Nintendo Switch 2 might "shake" the game industry for the better and possibly save it from the next big crisis coming up.

Eight years ago, Nintendo released the Switch, a console that marked a turning point for a company once struggling with the Wii U’s lackluster performance. The Wii U never met expectations, leaving Nintendo banking on the Switch to become a massive hit. As a portable console, its success hinged on strong video games to support it—a challenge Nintendo met head-on.

The Switch faced an uphill battle. After the 3DS’s rocky launch (though it later found its footing) and the Wii U’s poor sales, Nintendo needed a renaissance. They launched the Switch with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a near-perfect game that opens with Link standing on a hill, gazing at a vast, broken Hyrule. This moment signaled a rebirth for the Zelda franchise. Gone was the linear formula of collecting an item per dungeon to defeat a boss; instead, players received powers early on and could explore an open world freely. Whether wielding a boomerang, an enemy’s arm, or a camera to snap photos, Link’s new tools broke from tradition, offering unprecedented freedom. Five minutes in, the entire game opened up—run, climb, ride a horse, or even rocket to the final boss, Ganon, with just three hearts if you dared.

This open-world shift persisted. Tears of the Kingdom, a sequel, doubled down on nonlinear storytelling, proving this is now Zelda’s default style. Even the 2D title Echoes of Wisdom adopted the iconic hill shot, with Zelda as the protagonist wielding a magic staff and Link’s sword—another bold reinvention. Nintendo saw what crossing this hill did for Zelda and applied it to other franchises growing stale.

Take Super Mario Odyssey. Like Mario 64, it offers vibrant worlds, but unlike its predecessor, it doesn’t eject players after every star. Moons—some obvious, others hidden—keep gameplay flowing. Mario can capture Goombas, Chain Chomps, or even a man driving an RC car, making exploration freeing and fun. Similarly, Pokémon Legends: Arceus mirrored Breath of the Wild’s hill shot, placing a child in a wild world distrustful of Pokémon. Instead of random tall-grass battles, players researched, explored, and tamed giant, angry Pokémon—like a first boss with battle-axe hands that could kill you if you weren’t careful. Movement options borrowed from Zelda—flying, swimming, climbing—transformed Pokémon entirely.

These big open world projects made the industry change the game play dynamics of AA to AAA games. After Breath of The wild major open world title came out with simlar features as of Elden Ring, Genshin Impact, Ghost of Tsushima, Eternal Strands and many more. These major relases layed the foundations of what an open world game should be made.

Kirby got two hill moments. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate redefined the series with Kirby as the sole survivor in World of Light, staring into a war-torn world he must save. Spirits and DLC enriched the experience, making it a standout fighting game. Then, Kirby and the Forgotten Land took Kirby into 3D for his first main adventure outside 2D. Starting on a beach instead of a hill, Kirby explores an expansive, colorful world—eating cars or light bulbs—proving 3D suits him perfectly.

These hills matter because they reflect Nintendo’s rebirth with the Switch, evolving from the Wii U’s failure. The Switch’s influence reshaped gaming, inspiring handhelds like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and Sony’s Portal. Yet none match the Switch’s sales or battery life. A tweet from Nintendo Prime argues the Switch wasn’t lightning in a bottle like the Wii or DS but a logical evolution with staying power, akin to PlayStation—a practical concept with endless potential. I agree, but I’m cautious. These rebirths could’ve flopped, turning Nintendo money-focused and sacrificing art for profit, a loss for video games as a medium.

Nintendo’s history leans toward lightning—Wii to Wii U, DS to a shaky 3DS launch where Satoru Iwata cut his paycheck to save jobs. I hope Nintendo Prime is right, that the Switch is the bottle, not just lightning. The Switch 2’s reveal on April 2nd, during a Direct I’ll stream on x will show if Nintendo can bottle that lightning again. I’ll post a breakdown video too. I hope the Switch was Nintendo’s hill, its rebirth. Thanks for reading.