Nintendo Switch: Video games to watch in January 2025

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

15 years after its original launch on Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns wants to remind us that it is the king of the platform by giving itself an HD facelift on Switch. This portage should allow the youngest to discover the wonders contained in this title highly playful, without tearing your hair out. Because, even if its legendary difficulty does not necessarily work against it, the addition of a so-called “modern” mode should make the experience much more accessible to newbies.

Compared to Classic mode, this variant will indeed contain bonuses likely to make all the difference, such as hearts or additional items offered to players. Purists will still have the opportunity to play in period conditions. to check that they have not lost their hand. The title of course remains playable with 2 players in cooperation via local multiplayer.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will even offer a motion recognition control mode to simulate simple actions, such as rolling or hitting the ground by waving the Joy-Con. And thanks to its detour on 3DS, the game inherits the 8 special levels that were introduced during the portable edition. Which brings the total to 88 courses full of secrets. It’s up to you to see if all this justifies another round trip into the DK jungle crowned with HD graphics.

• Release date: January 16, 2025

Pre-order Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on Nintendo Switch for €44.49 at Amazon

Tales of Graces f Remastered

It also takes us back in time… Released in 2012 on PS3, Tales of Graces f was already the adaptation of a game designed in 2009 for the Wii. But the original title is only available in Japan, the rest of the world had to wait for the PS3 port to discover one of the best episodes of the series. With the arrival of Tales of Graces f Remastered on all current media, there’s no need to be jealous. It’s time to check if the bonds of friendship that unite the 3 heroes are still strong enough to allow them to stop the course of their destiny.

Tales of Graces f Remastered has the pleasure of being one of these reissues which do not just offer the addition of HD graphics. By offering welcome comfort options, this version also thinks about the youngestto newcomers who are discovering RPGs or to those who already know the original game and who wish to go through it more quickly. This includes the presence of checkpoints, the possibility of skipping certain narrative sequences and even reducing the frequency of combat.

This version also includes the epilogue “Lineage & Heritage”, essential for understanding all the ins and outs of the plot. In terms of gameplay, the title was already one of the most interesting episodes of the franchise at the time, despite a somewhat slow start to the game. The combat system is full of subtleties and allows you to change styles on the fly. This remaster will allow us to check whether his proposal has aged well or not.

• Release date: January 17, 2025
• Also available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series and Xbox One

Pre-order Tales of Graces f Remastered on Nintendo Switch for €39.99 at Amazon

Guilty Gear : Strive

Better late than never, the “Nintendo Switch Edition” of Guilty Gear: Strive is scheduled for the end of January. All 28 playable characters return for local or online battles served by Rollback Netcode. The fluidity should therefore be optimal for this Switch version which will also be able to count on a single-player mode of around 6 hours. The scenario should also include an epilogue in the form of a cutscene recounting the events that took place in the background of the main storyline. The title even offers a packaged version.

• Release date: January 23, 2025
• Also available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series and Xbox One

Pre-order Guilty Gear: Strive – Nintendo Switch Edition on Nintendo Switch for €59.99 at Amazon

Phantom Brave : The Lost Hero

The Nippon Ichi Software studio had its hour of glory a few years ago with the saga Disgaea. His original vision of the tactical RPG also won over players in the first Phantom Brave in 2005. A title which is making an unexpected return, two decades after its debut… But this time it’s a whole new adventure in which little Marona finds herself separated from her companions.

Fortunately, the heroine still has the power to communicate with deceased spirits. She is able to bind their soul to objects, combine them with different gadgets and even merge them to launch devastating attacks. In order to counter the onslaught of pirates on a ghost ship, she will have to assemble a crew made up of legendary missing warriors. We are promised a translation of the texts into French, in addition to the choice of English or Japanese dubbing.

• Release date: January 30, 2025
• Also available on PS5 and PS4 (PC: Spring 2025)

Pre-order Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero on Nintendo Switch for €59.99 at Amazon

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

After telling you all the good things we thought of the Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector demo, we can’t wait to discover the final version. This is scheduled for January 31 on Switch, but also on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. Unclassifiable, as it merges genres, this SF title slips us into the skin of a “sleeper”, namely the emulation of a human mind in an artificial body. In order to escape all control, our avatar takes command of a ship to form his own crew. The first part was extremely well received, so there is a good chance that this sequel will rank among the most intelligent software of the start of the year.

• Release date: January 31, 2025
• Also available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series