Age of Calamity
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One pleasant surprise of the Switch 2 launch, beyond the d upgrades — free and otherwise — to various Switch games, has been seeing how some Switch games that once struggled to hit their frame rate targets have gotten a nice boost on the new console.

It seems that Switch 1 games with unlocked frame rates are getting a largely untouted bump in the performance department, with games like the nigh-on unplayable "one of the worst ports we've ever played" — now becoming a viable option on Switch 2. Loads times have also shot down for some titles. Result!

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Here, we've collected 13 examples which have impressed us. Some were fairly miraculous on Switch to begin with, but Switch 2 is making a bunch of the bad ones good (or at least playably stable!) and some of the great ones shine brighter than ever. Let's jump in, in no particular order...

NL Staff Key - GL (Gavin Lane), OR (Ollie Reynolds), PJ (PJ O'Reilly)

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (Switch)

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories! My god, I love this game. However, it was a bit of a mess, a bit of a *bunch of swear words* if i'm being honest, on Switch 1.

Back at the release, our review said, "From a technical perspective, the Switch port of Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is an absolute mess. Narratively and artistically, however, it’s one of the most fascinating games in recent memory." Correct.

Now, though, thanks to Switch 2, from what I can see, the game runs flawlessly. And you need to play it. Now, I'm not gonna pretend I know exactly what the numbers are here, but if I had to guess, I'd say we're looking at an uncapped frame rate that's lifted the action right up to around the 60 mark. It feels great. It also looks much clearer. I think a replay is unavoidable. Sorry. - PJ

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Switch)

I fired Age of Calamity up and dove into one of the EX missions and...blimey. Essentially, it now has the performance you always wanted from the game. I played a mission and tried out the two-player splitscreen and didn't note a single dropped frame.

Granted, its original state, while hitchy, didn't massively affect my enjoyment of the game. Of course, I saw it — you couldn't miss it — but I still very much enjoyed my time with it (RSI notwithstanding).

Now, I'm not going to play through the entire thing hunting frame rate dips, but after firing it up again for the first time in several years, I'd absolutely consider it if the backlog didn't just have two dozen Switch 2 games piled on it! - GL

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Bayonetta 3 (Switch)

Bayonetta 3 is an incredibly ambitious, bombastic game that definitely struggled in places on Switch 1 as a result. It looks fuzzy when playing handheld and the accompanying frame rate rarely hits its 60fps target.

Moving over to Switch 2, the game still kind of looks like arse in handheld mode, and it'll likely take a proper 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' change this. The frame rate, however, is now buttery-smooth throughout. There's not a single drop below 60fps, from what I've played, even during the busiest set pieces.

For me, the last mainline entry in PlatinumGames' flagship series has its downsides, but if performance was one of them for you, then you can feel comforted in the knowledge that this has been completely rectified for Switch 2. Oh, and load times are now much zippier, too. Nice. - OR

Batman: Arkham Knight (Switch eShop)

Booting this horiffic mess up for this article,...I'm now impressed? Sort of.

There's no doubting that the move to Switch 2 has benefitted Arkham Knight immensely with regards to its frame rate, which is now super smooth — even whilst driving Batman's car. I can't what it's called...the Bat Car? Anyway, you can barrel through the streets now and it's all good.

And so it goes in combat. It now feels very smooth, and even spinning the camera around Gotham City as you glide through the sky causes no stutters or anything. Miraculous. Or it would be if they could fix the resolution, which is rough in places.

However, if you only have this one way to play Arkham Knight — or it came in the Arkham Trilogy and you abandoned it — it's good to know this version now runs well enough, besides some fuzzy visuals. - PJ

BAKERU (Switch)

Oh, BAKERU is so lovely. If you haven't played this delightful little 3D platformer yet, then now is the perfect time to do so.

On Switch 1, Bakeru's frame rate was kind of all over the place at times. You could tell it was gunning for that 60fps sweet spot, but it never even came close to hitting it. On the Switch 2, it's a completely different story.

I felt like I was playing a remaster when I booted it up for the first time on Nintendo's new console. The frame rate is absolutely spot on, and it really helps elevate the incredible art design and animations. This is up there with some of Nintendo's best. Get on it. - OR

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition (Switch)

I'm gonna be blunt now. I hated The Witcher 3 on Switch. I know, I know...it was a miracle port. Whatever. I couldn't handle the muddiness, the sluggishness, and the draw distance that gave me a headache outside of towns. It just wasn't viable for me. I'm a pig.

And so, I'm very pleased to announce that, having taken so poorly to The Switcher, the very same game on Switch 2 is one I'd happily go on a date with. I might even pay for the food. Switch 2 makes the game look night and day different. It's really crisp and clear and, even with all the graphical excisions, manages to look quite purdy, especially while galloping (unfettered by flailing frames) across the game's glorious countryside.

Yep, the frame rate feels slick as hell now, too. The Witcher has gone from struggling to run, to feeling as though it needs a bespoke patch to unleash its full powers on a machine that can handle it. For now, though, it's a bloody nice, free little boost. Ta. - PJ

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Switch)

I was super-hyped for Castlevania fan detected) and even decided to make that my platform of choice for the game.

Whilst it was okay, in a pinch, there was a big loss in of visual fidelity, and frame times were all over the place, leading to juddery, unsatisfying play. It just wasn't a great version of what is a great game, put simply. However, on Switch 2, any frame time issues have been sorted, with a fully solid lock to 30fps (yes it's not 60, but it's smooth and maybe we'll get a patch).

It's also just a much nicer game to sit down with, thanks to more responsive menu navigation and loading times that have been squashed right down to a breezy minimum. If the game had arrived on Switch like this, I probably wouldn't have double-dipped. Not bad! - OR

Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch)

Compared to other series entries, Pokémon Legends: Arceus wasn't quite as rage-inducingly bad in the performance department, but as highlighted by Alex in a recent live stream, the game is now rock-solid, stable 30fps for anybody playing on Switch 2.

Now, that's not to say that Arceus is some bastion of graphical prowess or anything, but if the frame rate drops bothered you before, they've been zapped on Switch 2. The Pokémon Company let everyone know that Scarlet & Violet were getting an update, but don't forget this winner, too. - GL

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (Switch eShop)

Disco Elysium, despite being utterly incredible, definitely had its drawbacks on the Switch 1. Load times were pretty dire, and even just heading into the pause menu would yield some unsavoury slowdown.

Not so on the Switch 2. Here, everything is as slick as you could possible hope for. Transitions from one area to the next are pretty close to instantaneous, and heading into the pause menu now has absolutely no slowdown whatesoever.

These hardly sound like the most enthralling improvements ever, I know, but with some like Disco Elysium — a game that utterly demands you to pay attention — seeing all these little improvements add up makes for a much more enjoyable experience. - OR

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)

Another one checked out by Smash Bros. has always pretty dang smooth, but it really benefits from quicker load times which get you into the thick of things much more rapidly than before.

"IT'S SO MUCH FASTER!" said Alex. He's not wrong. - GL

XCOM 2 Collection (Switch)

XCOM 2 Collection is a game that I awarded an 8/10 to when it released on Switch, and I stand by that score, as bringing a game of this depth and size to a dinky little console, and in a form that played well enough, was very obviously a huge undertaking. And Firaxis managed it - albeit with some big concessions.

On Switch 2, while the graphics remain downgraded (for now), the game now runs buttery smooth, meaning that it's now a viable way, a fully enjoyable way, to play this timeless collection of strategy classics in portable mode. Get in. - PJ

Elsewhere, we can confirm that The Outer Worlds.

Have you noticed any bumps to your Switch library - ones which haven't been getting huge attention, perhaps, or which were dismissed originally due to their poor state? Let us know in the poll below which old games deserve a Switch 2 shoutout, and check out the archive of Alex's stream for gameplay of some of the above, and others too...

Which Switch games with a surprise Switch 2 performance boost has most impressed you?

(You may select up to 3 answers)