If I had to describe 2012’s Bravely Default, the very last term I’d use is “party game.” In fact, the Nintendo 3DS RPG is the anti party game. It’s a long, winding adventure that requires a tremendous amount of patience to get through. So it came as a bit of a surprise when the first thought I had after demoing its upcoming Switch 2 version, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, is that it really sells the party potential of Nintendo’s new console.
That’s not because the RPG has changed in any way; it more has to do with its new side content. During a hand-on demo, I tried my hand at the remaster’s two new minigames, which are available as bonuses from the main menu. Both are designed to use the Switch 2’s mouse controls in incredibly clever ways that left me even more eager to see what developers can do with the unique two joy-con scheme.
I only had a brief amount of time to try the remaster, so I opted to jump straight into the new content rather than the main game. If you’re curious, though, expect more of a straight remaster than a remake here with one big caveat. Everything has been reworked to compress the two-screen game to one. Otherwise, you’re mostly getting smoother visuals that clean up the 3DS’ jagged edges. That brings it much more in line with 2021’s Bravely Default 2.
But enough of that: Let’s talk minigames. The first one I tried, Luxencheer Rhythm Catch, was a music game built around mouse controls. Here, I wasn’t simply pressing buttons on beat alongside music from the game. Bubbles popped forward and I’d have to more or less pop them at the right time by sliding my two controllers around. A line linked my pointers on screen and I’d need to make sure that it cut through the bubbles to pop them at the right moment. When colorful flowers appeared on screen, I’d have to slide my corresponding Joy-con over to it and hold the trigger to hit the beat. And when a line appeared on screen, I’d have to drag both of my controllers to the center of it to properly hit the beat.
All of this felt like a great Mario Party minigame. I had to move my hands carefully, as the Switch 2’s mouse controls are remarkably precise. One false move and I’d risk sliding a hand up too far, causing the line between my pointers to miss a bubble. It’s a clever spin on a traditional rhythm game that makes for a refreshing little diversion from a dense RPG.
The second minigame, Ringabel’s Panic Cruise, gets even more mileage out of the mouse controls. Here, I had to pilot my airship through a set of rings. Simple enough. I controlled the vessel from a cockpit view, using a wheel to steer and a lever to rise up or down. I could control each independently with my mice, sliding them around to steer the ship properly. That task is complicated by the fact that my crew occasionally asks me to manage the ship by using a control panel around my wheel. At one point, I need to replace a fuse by grabbing one from the side of the screen and replacing a dead one. Later, I’m asked to make sure some switches are working, dial up a specific number on a panel, and grab a flyswatter to fend off some pesky flies – a bit of an homage to Mario Paint perhaps. Of course, I need to do all of that while steering the ship.
It’s a bit like a single-player version of Spaceteam combined with Wii U hidden gem Affordable Space Adventures. It’s a juggling act that required me to do two or three things at once, creating some comedic chaos as I rushed to complete a task and quickly steer the ship straight again. It’s only a small side-game, but it’s one that really sells me on just how much creativity developers could pull out of a two-mouse control scheme if they’re willing to experiment.
I especially want to see that pay off in party games. At the end of my demo, I asked if I could try to play the rhythm game with two players operating one set of Joy-cons. I grabbed the left and a friend controlled the right. We both had to work together to position our mice as we tried a song on hard mode, a difficulty that increases how quickly the prompts pop up on screen. It was about as silly as you can imagine, as we both tried to work around one another’s movements when the other was out of position.
I hope to see that energy carry over to series like WarioWare, because there’s some real co-op party potential in these two minigames. I’d love to see experimental games in the vein of Snipperclips on Switch 2 early in its lifespan, showing us exactly what the platform can do that no other can. Until then, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster will do as a small appetizer pinned on to a beloved RPG. These small games may not be enough of a reason on their own to grab the double dip, but they’re fun launch day extras that will get your imagination buzzing early.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster launches on June 5 for Nintendo Switch 2.