There are plenty of new versions of classic games worth getting excited about.
It finally happened. Fans have been clamoring for a re-release of Earthbound since ... the last re-release of Earthbound in 2013. It’s often (correctly) called one of the best RPGs of all time, largely thanks to its dark but silly sense of humor.
That’s not all! You can also play Earthbound’s predecessor, known as Mother in Japan. It’s not nearly as highly regarded as Earthbound, but it’s still worth checking out now that it’s included with Switch Online.
Chrono Cross is a cult classic living in the shadow of its forerunner, Chrono Trigger. The remaster lets you swap between new and old graphics, turn off random encounters, and boasts an “enhanced” soundtrack, which must be a typo since the original was already perfect.
We’ve known about this reboot of the classic Advance Wars GBA series for a while, but the latest Nintendo Direct dropped its all-important release date. Delayed from December 2021, it’s now hitting Switch in April.
This isn’t quite a remake, but since it’s essentially Wii Sports for the Switch, it comes with a lot of built-in nostalgia. Switch Sports includes local and online multiplayer and an optional Joy-Con leg strap lets you kick away in the Soccer Shootout minigame.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series collects the two sort-of-forgotten Klonoa platformers, originally released on PlayStation and PS2. Despite great reviews, the series never sold well, so this could be Klonoa’s chance to get the appreciation it deserves.
Live A Live may be one of the most important games ever made, despite being nearly unknown outside of Japan. It takes place over seven distinct eras, with wildly different art and gameplay for each section. The original was made by a team of RPG superstars and went on to inspire future designers, like Undertale’s Toby Fox.
Back in the day, you could hardly swing a controller without hitting a few mech games. Front Mission was one of the better stompy robot sims out there, with satisfying tactical turn-based battles. Remakes of the first two Front Mission games are on the way to Switch.