Nintendo's Updated Switch and 3DS Infographic Shows Off Winter Line-Up

Great lineup indeed!

Going to buy them all.

@iescalie1 No you aren't.

(forgive me, my bank account...)

Nah. Winter will be a break for me and my wallet. Might buy stuff in the late spring or so. Didn't play Odyssey at all and slacking off at Waifu Emblem. Perhaps I'll buy Xenoblade if it's interesting enough...

If only Style Savvy : Styling Star has Retail version for USA region also.
Ah, stupid Region Lock....

It's weird, everyone complained about lack of games at launch, but now say things are getting better. For me, it's the opposite. I've been very happy with the Switch and already have more games than I do for my Wii U, but there isn't much on the horizon that excites me. I might give Xenoblade Chronicles a try, but it's not really my type of game anymore.

EDIT: Except for King of Cards. Of course I'll be all over the next Shovel Knight expansion day 1, but I already own the Treasure Trove, so I wasn't counting that.

Very excited for Xenoblade, I hope it'll turn out great.
I'm almost more excited for Octopath Traveler though. That game can't come soon enough. Glad to see that its development is apparently progressing steadily and that it is well on its way to an hopefully early'ish 2018 release.

This year is certainly ending on a high note. But I'm muuuuch more interested in 2018. Pretty sure there are a load of games I want coming out in Spring 2018 alone! But yeah, the rest of the year for me is going to be quite quiet. So an early "Well done" to the Switch!

Several definite purchases and a few possibles on both the Switch and 3DS for me. Looks like both have healthy near futures for me.

Pokemon, Style Savvy, Atlus games and Xenoblade for me. Might get the kids Snipperclips Plus at Christmas time.

@Kalmaro @Kalmaro I am, I swear.
Lol. The only game I probably would not buy on here is Etrian Odyssey. Never was into that series. I have all preordered or bought already. How many are you planning to get? Might just get EO as well to support Nintendo.

Bothered that the only titles that tempt me are on 3DS....
Already have King of Cards coming to me via Treasure Trove, wish Mario Party top 100 was coming to Switch, and getting Style Savvy for my wife who loved the demo.

Weird that Sonic is not on that list!

No BOTW DLC date

2018 is bare boned. Winter is coming! And with it, lots of ports.

Mario Odyssey is enough for me at the moment. Not sure whether to get LA Noire on Switch or PS4, but definitely want to pick it up as I missed it last gen. The only other game on that list which I might get is Mario + Rabbids. Trying to be more realistic with my purchases this gen in respect of the time I've got for gaming, rather than getting a backlog of games that are either unplayed or barely touched.

@Pokefanmum82 Ummm... Everything on the Switch...

Oh man, what is wrong with me!? I don't have money for this D:

@jswhitfield8 True, Mario Party for the Switch would be glorious. I think we all want Mario Party 1-2 HD, classic game boards, and the best mini-games. I love my 3DS, but I feel that Mario Party: The Top 100 would have better on Switch.

Mario + Luigi, Snipperclips DLC, L.A Noire, Skyrim, NSB3 (for the gf for Christmas), and that's it for me.

Shut up and take my money already Nintendo. My wallet is agonizing in pain at the great lineup of games on the Switch and 3DS. Lol.

They really need to fill us in about what we're going to be playing in January and beyond. It's only 2 months away.

I did think there would be a big Direct with several 2018 announcements this month but with the next Direct being Xenoblade focused I'm not so confident. Saying that they've had 2 Directs in one month before so there's still hope.

@Shiryu Love this.

@AlexOlney Come to think of it, why ISN'T sonic forces on the list?

Already picked up Mario and Rabbids(and beat the main story) FE Warriors on Switch(why even consider the 3DS version if you have the Switch?) and Mario Odyssey. Already pre-ordered the special edition of Xenoblade 2 as well. Doom, LA Noire, Octopath Traveller and Rocket league are all maybes too.

Only 3DS game for me, and probably the last new 3DS game I will pick up unless Nintendo surprised me, Pokemon Ultra Moon. Even being the least hyped Pokemon game ever for me... it's still Pokemon. And I haven't skipped a main series title yet. Just nabbed that Shiny Mimikyu from the Osaka Pokemon Center last Friday, it's level 10. Gonna trade it over right away and use it on my in-game team.

Polygon reviewed Sonic Forces this morning and it's not great. Maybe Nintendo want to keep this list for good games. But then how did NBA 2K18 and FIFA 18 make the list?

Rocket league , pokemon , xenoblade chronicles , octopath travelar and the atlus games. If I happen to have any money left then I may buy some of the other switch games and one or two 3ds games

From the 2017 titles still to release, I'll be getting Doom, Rocket League and Skyrim day one while LA Noire will need to wait for a month or 2.Xenoblade 2 I'm not sure yet,loved Chronicles, didn't like X.

@AlexOlney Does Nintendo not like Sonic no more...

Behind my scheduel on Switch games brcause I hsve been catching up on other stuff, but on that list I want:
Fire Emblem Warriors
Super Mario odyssey
LA Noir
Mario + Rabbids
Pokkén
Wolfenstein 2.

Not on that list but moste looking forward to the Senran Kagura Asuka game.

Off topic:

@Octane (or any other moderator etc) I seem to be having trouble posting in the forums - every time I go to the forum section, I get logged out - I've tried deleting my cookies etc, but still no luck I haven't been banned or anything have I? I don't recall doing anything wrong (and, if I did, I very much apologise!) ..can't seem to figure out what's going on - so any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

EDIT: Never mind, just tested on my phone and I seem to be able to post OK - must be a browser issue :/

EDIT 2: Solved!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I liked the demo, but I found it head scratching that they would only give us one minute to play. I definitely found this game at least good. I don't trust Polygon as much as I do NintendoLife.

@AlexOlney
Mange tout, Alex. Mange tout.

@NaviAndMii What did you do???? Lol. Have you tried other devices? You could always make a new account.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Fifa and 2K are good games. Certainly not great, but to claim they aren't good at all is a bit disingenuous even if they aren't your thing. Taking a Polygon review seriously is one of the most hilarious things I've seen online. Not claiming Sonic is a good game because I haven't played it but that's the last website you should go to for reviews. And to reply to your original comment, it is way too early to say 2018 is bare bones, Nintendo are focusing on the holidays right now and to reveal too much about next year would be bad marketing 101.

Game in 2D. Game in 2D. Game in 2D. Game in 2D except for 1 small area where you take pictures at a low framrate...bulls***

I was starting to worry about how I would play and what I wouldn’t, but luckily those handy 3rd party developers who weren’t willing to use big enough game cards have made the choice easy for me! 1st party and indies all the way- Xenoblade, Zelda DLC, Snipperclips DLC, Rocket League, Yooka-Laylee, and MAYBE Skyrim depending on a few looks on YouTube.

I've only really just started Odyssey and I haven't even touched FE Warriors... I have Doom, Skyrim and XC2 on pre-order, but I might just slim that down to XC2. I'd like to support these big third party releases but I'm no rich man, and I can't help but think that they'll only get cheaper - where as the Nintendo exclusives tend to hold their price.

@iescalie1 Yeah, thanks - just tested on my iPhone and it seems to work fine - must be a browser issue :/ ..I'll try and figure it out!

Xenoblade Chronicles 2, already ordered. King of Cards, already in my Treasure Trove bundle. Apart from that, nothing definite - though I will consider Skyrim, LA Noire and maybe one of the two FPS. As for 2018, who knows? Suspect Yoshi and Kirby aren't a million miles away.

Doom and Xenoblade are my priorities for the rest of the year with L.A. Noire as a maybe. It's a shame Skyrim didn't launch in the summer as it would have been a no brainer, as it is I simply won't have the time between Mario, Xenoblade and Zelda dlc

That graphic fits my phone screen perfectly - Nintendo are modernising!

I think the entirety of the Wii U’s lifetime retail lineup could fit on the left side of this info graphic. I exaggerate, but only slightly.

@johndevine we need to know this 😥

@OorWullie I've been expecting a ND i nearly December for awhile now, after XC2 releases. I feel like they've done Dec ND before, but I could be confusing it w/ PSX and Game Awards. (PSX is gonna rock - Spiderman, God of War, maybe more RDR2 and Ghost.) In which case January. 2018 really needs some game announcements besides 2D Kirby and Yoshi. I still feel like either Super Mario Maker 2 or SSB4 Deluxe for end of May. Super Meat Boy and a 6 month old port of Wolfenstien is only going to get you so far.

We're getting 3 Switch titles, 2 of which aren't on the list, Sonic Forces and Lego Marvel Superhero 2, which looks really good as far as those games go. XC2 is the other. All Day 1.

I'm glad they put Mario + Rabbids on the infograghic, I feel like that was a well received game but between Zelda and Mario it's kind of fallen thru the cracks. I would have bought it last week at Target had Switch games been included in the B2G1 sale, but I bought 3 PS4 games instead.

And I just noticed Mario Party Top 100 is only playable in 2D. Man, they keep finding new and creative ways to make that game a joke.

I think there will be a holiday ready ND before that important Christmas window to show off some 2018 content. As for me, I can't afford everything so probably Rime and Skyrim, possibly Doom for a Christmas pressie.

Amazing line-up for the Switch this year, but it looks like it's starting to cool down near the end. Might pick up either Doom or Rocket League but I'm not sure about both.

Still, the best launch year for a console in my recent memory.

I personally can't wait to get my hands on Rocket League in a week. I've been wanting to try that out for sometime now.

Can't wait for someone to make a "full version" with every game that's been confirmed so far on it ! (maybe in place of the "3DS column", aka the column noone's looking at)

Isn’t Kirby Battle Royale suppose to come out next year in the U.S.?

So far, just Pokémon...

Only xenoblade 2. But its a big only. Still enough to do with zelda.

Snipperclips Plus DLC, maybe DOOM, Rocket League, Skyrim, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, King Knight DLC, maybe Project Octopath.

Had preordered L.A. Noire but since the whole game is not on the card sadly cancelled.

This end of the year no news from Nintendo reminds me of the no info pre-Switch launch time. They’re building up for something big again. Or... they really don’t have much of anything else to say since their huge two pillars (Zelda/Mario) are out already. I’m sure more ARMS characters will come and other new Splatoon 2 features. Zelda DLC is not mentioned and will hopefully be fairly time consuming. Mario and Rabbids DLC is coming and will also tack on a good bit (unlike the first round of DLC).

No Yooka Laylee, looks like even Nintendo have given up on it

Rocket League. I don’t have time for much else these days. #overworked

I'm glad to say only Mario Party: The Top 100, WWE 2K18 (whenever that releases) and the missing Sonic Forces.

With Odyssey still to 100%, BotW's second DLC to complete, Kingdom Battle to return to, and of course your ongoing staples like MK8 Deluxe, FIFA, and Smash Wii U, I've got enough to keep me content over the next few months.

@PorllM Nintendo showed a logo for Metroid Prime 4 which is years away from release. Pokemon is also a long way off. They showed Kirby and Yoshi at E3 in June, they're coming next year. Nintendo, I believe will talk about or show games if they have them. The thing is, I don't think there is a lot, they're hoping that Switch does well and that 3rd parties come on board to fill the massive gaps in 2018. Pikmin 4 was finished on Wii U then moved to Switch. Smash Bros. Wii U will get a port too. They need to show customers and those sitting on the fence what they've to look forward to in 2018.

Why do you think they mentioned MP4 and Pokemon? Why is it that they can show Kirby and Yoshi 6 months ago but 6 months later they can't show what's coming 6 months after that?

Just Ultra Sun for me, then.

I feel like I've got enough games on the Switch right now to last for months, at the very least.

@JohnnyC I'm getting LA Noire on Switch (even though I have a PS4) for two reasons:
1- It will be portable, so for my life style it is better.
2- To support 3rd party Developers on the Nintendo platform so we can see more devs coming on board.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
You must be kidding. FIFA on the switch is ace. Played it have you?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think they will show a lot more of new games on the next Direct which is supposed to be after the holiday season.
It makes total sense as all their marketing is focusing on this holiday, it would be a very bad move to show more games when there is a lot going on now.

@PorllM Here's another Sonic Forces review.

http://www.tssznews.com/2017/11/06/review-sonic-forces-nintendo-switch/ 4/10

@SLIGEACH_EIRE... Patience -Nintendo will announce their full Spring Line up in December. Then you can tell us all about the Ports and how rubbish Nintendo is. You will still be sitting on the Switch fence until at least 2019 me thinks.

Why is the SNES mini in the infographic along side the switch and 3DS? Would my hopes be too high to think of updates for the lil' console?

@Anti-Matter My 3DS has no region lock

I'm not sure I'll get my family to buy all of them for me on Christmas, but I want Xenoblade 2, DOOM and Mario Odyssey. Hopefully I'll be able to get at least XB2 on my own before then.

@Optimumjay You can easily hack it to have more games. It is not a big deal in the least lol.

@Ralek85 Yeah I loved the demo, thought it was excellent.

Bump Samus Returns over to the Switch. Please Nintendo...

I'm looking forward to gear.club (this month, but not on the graph) and arcade Punch-Out!!

Skyrim, Xenoblade and Xonic will round out my year. Time to be a responsible adult and put the funds where they belong...in my savings account.

@Jokerwolf
Lemme guess...
Hacked 3DS or with illegal R4 cart or something like that...

No Thanks.
I play my games in Original copies, No hacks, No pirated, whatsoever.
I'm done with pirated games and illegal hacked video games.

Really... What's the deal with Sonic Forces? It's not even in the list of upcoming games on the eshop, this close to release date...

From the list, I'll take Rocket League, Xenoblade, Skyrim, Pokemon, Doom, Snipperclips and as budget allows LA Noire, Gear Club (not on graphics).

@Littleeddie
http://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/fifa-18/critic-reviews 68%

https://www.gamerankings.com/switch/204214-fifa-18/index.html 64%

That is not "ace" and you clearly don't understand the meaning of the word.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE because they're awesome, that's why. But then you wouldn't know that since the last games you might have played in the series were FIFA 13 and 2K13. Maybe in Sligo you judge games based on YouTube videos , in the rest of the world we actually get to play them first.

@Anti-Matter You are only partially correct. Hacked yes, Flash Cart no. A freshly soft hacked 3ds only has access to usermode so nothing to seerious but the best part is you can run physical games from any region. This is how I was able to get the second game for my wife when the EU version was released and she didn't have to wait 6 months lol.

Honest reply here:

I got already: Metroid Samus Return, Mario Odyssey, DB Xenoverse 2, Mario+Rabbids, lots of indies like Stardew Valley and others, Fire Emblem Warriors.

I have on pre-order: DOOM, Skyrim and Xenoblade 2. I also have on my wishlist: Rocket League, third dlc of Shovel Knight and a hell lot of other indies.

I also want Wolfy 2 and Octopath Traveler plus the Inti Creates game and Hollow Knight. Right now this is my line-up.

I really wish Superstar Saga and Mario Party 100 release on Switch.

@Jokerwolf
Sorry, no thanks.
I don't even want any Hacking methods whatsoever.
My Nintendo machines such as Old 3DS XL + New 3DS XL + Wii U are Pure Originals, Free from Hacking. For my NDS Lite + Wii, used to be they are Soft Hacked ( Illegal Flash Cart for NDS , Soft Modded Wii to play pirated copies) but Not Anymore. I have Clean Up all those illegal ways. My NDS Lite are no longer play illegal flash carts, my Wii has been Reset and Start Clean Slate with New Updates to play Original Wii & Gamecube games, so Sayonara Pirated Copies.

Already bought those that interested most, perhaps in sale some others ^^

Doom skyrim wolfenstien and resident evil

Rocket League for sure and potentially Wolfenstein after I've heard some reviews for it.

Only a few more days and Switch will be doomed by the best graphics ever on a portable console.

I reckon Nintendo will keep up with 1 big game a month - mix of new games and Wii U dx versions. No way they are going to rest on their laurels and kill the momentum.

Nope, two much games in two dee! :-/
Besides this, thank god for Atlus!
And Yacht Club Games! (for stereoscopic sake, even a third party 2D platformer is presented in 3D!)
And shame on you Nintendo!

Strange Journey, XC2, Doom and Wolfenstein for me

I'm going full on with third-party games. The Bethesda 3 are already pre-ordered and I've been dying yo play LA Noire with my wife. She loves detective shows.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE people like you are proud to be wrong right? Get over, NS is a success and you was wrong about it, if you still don't like it, buy another console and move on.

November isn't winter nintendo.

As of right now it's Pokemon and Skyrim assuming I don't need to buy a microSD and possibly XC2. I'm still on the fence about it.

Sucks to be someone who likes the 3D effect on 3DS.

@sligeach_eire when it comes to Nintendo, they almost always have something up their sleeve. You will see in 2018. As for everybody else. I already preordered la noire, batman, doom, marvel, resident evil and wwe. I will get before the year is over, gear club and monopoly

These infographics really put everything into perspective, don't they?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Thanks for the other review. I didn't mean to suggest Sonic would be any good, just that Polygon are incompetent and the company behind this ( https://sickr.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/mario_kart_pie_chart.jpg ) shouldn't be referenced in any situation.

As for your comments about 2018, well Nintendo have a direct at the end of every year showing new games for the first half of the next year. They also have one around E3 time every year that, while of course showing games for the following year, always announces at least a few for the end of the current year. Right now all of their focus is on the holiday season, once again as they do every year. So realistically until at least one of those Directs come, ideally both, nobody has a leg to stand on with commenting on Nintendo's output next year.

Of course Metroid Prime 4 was announced early, it's Metroid Prime 4. Pokemon isn't a Nintendo game and correct me if I'm wrong, was announced by Game Freak first, because people were screaming at them about a Switch game when the new 3DS ones were announced. So that part doesn't relate to Nintendo at all.

I think your mistake is assuming that because they announced a couple games early, that most of their output for next year is now known. Nintendo haven't worked that way in a while now. I think they were burned by Breath of the Wild taking so long and only show games these days when they are confident in the release schedule. Games being announced, then released within a few short months has been the norm for them this year.

In 2017, Nintendo has released one major first party game every month. The exception is this month but it seems they've specifically done that to give third parties a chance, and the third party releases this month pick up the slack several times over. Yes a few were Wii U ports, but that's irrelevant because nobody had a Wii U. And even more were collaborations with third parties, but that's a really smart idea to increase their output and vary their projects. I would expect this to continue in 2018, if not step up, and can't see any less first party games than 1 per month being a possibility.

Sorry for writing as much, I'm honestly thinking aloud just as much as I'm replying to you.

I'd love to see your evidence about Pikmin 4 though! It doesn't seem believable to me because Wii U was already long dead in the water at that point, but if I've missed a comment from them saying that I'll happily eat crow!

The 3DS is way more active than it has any business being love it for kicking still though!

I'll buy two and a half games from that info graphic:

Rocket League
XC2
Snipperclips DLC

@electrolite77 While I've come to terms with the Switch, it's still true that the overwhelming majority of its games are ports (so I had to doubledip a lot).
Which is incredibly frustrating for people who have a gaming PC, Wii U and/or other consoles.
So if someone wanted to criticise the Switch's lineup (which is outstanding for a device that was releaaed 8 months ago if you go purely by the numbers), the only valid criticism would be that it doesn't have enough original/exclusive titles.
Of course, that criticism doesn't apply to people who haven't played any (or only 3DS) games in the past 5+ years, so for them all of those games are new and exciting.
And I totall get that, but it doesn't disprove the aforementioned criticism.

Already have odyssey, so it's either Skyrim or Xenoblade Chronicles 2... not too thrilled about the 59.99 price point for a 6 year old port

@electrolite77 So true, can't wait to see what this kind of people will nitpick on the next years.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Nintendo wins.

Nuff said.

@bezerker99 You are so right!

My bank account gonna cry.

I'm gonna get Rocket League, Doom, Meatboy, and Wolfenstein.

@electrolite77 I'm waiting for someone to explain to me what the difference is between a port and a multiplat, and how they can want the latter but dismiss the former. Surely what day a game is released on a system can't affect its quality, can it?

@Shiryu Love that film, so much!

Doom, LA Noire, Skyrim and Wolfenstein for me.

I'll be getting Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for sure. Doom and Ittle Dew 2+ is what I'm picking up this month, I might just give game purchasing a rest for a little and finish up what I got, then pick up LA Noire and maybe Skyrim in the spring.

The big question is, what else is coming in 2018? I predict big expected and unexpected surprises. Nintendo’s not let the cat out of the bag quit yet for 2018.

@PorllM

Polygon has great reviews. One of my favorite sites. They were dead on with Zelda and Mario and usually well balanced and well criticized when it’s warranted. Just My two cents.

@tourjeff I had thought of these, but I want parity with online support first (achievements/trophies are something I like - sorry to upset the "we don't need that on Nintendo" club) Until that happens, I'm probably sticking with the ps4 versions as they're cheaper and prettier. And sadly for this particular title, being portable or not isn't a deal-breaker for me personally.

Ugh, the dates....why put the day first? xD
I keep thinking they delayed Xenoblade 2. lol

Only 3 Switch games in 2018 confirmed /s

@Honelith Your avatar is kind of a giveaway...

The zelda dlc is a big one for me and it's not even on there.

Already picked up Samus Returns (Which was ok in my book 7/10) as well as Etrian Odyssey V. A lot of these games I'll have to wait to pick up. I'll definitely be getting Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology as well as Sushi Striker day one. I'm still not sold on Kibry Battle Royale. It does look fun for what it is (like a battle oriented mario party for kirby) but it's the price point that is a turn off for me. Since the game is out already in Europe, can anyone tell me how good the game is so far? (I live in California so I have to wait until January )

Doom, LA Noir, Xenoblade 2, Octopath, and Wolfenstein 2 are guaranteed purchases for me. Hopefully I'm done acing Mario by then.

Where is Payday 2? And where is Steep? Have we forgotten already?

Skyrim, Xenoblade 2, and Strange Journey Redux for me. I may pick up Octopath Traveler at some point.

I could list all the titles I'll be picking up, but it'll just be easier to say I'll be picking up almost all of those games. Awesome time to be a Nintendo gamer right now with the Switch off to such an excellent start and the 3DS getting some really good games as a nice send off.

@ottospooky True. Also looking at the February Nindies infographic of games coming in 2017 - only 70% of the games actually made it - and many of them were already available on other systems when announced.

I would love to know what happened to many of these games as I can't escape the feeling that the devs are finding it hard to port to Switch.

This doesn't actually show anything we didn't know about already.

I'll be getting Skyrim, octopath and radiant historia. I just can't get into etrian odyssey, tried but it's too slow. Same problem as Xenoblade the combat is just too slow it would eye gouging to sit and play 50 hrs of that.

Mario Party Top 100 is playable in 3D Mode. Confirmed on NA box art.

Just port metroid to the switch, I don't want to play on my 3ds anymore!

@Lord I feel somewhat bad for admitting it, but it really is hard to go back to the 3DS after having gotten used to the Switch. I'd definitely buy Metroid for the Switch, but I am somewhat reluctant to pick it up for the 3DS. Same goes for Strange Journey btw (once it's out), as I still haven't played it, but would much prefer it on the Switch.

@electrolite77 Your argument is a more general one and I can't (and don't want to) argue against that, because I'm not against ports in general.
But there are way too many on the Switch. Ideally they shouldn't make up the majority of the system's titles but at least there shouldn't be an overwhelming majority of ports. Or in other words: 9 exclusive titles out of 163 are way too few, it's only a tiny fraction.
The Wii U had (proportionately) more exclusives and frankly that's what I expect from a Nintendo device: lots of unique and exclusive titles from Nintendo and Nindies. Otherwise the whole system becomes pointless (especially since there is no revolutionary innovation as an added bonus this time around).
Personally (this is where I'm not making a general point but mentioning my personal experience!), from those 9 exclusive games there is only one that makes having a Switch viable for me and that's Splatoon2. If it weren't for that game, I wouldn't have bought a Switch (and therefore wouldn't have re-bought all those ports). So it's my personal systemseller, if you will.

All I'm saying is that the number of ports (if I'm counting correctly it's 154 out of 163) is unhealthy and could be damaging for the Switch's perception in the long run. Without more exclusives, the Switch will struggle to develop its own identity. It will go down as the device that let's you play other system's games on the go but contributes nothing new to gaming in general. It will be a 'soulless' and generic device instead of being a genuine Nintendo product.

@JimmySpades I always assumed it's obvious/self-explanatory, but here it goes:

A multiplatform title is planned and developed for multiple platforms from the start. The target hardware and its specification (maybe with minor alterations) are known beforehand and the whole concept is planned for and developed against that target hardware.

A port hasn't been part of the original release plans but is added retroactively. But what's more important - since this is a technical term - it also wasn't considered during initial development (like BotW on Switch or Rayman Legends on any device other than Wii U) or even long after development has finished (like Skyrim on Switch).
So to release a piece of software to a new platform the devs (or sometimes even a different team) take the original build and retroactively fit it to the hardware and Integrated Development Environment (IDE) they are porting to.
In some cases this might mostly consist of downgrading graphics and making minor changes, in other cases it might require completely rebuilding most assets and algorithms that are used in the game.

@shani That doesn't explain how multiplats are good and ports are bad, nor that it leads to significant differences in the final product. Also, what would you consider a game to be if it's developed by a small team that doesn't have the resources to work on multiple systems simultaneously, but must work on one, then move on to the next, and so forth?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE don't get me started on bloody Fifa. It's all my son plays. I hate it.

@shani a) that list is way outdated, b) it's also factually wrong

@gortsi I've played the new Fifa and it's as crap as the last one.

@Yasaal Why do you buy games at all then? Might as well get a better habit like weed or maybe meth?

@darthstuey I mean it's not my favorite game, but I enjoy it nonetheless, even if I prefer PES. If you played it and didn't like that's absolutely fine, my point was against certain opinionated users here who know everything about every game without actually playing-particularly when it comes on the Switch.

Hmmm. I've been loving what has been releasing for the Switch so far but there really isn't much more coming up that ranks above "I'll get it when I can" for me.

I guess this'll give me a chance to recover financially.

Shouldn't resi revelations be on that list? That's one I'm really looking forward to.

@gortsi That list is from October 27th, how can it be heavily outdated already?
But to be fair I didn't count the exclusives (just got home and it's late, so I quickly copied the titles into a spreadsheet), I just took the number @electrolite77 provided. There might actually be more than 9 exclusives but it can't be that many (feel free to count them ). Anyway, that list was just a reference point.

@JimmySpades The key difference is the development process. You can achieve a lot more (technically but also conceptionally) with an original development because development is still in process and therefore more fluid. You can adapt to any problems you might encounter but also add new features or find more elegant solutions for solving a specific problem.
With a port, you don't have that luxury. You have to work with a finished product that wasn't made for the platform you're supposed to port it to. So the only thing you can do (without starting development from scratch) is making it work as best as possible.

It's like forcing your feet into another person's shoes that are bit too small for you. Maybe after walking around in them for 1-2 years they will widen a bit (but also wear down faster), but during that period your feet will constantly hurt.

Nobody said ports a bad in general, just that there are way too many. But there are actually a lot of cases where porting (instead of developing directly for that platform) was a bad decision.
I don't know if you're a PC gamer, but there are tons of bad ports from consoles (you'll certainly find many by googling, but one more recent example was Batman Arkham Knight, which was even recalled after sales had already begun) where the controls are wonky and the whole game doesn't run smoothly despite the fact that it should easily run on PC hardware.
In most cases it takes 3-12 additional months until the game is playable. GTA IV was another example but as mentioned before there are really a lot of examples for bad ports from console to PC.

And as we have seen recently, NBA 2K18 apparently was ported badly to Switch as well.

In other cases (or after a lot of patches) porting might work out fine, but it's still an unpreferable development option. There are dozens of possible You're just not that flexible and if problems occur, you can't just change the game but

@shani that's the last time they updated something but on the whole the list has many errors, such as listing non-existent games (like NBA 2K17 or listing a Pikmin game for 2017), not including release dates of games coming out next week (like DOOM), as well as many others. The Wikipedia page, which is generally accurate, lists 14 Nintendo exclusives (so just Switch) and 57 exclusives (meaning Switch+PC). Keep in mind that this also includes some unreleased games that have definitely been announced (such as FE Switch next year).

@electrolite77 Well I really hope it doesn't, I don't like to pay twice for (and replay) games that I already own on PC and Wii U...
Games like Skyrim or L.A. Noire are really superflous for me, they add nothing to the Switch libray from my point of view. They're the game releasing equivalent of zero for me.

And to be honest, I'd prefer if the system had less games but a higher exclusive percentage. Not only Nintendo exclusives, but also titles like Affordable Space Adventures for example. That game was not only brilliant and unique, but it was only possible on Wii U. It was a game that was actually inspired by the hardware.
And that's exactly what I'm missing right now (mainly because the Switch lacks game-changing innovation - portability doesn't really affect gameplay).
Every time I see an interesting indie title on NL I google it and disappointingly realise that it has been released on Steam months or even years ago. Which means I could've already bought and played it a long time ago (and for a much cheaper price).
In other cases I already got that game months or years ago so I either have to pay for them again (to play them with my beloved Switch Pro Controller) or it's just another superflous release.

So in a sense, one could rephrase my criticism (that there are too many ports on the Switch) into: Nintendo and Nindies don't develop enough new titles for the Switch.
If they would release more exclusives, I'd be fine with having so many ports - because the rate between those two would be more healthy.
Instead they concentrate their focus and ressources on porting games because - let's face it - porting old games can be done quicker and cheaper than coming up with and developing completely new games...

@gortsi Oh you're right, I didn't actually check the content of that list.

I was hoping for a Wikipedia list of games that are available right now when I did a quick Google search, but all I found was this. Obviously that list is not very helpful either as it mostly consist of unreleased games (and many with a TBA release date).

@westman98 That'll bring the grand total to 5 games! What about 2019? Where's the lootboxes? Where's the stubble? Where's the rubble? Where's the 47GB of cut scenes?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE 2017 looked pretty bare boned as well back at the end of 2016.

@ottospooky Even if they are ready to go, they probably pushed to them to next year because the release schedule is already huge for any Nintendo fan. I'm even worried about Skyrim, Doom and LA Noire not getting great sales because they are all competing with each other and are sandwiched between Mario and XC2.

Don't know why people are already worried about 2018. Nintendo isn't like Sony or Square Enix where they make a habit out of announcing games WAY too early. Of course there's BotW, but like I said, they don't make a habit out of it. Just look at all of Nintendo's games this year(barring BotW) from Fire Emblem Echoes on 3DS to Splatoon 2 to Mario+Rabbids to Mario Odyssey, all of these games were released within a year or less of them announcing it.

Something like Pokemon on Switch could release in Q4 2018, we don't know how long its been in development. Nintendo usually does a big ND in the early part of the year revealing games that will come out that same year.

Radiant Historia, Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey and the other Atlus RPG which was just announced.

Would really love to buy Doom and Wolfenstein but my laptop just broke so it's gonna cost me a lot of money now. Limiting myself to Odyssey, Xenoblade, and Skyrim. I know those games will last me awhile (Odyssey is taking forever) and have never played Skyrim and loved the first Xenoblade Chonicles.

Well I've gotten Etrian Odyssey. Only about 50 more games to go.

I waaaaaaant

Switch: Mario+Rabbids, Odyssey, FE Warriors, Octopath Traveler

3ds: M&L Bowser's Minions, Lady Layton, Mario Party Top 100, Radiant Historia

Edit: OH AND APOLLO JUSTICE!!!! A MUST!!!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE There are millions of Nintendo fans who haven’t played games like Doom or Skyrim. I have an Xbox as well as a Switch, so I’ve already played most of the third-party games coming to the Switch this year, but for someone who hasn’t played those games yet, this is a big deal.

Kinda confused as to how you can claim 2018 is bare-bones even though 2017 hasn’t ended and Nintendo hasn’t given much word on what’s ahead.

Disappointed that Apollo Justice isn't listed, buying that first day!

Goddamit! They fixed Sniperclips plus doom

@HFish It's bare-boned in terms of announcements for 2018. If you're a potential customer and you're looking at the games coming next year to convince you it's a good purchase there's very little that we know about. Kirby, Yoshi, Octopath, Wolfenstein 2. What else, that's not a port?

Even the Wii U had a purple patch when it came to releases. Nintendo knew from a long time ago that Wii U was dead and had the time to line up the Switch in terms of software. And you'd imagine it should be easier now not to have droughts as the handheld and console teams work side by side and they've only one platform to concentrate on going forward.

I wish Strange Journey Redux was on Switch, but I’ll buy it regardless.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
I don't think anybody needs to look past 2017 to be convinced the Switch is worth every penny. Please don't encourage Nintendo to go down the path of announcing games too early. They are the example to follow.
Personally I've been gaming since the late 80s and even if I'm in my 30ties now I think it's the best first few months I had with any console.
I suspect by reading your comments that you predicted the Switch would fail, that Nintendo would get it wrong once again, and now that it's a massive success, rather than putting your arm up and saying "well done guys", you feel you have to stand by your original thought, hiding behind silly arguments like a Web browser is missing or God knows what. I can totally understand how people expectations can be different but that's just ridiculous.
Or maybe you just like the attention...

I've put thousands of hours into Skyrim for the PC with and without mods and can say I'm still excited to get it for the Switch. Even though it doesn't support mods. I'm also looking forward to getting Pokémon Ultra Moon (with the Pokéball themed New 2DS XL), Mario & Rabbids, still need to get Splatoon 2 and Arms too, Shovel Knight: King of Cards and the new Mario and Luigi game.

@Proust
I think we will know more about Q1 and Q2 before the end of the year, at least in terms of 3rd party announcements. Nintendo may wait until Jan for their next direct.
Now that Switch is a success, I personally don't worry at all about possible droughts. I don't expect there will be quite as many Nintendo games next year (and if only one could be as good as odyssey or botw I would sign with both hands right away) but I expect 3rd party support will increase significantly. And all indie devs will want their games on Switch as they do now already.

Having been loyal to Nintendo and not owning any other consoles I am very much looking forward to Doom, Skyrim, Rocket League and Pokemon, although Pokemon may take a back seat for a while. We shall see!

@Littleeddie me and you should have a game of Switch FIFA Switch 16....oh wait...where do you live ill have to come round with my switch and we can slap em together. Like 1997 PS1's .....its like the internet never happened.

I was almost at the point where I was thinking of putting my 3DS in storage, but I guess I'll have to go through a few titles yet. Damned Switch keeps growing as well... soon, I won't be able to keep up anymore.

Rocket League will be one of the first games I get when I've got a Switch.

@DEZn00ts At first I was like "Whaaaaat???" but then I saw your username XD

Gaming is an expensive hobby but better than weed and meth imo. Just because I can't buy that many games doesn't mean I should stop my hobby.

@Anti-Matter Demo in the Eshop. We're getting Europe's port, digital only. Christmas Day!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Why would they announce and push a bunch of 2018 games when they want dollars focused on the density of the release schedule for this holiday season? You're reaching again.