Switch 2 Launch Experience – Gaming Review
Fast Facts
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: SEGA
Website: https://www.nintendo.com
Genre(s): Action / Adventure
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Age Rating: PEGI 7
Release Date: 5/6/25
Price: £44.99
A code was provided for review purposes
Gotta Go Fast!
With the All-Time record breaking launch for the Nintendo Switch 2 this June, there is certainly no shortage of opinions out there regarding how much playability can be found in the launch line-up of games. With Mario Kart World taking the plaudits as Nintendo’s own Switch 2 exclusive, its arrival was accompanied by a selection of ports and Switch 2 enhanced versions of games already released. A few of which we are going to touch upon today.

This is less a review of the games themselves, which have already been covered, some more than once by Rapid Reviews. It’s more some reflections around how they perform, what’s new and special and whether these could be worthwhile pick-ups whilst we all await the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza.
Out Of The Blocks
First up Sonic X Shadow Generations, a game reviewed here by our own Grahame Singleton, with an impressive 4.5/5 back in October 2024. It was a really astounding feat to manage to squeeze such a fast paced and complex game onto the Nintendo Switch. Although there were rarely any performance issues during the handheld experience it was rightly touted that you will get the very best enjoyment whilst docked.

On the Nintendo Switch it ran at a locked 30FPS, and when you compare that side by side with the performance now experienced on the Switch 2 it’s such an obvious step up in performance. Buttery smooth and delightful on that big HDR display. This may be the theme of what we see through the next few months of Switch 2. A chance to recognise the magic of what they achieved on the aging hardware of Switch 1, as well as a moment to realise the step up available in this new generation.

In terms of additional content to justify buying the game again for Switch 2? Well there, um, isn’t any. Its a straight up beautification port. If this is your first time around, you will absolutely love it. If you already own another version, there is no upgrade discount available so it’s a bit of a tough sell.
Fast Facts
Hitman World Of Assassination – Signature Edition
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive
Website: Hitman
Genre(s): Action / Stealth
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Age Rating: PEGI 18
Release Date: 5/6/25
Price: £54.99
A code was provided for review purposes
Is it a Hit? Man
Next up, Hitman. Or should I say Hitman World Of Assassination – Signature Edition. Quite the mouthful. Also quite the collection. It contains all of the base game content across Hitman 1, 2, 3 as well as the Hitman 2 Expansion and Hitman 3 Deluxe Pack. All things considered this is well over 100 hours of gaming. Is this everything available in the world of Hitman in one package? Honestly, I don’t think so. Its very complicated and with 8 years of DLC, add ons, costumes and packs along the way I’m not sure anyone else truly knows either.

What I can say though is Hitman as a series, is a blast. Check out our review from Rob, that gives you a real deep dive for Hitman 3. When it comes to drawing comparison to the Switch 1 version, this is one port that doesn’t really offer a comparison. The closest the Nintendo Switch ever got to Hitman is one of those awful cloud play versions and we try to avoid talking about those.

In terms of how it performs on the Nintendo Switch 2, my experiences have been very mixed. Textures look decent, and similar to other console versions of the games. It targets 60FPS, however during busier sections, or gunplay around multiple other characters I felt the Frame-rate dip, and often struggle to recover for a while. It definitely feels like this is already pushing the potential for Switch 2, or perhaps just needs some optimisation and patching.

One thing that was certainly apparent, is having the Variable Refresh Rate in handheld mode. It did a good/great job of masking some of these performance slips. Yet playing docked, and losing that VRR support on the big screen, made playing quite poor and displayed hugely noticeable performance impacts. I really hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. All in a good value collection with a whopping 58.6GB install on the Switch 2. Definitely worth some consideration, especially if new to the series.
Fast Facts
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Website: Breath Of The Wild
Genre(s): Action / Adventure
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Age Rating: PEGI 12
Release Date: 5/6/25
Price: £66.99
A code was provided for review purposes
A Breath Of Fresh Air
The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild needs no introduction. A game that has sold 35 million copies, and may single handedly have helped to ensure the Nintendo Switch became the success we all know of today. It was also a game that back in 2017 already showed the limitations of the original switch hardware.

An incredibly ambitious open-world RPG, you could easily sink well over 100 hours into the masterfully crafted land of Hyrule. Developed originally for launch on both the Switch and the Wii U, optimisation and wizardry was by design the foundation of this game. I did often think about how Hidemaro Fujibayashi and his team dreamt BOTW would look and perform and whether the Switch version was truly it.

Don’t get me wrong.. graphical fidelity in modern times hasn’t exactly been the cornerstone of design for Nintendo. It’s certainly not their most important consideration when designing and releasing games. When it came to BOTW however, it struggled to ever achieve its target of 30FPS and often the draw distance or performance drops could quickly pull you out of the immersion of its story. A stroll through Korok Forest could tell you all you needed to know regarding the performance ceiling on the original Nintendo Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 version of BOTW is nothing short of a reinvention of this epic tale, and does a phenomenal job of correcting any and all mis-steps found in the original. It steps up to an incredibly stable 60FPS even during intense sequences, adds HDR which is utterly gorgeous, and speeds up all loading times. When docked this pushes to 4K at 60fps. Strolling through Korok Forest? Breathtaking.

There are also some real quality of life improvements, such as an extra save slot, Switch 1 Saves carry over, and a truly Switch 2 exclusive addition in Zelda Notes. This allows a companion mobile phone app to connect directly to your game experience. This adds navigation, milestones, voice notes, and an array of new features that are fantastic for completionists and new players alike.
I do wish I didn’t need to have my phone propped up to get these extra enhancements, and finding a way to integrate directly into the game would have been the icing on the cake. I guess we can’t have it all.
What you can have though, is the full Switch 2 experience as an upgrade for OG owners for just £7.99. This is an absolute bargain, a must buy and so worth it. A real treat and thank you to those that have been here since day 1, and a testament to the value retained across Nintendo made Switch 1 games!
To summarise, this is an interesting start to the lifecycle of Nintendo Switch 2, and here at Rapid Reviews UK… we are just getting started.

You can find and read our reviews on OpenCritic.