Nintendo had a great year for the Switch in 2021. There were a lot of first and third-party exclusives. Some of these exclusives went to PC as well, but as far as consoles go, the Switch came out on top compared to its competitors.
That doesn’t mean these Nintendo games will remain on Switch alone forever. The very idea that they launched on PC as well should indicate they’ll come to other platforms in the future. It could be 2022 or beyond but no matter the date, these eight games would work well on either Xbox or PlayStation consoles. Keep in mind though that games like Metroid Dread aren’t getting ported anytime soon. Now THAT would be cool.
Updated May 11th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: The Nintendo Switch continues to dominate store shelves thanks to its amazing portability and beautifully-designed system. The plug-and-play, take-it-with-you-anywhere beauty of the Nintendo Switch has helped it sell an incredible amount of units over the years, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Because of this, many developers are porting their releases to the handheld hybrid, with some of them even opting for exclusivity with Nintendo. Unfortunately, this leaves Xbox and PlayStation players on the outside, especially when a fun and interesting title drops for the Nintendo Switch. Here's a look at even more 2021 Nintendo Switch exclusives that we hope to see on other consoles in the near future.
10 Monster Hunter Stories 2
Although there are many players that are interested in the core Monster Hunter experience, Monster Hunter Stories has managed to carve out quite a following with its unique approach to the franchise. Those looking for a spinoff that looks and feels like an entirely different game but love the monsters, characters, and locations from the Monster Hunter series should definitely check out Monster Hunter Stories 2.
The turn-based sequel gets a graphical upgrade and some other unique features thanks to its release on the Nintendo Switch and Windows but it has yet to come to other consoles. Hopefully, Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to enjoy this unique Monster-bonding RPG experience in the near future.
9 Pac-Man 99
There are a ton of players out there that grew up with the iconic arcade game, Pac-Man. Those that spent their afternoons at physical arcades were happy to flood the many Pac-Man machines with their hard-earned quarters at a chance to secure a high score on a given machine. Before the advent of leaderboards and online play, having the high score on an arcade machine was a real badge of honor and some players would practice for hours.
Those that still enjoy the gameplay of Pac-Man but want to try their hands at outlasting their opponents will love Pac-Man 99, a Battle Royale inspired by the popular pellet-munching release. Sadly, it's only available on Nintendo Switch but hopefully it will branch out in the future.
8 Boomerang X
Boomerang X is one of the most unique shooters of 2021. Players wake up with their character, stranded on a mysterious island after their boat crashed. The first thing players with find is a glaive which is like a sharp, three-bladed boomerang. That seems simple enough. However, players will soon be engulfed in darkness as some ancient evil is being summoned to the island.
It gets wilder from there with new gameplay elements unlocking everything so often including ways to slow downtime and a teleportation technique. It’s a slick package that runs well on Switch but it could have a lot more solid of an experience on the new systems. Getting to see the colorful visuals in 4K alone would be worth the port.
7 Bravely Default 2
Bravely Default 2 was at first a full console exclusive for the Switch. However, it got a port to PC toward the end of the year. Since that happened, the game may head to another console.
It’s a great follow-up to the original game even though it is technically the third. The art style makes everything look like they are toy models made out of clay which is a fun aesthetic. The class-based system is the real star of the show though.
6 Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny has an odd history. When it was released in Japan in January 2021, there was a PS4 and Switch version. However, when it launched in North America, only the Switch version made it over.
It is unknown why this happened or if the PS4 version will even get ported at all. The game was fun on Switch but it was held back by some technical problems with the performance. The PS4, or better yet the PS5, should negate those issues.
5 Eastward
Eastward belongs on the Switch as it is an obvious homage to The Legend of Zelda and EarthBound. However, it is an indie game and it did go to PC as well. It’s not like Eastward is tied to Nintendo directly, preventing itself from going to other consoles.
It’s one of 2021’s most unique experiences that need to be played by more people. Eastward is an action-adventure game set in a whimsical world full of colorful characters.
4 Monster Hunter Rise
The Switch got not one, but two entries in this series in 2021. First, there was Monster Hunter Rise which was more in line with the main series. Create a character, hunt monsters, grind for materials, et cetera. It was Nintendo’s counterpart to Monster Hunter World.
The best part about it was the co-op gameplay. Then there was Monster Hunter Stories 2, which was a more kid-friendly turn-based RPG. Both would be fun to see in higher resolutions. The boost from the new systems would help with technical issues like load times as well.
3 No More Heroes 3
No More Heroes started as a Nintendo exclusive series but it has since been ported to many other consoles. Getting to play No More Heroes 3 on something like the PS5 feels like a matter of when and not if. The Switch version doesn’t even use motion controls heavily so nothing is stopping a port from easily happening.
Like other games on here, the biggest issue holding No More Heroes 3 back on Switch was the load times. Players had to go in and out of mini-games or locations a lot so the load times stacked up. Thankfully the game’s humor made up for this shortcoming.
2 Shin Megami Tensei 5
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is squeezing out every bit of power from the Switch as it can. The game looks great, visually, and it’s a great RPG overall. However, there are some setbacks. The frame rate is the most noticeable glitch in the game.
Whenever a cutscene or an area of the game features multiple characters acting in the background, their animations are slowed down significantly. At the school, for example, students walking by outside look like they are being cut out from a stop-motion film. Thankfully there aren’t many areas like this to weigh down the experience. It would be nice to have a smoother ride on another console though.
1 Steel Assault
There is nothing wrong technically with the Switch version of Steel Assault. It’s a retro throwback to Nintendo’s 8-bit and 16-bit days. It looks and plays great. The only real complaint is the length.
It depends on what difficulty players choose but there is about an hour of content here. It’s a very short game which is a nice companion piece to have next to a giant open-world RPG like Shin Megami Tensei 5. However, this may not be enough for some. Steel Assault is on PC as well so other consoles could be close behind.