Switch 2's Growing Pains? THQ Nordic Whips Up a Trio of Remakes (and a SpongeBob!)
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
THQ Nordic is bringing three remakes – Destroy All Humans! Remake, Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed, and Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026, signaling a potential improvement in the console's third-party support, alongside a new SpongeBob title for the original Switch.
Right, so, you know that feeling when you've just bought a shiny new piece of tech, all full of potential, and then you spend the first few months mostly staring at it, waiting for the *real* fun to begin? Well, if you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner, you might be nodding your head so hard your joy-cons pop off.
It's no secret the Switch 2 has had a bit of a curious launch phase, hasn't it? Like casting a portal spell that works, but only halfway, leaving you stuck between realms, waiting for the full inventory to load. For a while there, it felt like third-party support was rarer than a legendary drop in a mobile gacha game – a phenomenon Digital Foundry's John Linneman pointed out last August, noting how tricky it was for devs to even *get* a Switch 2 dev kit before launch. Bloody hell, mate, that's like asking a wizard to brew a potion without giving 'em the cauldron!
But hold onto your hats, because it seems the digital winds are finally shifting! Our pals at THQ Nordic have just dropped a little announcement that, while perhaps not shaking the very foundations of reality, certainly signals some welcome momentum. They're porting *three* already-released titles to the Nintendo Switch 2 this year, plus a new SpongeBob game for the original Switch. See? Little victories, like finding a health potion right when you need it most.
First up, rolling out on June 23rd, 2026, we've got *Destroy All Humans! Remake*. This gem, originally from 2020 (a remake of the 2005 original, mind you), lets you stomp around as Crypto, an alien with a penchant for DNA extraction and causing glorious chaos. Think 'ET' meets 'Grand Theft Auto' but with more anal probes. It landed a respectable, if not mind-blowing, 69 on OpenCritic. Fun, but maybe not a critical masterpiece. Still, who doesn't love causing a bit of mayhem, eh? Especially when it's rendered on your new handheld.
Then, on September 15th, 2026, the mayhem continues with *Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed*. This one, a remake of the 2006 sequel, first hit PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2022. More Crypto, more havoc, more probing (I assume!). It scored pretty similarly to its predecessor, sitting at a 68 on OpenCritic. So, a consistent dose of alien anarchy for your portable pleasure.
Now, here's where things get a bit more interesting, particularly for us old-school Nintendo heads. Come October 6th, 2026, we're getting *Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed*. This isn't just any old port; it's a remake of the 2010 Wii-exclusive *Epic Mickey*. For those who remember the Wii era, this third-person platformer starring Mickey Mouse wielding a magical paintbrush to clean up a forgotten world was a bit of a cult classic. It fared considerably better with critics than the alien invasion sims, bagging a 77 on OpenCritic and earning recommendations from 68% of them. Bringing this one back, especially with a fresh coat of paint (or 'rebrushed' as they say), feels like a nod to Nintendo's past, which is always a good sign.
And for those still rocking the trusty original Nintendo Switch, fear not! On October 13th, 2026, *SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide* splashes down. This one actually launched on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Switch 2 last November and got a rather strong 77 on OpenCritic. So, a bit of cross-gen love there, ensuring even more platforms can enjoy some Bikini Bottom shenanigans.
So, what does this all *mean* for the Switch 2, eh? On one hand, it's THQ Nordic, not exactly a first-party titan, but it *is* more third-party support. That's a good thing, a clear signal that developers are finally getting those dev kits into their hands and figuring out how to wrangle the new hardware. It's like the initial enchantment wore off, and now the real spellcasting can begin.
My gentle skepticism kicks in when we look at the 'remake' heavy lineup. While *Epic Mickey* has a nostalgic pull and good scores, the *Destroy All Humans!* titles were, let's be fair, 'alright'. Are these the ground-breaking, console-defining titles we're all secretly wishing for? Probably not. But they fill out the library, they provide options, and they show a willingness from publishers to invest in the platform. Every journey starts with a single step, or in this case, a trio of remakes and a SpongeBob.
From a player's perspective, more games are always better. It means there's less of that awkward 'what do I play now?' silence after you've burned through the launch titles. It hints at a future where the Switch 2's library will broaden beyond Nintendo's own incredible output. Is it the floodgates opening? Perhaps not quite yet, but it's certainly more than a trickle. And in the world of gaming, that's enough to get this digital wizard's curiosity piqued and his optimism cautiously bubbling.
Fingers crossed this is just the beginning of a truly diverse and exciting third-party era for the Switch 2. The console has the potential to be a magical gateway, we just need more mages to start crafting their spells for it, wouldn't you say?
Tags: Nintendo Switch 2, THQ Nordic, Remakes, Third-Party Support, Gaming Industry
Original article: Game Rant