Today, I’m adding more games to the list of games that have seen improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!

Dave the Diver – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Genre: Action-RPG / Arcade / Management Simulation

Players: 1

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Review:

When I think of games that could really use a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Dave the Diver isn’t one that comes to mind. It’s graphically unambitious, doesn’t really suffer from major performance issues, it’s just fine the way it is. But need it or not, it has gotten a free upgrade on Nintendo Switch 2, so let’s have a look and see what’s changed.

The profile page for this game claims that there are zero gameplay changes, but that the resolution and framerate have been improved. I honestly don’t see a very strong improvement in the framerates, though the game’s pseudo-retro graphical style may make that harder to discern. However, the framerates are definitely improved her, jumping from 30FPS to 60FPS, making the fame flow much more smoothly.

However, there’s another big improvement here that hasn’t been advertised as much: improvements to loading times. On Nintendo Switch, it took 48 seconds to load the game to the title screen, another 16 seconds to load a save file, and 17 seconds every time you have Dave dive into the water. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are reduced to 19, 8, and 6, a significant improvement!

While this may not be as drastic a change as some games get, Dave the Diver has definitely seen an improvement on Nintendo Switch 2, and players who own the Nintendo Switch version of the game should be pleased by this free upgrade. And those who never bought the game on Nintendo Switch should find this game looking in fine shape on Nintendo’s latest hybrid console.

tl;dr – Dave the Diver combines Action-RPG sections where players dive into the sea to catch various fish, and Arcade-style Restaurant sections with some Management Simulation elements when you’re serving up those fish to clamoring customers. The gameplay in both sections is good, and both work well together, but each has some flaws that hamper the enjoyment, and the game overall has problems with frequent loading screens and pacing-stopping character conversations. This is still a fun and original game, but these small annoyances do gradually add up.

Grade: B

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Yooka-Replaylee

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

I have to admit, I went back and forth over whether or not to give Yooka-Replaylee a completely new review. perhaps more than any other game I’ve played, this is a game that tows the line between remaster and remake. far from a mere graphical overhaul of the game, this is a massive change, and while the core gameplay remains largely intact, you’ll notice changes from everything ranging from the game’s pacing and progression, your move set, and even some areas that weren’t present in the original. Suffice it to say, this is far, far more work than I think anyone felt was necessary from Yooka-Laylee, and credit needs to be given to the development team for really pouring their hearts into making this about as far from a lazy remaster as possible.

For those who own a digital version of the original Yooka-Laylee on Nintendo Switch, there’s good news – an automatic 30% discount will be applied to your purchase of this game, giving you extra incentive to upgrade even if you already bought the original release. This amounts to a reduction from $30 to $21, not too shabby.

While I make it a point to say that the graphics are far from the only improvement here, the graphics have indeed gotten an overhaul, upgraded to 1440p in docked mode, 1080p resolution in handheld mode, both at a mostly-stable 30FPS. The loading times don’t seem too drastically different, but numbers hardly do justice to all the visual differences here. There’s a ton more texture detail, improved lighting, tons more environmental details, improved lighting, improved water, a fully-remastered soundtrack… the two versions are stylistically-similar, but Yooka-Replaylee has absolutely had a massive overhaul to look and sound very much improved. That said, this version is still a far cry from what’s on other modern platforms, which boast better framerates and resolution.

As I noted, there are numerous gameplay improvements here as well. A new map, new fast travel points, improved controls, all abilities unlocked at the start, larger versions of levels unlocked at the start, with those levels filled with more collectables and more unlockables to get with said collectables.

That said, I didn’t find everything here to be an improvement. For example, I felt that while the combat feels more visceral this time around, it’s also more button-mashy in a way that gets tiresome fast.

However, while there are still some flaws here, this is overall a massive improvement over the original game, and one that truly transforms the experience… though not so much that I would say players who already bounced off or tired of the original Yooka-Layle will want to return. However, if you loved the original game and have been craving an excuse to go back, or if you enjoy 3D Platformers and never got around to playing Yooka-Layle in its original incarnation, Yooka-Replaylee is the perfect excuse to finally pick up this game and play it in its best version yet.

tl;dr – Yooka-Laylee is a 3D platformer that deliberately follows in the footsteps of the classic Banjo-Kazooie, and it definitely still has that same sort of magic, even if it’s a formula that feels like it’s aged poorly in some areas. This reworked version of the game on Nintendo Switch 2 is a massive overhaul that tows the line between remaster and remake, and is absolutely the best version of the game, and a must-play for fans of 3D Platformers.

Grade: B+

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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!

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