Nintendo has revealed that Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe will all receive such free Switch 2 enhancements. Super Mario Odyssey will add HDR support on the next-gen console, in addition to visual optimizations and improved picture quality, as well as GameShare support. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will offer the same enhancements, though Bowser’s Fury will be the only one to add HDR support. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, meanwhile, promises improved picture quality on the Switch 2.

Additionally, Nintendo confirms that similar free Switch 2 upgrades will also be released for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, ARMS, Game Garage Builder, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, and Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain. 

Free Switch 2 enhancements are also headed on the console’s launch day for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening.

A note before we begin: for the purposes of this list, we’re looking exclusively at strictly linear games. If a game is open world, semi-open world, wide linear, Metroidvania, places emphasis on exploration designed around backtracking, or anything of the sort, you won’t see it on this list. We know that’s a pretty strict way of defining linear design in games, but the very purpose of this feature is to celebrate that, after all, so do keep something in mind as we move ahead.

#15. WOLFENSTEIN 2: THE NEW COLOSSUS

MachineGames did an excellent job of redefining the Wolfenstein franchise with 2014’s The New Order, and then took the series’ new formula to even greater heights with its sequel. The biggest strengths of Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus obviously lie in its story and storytelling, and getting to witness its gleefully over-the-top cutscenes and wonderfully bizarre personalities in a story that remains captivating until the last second is an unforgettable experience. It helps, of course, that the action itself can also be a lot of fun.

THE ELDER SCROLLS 5: SKYRIM

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a nearly a dozen years old at this point, and in that time, it has been re-released countless times and ported to every platform under the sun- but there is, of course, a reason for that. The staying power and enduring quality of Skyrim is undeniable, and even though it has been overtaken by other massive open world experiences in several ways in the years since its launch, taken as a whole, what it offers as a package as incredibly difficult to find elsewhere, and it’s what keeps us coming back to the game.

It’s massive open world, the endless choice it presents to players in how they want to play, the oodles of content it has on offer in terms of its main story, all of its many, many side quests, the plethora of optional activities available throughout its world, the emergent nature of its gameplay- there’s no shortage of reasons that have compelled many of us to go back and start another save on Skyrim multiple times over the years.

Its re-releases, too, have added to that- want to play Skyrim on the go? Here it is on the Nintendo Switch. Want to play a remastered version for your new consoles? Here’s Special Edition. Want to play it again with some additional bells and whistles to celebrate its 10 year anniversary? Here’s Anniversary Edition. Bethesda has smartly kept offering up Skyrim to the masses at regular intervals, and thanks to the timeless design and endless replayability of the game, we’ve been more than happy to oblige.

SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD

Many would argue – and not without merit – that every single 3D mainline Super Mario game is an unabashed genre-defining masterpiece, and yet, even in that lofty company, Super Mario 3D World may very well be one of the series’ shining lights. Releasing on the Wii U didn’t do it any favours, and it wasn’t helped by the initial skeptical response to its reveal back in the day, but once we actually played the game, we were floored by it- the ingenious level design which displays such exhaustive creativity and variety throughout the course of the game, the sheer inch-perfect tightness of the movement and the controls, how incredibly fun it was to play both solo and co-op, how effectively it brushed aside any fears over it being a pared down and linear platforming experience.

Smartly enough, Nintendo decided to re-release Super Mario 3D World on the Switch in 2021, allowing it to be able to flourish on a platform with a massive install base and a userbase that was always actually engaged- and of course, we were more than happy to jump back into the game, because it has the sort of gameplay and design ingenuity that doesn’t fail to delight even on replays.

Of course, it helped that there was another pretty big reason to play the game again, seeing as the Switch release also came packaged with Bowser’s Fury, an entirely new standalone Super Mario experience that offered a meaty chunk of excellent platforming gameplay. Combining the mechanics and movement of 3D World with the more open-ended and sandbox style design of something like Odyssey, Bowser’s Fury proved to be an excellent experience in and of itself as well, and a worthy companion to the 3D World re-release.

THE LAST OF US

The Last of Us may not have the replayability of something like Super Mario 3D World, or the endless player choice and content offerings of Skyrim, but this is just as much of an enduring experience that keeps pulling players back in. That, of course, is down first and foremost to the stellar story, which has been praised to the stratosphere and back countless times of the years, and the characters that populate it, all of it driven by wonderful acting performances and solid, enjoyable stealth and combat gameplay.

Once again though, it helps that Sony has overseen a handful of re-releases to keep giving people another reason to experience The Last of Us all over again. A remaster was released on the PS4 a year after the game’s launch, bundling the game and its DLC together while also bringing significant visual improvements to a game that already looked stunning. Coming at a time when the PS4 was very much the new kid around the block, we (and millions of others) were ecstatic to experience an improved version of one of Sony’s biggest releases of all time on our new, shiny console.

That, of course, was followed last year by The Last of Us Part 1, a ground-up remake that stays extremely faithful to the original in terms of gameplay and story, but once again, makes massive technical and visual improvements, entirely rebuilding the game from scratch while leveraging the PS5’s hardware. And as controversial as its very existence might be, re-experiencing The Last of Us with all of those enhancements once again proved to be a proposition we couldn’t say not to. Sadly, its PC launch has been something of a disaster- but that’s a different story…

METROID PRIME

Good game design is timeless- it’s something that’s been said countless times, and very few games out there prove that as thoroughly as Metroid Prime does. It’s the peak of level design and atmosphere, of how to expertly blend combat and exploration, of how to craft a game that will still be far more compelling to play decades on from its launch than almost anything that has followed it. Metroid Prime took the industry by storm on the GameCube with its release in 2002, and even back then, it was easy to see that this was a game that people would be coming back to again and again and again over the years.

Of course, the Metroid Prime’s trajectory has been a bit more rocky, especially from a commercial perspective, yet even so, Metroid Prime, at the very least, is a game that we’ve had plenty of opportunities to dive back into, whether that’s with its launch on the Wii, which let players play the game with full motion controls, or with the much more recent Metroid Prime Remastered.

The latter in particular is deserving of heaps of praise. It really is a remaster that goes above and beyond in more ways than one, to the extent that calling it a remaster almost doesn’t seem to do it justice. From a gameplay perspective, Retro Studios has left everything about the design and the actual content untouched, but the simple act of being able to play with twin stick controls and finally being able to aim and shoot while moving completely changes the game, and arguably even improves it. Meanwhile, on the audio visual front, the glow-up that Metroid Prime has received with this remaster is almost startling- hell, it may even be one of the best looking games on the Nintendo Switch.

GRAND THEFT AUTO 5

Well, of course people keep going back to GTA 5– it’s sold over 175 million copies, and by the time this sentence is finished, it’ll probably have sold another million. New players, returning players, you name it- there’s no shortage of people out there who are constantly jumping into GTA 5, and then jumping back in. And yes, it has an excellent campaign that probably does hold the attention of a great many players, even now, a decade on from the game’s launch- but let’s face it, GTA Online is what has primarily fueled this train over the years, and still continues to.

No one could have predicted that GTA Online would grow into what it went on to become, but by now, it’s a dynasty in and of itself, driving so much engagement, attracting so many players, and earning so much money that thanks to it, GTA 5 still manages to outsell some of the biggest new releases, even today. Is it disappointing that that had to come at the cost of Rockstar making single player DLC for the game? Absolutely it is- but you can’t argue with the results.

And of course, there has been no shortage of re-releases either, from its PS4 and Xbox One port a year after its initial launch, to a PC version not long after that, to, of course, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S remaster in 2022. Of these, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has obviously been the most underwhelming, but time hasn’t done nearly enough to dull this game’s quality just yet.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Final Fantasy 15 – Regalia Type F

While it’s fun to explore the world of Eos by casually driving around, you’ll want something faster and more convenient when the story is over. The Regalia Type F is the perfect answer – it’s unlocked by clearing three Imperial bases (the third base has a recommended level of 46 but it’s better to do it after finishing the story). Though it can’t be used for exploring the sea and needs a road to land on, this pseudo-airship is fast and doesn’t require fuel, which is a nice bonus.

Like the vast majority of the Wii U’s library though, Super Mario 3D World has now been given a second lease of life on the Switch, and this improved re-release of the game only serves to make abundantly clear that it was so much more than what many initially perceived it as. What Super Mario 3D World is is a joyful bundle of creativity and unadulterated fun. It is one of Mario’s best outings in his illustrious history, and on the Switch, it’s better than ever. 

"Super Mario 3D World is one of Mario’s best outings in his illustrious history, and on the Switch, it’s better than ever."

And “creativity” really is the perfect word to describe this game. Almost each level in  is completely unique in its own way, each focused on a single central hook, idea, or mechanic that it uses to its maximum potential, before discarding it and moving on to the next one. What makes the breathlessly enjoyable execution of all of these mechanics stand out even more is how infrequently Super Mario 3D World reuses ideas. Other than a few stages that are similarly themed or some boss fights that pop up on more than one occasion, you’ll rarely ever play through a course that riffs on an idea that’s already been tackled by the game before. Each level plucks out a separate piece of Super Mario from its rich history and squeezes it until the last drop of potential has been dripped out of it. Considering how meaty the game is and how many levels there are in its dozen worlds, that level of creativity and variety becomes even more impressive. 

What helps, of course, is the ingenious level design. Whether you’re playing through a relatively simple course with breezy platforming challenges, or one with a strict time limit that you have to rush through, or a larger one with much more room for exploration, or one that challenges you with formidable platforming gauntlets, Super Mario 3D World never fails to hit the mark where its level design is concerned. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it some of the best level design ever in a platformer. Excellent implementation of power ups (especially the Super Bell and the Double Cherry) also deserves special praise. 

Meanwhile, there’s also a surprising amount of replay value here. For starters, Super Mario 3D World offers a meaty post-game once the credits have rolled, which has some of the best levels in the entire game. On top of that, with multiple characters to play as, each with their own unique movesets that present unique advantages and disadvantages (some of which are often taken into account in specific challenges within certain levels), going through older levels manages to remain enjoyable and feel fresh even during replays. Exploring hidden nooks and crannies to look for stamps and any stars that you may have missed also serves as a great motivator to do quick runs through courses that you’ve already cleared- especially since courses are usually pretty quick and snappy. Finally, there’s co-op, which is an absolute blast, and comes with its own brand of chaotic fun. Playing 3D World with a friend is a completely different flavour from playing it solo, but it’s no less enjoyable.

"Other than a few stages that are similarly themed or some boss fights that pop up on more than one occasion, you’ll rarely ever play through a course that riffs on an idea that’s already been tackled by the game before."

Super Mario 3D World’s Switch re-release also boasts faster and snappier movement and platforming than the game’s Wii U version, turning an already excellent platformer into an even better one. Clearly, this would have been worth the price of entry even if Nintendo had just stuck with bringing 3D World over to the Switch. But there’s a whole new 3D Super Mario adventure added on as well in the form of Bowser’s Fury– and if it’s any indication of the direction Nintendo are going to take with future Mario games, I cannot wait to see where the series goes from here.

Bowser’s Fury is a completely separate mode, connected to 3D World only through some paper-thin similarities (like the whole cat motif), to the extent that you have to launch it from the game’s splash screen as its own separate game. Set in a fully 3D environment where, unlike 3D World, you have full camera control, Bowser’s Fury adopts a sandbox, open world approach similar to Super Mario Odyssey, Sunshine, and 64. The central conceit is as strange as it can get- Bowser has been possessed by some strange black goo that has turned him massive and monstrous, not just in size, but in his general disposition as well. In his desperation, his son, Bowser Jr, turns to Mario for help, and the two set out to look for Cat Shines scattered throughout the many islands around Lake Lapcat with which to beat back Fury Bowser and turn him back into, well, regular Bowser. 

I’ve always been of the belief that handcrafted linear platformers are far more enjoyable than ones that take place in more open-ended and sandbox environments. While I certainly get the appeal of the latter, there’s an undeniable appeal to the tightly focused and dense platforming challenges that the former approach offers (when properly executed, that is) that suits my tastes much better. Bowser’s Fury, though, is the best of both worlds. From the get go, you’re given complete freedom to explore Lake Lapcat and head in whichever direction you want. Your progress is often blocked by swathes of black goo that cover vast stretches of the region (the same goo that’s taken hold of Papa Bowser), which you can clear by collecting more Cat Shines and activating lighthouses. 

"In Bowser’s Fury, no matter where you go, no matter what you engage with, you’ll always find some fun activity."

And no matter where you go, no matter what you engage with, you’ll always find some fun activity. Most of these are tightly designed platforming gauntlets that call back to the best design philosophies of Super Mario 3D World itself, and all in all, there’s enough variety on offer in the activities for the game to keep delighting and surprising you throughout its runtime. As you progress, areas keep evolving and changing as well, often presenting you with new challenges and opportunities, which means going back to earlier areas of the region is also encouraged. Riding Plessie around the lake is a big focus here too, and some of the activities and challenges focused on that are a ton of fun, owing to controls that feel much tighter and more enjoyable with full camera control going hand-in-hand. 

Owing to the complete freedom you have to explore the island at your own leisure and tackle whichever activity you want, Bowser’s Fury also implements an interesting take on collecting and stocking up on power-ups. You can have a total of five of each power-up item in the game stockpiled at any given time, and any time you want, you can switch one out and opt for a different one. It’s an incredibly smart system that works very well with how the game is structured, allowing you to swap power-ups at a moment’s notice depending on what activity you’re tackling in Lake Lapcat.

Every once in a while, Fury Bowser also awakens from his slumber, which is an event that goes hand-in-hand with a dramatic storm. These dynamically occurring weather changes see Fury Bowser attacking you with everything from fireballs to massive stone blocks to jets of flame, all while you’re going about your business in the open world. It’s a great way to inject tension and variety into the proceedings, especially since these sequences add new elements to the world that are not otherwise present.  Meanwhile, the Fury Bowser sequences never outstay their welcome either. They don’t last awfully long on their own as it is, while getting your hands on a Cat Shine while Fury Bowser is awake also immediately sends him back to sleep. 

"Dynamically occurring weather changes see Fury Bowser attacking you with everything from fireballs to massive stone blocks to jets of flame, all while you’re going about your business in the open world. It’s a great way to inject tension and variety into the proceedings."

There are also some Cat Shines that you can only get to during these sections, since they’re blocked by obstructions that can only be destroyed by Fury Bowser’s attacks. This, I would say, is the one aspect of the dynamic weather mechanic that I found a bit frustrating. Having to wait around for Fury Bowser to wake back up and let me get to the Cat Shines I wanted to get to would only serve to halt the pace of a game with otherwise excellent pacing. Meanwhile, you also take Fury Bowser on in set-piece boss battles every now and then after collecting certain numbers of Cat Shines, and though these fights are never too challenging, it’s always a lot of fun to go up against the behemoth big bad as a gigantic Cat Mario. The sense of scale in these fights is amazing, and it’s the kind of visual spectacle I never expected to see in a Mario game.

It is, however, a tad disappointing that the core platforming moveset in Bowser’s Fury feels so limited for a 3D Mario adventure. Where sandbox Super Mario games in the past have been defined by boundless freedom of expressive movement, where you can chain together jumps and maneuvers endlessly to get to what might ordinarily seem like an inaccessible area, Bowser’s Fury makes use of the same moveset as 3D World itself. But while that moveset works perfectly within the context of a more condensed and linear adventure like 3D World, I think having that limited moveset in a sandbox Mario game feels at odds with the central premise of complete freedom. 

Co-op in Bowser’s Fury also leaves a lot to be desired. When two players play together, one controls Mario, while the other plays as Bowser Jr- though the latter is not all that fun to play as. He’s like a slightly better version of Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey’s co-op. Bowser Jr constantly hovers, which means there’s no platforming to engage with when you’re playing as him, and he takes no damage, which means there’s never any challenge either. He can attack enemies, and he can paint graffiti at certain spots in the world to produce power-ups for Mario, but he rarely ever feels like more than an afterthought. 

"The sense of scale in the boss fights against Fury Bowser is amazing, and it’s the kind of visual spectacle I never expected to see in a Mario game."

Some issues aside though, Bowser’s Fury is an excellent new chapter in the long and illustrious history of this iconic franchise. At 3-4 hours long, it’s also a pretty meaty adventure, and it, too, has quite a bit of post-game content, which means you can easily spend 6-7 hours exploring Lake Lapcat. Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D World itself is as good as it has always been, which is to say it’s one of the best Mario games ever made. Needless to say, this package is an absolute must-have for anyone who has a Switch.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury was the biggest new game release last week, so it’s no surprise that the Switch platformer has debuted on top of the weekly UK retail charts (via GamesIndustry)- and it’s done so with very impressive figures. It’s sold nearly thrice as much as launch (and this only includes physical copies) as the original game did when it came out on the Wii U- though, of course, the install bases for the Wii U and the Switch are not comparable in the slightest.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury launch sales fall right in the middle of the table where launch sales for Mario games on the Switch are concerned- higher than the launch sales for Super Mario Maker 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, but lower than Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

The other big release last week was Tarsier Studios and Bandai Namco’s creepy horror puzzle platformer Little Nightmares 2, which debuts in second place. 43% of its sales came from the PS4, 37% from the Nintendo Switch, and 18% from Xbox One.

You can check out the full top 10 for the week ending February 13 below.

1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. FIFA 21
4. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
7. Little Nightmares 2
8. Minecraft (Switch)
9. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
10. Ring Fit Adventure

Nintendo seems to be prepping for more details on Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, the enhanced port of Super Mario 3D World that’s coming to the Nintendo Switch. It recently launched a teaser site with a few details and media for the title. No real information has been revealed about Bowser’s Fury besides Nintendo asking fans to “Stay tuned for more details about this action-packed addition to the game!”

With rumors of a new Nintendo Direct coming – at least according to this Reddit post about the official archive site being updated – the teaser site’s launch makes sense. Nintendo could also be prepping a Direct focused primarily on the 3D platformer. Either way, expect more details in the coming weeks.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is currently slated to release on February 12th for Nintendo Switch (and won’t be a limited time release like Super Mario 3D All-Stars, thankfully). Along with solo play, it support local and online co-op for up to four players. A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for online multiplayer though.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars will provide some 3D platforming goodness for Switch fans when it releases later this month. But next year, there’s even more Mario coming. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury was announced during the recent Direct and will arrive for Switch on February 12th 2021.

As a port of the Wii U classic, Super Mario 3D World can be played solo or with up to three other players in co-op. Both local and online multiplayer are supported, though the latter requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership. All of the levels, power-ups, and gameplay of the original has been brought over.

Of course, some additional content was teased near the end of the trailer which Nintendo will provide more details on “soon.” The “Bowser’s Fury” part seems to indicate an expansion of sorts but we’ll have to wait for more details. A whole bunch of Mario news was announced today to celebrate the plumber’s 35th anniversary so stay tuned for more details.

Super Mario 3D World has been one of the most highly requested Switch ports of a Wii U game for basically as long as the Switch has been around, and in recent weeks, with every passing day it’s started looking likelier that it will indeed make its way to Nintendo’s hybrid sooner rather than later.

Most recently, as spotted by Wario64 on Twitter, Best Buy have put up a listing for Super Mario 3D World on the Switch, with a price tag of $60- which is in line with how Nintendo typically prices even its re-releases and remasters.

While it’s best not to put too much stock in leaks from retailer listings, a Switch port of the Wii U platformer has long been in the rumour mill. Just recently, multiple insider leaks claimed that to celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary, Nintendo would be re-releasing multiple mainline Super Mario titles for the Switch, which will include a Super Mario 3D World Deluxe (as well as a new Paper Mario game).

Either way, stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated as this developers.

The listing is not activated but there's a listing for Super Mario 3D World for Switch at Best Buy. SKU # is 6352130. It has a price tag of $60 currently.

Take it with a grain of salt but given the Mario rumors from a few weeks ago, it's likely this game is coming pic.twitter.com/VZ3qFx1FZs

— Wario64 (@Wario64) April 20, 2020

2020 is the year of Super Mario’s 35th anniversary, and it seems Nintendo has some big things in store for the same. Reports have emerged recently that say multiple Mario games will be coming to the Switch this year, including a new Paper Mario title and multiple mainline Super Mario re-releases. Now, reports from more sources have provided a few more details on that.

Gematsu and Eurogamer are both corroborating the aforementioned report from VGC. Among the games coming to the Switch this year as per these reports, one will be a port of the series’ Wii U outing, with Super Mario 3D World Deluxe. Meanwhile, HD remasters for Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.

Eurogamer also backs up the reports of a new Paper Mario title, and also adds that Super Mario 3D World will include new levels that were not seen in the original Wii U release. Additionally, it is also supposedly one of a couple of Wii U games that Nintendo is planning on bringing to the Switch this year, which falls in line with previous reports.

More information should hopefully be coming in on this soon, so stay tuned for those reports.