While Nintendo Switch 2 is certainly getting its fair share of new games, it’s also getting updates to numerous older ones. Some are paid “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” games, some are free updates to older games, some are entirely new releases of those older games, and then there are games that just work better on the Nintendo Switch 2 (or at least, so I hope…).
Rather than rehash the entire review of these games every time I revisit one on Nintendo Switch 2, I am doing something a bit different. Every now and then, as I do with Nintendo Switch Online posts, I will be posting a collection of “The Nintendo Switch Difference” mini-reviews. These reviews will assume you’ve already read the original review or are familiar with the original game, and just want to know how the game differs on Nintendo Switch 2.
If you just want to read the new content, you can read these mini-reviews. And if you want to see the entire thing with the context of the original review, I will be appending these “Nintendo Switch Difference” mini-reviews onto the end of the old review, complete with a new grade – maybe the same, maybe higher, maybe lower (such as if the added price just isn’t worth it).
And just to give you an idea of what this looks like, I’ll start things off with a few launch games that fall into this category:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Genre: Open-World Action-RPG
Players: 1
.
Review:
It isn’t often that the exact same game is the launch title for two consecutive generations of videogame consoles, and still manages to be heavily-anticipated in both cases. Eight years after the original release of this game on Wii U and Nintendo Switch, and we are receiving a remastered version of the game, with a number of improvements.
Players who own the Nintendo Switch version of the game can purchase a $10 Upgrade Pack to transform the older version of the game into this new and improved version, and everyone who is subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack gets free access to this upgrade for the duration of their subscription as long as they own the original game. However, players who have neither the original game nor the aforementioned subscription are looking at a $70 price tag.
I can tell you now that this is not just a minor upgrade. Upon loading up this version of the game, my reaction was instantaneous – the improvements to framerates, resolution, HDR lighting, textures, and loading times truly are impressive, and make a world of difference. Yes, this still looks and plays like the same game, but… well, better. And not just a little. This version of the game plays like this was the way this game was always meant to be played.
It’s not perfect, though. I still noticed pretty sizable pop-in, and at one time an entire cliffside face the size of an office building blinked out of existence and then back in, right in front of me. However, make no mistake, while there are still very noticeable flaws here, overall this is still a massive improvement over the original.
There are more changes here than just performance, however. There are a few additional improvements, such as an added save slot (which honestly seems kinda’ gross – there’s no reason this couldn’t have been in the original game). However, almost all of these improvements haven’t been added to the game itself, but to the Nintendo Online smartphone app, and specifically a new part of that app called Zelda Notes.
Zelda Notes app must by synced with your copy of the game in the game’s options menu, but after doing so, it has multiple functions built into it, including functions to track your use of the game and stats, such as time spent playing, distance travelled, and rupees acquired. There’s also a Siri-style app to direct you to anything in the game you might be looking for, from shrines and koroks to a specific cooking ingredient you need. Some players may frown on this app as running counter to the core experience of the game, finding things for you instead of letting you encounter them for yourself. However, completionists and more novice players will likely appreciate this sort of function greatly.
The other new function here is a new type of collectable to find, “Voice memories”, where spots are hidden in the game for you to find that unlock a voice clip of Zelda reminiscing about something pertaining to that area. There is nothing in-game to signify this spot, and players must find these voice memories by using an in-app radar sound to find it, or the aforementioned Siri-style app.
The app also includes a function to share items with friends, a photo studio to edit photos taken in-game, and… honestly, while I was using this app, I found many of its features helpful or interesting… but it all seemed extraneous to the game itself, something tacked-on, and that didn’t seem like it should require the Nintendo Switch 2 to do anything, since the app was pulling most of the weight.
Having said that… well, it kinda’ doesn’t matter. Even if we say that Zelda Notes is unnecessary fluff that’s not really adding to the game but just sitting alongside it, the improvements to game performance are profound enough that I strongly feel that they make this upgrade worth it in and of itself. If you have the original game and the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, it’s a no-brainer. If you have the game but not the subscription, it’s still worth it… well, if you plan to play the game again. I can understand how some players who spent hundreds of hours in the original release would feel like they’ve had their fill and don’t need to go back for more, even if this version is far, far improved.
And as for those who never got the game to begin with, and are now potentially looking at a $70 price tag? Yeah, I do think The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is worth that much. This is the absolute best version of one of the greatest games of all-time. If you somehow missed this game when it first released, there is no better time to play it than now, and if any game is worth $70, this one is.
tl;dr – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an Open-World Action-RPG that remains one of the greatest games of all-time, and this release is absolutely the best version of this game ever made. It isn’t without its flaws, and many of its new features are superfluous and don’t add much, but even just the improvements to graphics and performance are enough to put this game well beyond the original release of the game. Unless you feel like you already got your fill of the original release, this is an absolute must-have.
Grade: A++
.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Genre: Open-World Action-RPG
Players: 1
.
Review:
People still speculate whether Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom is the better game. Tears has numerous improvements over Breath, but it’s more derivative. The ability to construct your own vehicles completely recontextualizes and breathes new life into the world the first game introduced us to, but there’s something to be said for the quiet isolation of the first game. However, regardless of your position on the “which is better” debate, there’s no question that Tears of the Kingdom is one of the greatest games of all time. Now, alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025, we are receiving a remastered version of the game, with a number of improvements.
Players who own the Nintendo Switch version of the game can purchase a $10 Upgrade Pack to transform the older version of the game into this new and improved version, and everyone who is subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack get free access to this upgrade for the duration of their subscription as long as they own the original game. However, players who have neither the original game nor the aforementioned subscription are looking at a $80 price tag.
I can tell you now that this is not just a minor upgrade. Upon loading up this version of the game, my reaction was instantaneous – the improvements to framerates, resolution, HDR lighting, textures, and loading times truly are impressive, and make a world of difference. Yes, this still looks and plays like the same game, but… well, better. And not just a little. This version of the game plays like this was the way this game was always meant to be played.
It’s not perfect, though. In my time playing the game, I did still notice brief moments of slowdown, particularly during heavy action with a complex machine I had constructed. However, make no mistake, while there are still very noticeable flaws here, overall this is still a massive improvement over the original.
There are more changes here than just performance, however. There are a few additional improvements, such as an added save slot (which honestly seems kinda’ gross – there’s no reason this couldn’t have been in the original game). However, almost all of these improvements haven’t been added to the game itself, but to the Nintendo Online smartphone app, and specifically a new part of that app called Zelda Notes.
Zelda Notes app must by synced with your copy of the game in the game’s options menu, but after doing so, it has multiple functions built into it, including functions to track your use of the game and stats, such as time spent playing, distance travelled, and rupees acquired. There’s also a Siri-style app to direct you to anything in the game you might be looking for, from shrines and koroks to a specific cooking ingredient you need. Some players may frown on this app as running counter to the core experience of the game, finding things for you instead of letting you encounter them for yourself. However, completionists and more novice players will likely appreciate this sort of function greatly.
The other new function here is a new type of collectable to find, “Voice memories”, where spots are hidden in the game for you to find that unlock a voice clip of Zelda, Rauru, and… Kogha? Er… any way, these are voice clips of one of those three reminiscing about something pertaining to that area. There is nothing in-game to signify this spot, and players must find these voice memories by using an in-app radar sound to find it, or the aforementioned Siri-style app.
Another function exclusive to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is the ability to share your “autobuild” saved versions of constructions, and download those created by others. So those builds you’ve seen of mechs and attack helicopters can now be much more easily shared to all, if the creator so chooses.
The app also includes a function to share items with friends, a photo studio to edit photos taken in-game, and… honestly, while I was using this app, I found many of its features helpful or interesting… but it all seemed extraneous to the game itself, something tacked-on, and that didn’t seem like it should require the Nintendo Switch 2 to do anything, since the app was pulling most of the weight.
Having said that… well, it kinda’ doesn’t matter. Even if we say that Zelda Notes is unnecessary fluff that’s not really adding to the game but just sitting alongside it, the improvements to game performance are profound enough that I strongly feel that they make this upgrade worth it in and of itself. If you have the original game and the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, it’s a no-brainer. If you have the game but not the subscription, it’s still worth it… well, if you plan to play the game again. I can understand how some players who spent hundreds of hours in the original release would feel like they’ve had their fill and don’t need to go back for more, even if this version is far, far improved.
And as for those who never got the game to begin with, and are now potentially looking at a $80 price tag? Yeah, I do think The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is worth that much. This is the absolute best version of one of the greatest games of all-time. If you somehow missed this game when it first released, there is no better time to play it than now, and if any game is worth $80, this one is.
tl;dr – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an Open-World Action-RPG that remains one of the greatest games of all-time, and this release is absolutely the best version of this game ever made. It isn’t without its flaws, and many of its new features are superfluous and don’t add much, but even just the improvements to graphics and performance are enough to put this game well beyond the original release of the game. Unless you feel like you already got your fill of the original release, this is an absolute must-have.
Grade: A++
.
I hope you enjoy this new type of review, and look forward to more of these in the future! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!
You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!
This month’s sponsors are Jamie and His Cats, Ben, Ilya Zverev, Andy Miller, Homer Simpin, Johannes, Francis Obst, Gabriel Coronado-Medina, Jared Wark, Kristoffer Wulff, and Seth Christenfeld. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!
eShopperReviews 
Leave a comment