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!
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Genre: Kart Racer
Players: 1-4 Competitive (Local Split-Screen) 2-8 Competitive (Local Wireless) 2-12 Competitive (Online)
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Review:
With Nintendo’s big launch title for Nintendo Switch 2 being Mario Kart World, many players have likely moved on to this new sequel, and Nintendo doesn’t seem likely to update the previous game when they’d surely rather have players spend the $80 it costs to buy the newest game in the franchise. However, I still maintain that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is not only the best game in the Mario Kart franchise, it’s the best Kart Racer ever made. So… does it benefit at all from the Nintendo Switch 2’s more powerful hardware?
Well, if you’re hoping for a performance or graphics boost, you’ll be disappointed – the game looks exactly the same on both platforms. To be sure, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was one of the best-looking games on Nintendo Switch, but even so, it could have benefitted from a resolution increase. However, that’s not happening here.
That’s not to say there’s no improvement, however – loading times are greatly improved! On Nintendo Switch, the game took 42 seconds to load to the title screen (specifically the point where you’re given the option to press L and R to continue), and it took an additional 28 seconds to load into a race. On Nintendo Switch 2, those times are chopped down to 11 seconds and 8 seconds, saving players nearly a full minute every time they load up the game.
Is it a massive improvement? No. And of course the game isn’t anywhere near up to the graphical standard we now have in Mario Kart World. But it’s a nice improvement all the same, and even without a graphics or performance boost, I still say that this is the best Kart Racer ever made, and now it’s even better.
tl;dr – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is not just a Kart Racing game, it is the Kart Racing game, removing the few flaws the Wii U version had and adding even more content to an already content-rich game, making this arguably the best-playing, best-looking and all-around best period when it comes to this type of racing game. And while Nintendo Switch 2 only improves the loading times, this game still looks great and remains one of the greatest Racing games ever made – do not miss it!
Grade: A++
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Mario Party Superstars
Genre: Party Game / Minigame Collection
Players: 1-4 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local, Online)
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Review:
While Nintendo Switch 2 has yet to receive its own unique Mario Party game as of this writing, it did get Super Mario Party Jamboree: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, a release that took a game that I would argue is the greatest Mario Party game ever made… and then gave it an absolutely terrible, overpriced, feature-poor “upgrade”. Ugh. While I still maintain the original version of Super Mario Party Jamboree remains the best in the series, players may be seeking alternatives, and their eyes may be drawn to the prior game in the series, Mario Party Superstars. I still feel like that original game is an uninspired entry in the series, but nevertheless I felt we should look to see if it’s enjoyed any improvement on Nintendo Switch 2.
And… no, not really. Honestly, this is probably the least-improved of any Nintendo Switch game I have tested on Nintendo Switch 2. No improvement to framerates or resolution, and even though most games at least get improved loading times, even that is almost nonexistent here – it took me 9 seconds to load to the first opening options screen on Nintendo Switch 2 instead of the 10 it took me on Nintendo Switch, and all other loading screens were pretty much identical.
So that’s it, one second of difference. So that’s twice now that Mario Party has disappointed me on Nintendo Switch 2… At the very least the original game is… well, playable. Even if it’s nowhere near as good as Super Mario Party Jamboree.
tl;dr – Mario Party Superstars is a Party game that revisits past boards and minigames from throughout the franchise, with modernized visuals and online play. It’s a pretty game, and the minigames here are mostly quite fun, but this game overall feels largely uninspired and lacks features added to the series over the years. If you’re looking for a retro-style Mario Party game, this is definitely that – both the good and the bad.
Grade: C+
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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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