While I’m unsure how fun it’ll be to lean over my coffee table to play Switch 2 games with a Joy-Con mouse, built-in mouse support on a portable console certainly lends itself to experimentation. After all, a mouse is far more precise than a joystick or D-pad.
The upcoming Metroid Prime 4 supports both traditional analog stick input and a mouse control option, which shows that Nintendo is keen to explore the possibilities. So, here the retro game series that I think could do with a mouse-minded makeover.
5
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus: Uprising remains one of Masahiro Sakurai’s boldest experiments, taking elements of the rail shooter and the third-person action/adventure genres and squeezing it all onto a 3DS cartridge.
The most polarizing aspect of the game is its control scheme, which involves holding the 3DS with one hand to both fire and move Pit around, and using the stylus with the other hand to aim and move the camera. Those who soldiered through the rough controls generally agreed the underlying game was fantastic, but it’s practically unplayable for anyone prone to hand cramps.
While translating the game to a gamepad would work, it would also deny the game its novel control scheme. Mouse controls could emulate the stylus much more easily, allowing players to experience the intended gameplay more comfortably on a big screen without having to balance a handheld system on their knee.
4
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks
Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks on DS leveraged the stylus controls more than most; they use the stylus for just about everything from movement to combat and puzzle solving. Fans have tinkered with these games to make them playable with more traditional control schemes, but it’s obvious the creators intended to leverage the DS’ hardware. This makes the games a real treat for DS owners, but they are hard to port in a way that retains the magic.
Similar to Kid Icarus, the mouse is a no-brainer for mimicking the stylus, with a mouse click standing in for a tap on the screen. Drawing on maps and fiddling with the stylus controls adds a ton of personality to these games, and even if they don’t get a Switch 2 port, it’s something Nintendo might want to consider for future Zelda titles.
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6 Switch Games That Will Benefit Most from Switch 2 Hardware
Some games were made for the Switch 2 before the console was even announced.
3
WarioWare
Okay, WarioWare isn’t really a retro series—it got two big entries on the Switch and has been a mainstay on Nintendo’s handheld and home consoles since its inception. However, I’ve got a very specific pair of WarioWare games in mind: WarioWare Touched! and WarioWare D.I.Y. It seems like DS games are a running theme!
While Touched! would be a natural fit for similar reasons to the other DS games I’ve mentioned, D.I.Y. is an interesting case because it asks the player to make a lot of their own art. If you’ve ever tried to draw with a controller or even motion controls, you’re well-acquainted with how cumbersome that is. A mouse, on the other hand, is just about the second-best thing after a proper drawing stylus.
2
Hotel Dusk
The Cing point-and-click games were finally thrown a bone on Switch with Another Code: Recollection, but these games are always difficult to put on console without compromising some of the charm. They’re called point-and-clicks, after all. With the mouse Joy-Con, it’d be easier than ever to get these games on a home console with proper support for play as intended.
While the Nintendo-published Cing games like Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (and the sequel Last Window: The Secret of Cape West) seem like good options for mouse support, any game in the adventure genre would work well.
1
Mario Paint
Wait a minute… didn’t Nintendo already have mouse support? Like, a really long time ago? That’s right: Mario Paint on the SNES was the first time Nintendo embraced not only a more traditional-looking mouse than the ones attached to the Switch 2, but PC-style edutainment as a genre.
The company didn’t stick with these experiments for very long, but it remains a nostalgic touchstone for old-school Nintendo fans. It would certainly turn heads in an age when drawing tablets and gaming consoles aren’t getting any cheaper.
Of all the games I’ve mentioned, this one would be the ripest for modern reinvention. The continued global success of games like Minecraft demonstrates that creativity is a substantial draw for gamers of all ages. A way to plug in the Switch and simply toy around with art tools would expand the very limits of what first-party software on the system can look like.
There’s a whole host of games already in the Switch library crying out for mouse controls as an option—but Nintendo has a catalog of retro rail shooters and edutainment tools that could just as easily show off their potential.
While the Switch 2 isn’t likely to become the sort of handheld PC you’ll find in a Steam Deck, and it’s yet to be seen how much attention developers will give the new option, the mouse opens up possibilities that might have been infeasible on the original Switch.
