As someone who’s watched a lot of Nintendo Treehouse streams over the years, I wasn’t expecting to be as surprised as I was. However, I found myself pausing the stream more than once to jot down things I hadn’t heard before. Seeing new gameplay mechanics in action and hearing how they tied into the system’s design gave me a better sense of how these games will feel on Switch 2.
This recap covers everything shown on Day 1, including: Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. We’ll also touch on new details from Drag x Drive, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and the long-awaited addition of Nintendo GameCube games to Nintendo Switch Online.
Mario Kart World Brings Knockout Chaos and Custom Style
Nintendo Treehouse kicked things off with a deep dive into Mario Kart World. It quickly became clear this isn’t just a visual upgrade. The Knockout Tour mode was the focus—an online, elimination-based format where 24 racers are slowly whittled down to one. You’ll need to place 20th or better to survive the first round. Then 16th, 12th, and so on, until the final four race for the win.
What stood out in motion was how smooth and clean everything looked. Visual clarity, improved framerate, and fast load times were all noticeable compared to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch. The broadcast also showed off new tracks, weather effects, and how costumes unlock based on food collected across stages. Some foods are tied to specific outfits, adding light collection elements to each run.
You can now grind rails mid-race, pull off multiple aerial tricks, and fast travel between zones on the overworld map. The race HUD has also been updated with a mini-map, item displays, and a small crown floating over the leader’s head. There’s even a photo mode for those who want to capture moments mid-race.
A few moments during the stream showed how high the skill ceiling might be. Watching the team nail jumps, recover from item chaos, and still squeeze out top placements made the Knockout Tour look like a serious competitive mode.
Donkey Kong Bananza Digs Into Destruction and Exploration
The Treehouse segment for Donkey Kong Bananza focused on its layered terrain gameplay. This is where you can burrow, blast, and bounce through fully destructible environments. The team emphasized that nearly everything you see — from soft soil to rocky layers — can be dug into or smashed apart. Terrain strength even shows up as an on-screen indicator, letting you know what’s breakable or not.
One of the standout mechanics is material scanning. When DK encounters a new type of ground or structure, he can scan it to learn properties like “soft” or “sticky,” which feed into the game’s platforming and puzzle-solving. The world also hides fossils, challenge routes, and collectible bananas that function similarly to Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey. When you complete an objective or discover a secret, you get rewarded.
You’re not alone either. DK is partnered with an Odd Rock companion who rides alongside and joins in on musical sequences. Playing music together not only adds flavour — it reveals hidden seals and even points you in the right direction. There’s also a rock-riding mechanic where you can skate through levels using large debris like a makeshift board.
One clip showed DK post-storm, and the team had a laugh at how well that moment sold his energy. They also highlighted the game’s animations and expressive movement, especially DK’s signature hand slap, which uncovers items or nearby secrets.
Between physics-driven materials, scanning, platforming challenges, and creative exploration tools, Donkey Kong Bananza looks to be one of the most inventive DK games yet.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Brings Classic Exploration to Modern Hardware
The Nintendo Treehouse segment for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gave a clear look at the game. It stays true to the series’ exploration-focused roots while leveraging the power of Nintendo Switch 2. The visuals were immediately impressive, running at 4K 60FPS in docked mode with an option for 1080p 120 FPS. HDR support is also confirmed, giving environments a more dynamic look.
The gameplay shown kept the slower, more deliberate pacing that fans expect. The Nintendo Treehouse demo focused on scanning enemies, exploring atmospheric environments, and gradually unlocking new areas — all familiar parts of the Metroid Prime experience.
Controls are where things have expanded. In addition to the standard stick-and-gyro setup, you can switch to mouse-like controls by using Joy-Con 2 on a flat surface. The Nintendo Treehouse team showed how aiming and shooting felt snappy and precise this way, offering another layer of flexibility. Motion aiming is also supported, and it looks smooth across both gameplay styles.
While the demo didn’t reveal any major story beats, it was reassuring to see the team take its time with movement, combat, and scanning. There were no major gimmicks — just a clean, faithful return to form with updated tech and modern control options.
Zelda’s Dual Upgrade: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2
The Nintendo Treehouse segment covering the new Zelda Switch 2 editions didn’t show new story content or areas. However, it did introduce several new features designed to improve exploration and quality of life. And, it gave a solid look at how both games benefit from the hardware upgrade. Load times are significantly faster, frame rates were smoother (especially in dense areas like forests), and the overall image quality looked much cleaner in motion.
One standout feature is Zelda Notes, a new in-game system that acts like a GPS-style guide across both games. It’s designed to help with navigation and exploration — a smart addition for newcomers or anyone revisiting these massive worlds.
Item Sharing was also explained. You can now share your item box between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. And, even send items back and forth between the two. This feature wasn’t shown during the Nintendo Direct. And, it opens up some interesting possibilities for how your inventory travels with you across both games.
The editions also add optional tools like Daily Bonuses (a reel-spin for a small reward), Autobuild Sharing, and stat trackers like My Play Data and Global Play Data. There’s even a Voice Memories feature. Where Zelda herself will narrate a voice line when you reach specific locations — a small but charming touch.
No new quests or areas were shown. However, these additions give returning fans some nice bonuses while keeping the core games intact. If you’ve already played both on Switch, the visual boost and new features might be enough reason to revisit them on Switch 2.
Drag x Drive: Arcade Energy Meets Mouse Controls
Drag x Drive made a brief but energetic appearance during the stream. It’s a 3-on-3 arcade-style ball game built specifically for Switch 2. And, it leans into the console’s mouse functionality with both Joy-Con 2 controllers.
You hold a Joy-Con in each hand and physically move them like you’re driving — hence the “Drag” and “Drive.” This motion directly controls the two wheels of your vehicle as you aim to push the ball into the opposing team’s goal. It’s fast-paced, chaotic, and has that pick-up-and-play appeal Nintendo arcade titles are known for.
The physics felt exaggerated in a fun way, with sharp turns, bounces, and team-based strategies. During the segment, the Nintendo Treehouse team showed how the controls can be learned in seconds. But, mastering the movement takes practice. Matches looked short and high energy, making this one feel ideal for quick local multiplayer sessions.
This is also one of the games that uses Joy-Con 2 mouse input in a meaningful way. The broadcast didn’t dive deep into other modes, but it hinted that more depth may be hidden under the surface. For now, Drag x Drive looks like it will serve as a quick, competitive showcase of how Switch 2’s unique input options can change familiar genres.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: A Playable Expo
The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour might be one of the most surprising additions shown during the Nintendo Treehouse presentation. It’s not a game in the traditional sense. It’s more of an interactive guide to the Switch 2’s hardware, design philosophy, and features. Nintendo described it as a “playable Ask the Developer,” and that ended up being a pretty accurate summary.
You earn medals by completing minigames and challenges that demonstrate various system capabilities. These include quizzes about hardware design, interactive demonstrations of features like HD Rumble 2, and even 4K re-creations of classic moments like Super Mario Bros. World 1-1. One standout moment showed the entire level displayed on a single screen without scrolling.
Medals also unlock higher difficulty levels for certain demos, giving completionists a reason to dig deeper. While the Nintendo Treehouse team didn’t show every detail, they emphasized that the Tour is meant to celebrate what makes Switch 2 unique. It’s almost like an onboarding experience that doubles as a love letter to the hardware.
That’s why it feels odd that Welcome Tour isn’t included with the system or preloaded. It’s a paid digital download. Which is puzzling, for something that seems like it should be part of the default experience. For a system built around subtle but important upgrades, having to pay extra just to learn about those features feels like a strange choice.
GameCube Games on Nintendo Switch Online: Small Reveals, Big Implications
The Nintendo Treehouse stream gave a brief but notable look at GameCube titles running on Nintendo Switch 2 through Nintendo Switch Online. Load times were quick, visuals looked clean, and save states were confirmed. We also spotted Mario Strikers in the game select screen. Despite it not being announced for Day 1, this is a good sign that more games are on the way.
The appearance of GameCube on NSO is big news on its own, but the details add more weight. Titles like F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur II now run in widescreen and at higher resolutions. And the new GameCube controller, which includes an optional wired connection, suggests this isn’t a one-off feature but something Nintendo plans to support for the long haul.
That said, a few things stood out. There was no mention of modern emulator features like rewind or control remapping. GameCube support is part of the NSO Expansion Pack and must be downloaded separately.
Still, what’s here is solid. And seeing GameCube officially arrive on a modern system—handled internally by Nintendo—adds long-term value to NSO. If they keep expanding the library and controllers like this, it could be one of the strongest incentives yet for the Expansion Pack tier.
Final Thoughts on Nintendo Treehouse Live Nintendo Switch 2 Day 1
Nintendo Treehouse: Live Nintendo Switch 2 Day 1 wasn’t just a replay of what we saw in the Nintendo Direct—it was a deeper, more candid look at how these games play on the new hardware. From surprise features in the Zelda upgrades to Donkey Kong’s wild physics, and even thoughtful additions like photo tools and item sharing, the stream helped fill in a lot of details.
Mario Kart World also made a strong showing. Seeing the full knockout structure in action—with 24 racers whittled down over six rounds—gave the mode a competitive edge we hadn’t fully grasped before. The dynamic costumes and track variety stood out, especially with how smooth everything looked running on Switch 2.
Personally, I came away more excited than I expected. Seeing Metroid Prime 4 running in 4K at 60 FPS felt like a real “finally, it’s happening” moment. And the Welcome Tour’s mix of hardware trivia, challenges, and retro demos made it feel like Nintendo is proud of the system they’ve built—and wants you to explore it on your own terms.
With more coverage coming in Day 2, there’s still plenty to learn. Whether you’re curious about how Switch 2 handles big titles or just want to see more of the games in action, it’s worth keeping an eye on these Treehouse segments.
What stood out to you from the first day of the Nintendo Treehouse Live Nintendo Switch 2 live stream? Are you more excited for any specific title after seeing more of it? Let us know!
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