Nintendo’s 2023 Switch games lineup is looking somewhat light at the moment outside of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4. Naturally, one of the ways it’s plugging the holes is an onslaught of new and old JRPGs. Golden Sun is back! So is Baten Kaitos! Nintendo is digging deep into the back catalogue and turn-based, number-crunching fans are reaping the rewards.
We knew Octopath Traveller II was just around the corner, but following the latest Nintendo Direct we now also have a new demo. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Fire Emblem Engage already launched, but new expansions promise good reasons to return to them. The Chrono Trigger-inspired Sea of Stars hasn’t been a secret either, but a new trailer revealed its gorgeous pixel art animation is just a couple months away. Not to mention Square Enix has six Final Fantasy “pixel remasters” hitting Switch this Spring. Those weren’t part of the presentation, indicating that this week’s February Direct was just the Switch’s opening salvo.
This is hardly a new strategy. 2022’s Switch JRPG bonanza began with the 2D HD pixel art throwback Triangle Strategy, and ended with the flashy remake of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. Ports of Persona 5 Royal and Nier Automata followed, as did a plethora of other remasters and sequels. It turns out a comfortable handheld hybrid console with a beautiful OLED screen is a great way to casually enjoy colourful, grindy, and menu-intensive adventures spanning dozens of hours.
As more and more of these games come to Switch the cuts are definitely getting deeper. Then again, that’s sort of what JRPG fans live for. Look no farther than Baten Kaitos, a nearly 100-hour GameCube game from Xenoblade makers Monolith Soft featuring turn-based card battles. Almost nobody played it, but the ones who did will never shut up about it. Now the cult favourite and its sequel are getting a second chance almost 20 years later.
It’s a testament to just how curated the new class of JRPGs coming to Switch is that Baten Kaitos is probably one of the better-known games on the list. The deepest cut didn’t even make it into the North American Nintendo Direct: the first Atelier-series game is getting a remake. Not only will the alchemy-based PlayStation game get a chibi-art overhaul, it will also get its first English localisation next winter. Congratulations Atelierheads, the summoning circle worked!
Here’s all the other JRPGs coming to Switch in the months ahead.
Golden Sun
Game Boy Advance games are finally available on Switch Online, which of course means Golden Sun is on its way, a game many probably now know more as a Super Smash Bros. Easter Egg than a classic JRPG. It doesn’t get much more traditional than this, but with enough stylised flourishes and a combat trick or two to keep things interesting. You control a group of youths collecting crystals and gaining magical abilities to save the world and it’s about damn time it came to a modern platform. Fire Emblem for the GBA won’t be far behind either, one of the best in the series.
Release date: TBD
Octopath Traveller II
The first Octopath Traveller tested players’ patience in addition to their willingness to utter absurd names. Octopath Traveller II follows a similar format and 2D HD diorama art style, but with a completely new story and characters. You’ll still get to duel random people to gain information or learn new skills, and the presentation is looking hot as always. Hopefully it’s just a little less grindy than its predecessor. You can see for yourself via a free demo currently on Switch.
Release date: February 24, 2023
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection
The first three Etrian Odyssey games are also coming to Switch and getting HD upgrades along the way. Anyone who’s played these Nintendo DS dungeon crawlers knows they can be harsh and unforgiving, but also incredibly rewarding and, dare I say it, even fun? You get to customise the roles of your characters D&D-style while using pen and paper to map out tough-as-nails dungeons as you explore them. Bring your boiled herbs, because you’re in for a world of pain.
Release date: June 1, 2023
Sea of Stars
Developed by the indie studio behind Ninja Gaiden homage The Messenger, Sea of Stars is also guided by retro inspiration, this time from 16-bit JRPGs like Chrono Trigger. The original composer for that game, Yasunori Mitsuda, is even lending some new tracks to this spiritual successor. Fans of that era were already recently blessed with the excellent Chained Echoes. Sea of Stars will hopefully spoil them further. A demo for it is available on the eShop right now.
Release date: August 29, 2023
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster
Not just one Baten Kaitos remaster but two of them, in the year 2023. Who would have guessed? Not I, dear reader, absolutely not. I’ve watched many a speedrun of both games, and heard tales from friends and strangers alike about their unique pleasures and strange secrets. Both games revolve around card-based combat, but that’s just the beginning of where they begin to break the JRPG combat mould. Elsewhere beloved tropes abound. The story plays out among floating islands where you try to thwart an evil empire’s attempt to unleash the power of an evil god. We are not ready.
Release date: Summer 2023
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Seemingly a sequel to a 2013-ish 3DS outing, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a sim RPG in which you’ll find yourself chopping wood just as often as you’re beating up bad guys. The original 3DS game was an incredibly satisfying to-do list where you juggled lives and careers on a whim. The Girl Who Steals Time, which is also by Level-5, will add time travel into the mix. Hopefully it lives up to its namesake.
Release date: 2023
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
Yes, they made some Mega Man RPGs, and no, they didn’t suck. Mega Man Battle Network has you customising decks of “battle chips” to maximise your lethality on a small, grid-based battlefield. Instead of fighting robot masters in the world you’re fighting viruses in computer networks deployed by terrorist groups and crime syndicates across six games. All of them are in the Legacy Collection, including their colour-coded variants (following in Pokémon’s footsteps, Capcom tried to release two copies of Mega Man Battle Network 3 thru 6, each game having slight variations).
Release date: April 14, 2023
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