Namely, the two most notable games I played were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza. The latter isn't a launch game, but they both made strong first impressions – not only as games themselves, but also as demonstrations of what the Switch 2 can do. Let's dig in.

Nintendo is switching a few things up with its new console as it enters the next generation of gaming. The Switch 2 was unveiled Wednesday morning during a Nintendo Direct press conference, and Variety got a hands-on demo with the hardware and games launching on June 5.

Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are genre- and franchise-defining moments in each of their series, according to Nintendo's Bill Trinen. He told GameSpot in a recent interview that these games were purposefully designed to show off what the Switch 2 is capable of, and they are marquee titles in helping to promote the console.