Boom! Quake II Is Now Available To Download From The Switch eShop

Quake II is one of the greatest games of all time. This is excellent news

I really hope this is true

I'd be soooo happy for this, c'monn!!!

I played the PSVita port with gyro for a while and it worked really well, so a Switch version would be great.

I am curious if this would end up being a special port for Xbox Series with raytracing since there was a tech demo for it a while back.

Give me this, quake 3, and then unreal tourney 2004. Some of best fps ever. old school fps were the best, skill only, camping = dead. I hope this is true. I enjoyed quake 1 last summer, please let this be true. add mods so we can have grappling hooks too.

Hopefully next Quakecon we get 3 or 4. im wondering if these remasters do well enough if we might see a revival of the franchise.

Back in 1996, I couldn't get into Quake's dreary, brownish look and never got past the first campaign, which was released as shareware. But the 2021 remaster made me reevaluate and I must say its overall design holds up extremely well. Couldn't get enough of it, completing all the main campaigns and DLC.

Quake 2 has always been a favorite. I remember that the main new feature back then was colored lighting and they really took advantage of it. For me, the bright, pulp sci-fi look is timeless. So I'm really looking forward to next week. If there's a game that can wean me off TOTK, it would be this.

@smithyo You think so? I'm one of those guys who sees it as a massive downgrade from the first game. Still great cause id, just doesn't feel as amazing as Q1.

@LikelySatan are you on drugs my man? Love Quake 1, but QUake 2 is a better game in everyway. More interesting techno-hell enemies, better weapons (pulse rifle is epic), an actual music soundtrack unlike Q1 which kind of runs more with ambient sounds than a metal soundtrack like Q2 got. Better level design and an actual endgame boss unlike the insane psuedo-boss we got in Quake 1. I cannot fathom how anyone things Q1 is a better game than Q2.

Played it this year on PC. It's pretty great. Not quite as good as the first Quake, and it does kind of feel like a transitional game, between the more compact level-based approach of Doom and Quake to the long interconnected maps of Unreal and Half-Life. Quake 2 ends up being neither. But it's an important game and a lot of fun.

Quake II was my first true gaming obsession. Can't wait for the release

@smithyo I wish the enemies were not so spongey in Q1 and the spawn can go back to hell, but other than that I disagree. The only thing I liked more about 2 was the shotgun.

I hope it comes with in-game mods for the PS1 and N64 versions. IIRC the PS1 version has smaller levels and two new enemies, while the N64 version has different lighting and comes with a more ambient soundtrack.

@WaveBoy I'm in agreement. The "depressing brooding hellish sulking atmosphere and mud colored dreary sterile-ish environments" of Quake 1 get tiresome quickly. Especially when you factor in the limited weapon variety, and the limited enemy types that are unbalanced damage sponges.

It's still fun to play in short bursts, like an arcade game. But I'd say in the year 2023, Quake 1 is good, not great.

We really enjoyed playing Q1 local split screen but after many hours blasting we've finished every possible level. Can't wait for more of the same, bring it on

@WaveBoy I'm a huge fan of this era of fps games and seem to buy them on every platform I own. They're nice to have on the Switch for portable play but I do tend to play them on my PC mainly. For Quake 2 it's the RTX version which looks really good, so it'll be interesting to see how this compares but I'll still be getting it on Switch and probably Xbox

This is great. Definitely getting this when it hits the eShop.

@PKDuckman Do mods for those actually exist? I know the N64 Quake 1 mod was already a thing upon Quake Remastered's release so they included it day 1, but I've not heard of mods for the PS1 and N64 versions of Quake 2.

Finally! I can’t wait for quake 2! I have it on my Mac but to have a version without the faff of adding the music, selecting the add on packs and portable or on the tv in plug and play mode 😜. I’m sure there will be some cool extra levels coming over time too just like with quake and doom..s

I only ever played Quake 2 on the N64 and I have fond memories of it. A remaster would be lovely.

This is good, but fingers crossed for Quake 3 Arena.

Ah, remembering the good ol' days when Nintendo Life use to do Retro reviews (wipes nostalgic tear from eye). I miss the Wii U days when there was nothing else to review

@vio Not currently, but the Quake N64 mod didn't exist until the Quake remaster, so I'm hoping the devs would do the same with Quake 2.

Yes, I'm there. I still have a PC boxed copy somewhere.

I can't wait. I'm a sucker for the old FPS's and honestly many of the old classics are way better and more fun than the new ones.

Half an hour ahead of schedule too.

Neato!

Dang, crazy value for that price!

Downloading as we speak!!!

Does it have the original soundtrack? The Steam version as well as the freebie with Quake 4 for the PC both lacked it in earlier years.

Just waiting for the inevitable physical release from LRG.

Oh man take my money. The original was an absolute masterpiece. 7/10 gimme a break lol. Not too worried about Quake II staying the course. These couple Quake-con shadow drops have been great.

oh yes! is the map „the edge“ playable in online multiplayer?

@smithyo That’s because it’s an opinion mate. Not right or wrong. Just different from yours. Personally? I also favor 1 over 2.

I've never even heard of Quake (yeah I know) but at that price I might as well.

Class, I’ll have to get it when I’m finished up with Pikmin4! I had Quake on the Sega Saturn, absolutely LOVE having these on Switch

Quake on Switch was stunning. Playing in bed until early hours in a dark room smiling the whole time. Will be playing Quake II later tonight hope it's as good.

Online.
Gyro controls.
Remastered.
Crossplay.
$10.
Added Quake 64 because.

Bethesda needs to take notes from Rockstar on how to put out a port correctly. Dont they commercially accurate at all?

Getting it right now.

Really happy this was shadow dropped and this whole package is pretty awesome. Definitely getting this today.

Ok someone needs to make Quake 2 x Pikmin 4 artworks

Probably ported by Nightdive, so it should be good with weapons wheel and all, but I haven't gotten very far in Power Exhumed (4 hours only).

I enjoy the gameplay, but I have difficulties figuring out how to progress (I'll look some Youtube walkthrough at some point to see if it can help me).

Quake (I) overstayed its welcome after 12 hours, and I've heard II is not as good as the first one, so I think I'll pass for now (at least until I'm done with Powerslave Exhumed).

@shgamer more people will tell you that Q2 is one of the greatest FPSs ever made than will tell you 1>2.

If you got 12 hours out of a $10 game (or maybe $3 since it's constantly on sale) then that is money well spent.

@Cashews I got it for 10 € and I'm fairly satisfied with my purchase, just felt it got a bit samey (I prefer Doom (1993) and Duke Nukem 3D over this).

I found out that when people say ‘Quake is one of the best games ever’, what they actually mean is ‘In terms of shooters, in this kind of ‘boom shooter’, quake is pretty great’. I do not like boom shooters. I did not think quake was a great game, I would struggle to call it ‘good’ even, but that is because I am not really into these kinds of shooters to begin with. So, when people tell me Quake 2 is a great game, I’ll happily pass until I’m going braindead one day, it’s on sale for 4 euros or something like Quake 1 and try it anyway only to reaffirm it isn’t for me most likely.

Anyway, hope that for those who do love it, they get to enjoy it all over again.

This is excellent news. Actually tried it a bit as I have Quake II on PC via GOG, and they give you this version for free. Also, I'm happy about this news since I want this game on Switch too.

I love how this has crossplay too, now if my friend who has Xbox gets this, we could deathmatch like it's 1997.

This was an immediate purchase. Be sure to turn the font style back to the chunky pixel one in the settings!!

I played this game/multiplayer for so long with mouse/keyboard...using a controller is gonna take a moment to get a handle on

Ohhhhh I love this gem

Jeez look at all that unnecessary cardboard and plastic.

Maybe one day I'll grab this when it's a couple bucks. Never finished the first one as there's a whole lot of Quake to be had there.

@WaveBoy yeah 120 fps is REALLY important in 20+ year old games, especially when your eyes can't even physically tell the difference from 60 and you're just tricking your brain into thinking it's "better".

Playing right now on switch and HOLY S***, this game is a master piece!!!

Outstanding. I'll be buying the second I arrive back home today.

@Atariboy Yes it does! It is every bit as good as the Quake 1 remaster. Arguably even better in some regards.

@Cashews 🤣🤣🤣

@theModestMouse
The Quake 3 era MP scene was famous for playing at 120fps and beyond on the high refresh rate CRTs of the time. It wasn’t until the second half of the 2000s when LCDs that were for years stuck at 60hz became the norm and developers started to struggle at even keeping a locked 30fps that the rhetoric against high refresh started popping up, it’s even been used against 60fps you can find people saying that same eyes can’t tell the difference line you used but for 30 and 60fps which is utterly insane.

Why all this useless stuff in the special and special 2 editions? Patch? Briefing document? Dogtags? Coin?

They could add 1 good thing instead of 5 little ones

Ehhh, I tried quake or similar on Dreamcast I think or some other system. I remember it feeling too fast moving and death happening to quick. Levels didn't offer much too. I'd say turok 3 rage wars is a better game.

FYI, this release has a big oomphy bass, crank that sound system up! 😳

THIS is how older games SHOULD be ported.

Too bad 40% of gamers are asking "What's Quake?"

@Travisemo007 Turok 3 is not Rage Wars, theyre different games. The only Quake on Dreamcast was Quake 3, which was strictly multi-player.

I long for a new Linux physical edition for this game.

@WaveBoy Duke Nukem world tour is fun because it is portable DN3D, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Seeds of Evil are great remasters and they cut their teeth on em.
But Nightdive really outdid themselves with Quake, Powerslave and Shadow man.

I have no fear the Quake II remaster will do the original justice and then some.

The first quake remaster was awesome. So I don’t doubt this will be as good. Plus lots of content for a release.

I really love what they are doing with these ports. I already owned all Doom and Quake games on Steam so have gotten the updated versions for free. I also bought the Doom games on Switch as they were so cheap and Doom (1993) is my comfort game and having a great portable version was important to me.

Roll on the Quake 3 and 4 ports! Hopefully Epic will see the success of these and do something similar for the original Unreal Tournament as that was always my preferred online game back in 1999.

Oh look, an older game being released for under £10
Even the physical by that LRG place that rip you off is £35
Not £50
And it’s older,
Take notes rockstar.

I never understood the love for the Quake series. IV was decent, but every other game pales in comparison to Doom and Unreal.

I really couldn't get too into Quake. The combination of very unsatisfactory weapons and overly spongy enemies made it kind of a chore

@CrankyBonesGaming April fools!

@NTELLIGENTMAN there are dozens upon dozens of articles detailing why quake was such a big deal. It is more than the game itself.

Honestly, would it kill them to just make a modestly-priced Steelbook edition? US$40 extra (plus shipping) just for a Steelbook, poster, dog tags, and a manual? Really?

@NTELLIGENTMAN : I felt the same for the longest time, and for the most part, I still do. I never really played Quake until I grabbed LRG's Switch release back when, and I really enjoyed playing through the main game.

In terms of atmosphere, variety, and personality, I do feel that it's sorely lacking and pales in comparison to the classic DOOM games, which are still every bit as fun today as they were when they first released. With Quake, I think it'll be more of a one-and-done deal, and I can't see myself coming back to it in the coming years with the same degree of anticipation/nostalgia.

I'm glad to have (finally) played it though, and I'll likely play the rest as they gradually arrive on Nintendo hardware.

@WaveBoy the Switch port of Prodeus is sad af, but if you can grab the PS5 port. Best use of adaptive triggers I've had the joy of experiencing...and besides that game is incredible.

@canaryfarmer You can connect mouse and keyboard to your switch dock and it works perfectly! I just tired it out today

@NTELLIGENTMAN

I don't really like the overall very brown Design of Quake 1, but Gameplay Wise those Games are great.

I personally prefer 2 over 1.

I am glad they put in the N64 Levels

@Sequel

Not sure why you say that. i wrote that back when this article was a rumor... not sure why nintendo life change articles instead of writing new ones

I like these old school fps games a lot, blasting baddies is always fun, however, I hate getting lost, backtracking, and hoping to find a way to continue. I've given up on so many of these games over the years because I didn't know where to go, it would be really great if they'd add some kind of navigation arrow like what Forza or Crazy Taxi have.

@Nintendo_Thumb Q2 Remastered have something like this... there is an option to show the way you need to go (green arrows)

@CarlosEFML Oh that's awesome, it's going on my wishlist now.

@CrankyBonesGaming I'm just kidding around

@LikelySatan I see that's the quake 3 I played then ig. Tbh Multiplayer is what I live for as an adult with limited time lol. Shouldn't change the mechanics or feell any, which I didn't like..

Ayo no wayyyyy. Tbh I never knew an actual turok 3 ever happened. As a kid and till now, rage wars was turok 3 to me lol. I might have to give the actual one a try one day. Thx for letting me know! I know rage wars is different from the first two games. I enjoyed it a lot tho both solo and with friends as a kid. Even my mom played with me lol. It has a dungeon type feel In a way. The weapons were also cool.

@Travisemo007 Turok 3 is more Half-Life than Turok, but it's still rad. I had a ton of fun with Rage Wars. My fam and friends played a ton of that game, and a lot of Monkey tag (I think it was in two). Hope you get to play 3 some day. Or even better, that Nightdive remakes it.