10 Nintendo Switch Remasters We’re Still Waiting to See

Remasters! The Nintendo Switch era has been filled with ’em since the console debuted back in 2017, and it seems Nintendo has no intention of slowing down. Despite the plethora of games that Nintendo has brought to its handheld hybrid, there are a surprising number of games that haven’t made the leap just yet, including some really notable first-party games. While favorites like Metroid Prime, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword have all made the leap to Switch, there are plenty of other games overdue for an appearance. 

More than any previous system, Nintendo Switch has become the definitive place where fans can check out the vast majority of Nintendo’s back catalog. Given the sheer number of systems Nintendo has sold over the last seven years, it’s likely we’ll see this trend continue for a while, even as Nintendo makes plans for its next video game system. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 (mostly) first-party games that absolutely deserve a place on Nintendo Switch, from deep cuts, to beloved games that have never gotten a second release. 

Keep reading to see ComicBook’s Top 10 Nintendo Switch remasters we’re waiting to see! 

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Nintendo GameCube had an absolutely stacked library, and many of the system’s best games have made the jump to Nintendo Switch. Unfortunately, Eternal Darkness is a major exception. Released in 2002, the survival horror game took players on an adventure that spanned human history, and it also featured mind-bending sanity effects that made the player think their game was erased, or that the TV’s sound had been turned down. Remaster specialists Nightdive Studios have expressed an interest in bringing Eternal Darkness back, but Nintendo has kept the game stranded on GameCube. Hopefully that gets rectified someday! 

Punch-Out!! (2009)

Before breathing new life into the Luigi’s Mansion series, Next Level Games brought an NES classic back with 2009’s Punch-Out!! on Nintendo Wii. The boxing game was a perfect fit for the system thanks to its motion controls, and the game’s gorgeous presentation still looks great 15 years later. The Joy-Cons have already been used as a suitable replacement for the Wii Remotes in remasters like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, making Punch-Out!!‘s absence from Switch even more glaring. It’s long past time to bring this one back, and the package should also include the content from Doc Louis’s Punch-Out!! as well. 

Pokemon Black and White

The Pokemon Company is really bad at making previous Pokemon generations available on new hardware, and it’s a real problem for those that want to experience everything the franchise has to offer. Take Pokemon Black and White, for example. The fifth Pokemon generation is easily one of the best, and it’s astounding that it remains stranded on Nintendo DS, where original copies go for huge amounts on the secondary market. A faithful remake with a handful of quality of life improvements (similar to Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver) would be a huge hit with fans, and give newcomers a chance to see what the fuss is about. 

Kirby: Planet Robobot

Nintendo Switch has seen a lot of Kirby games over the years, including remasters of existing games like Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe. However, the system is still missing Kirby: Planet Robobot, which is widely considered one of the best games in the franchise. Released in 2016 on 3DS, Planet Robobot gave Kirby a big mech suit to pilot. A delightful adventure on 3DS, the game could find a much bigger audience on Switch, and could benefit from a jump to HD. 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

When The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was first revealed for Nintendo GameCube, fans expected it to be a massive flop. The game’s cel-shaded style proved very divisive, and seemed to reinforce the GameCube’s “kiddy” image. However, once the game was actually released, skeptics were quickly won over. The art style really did connect well with the gameplay, and it looked even better after getting an HD remaster on Wii U. Oddly enough, Nintendo has yet to bring that remaster over to Switch, despite heavy demand. No one really knows why The Wind Waker isn’t available in some capacity on the system, but it’s one of the best Zelda games ever made, and it deserves a spot in the Switch library. 

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Of course, The Wind Waker wasn’t the only game in the series to get a remaster on Switch, as there was also The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It’s pretty shocking that the two games haven’t made the leap to Switch given the sheer number of Zelda games playable on the system. However, it’s long past time to see this rectified, as Twilight Princess also happens to be a great Zelda game. Launching on Wii and GameCube back in 2006, the adventure offered a much darker take than the previous Zelda game, and gave Link the ability to transform into a wolf. 

F-Zero GX

F-Zero has never been a major franchise for Nintendo, getting prioritized far below the likes of Mario, Zelda, and Animal Crossing. However, that wasn’t always the case, as Captain Falcon used to get a lot more focus two decades ago. 2003’s F-Zero GX might be the last truly great game in the series, and fans have spent the last few years begging to see it remastered on Nintendo Switch. A fresh coat of paint and the addition of online play would probably be enough to satisfy starving fans, and give a whole new audience a chance to see what the series is capable of. 

Soulcalibur II

It’s rare that the best version of a third-party game is the one on a Nintendo system, but Soulcalibur II is a rare exception. While the game also landed on PS2 and Xbox back in 2002, the GameCube version offered an exclusive fighter that was a very big deal: Link from the Legend of Zelda! Link’s sword based skills made him a perfect addition to the fighting game’s roster, and a much more logical inclusion compared to Heihachi and Spawn, the guest characters in the PS2 and Xbox versions. Despite strong sales on GameCube, Soulcalibur II has never been re-released on a Nintendo system, and that’s a pretty big shame! 

Metroid: Samus Returns

Released in 2017 on Nintendo 3DS, Metroid: Samus Returns was one of the very last first-party games to arrive on the system. Four years later, developer MercurySteam would give us the excellent Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch, but the studio’s first take on Samus remains marooned on 3DS, where it can no longer be purchased thanks to the closure of the eShop. Samus Returns is basically the last 2D Metroid game that hasn’t made the jump to Switch, and while it’s not as well-regarded as Metroid Dread, critical reception was very positive. Some graphic improvements would go a long way towards bridging the gap, and it’s frankly shocking that the game hasn’t gotten this treatment already! 

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Nintendo has done an exceptional job making Mario’s best games playable on Switch, but Super Mario Galaxy 2 remains strangely absent from the console’s library. The sequel received universal acclaim upon its release, with many considering it superior to the first game. The original Super Mario Galaxy was offered as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but that collection isn’t available on the system anymore. The fact that neither of these games is accessible on Switch is pretty much a crime, and a remastered version of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is long past overdue. 

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That’s our list of 10 Nintendo Switch remasters we’re still waiting to see! Did we miss any significant ones? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!