Watch: Nintendo's history of console gimmicks | Switch On Episode 9

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Nintendo's history of console gimmicks | Switch On Episode 9

Welcome to Switch On, the series where we bring you the latest news and talking points about the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has a long history of developing hardware, and while its games have remained pretty consistent, its consoles couldn’t have gone in many more different design directions if they tried. So let’s take a look back at the company’s weird and wonderful legacy of gaming hardware, and see what it learned along the way. Video by Hal Dimond Additional material: Maddy Kendall-Murray and James Daly

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Nintendo's history of console gimmicks | Switch On Episode 9

Previews

We’ve played Black Ops 7 and here's 10 things you need to know

We’ve played Battlefield 6’s campaign, and it’s refreshingly PUNISHING

Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels like relearning EVERYTHING you know about Pokémon battles

The Blood of Dawnwalker is filled with smart role-playing choices that are making us hunger for more

We’ve played Claws of Awaji and it’s an ambitious yet familiar Assassin's Creed Shadows expansion

007 First Light was one of our highlights of Gamescom 2025!

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival feels like the game your parents warned you about growing up!

We played Where Winds Meet at Gamescom!

We played Dawn of War 4 and it's a stunning RTS game

We played Onimusha: Way of the Sword at Gamescom!

We played Deadpool VR at Gamescom!

We played Invincible VS at Gamescom!

We've played Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and it's the most SURPRISING racer of 2025

We played Kirby Air Riders and it's PERFECT if you've had enough Mario Kart

We've played Pokémon Legends: Z-A and its AWESOME new combat may be the way forward for the series

The Outer Worlds 2 is the next hit for true RPG sickos

We've played Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and it's the most SURPRISING racer of 2025

We played Dawn of War 4 and it's a stunning RTS game

We've played Hollow Knight Silksong and it's real, AMAZING, and a GOTY contender

We played Resident Evil Requiem and got annoyed at the protagonist. But that’s ENTIRELY the point

We've played Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and it's DEFINITELY worth the wait

Reviews

This hyper-violent samurai revenge quest will COMPLETELY hook you | Ghost of Yōtei review

Silent Hill f review | Expertly crafted horror but disappointing combat

Dying Light: The Beast review | A stunningly refined action-horror experience on every level

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds review | Even more frantic than Mario Kart World

Borderlands 4 is the best FPS we've played in 2025 – almost in spite of itself!

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater review | Still one of our favorite games of all time

What you NEED to know before playing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

A genuine must-play for Switch 2 owners | Donkey Kong Bananza Review

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review | More Metal Gear Solid than ever (for better and worse)

Blades of Fire review | Dares to make the case for weapon degradation being good

DOOM: The Dark Ages Review | Goretastic prequel hindered by new ideas

Expedition 33 Review | THRILLING turn-based RPG with Sekiro parries

Assassin's Creed Shadows review | What you Need to Know

The Need to Know: Monster Hunter Wilds review

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review | An utterly absorbing realization of medieval life

Dynasty Warriors: Origins review | Stripped back with a focus on visceral yet tactical clashes

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: the franchise's best adventure since The Last Crusade

The 25 best games of 2024

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review | The best but most broken game of 2024

Lego Horizon Adventures review | This unlikely build fits together perfectly

Nintendo Switch 2

Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels like relearning EVERYTHING you know about Pokémon battles

We've played Pokémon Legends: Z-A and its AWESOME new combat may be the way forward for the series

We played Kirby Air Riders and it's PERFECT if you've had enough Mario Kart

Donkey Kong Bananza is an adventure that rivals Mario’s best

A genuine must-play for Switch 2 owners | Donkey Kong Bananza Review

Nintendo Switch 2's first month breakdown

Has the Switch 2 found its Super Mario Odyssey? | Donkey Kong Bananza preview

Breath Of The Wild Is Still The Superior Zelda Game

There's a new Splatoon game coming called Splatoon Raiders

The Optimal Way To Unlock Every Vehicle In Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World Is "Completely Broken"

Nintendo Say It's Unlikely That Physical Games Will Ever "100 Percent Go Away"

Moo Moo Cow Is The Best New Mario Kart World Character

7 Best Switch 2 Games So Far

Nintendo Switch 2 worth it? | Full console review

Answering Your Switch 2 Questions

Everything we know about the Duskbloods | FromSoftware's Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond preview | This monumental Switch 2 release has a LOT to live up to

Donkey Kong Bananza preview | DK’s return to the third dimension is looking worth the wait

This is what the Switch 2 eShop needs to be like

Nintendo's history of console gimmicks | Switch On Episode 9

News

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Silksong dev warns players of scam game

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EA goes $20 billion in debt and Mass Effect 5 fans are terrified

Sonic the Hedgehog boss says a remake of Sonic Adventure isn't in the works

Silent Hill f sells over 1 million copies in just 4 days

When a game comes with a warning like this, you know it’s going to be horrifying

Turns out Yoko Taro was trying to confuse us all