Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (Switch)
"Shoddy performance" was the overriding issue with Mitch's otherwise glowing review of Ys IX, with a frame rate which would dive down into the sub-20s at times.
While the game is capped at 30fps, on Switch 2 it's hitting that target with no problems, so anyone who baulked at the struggling original release should absolutely revisit Monstrum Nox on Switch 2. Check out Reviews 2 Go's comparison video to get a better idea of the improvements. - GL
KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series (Switch)
KLONOA Phantasy Reverie Series is far from the most egregious game on this list, but let's be honest, beautiful-looking 2.5D platformers shouldn't be difficult to run at all. Lunatea's Veil, the second game, was the bigger problem. In some of the busier levels such as the Volkan Inferno or Jungle Slider, frames would stray from their usual 60fps and go well below 50, sometimes as low as 40. I know, first world problems and all. Longer load times between levels and transitions also slowed things down.
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On Switch 2, that's all a thing of the past. Not only are most load times snappier (booting up the game still took a little long), but I didn't encounter a single frame drop on either of the aforementioned levels, plus a few others. The game also looks lovely both docked and handheld, with no blurriness or stretching. - AH
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Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection (Switch eShop)
To quote PJ's review, the "performance in both Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Razor's Edge just isn't good enough." With a dynamic resolution that swung between 'hmm' to 'oof' and a frame rate which rarely approached its target (especially in 2 and 3), this 3D Ninja Gaiden trio had no right having 'Master' in its title.
On Switch 2, though? It's night-and-day stuff, with the power of the new console essentially wiping away all the performance issues. It looks sharper, it plays smoother. 'Master' might be pushing it, but Nintendo gamers finally have a great way to play these Tecmo classics ahead of Ninja Gaiden 4. - GL
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise (Switch)
If you're a fan of Deadly Premonition 1 or 2, it certainly isn't due to the performance, but there's just something about SWERY's Lynchian tribute, with its gory-but-dorky horror, that grabs you despite myriad technical failings.
Are they all fixed on Switch 2? Absolutely not. There's still loads of pop-in, dodgy animations, assorted jank. But! The frame rate is now much improved, so if that was the only thing stopping you from visiting La Carré, it's much smoother now.
Cards on the table, this is definitely NOT the game to showcase your shiny new Switch, but is IS improved on Switch 2, and I'm just keen to champion this wonderful, strange, flawed game when I can. - GL
1000xRESIST (Switch eShop)
Easily my biggest issue with 1000xRESIST on Switch is the performance and look. It's not a dealbreaker, and you should still absolutely play this game for its incredible writing, but it's certainly noticeable, especially because the issues are prevalent in both docked and handheld modes.
Those choppy frames and stagnant animations have all been smoothed out on the newer console. We're still running at 30fps but it's consistent and smooth without any dips in the Orchard or any of the communions. Load times are also much better, particularly moment-to-moment; the initial boot-up is still a bit slow, but it's much closer to Steam Deck speeds now. And similarly, the blurriness is still there in handheld, but it's improved, particularly docked.
Now you have no excuse; go play one of the best video game narratives on Switch 2. You won't regret it. - AH
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Switch)
"Disappointing performance, especially in portable mode" was one of the cons in erstwhile NL editor Thomas Whitehead's review of Monster Hunter Stories 2, but with Switch 2 now on the scene to brute-force the frame rate, we're now thankful that it was unlocked on Switch 1.
Wings of Ruin gets a boost to 60fps, and while it's not totally stable, it's a massive improvement on the original release, and faster loads are the cherry on the cake.
The excellent gaijin hunter has a YouTube video live with footage of not just this game, but also Sunbreak and Generations Ultimate, both of which are more stable on Switch 2 with 'locked' 30fps performance, although as with some other S1 games, the visuals get a little blurrier in handheld - likely due to the 720p resolution not upscaling cleanly to the Switch 2's 1080p panel. - GL
COCOON (Switch eShop)
Cocoon's sedate nature meant I never had a problem with the obvious slowdown on Switch - I noticed it but the game was engrossing enough for it not to bother me - given that the frame drops in Link's Awakening drove me up the wall, I can only surmise that dips from 60fps bother me more than similar hiccups when 30fps is the target.
Whatever the reason, Geometric's game on S2 is much smoother, a mite sharper, and the loads are a little snappier. You're not getting 60fps, but if the hitchin' was the only thing stopping your Switchin', this beautiful game at a solid 30 is absolutely worth picking up again. - GL
No More Heroes III (Switch)
Stuart had a great time with No More Heroes III, with "Poor performance in the open world" being one of his only review gripes. On Switch 2, the already smooth combat is now absolutely rock-solid, and the open world gets a massive performance boost so that it now actually hits the 30fps target it was missing on Switch 1.
There are several videos online showing the Switch 2 bump which includes faster loads, so if you were disappointed by Travis' bike bits or held back due to reports of the choppy frames, now's the time to fire up the engine. - GL
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: Remake (Switch eShop)
Control and performance issues were the two main bugbears Scully had with this remake of SEGA's lightgun classic, but guess what?...Ah, after 30+ games you're catching on, I see.
Yes, Switch 2 smooths out most of House of the Dead: Remake's frame rate stutters, but also — and importantly — the motion controls now function as originally advertised, making for a far less frustrating input experience.
You're never going to get the precision of old-school lightguns or the Wii's IR pointer (something we've moaned about in the past), but the Joy-Con 2's improvements translate to OG Switch games too, and this one is worth revisiting. - GL
Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection (Switch eShop)
With a series like Life is Strange, which is ostensibly a narrative-driven game with fairly minimal input from the player, strong performance has never really been a particularly essential part of the experience. That said, the move over to Switch 2 does improve the frame rate significantly, even if it doesn't reach the lofty 60fps sweet spot we'd all like to see.
Load times are also much better, and this was a major problem highlighted in my initial review. You're probably looking at around five seconds or so to load into a game now, which makes it more than acceptable, in my book. - OR
The Wonderful 101: Remastered (Switch)
And finally, The Wonderful 101: Remastered suffered from "a few disappointing frame-rate drops here and there," according to our review way back in 2020, with Platinum struggling to hit its 60fps target, especially when things get busy.
But how does it fare on Switch 2? you may wonder. "Solid 60 and improved load times?" you may postulate. Very good. Class dismissed. - GL
Elsewhere, we can confirm that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 got a nice bump to stability (although it still looks a little rough in places), and there are plenty of other games we're keen to test. Sadly, HD-2D games such as Octopath Traveler II and Dragon Quest III are stuck at 30fps and look a little blurrier on the console.
Have you noticed any bumps to your Switch library - ones which haven't been getting huge attention, perhaps, or which were dismissed originally due to their poor state? Let us know in the poll below which old games deserve a Switch 2 shoutout, and check out the archive of Alex's stream for gameplay of some of the above, and others too...