks to the persistence of former Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime), which provided an experience that was engaging yet informative in regards to what functions the console was able to do with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. While Wii Sports Resort was created to showcase the Wii MotionPlus feature, you got the accessory along with the game.
This was skirted around once the Wii U came about, with the most popular bundle sold being combined with Nintendo Land, which was a pack-in title featuring twelve mini-games inspired by Nintendo’s franchises. Again, the game focused on showcasing the console’s features in a fun and engaging way that didn’t feel like it was a tech demo. Nintendo veered off this path with the Nintendo Switch launch and 1-2-Switch. The game successfully sold many copies around release, but some felt underwhelmed by the fact that it retailed for $50. Many wanted to have that experience of being able to play something on day one without having to purchase a game separately, which is why fans are disappointed to see this occurrence with Welcome Tour.
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When it comes to Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour, the game is described as a deep dive into the system itself by going through the mechanics of the console. While it’s interesting to see what makes the Nintendo Switch 2 run, this title feels like an instruction manual for how to use the console. The presentation didn’t aid much in the marketing for Welcome Tour. The gameplay doesn’t look engaging enough to justify a price tag, as we’ve gotten hits like Wii Sports paired with the console that provided endless hours of fun for free. A tour isn’t a welcoming approach for those who are interested in playing an activity-based game that brings out the best of the console.
There may be an audience for this type of project, so let’s not assume that this is an apparent issue for everyone. That said, Nintendo fans would clearly appreciate something like this to be a pack-in title with the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo fans have always expected the company to provide them with a great gameplay experience, which hasn’t changed. Seeing what the Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour offers, however, might have players skipping out on the game instead, which isn’t what Nintendo wants.
