Nintendo was on a once-in-a-generation run with the Nintendo Switch, delivering masterfully crafted works of art seemingly effortlessly. The majority of the first-party titles for the Switch were phenomenal and either pushed their respective genres to new heights or set the bar for what fans should expect from them. If you were around during the height of the Switch’s success, you were all but guaranteed to be well serviced by your favorite Nintendo franchises and entirely new ones, even if the delivery of said games was a tad slow.
However, now that we’ve entered the blooming stages of Nintendo’s next handy handheld, things have begun to quieten down a little as the studio once again does a little soul searching to discover what it wants this new generation to represent. During this downtime, I’ve found myself reflecting on the Switch’s library more and more, although not the expected titles I’ve just alluded to. Rather, I find I am recalling the lesser-known Nintendo-produced titles that appear to have been lost in the shuffle. Between the Breath of the Wilds and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nintendo found time to publish two titles that seemingly no one talks about, and I feel it is time to rectify that, especially as both Good Job! and The Stretchers truly represent the best parts of the console’s storied legacy.
The Stretchers & Good Job! Are Underrated Nintendo Gems
Image Courtesy of Tarsier Studios
When searching for the best co-op games available, especially on the Nintendo Switch, rarely, if ever, do Good Job! and The Stretchers turn up. The latter, developed by Little Nightmares’ developer Tarsier Studios, provided the most fun I’ve had with another person on the Switch, its blend of physics-based antics and open-world shenanigans perfectly blending together the likes of Moving Out and Crazy Taxi. The former, developed by Paladin Studios, basically begs you to cause as much carnage as possible in levels perfectly designed to satisfy one’s base desire for destruction and chaos.
I’m not trying to say that either game is the best Nintendo Switch game ever made, as that would be categorically untrue. However, what they do offer is very Nintendo-feeling fun, games with a distinctive, timeless art style that were created with the sole goal of being as entertaining as possible in the most creative fashion available within a limited budget. One could just as easily believe Nintendo made either game as a fun side project, which is in no way intended to denigrate the hard work done by the actual developers, but rather to illustrate just how well suited to Nintendo’s hardware both games are and how brilliantly they allign with Nintendo’s philosophy of creative fun over technological brilliance.
It doesn’t surprise me that, despite their immensely enjoyable gameplay and stylish visuals, neither game performed well or is spoken of at all, let alone in high regard. Nintendo didn’t exactly advertise these games particularly well, nor has it marketed a noticeable push toward third-party publishing as its counterparts have. That’s a shame, as games like The Stretchers and Good Job! are exactly what Nintendo needs more of, and, indeed, they feel perfectly suited for the Switch 2, especially during the current drought of bigger first-party titles.
Nintendo Should Focus On Smaller Games On The Switch 2
Image Courtesy of Paladin Studios
Much has been made of the lack of first-party releases during the Switch 2’s first year. It has been a point of contention for quite some time, especially as its predecessor had an incredibly impressive launch window that saw the release of genre-defining and, indeed, console-defining titles such as Breath of the Wild. Of course, not every console can be held to the same standard as the original Switch, and it would be disingenuous to disregard the value that the current crop of Switch 2 titles delivers to fans eager to get their hands on the new console long before it exits its teething stage. However, it is hard to deny that the smattering of first-party titles on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a tad disappointing.
Fortunately, games like The Stretchers and Good Job! provide an obvious solution to this problem. Outsourcing the creation of smaller titles to bridge the gap between tentpole releases allows Nintendo to focus its resources internally while also providing the opportunity for work to smaller developers who would perhaps struggle otherwise. That’s not to say that investing in these projects wouldn’t cost Nintendo money, but especially if built on the same scale and scope as those aforementioned Nintendo-published titles, it would likely be a significantly smaller investment than the creation of new original IP from first-party or even internal studios.
The concept of AAA developers like Nintendo and PlayStation producing games by smaller third-party teams isn’t exactly a new one, but it has gone out of fashion as of late. These studios still support indie developers and the production of AA exclusives, but on a far smaller scale and often within very specific circumstances, such as PlayStation’s regional Hero Project. It makes sense to utilize the expertise of other developers to deliver games in spaces one may not be capable or best equipped to target, especially in Nintendo’s case, as it begins branching out beyond its family-friendly franchises. This is best evidenced by those aforementioned games, as prior to their release, at least on the Switch, Nintendo didn’t really have anything like Good Job! or The Stretchers in its arsenal. So, their existence allowed it to tap into an increasingly popular niche that was dominating the console at the time.
At the very least, it would be nice to see a greater variety of Nintendo-produced games beyond its expected litany of familiar faces and experiences. They don’t have to be groundbreaking or genre-defining; those experiences can be left to the first-party titles to deliver. All they need to do is fill a gap between releases, expand Nintendo’s offerings, and offer new and existing studios the opportunity to work within Nintendo’s sandbox or deliver unique ideas that capitalize on the expertise Nintendo’s publishing arm can provide. Of course, none of this may ever happen, as Nintendo could deem it too expensive or may have experienced failure with its previous attempts and figure it isn’t worth trying again. Frankly, if that is the case, then at least we got The Stretchers and Good Job!, two games well worth playing that I strongly advise picking up today. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Do you think the Nintendo Switch 2 could do with more games like The Stretchers and Good Job? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!