Nintendo Switch Ports We'd Love To See In 2021

Over the past few years Switch has become a home to a wide array of quality ports from other platforms. Games from all over have made the jump to Nintendo's handheld hybrid, including smaller mobile hits, cross-console releases from a few years ago and more unexpected and recent multi-platform titles. 2020 was no exception, with some fantastic ports coming to the console, including goliath efforts like DOOM Eternal and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, excellent revamps of older games like Xenoblade Chronicles and the Metro remasters, and sensitive tailored adaptations like Jurassic World Evolution and Hypnospace Outlaw.

For the past couple of years we've looked at ports that we'd love to see arrive on Switch, and it's pleasing to look back at just how many have turned up on the console in some form or other. Below we've collected just some of the games we'd like to see come to Nintendo's system over the next twelve months. Some of them are holdovers from previous years that we've still got our fingers and toes crossed for, while others are new releases we think would compliment the Switch library perfectly.

There's still a few remaining Wii U ports that haven't arrived on Switch (which we've rounded up and evaluated elsewhere), although Super Mario 3D World is incoming in February. We're also very much looking forward to the announced Switch versions of indie classics Spelunky, Spelunky 2 and Braid in 2021.

Let's take a look at our ten biggest port-based hopes for Switch in 2021, all but one of which debuted on non-Nintendo systems.

Fall Guys

One of 2020's breakout hits, Fall Guys is a battle royale party platformer which gave players in lockdown a social outlet with its collection of chaotically fun mini-games. Our friends over at sister site Push Square loved its brand of colourful multiplayer mayhem, and 'colourful multiplayer mayhem' sure sounds like it would be right at home on a certain Nintendo console.

What are the chances?

Strong, we'd say. Following an overwhelmingly successful launch on PC and PS4, developer Mediatonic has been playing catch up while putting out content and squashing bugs. Season 3 is live at the time of writing, so provided that the makers and publisher Devolver Digital can find the time to assemble a strong build of the game for other platforms, we'd imagine the will exists even if the way is a little hazy at present.

A good FIFA game!

Zing! It's got to the point now where we've simply had enough of the 'Legacy Edition' treatment. If EA isn't going to invest in bringing the full FIFA experience to Switch, we'd really rather they didn't bother at all.

What are the chances?

Depressingly slim. We've looked before at the short-sighted chicken-and-egg situation EA has worked itself into, and despite supporting the Switch elsewhere with releases such as Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered and the upcoming Apex Legends, it clearly doesn't care about the comparative pocket change to be made from a great Switch port while FIFA Ultimate Team continues to rake in the millions elsewhere every week.

It seems our best hope is for someone else to fill the footballing void on Switch.

Outer Wilds

Yes, this featured on our wishlist last year and we're still jonesing for it on Switch. Not to be confused with the similarly named The Outer Worlds (which did come to Switch in 2020), Outer Wilds is a mysterious space-based open-world(s) FPS involving a repeating 22-minute time loop. As lovers of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, we're big fans of time loops and publisher Annapurna Interactive has a good track record of bringing games to Switch.

What are the chances?

As we said last year, Outer Wilds is built in Unity and its stylised art and lonely exploration would work well on Switch. The biggest issue against it is the workload for small dev team Mobius and 2020 probably didn't help in that regard. We're still hopeful, though.

Bugsnax

One of the light-hearted highlights of the year for Playstation owners, Bugsnax is a delightful first-person bug-hunting adventure with a surreal (and marginally horrific) edge and a whiff of the Pokémon Snaps about it. If nothing else, its catchy theme song from Kero Kero Bonito is worth the price of admission and we'd love to hear it on Switch.

So, are we talkin' 'bout Bugsnax on Switch?

Maybe. Indie studio Young Horses may have signed up with Sony to make Bugsnax a PS launch exclusive, but as far as we're aware there's nothing to stop the game coming to other platforms at a later date. Performance was a little choppy on PS4, but given the appropriate care and attention a Switch version is well within the realms of possibility.

It's tough to argue that its colourful creatures wouldn't fit very snugly on Nintendo hardware, no? Nintendo gamers also can't get enough of catching catalogues of cute creatures.

Persona 5

There's a fantastic library of JRPGs on Switch, and Joker's inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate led us to believe that Persona 5 on Switch was a mere formality — perhaps a release of Persona 5 Royal with extra content? But no, next April will mark the game's fourth anniversary in the West and Persona 5 is still not available on a Nintendo system.

Yes, yes, we're getting Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, a Musou crossover (and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity turned out very well), but it's no substitute for the dripping style of the original. Come on, Atlus!

What are the chances?

10%? Err..., 90%? It feels like a no-brainer, but we've given up trying to pin down Atlus and parent company Sega on things like 'logic'. Remember, Persona 5 came out on PlayStation 3, so Switch could 'handle' P5 just fine. Not putting out a Switch port feels like Sega is leaving a big fat wad of cash just sitting on the table.

Speaking of Sega...