Nintendo Switch 2 Reviews: Classic Games / Remakes

Here’s the games I have reviewed so far on the Nintendo Switch 2 in this genre, from best to worst. Note: If multiple games have the same score, they will be sorted alphabetically.

Classic Games / Remakes (GameCube era or older)

GameGenreOriginal PlatformGrade
Star FoxOn-Rails ShooterNintendo 64A+
tl;drStar Fox is a faithful family-friendly remake of Star Fox 64 that gets pretty much everything right. It preserves the excellent gameplay of the original game while giving it an absolutely stunning makeover, adding in a bunch of new features, expanding on the original game’s story, revamping the multiplayer mode, and overall setting a standard for others to look to when anyone wants to see how to do a truly phenomenal remake of an absolute classic. This is a must-have game, and a showpiece for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Final Fantasy VII Remake IntergradeAction-RPG / JRPGPlayStationA-
tl;dr Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a truly ambitious remake of one of the most impactful videogames ever made, reworking it to be a more action-focused JRPG. This is a stunningly-gorgeous game, one of the best-looking games to release on Nintendo Switch 2 so far, in a port that makes shrewd compromises that sacrifice little. And while I have my nitpicks about the story and gameplay, it’s hard to complain about a $40 showpiece title that’s a truly praiseworthy port of such a major game. If you’re a Final Fantasy fan on Nintendo Switch 2, consider this an absolute must-have.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Nintendo Switch 2 EditionTurn-Based Strategy-RPGPlayStationA-
tl;drFinal Fantasy Tactics is a genre-naming game for the “Tactics-style” Turn-Based Strategy RPG genre, and for good reason, it’s outstanding, and it is presented here in the best version we’ve ever gotten of the game, albeit not the definitive version, nor one without its own flaws and frustrations. Still, the original game has aged well, and the new quality-of-life improvements and voiced dialogue makes this game even better. If you enjoy Strategy-RPGs, consider this a must-buy.
Dragon Quest VII ReimaginedTurn-Based JRPGPlayStationA-
tl;drDragon Quest VII Reimagined is a remake of a family-friendly PlayStation and Nintendo 3DS Turn-Based JRPG that addresses all of the complaints I had about that game and adds multiple improvements to boot, as well as a stunning new presentation. As a remake this game is astounding, and as a JRPG it is a game that you should absolutely get your hands on, even if you didn’t enjoy previous versions of Dragon Quest VII. And the improvements the Nintendo Switch 2 version gets to visuals and performance take it a step above the Nintendo Switch version too!
Trails in the Sky 1st ChapterAction-RPG / Turn-Based JRPGPCB+
tl;drTrails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a full remake of a 21 year-old classic that reworks the game from the ground up with massive improvements to gameplay and presentation. Some elements of the story and character customization still feel a tad dated, but overall this is a superb blend of Turn-Based JRPG and Action-RPG, and a great entry point for anyone curious about the Trails franchise.
Yakuza KiwamiAction-RPGPlayStation 2B+
tl;drYakuza Kiwami is an Action-RPG focusing on the criminal underworld of contemporary Tokyo, with an extremely detailed world that begs to be explored, and an excellent story with some excellent twists and turns. Unfortunately, the inconsistent combat and an extremely linear early game hinder this otherwise excellent experience. Still, if you can put up with its flaws, I still think this game is absolutely worth playing. It’s a mixed bag, but that mix is mostly very good.
Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac3D PlatformerPlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCubeB
tl;drPac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is a remake of the family-friendly 2002 multiplatform 3D Platformer that’s a genuinely good remake of a game that has aged much better than its predecessor, with improved controls, improved game design, and improved level design, making for a solid entry in the genre. It’s not very original, and it’s not a timeless classic, but if you’re a fan of 3D Platformers, this is definitely a game you should consider picking up.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4Action / Strategy / Tower DefensePlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCubeB
tl;drTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 follows in the footsteps of 2020’s Remake / Compilation of the first two games by bringing together and modernizing the next pair of games in the Skateboarding franchise in much the same way. This release unfortunately lacks content from the original games and drops the open-ended gameplay of Pro Skater 4. And the graphics and performance on Nintendo Switch 2, while good, are underwhelming. That said, the core gameplay is still excellent, the three new levels are very good, and the addition of custom goals to the create-a-park mode is potentially huge. The result is an uneven and at times disappointing game that is nevertheless overall excellent, and an absolute must-have for Tony Hawk fans on the go.
Arcade Archives 2 Air Combat 22Combat Flight SimulatorArcadeC
tl;drAir Combat 22 is a Combat Flight Simulation game that’s decent but somewhat repetitive, and at $15 for a game that’s 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. Fans of the genre still may find this worth checking out, but I expect most players will find it’s not worth the expense.
Arcade Archives 2 Aqua JetWatercraft RacingArcadeC-
tl;drAqua Jet is an Arcade-style Watercraft Racing game that’s enjoyable to play, but sorely lacking in content and with no multiplayer mode, which makes it even harder to justify this nearly 30 year-old game’s bloated $15 price tag. Unless you’re starving for this sort of game or have nostalgia for its original release, skip this one.
Arcade Archives 2 Rave RacerArcade RacingArcadeC-
tl;drRave Racer is a great Arcade-style Racing game in the Ridge Racer franchise, but it’s woefully lacking content, is missing the original release’s multiplayer, and at $15 for a game that’s 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. This is a great game, but there just isn’t enough here to justify the price.
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge RacerArcade RacingArcadeC-
tl;drRidge Racer is an incredible, iconic Arcade-style Racing game, but it’s woefully lacking content, has no multiplayer, and at $15 for a game that’s over 30 years old it seems horribly overpriced. This is a truly great game, but there just isn’t enough here to justify the price.

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