Nintendo Switch
| Nintendo Switch | |
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| Release Date | WW: March 3, 2017 |
| Status | Supported |
| Manufacturer | 
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| Type | Hybrid console |
| Drawn to Life Games | 
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Predecessor
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Successor
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–Official Nintendo Switch slogan
The Nintendo Switch is a video game console developed by Nintendo, notable for being the very first hybrid console. Its ability to switch between being a handheld and a home console via a special dock is it's most notable attribute, as well as the Joy-Con controllers allowing for multiple ways to play.Just one Drawn to Life game is available for it, the most recent entry Drawn to Life: Two Realms.
History[edit]
Initial development of the Switch began in 2012, right around the time the Wii U released. Following the console's commercial failure contributing to Nintendo's financial troubles, the late Satoru Iwata initialized a plan to revitalize the company and expand its reach, including approaching the mobile game market (which they had previously been hesitant about), developing new hardware and maximizing their focus on their mainstream and obscure IPs. Nintendo's philosophy with the Switch was to create a system that bridged between leisurely and deep experiences, teaming up with both DeNA and NVidia to produce hardware and features for the system, including the Joy-Con and Dock technology. The console was revealed under the codename "Nintendo NX" in 2015, with most features kept under wraps until its formal reveal the following year and eventual release on March 3rd, 2017. The Switch proved to be a monumental success for Nintendo with a total of 155.92 million lifetime system sales, making it the second highest-grossing console of all time, as well as the highest-grossing Nintendo console. The system was succeeded by the Nintendo Switch 2 in June 2025, although support for the original Switch will continue.
Development of Drawn to Life: Two Realms[edit]
Drawn to Life: Two Realms was the first - and, to date, only - game in the series to see release on the Switch. It was the system that Digital Continue was most focused on for the game's foundation, however each version played almost identically outside of controls and performance, including the mobile ports. This has resulted in a gameplay style that differed significantly from previous games, although many past developers would return to produce this entry. Development lasted 18 months according to director Joseph M. Tringali, although development issues suggested development wasn't smooth.
This included crunch, assets being either replaced or removed, Draw Mode integration, resource allocation issues, concepts being changed constantly - sometimes while previous ideas were already in the game - and even the marketing releasing with concepts and characters cut from the game. While unconfirmed, the COVID-19 pandemic is also believed to be a contributing factor. Prior to the launch build's completion, a number of ratings boards classified the title, with the first known case being the Australian Classification Board's rating occurring on September 1st, 2020. Its Taiwanese rating, given by the Game Software Rating Management Regulations (GSRMR) board, was leaked on October 22nd, with the French 505 Games YouTube channel accidentally releasing the reveal trailer on November 3rd, before revealing it for real three days later.
The game received middling-to-negative reviews everywhere, with the Nintendo Switch version receiving the most disdain at just 50% on Metacritic. Many critics and fans alike were critical over the lack of draw-able objects relevant to the story, inconsistent art direction, the plot containing holes and contradictions from previous entries, controller input latency, bugs and glitches present at launch, the gameplay and story generally being unrefined, and especially the lack of touch screen support for this version at launch. Many of these issues would be fixed via the Creation Pack, a series of two free updates that also added new levels, stickers and Hero templates. It was later found, however, that some content in these packs were already accessible in the game files, with these updates serving to unlock them. Two Realms would be verified for backwards compatibility for the Switch 2, although there were no major differences found outside of a 30fps performance in the overworld compared to the 60fps in the rest of the game.
Prior to the game's release, Tringali expressed interest in an expansive sequel to Two Realms and a remake of the previous Drawn to Life games for the Switch. These, however, were determined based on the game's critical and commercial performance; with Two Realms' terrible reception and the lack of sales figure information available, it's believed to be a critical and commercial failure.
Notable Games[edit]
| Game | Developer | Publisher | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
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Mar. 3, 2017 |
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Jul. 21, 2017 |
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Oct. 27, 2017 |
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Dec. 7, 2018 |
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Aug. 30, 2019 |
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Oct. 31, 2019 |
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Mar. 20, 2020 |
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Dec. 7, 2020 |
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Sep. 10, 2021 |
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Oct. 8, 2021 |
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/  |
Jan. 28, 2022 |
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Mar. 25, 2022 |
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Oct. 28, 2022 |
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Apr. 21, 2023 |
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May 12, 2023 |
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Oct. 20, 2023 |
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Sept. 26, 2024 |
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Nov. 7, 2024 |
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Dec. 4, 2025 |
Trivia[edit]
- According to Tringali, 505 Games shot down two pitches for a hypothetical Drawn to Life 3 in 2015 and 2017.
- All three variations of the Nintendo Switch are compatible with Drawn to Life: Two Realms.
- The Switch Lite version, however, seems to have minor compatibility issues.
- With only one entry under it's belt, the Nintendo Switch is among the systems with the least amount of Drawn to Life games.
- The Switch version of Two Realms is the lowest-rated version on Metacritic, with a score of 50/100 from 11 reviewers, with most either Mixed or Negative.
- This also makes this version the lowest-rated game in the series on Metacritic.
Media[edit]
The Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo Switch Lite.
The Nintendo Switch OLED Model.
Note: This section will only show Drawn to Life-related assets.
Drawn to Life: Two Realms cover
Switch Menu Icon
Nintendo Switch eShop website page
Download Code Front
Download Code Back
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References[edit]
Additional Info[edit]
- Nintendo Switch page on Wikipedia
