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Discussion Which "half" of the Switch's library do you prefer?

Which set of games do you prefer?

  • 2017 - 2020 was quite choice

    Votes: 82 64.1%

  • 2021 - 20XX is indeed fire

    Votes: 46 35.9%
  • Total voters
    128
D

Deleted member 2

Guest
In terms of software releases, which "half" of the Switch's library do you prefer?

I put "half" in quotes because we don't know when the Switch is going to stop receiving software, so for all intents and purposes, here is my designation:

Half 1 is 2017 - 2020
Half 2 is 2021 - 20XX

Here are some notable releases from each "half":

Half 1 (2017 through 2020)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Super Mario Odyssey
  • Splatoon 2
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2
  • Arms
  • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
  • Paper Mario: The Origami King
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  • Pokémon Sword / Shield
  • Octopath Traveler
  • Astral Chain
  • Doom
  • Trials of Mana
  • Dragon Quest XI S
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2


Half 2 (2021 through 20XX)

  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  • Metroid Dread
  • Fire Emblem Engage
  • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
  • Kirby and the Forgotten Land
  • Splatoon 3
  • Pokémon Legends: Arceus
  • Pokémon Scarlet / Violet
  • New Pokémon Snap
  • Monster Hunter Rise
  • Bayonetta 3
  • Octopath Traveler 2
  • Shin Megami Tensei V
  • Triangle Strategy
  • Advance Wars 1 + 2
 
The one that had Fire Emblem Three Houses and Super Mario Odyssey. Pokemon and Square Enix's output got a lot better in the second half though, and looking at the list it's a lot closer than I expected.
 
Half 1 is where the magic was for sure. Half 2 is still great though.
 
0
First half is missing Wii U ports and Smash.

Mario Odyssey is the game of the generation for me, I love LM3 and MK8DX has about 330 hours of playtime. Easily first half for me.
 
Both are so good. But first half because Dragon Quest XI S is my crack and I'm a junkie.
 
0
Half 1 currently, but we’re comparing 4 years vs 2.5 years, and Pikmin 4 hasn’t come out yet as well as whatever Nintendo has for holiday 2023. So let’s wait a bit.
 
0
Not really a fair comparison, considering that the first half was way longer and the second half is still ongoing. I agree that splitting between 2020 and 2021 feels right, but it doesn’t make for a great comparison.
 
0
You could put 2020 into the second half to make it more fair and I'd still pick the first half. 2017 and 2019 were too good.
 
0
First half is still better, although the second half has some of my favorite games of all time (Xenoblade 3, Dread, Arceus, and most likely TOTK). Just crazy how good the Switch has been and we still have Pikmin 4 and Prime 4 coming.
 
0
Damn I thought this would be an easy choice but looking at that list... I actually voted second half. Then I remembered some games from the first half that aren't listed, liked Luigi's Mansion and Mario Maker, and almost flipflopped

But eh I'll rep the underdog, the biggest hole has been patched with Tears of the Kingdom, and Pokémon support was significantly better. Only thing truly missing is 3D Mario, but with more releases still to come, such as Pikmin 4, the second half can only improve

Third party support is really what tips it over the edge for me. Monster Hunter Rise and subsequently Sunbreak were peak gameplay
 
0
Really tough. I think H1 had higher overall quality throughout but I’m maybe more interested in the risks taken in H2.

Ultimately I think H1 takes it. But it is close. Very healthy lifecycle for a system.
 
0
My favorite Pokemon games of all time (Sword & Shield) being in the first half almost swung the vote for me, but no, half 2 is my choice.
 
0
this is pretty easy for me

i've only actually gotten around to playing even partially 6 games on these lists, conveniently enough two games each from three different series which are all split between the two halves

I like Xenoblade 3 more than Xenoblade 2, Engage more than Three Houses and TotK more than BotW so it's a half two sweep

I want to play the Mario + Rabbids games someday but haven't gotten around to it and people seem to prefer Sparks of Hope to Kingdom Battle

I also intend to get around to playing Bayonetta 3 someday while I don't really have interest in it's closest half one equivalent in Astral Chain due to frame rate
 
0
Hard to look past the first half, especially when you also include Luigi's Mansion 3 and Ring Fit.

But it's closer than I thought as the second half has some very high highs - New Pokemon Snap is my almost my favourite Pokemon game ever (plus two great mainline games), Kirby was great, Pikmin 4 is coming and then there's obviously TOTK
 
0
Half 2 takes it for me but they are both really strong.

The Zelda games cancel each other out for me. While Dragon Quest XIS is my favourite from the first half, Monster Hunter Rise, SMTV, Triangle Strategy, Octopath 2 and Advance Wars lift half 2 above it for me. Octopath 2 is on my list of favourite JRPGs ever at this point, and I’m still playing MonHun two years later.

My favourites from H1:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Octopath Traveler
Dragon Quest XI S
Trials of Mana

From Half 2-
Octopath Traveler 2
Monster Hunter Rise
Shin Megami Tensei V
Triangle Strategy
Advance Wars 1 + 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
 
0
Tough decision. Looking at it again and again I still can't say which one is better. Though I feel presence of Atlus games (SMT5, P5R, 13 Sentinels) moves the pin slightly towards second half.
 
0
All you're doing is showing me that the Switch library is ridiculously good.

The first half also had Tokyo Mirage Sessions, the port of Tropical Freeze, Sushi Strikers (which I do think is underrated), Luigi's Mansion 3 and all the Labo stuff, which I had a good amount of fun with even if it's kind of just dead now.

I GUESS if I had to pick I'd go with the 2nd half overall.
 
0
First half. So far most of the highest points of the second half to me are sequels to things from the first half, so just... not quite as big a deal.
bellydrum said:
Half 1 (2017 through 2020)
[*]Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
Click to expand...
Thanks to Activision's late port/double dip strategy, this goes to team 2021.
 
JoshuaJSlone said:
First half. So far most of the highest points of the second half to me are sequels to things from the first half, so just... not quite as big a deal.

Thanks to Activision's late port/double dip strategy, this goes to team 2021.
Click to expand...
Hell yes. We should play together sometime (if possible).
 
0
The second half has a lot of quite solid titles but most of the standout Switch games for me are in the first half, so it's an easy win for that
 
Honestly, seeing as I prefer H2 by a whisker and both are stacked with games I loved, this thread has more just reminded me how strong the Switch’s library is across a large range of my favourite series, and that’s just the ones big enough to get retail copies, let alone the shitloads of smaller titles.
 
PixelKnight said:
Honestly, seeing as I prefer H2 by a whisker and both are stacked with games I loved, this thread has more just reminded me how strong the Switch’s library is across a large range of my favourite series, and that’s just the ones big enough to get retail copies, let alone the shitloads of smaller titles.
Click to expand...
I'm a half 1 guy but I really can't hate on half 2 lol.

We're spoiled. We've been eaten real good since day 1 of Switch really.
 
I call the last couple of years the O U R O B O R O S era. Not only has Nintendo incorporated autocannibalistic serpents in three of their recent published games, but the library is coming full circle as well. We've got Esplatún 3, Xenoblade 3, Tears, Super Bomberman 2 and Octopath II, a few games whose predecessors released early in the Switch's lifespan.
 
I think they're both pretty close right now - a whole ton of great releases whatever side you look at. Switch has been phenomenal in the grand.

However, with the 2nd half benefitting from everything releasing in the future I find it hard not to pick it, with Pikmin 4, Metroid Prime 4, the man in the hat, Silksong among other stuff yet to be released.. I kno we're in for a treat going forward to.
 
0
Smash Ultimate, Mario Odyssey and BOTW make this a no brainer. Honestly my favorite game from the second half is 3D World + Bowser's Fury.

No matter what games come out in the second half, I doubt it will still match the first half.
 
0
The one that has Metroid Dread in it.

Both have a ton of games I've really enjoyed, but only one has my game of the forever.
 
Actually let me list first party games I've played in full (or playing right now) from both halves:

First half:

BOTW
Mario Odyssey
Tropical Freeze*
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Pokemon Sword
Smash Ultimate
Mario Maker 2
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Yoshi's Crafted World
Splatoon 2

Second half:

Mario 3D World* + Bowser's Fury
Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe*
Pokemon Violet
Kirby Forgotten Land
TOTK (playing right now)

Yeah this is an easy choice. I still have Pokemon Arceus and Metroid Dread in the backlog and although I'm sure I will enjoy them, it won't be enough to balance out the first half.

*Already played on previous consoles
 
My top games from each half off the top of my head:

First half:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Arms
Splatoon 2
Super Mario Odyssey
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Mega Man 11
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Astral Chain
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Pokémon Sword
Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Second Half:
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Monster Hunter Rise
Famicom Detective Club 1&2
No More Heroes 3
Metroid Dread
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Splatoon 3
Pokémon Violet
Metroid Prime: Remastered
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I voted the 2nd half, especially since it’s still ongoing, but what this really shows me is that switch has had a great lifespan so far
 
0
I don’t quite agree with the games or way the halves are laid out in OP, and the recent focus on DLC makes things even murkier… but in general I’d say half two, only because it stands on the shoulders of half one and is reaching even higher and getting even weirder, which I love.
 
0
Whenever Smash came out I guess. A lot of the games listed don't do it for me. Love 3D Mario, Zelda, Smash and Metroid but these Pokemon games were rough to say the least, and the other games just don't do it for me. We shall see how good Pikmin 4 is.
 
0
As others have said, I think the way 1st and 2nd half are split up at this point is a little lopsided.

All that said, I give first half the slight nod. We have seen a lot of cool stuff in the past couple of years, but too many first party games that were lacking content (mainly Stickers, Golf and Switch Sports) for me to say that it is better.
 
0
2021 onward has Famicom Detective Club and Advance Wars. It's no contest; the latter half of the library is simply better.
 
My gut said the first half, but looking at the lists the second half had more games I loved then the first half. Really it just goes to show how stacked Switch's library has been.
 
BassForever said:
My gut said the first half, but looking at the lists the second half had more games I loved then the first half. Really it just goes to show how stacked Switch's library has been.
Click to expand...

Nintendo's best first party lineup ever as far as I'm concerned is what I will say once a proper Star Fox game graces the system.
 
Each half has a number of franchises that were equally represented like Zelda, Splatoon, and Pokemon, so to me it comes down to what does one side have that the other doesn't in terms of franchises.

Under that lens I think the first half comes out looking a heck of a lot stronger with Mario, Smash, and Animal Crossing. Second half has a couple notable inclusions like Metroid and 3D Kirby but it's not enough imo.
 
0
I think the first half was more exciting, but the 2nd half certainly isnt lacking good games : )
 
0
It's not really the focus of OP, but on further thought first half had more (to me) interesting old ports, too. Skyrim portable! Witcher 3 portable! Final Fantasy XII portable! PS1 FFs and Katamari Damacy on a Nintendo system for the first time! Decades-late localizations of Seiken Densetsu 3 and a bunch of NES Kunio games! It absolutely makes sense that there would be fewer of these left to still show up in 2021 and beyond.
 
0
I love it all! One of the best console software’s ever.
 
0
Dread and Arceus are two of my favorite games of all time. Gotta go with the second half.
 
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