5 major franchises that should get Nintendo Switch exclusive installments

The Nintendo Switch is the most popular handheld console on the market right now. Its portable nature contributes to its success but also acts as a weakness. After all, its size limits the possibility of higher-end games running on the Mario-maker's console.

That said, certain third-party games have managed to become playable on the handheld device with some compromises; however, some other beloved franchises haven't even seen a release.

Perhaps the answer is a custom, built-from-the-ground-up installment. It's not an uncommon solution and has been done before with previous handheld consoles. Games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss on the PS Vita and Pikmin on the Nintendo 3DS are just a couple of examples. This approach doesn't just allow developers to offer unique installments in already established franchises but also lets them get the most out of the target hardware.

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Franchises that haven't seen a Switch-exclusive release yet but should

1) GTA

Rockstar 's GTA V is nowhere to be seen on Nintendo Switch yet for whatever odd reason. However, the GTA Trilogy remaster is available on the handheld device at the moment.

This may come as a surprise to many, but GTA spin-off games have appeared on Nintendo platforms before. These include GTA Advance on Game Boy Advance and GTA Chinatown Wars on DS. One could argue that these games sold poorly, but that likely has to do with the top-down gameplay design of those games as well as a lack of marketing.

This should not be an issue now since the Switch is a modern console that's also very popular. Fans have already seen more traditional GTA games on portables before, particularly on the PSP with GTA Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories. Since those two were prequels to their main counterparts, Vice City and GTA 3, perhaps something similar can be done with, say, a GTA V prequel on Switch?

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2) Call of Duty

The popular military shooter series is another franchise that was surprisingly associated with Nintendo for a long time. From Finest Hour during the GameCube days up until Black Ops 2 and Ghosts on the Wii U. Since then, the series has gone off the radar for Nintendo fans, but some rumors suggest a change might be on the horizon.

Regardless of whether the whispers on the rumor mill ring true, a Switch exclusive COD game would be great.

The last handheld entry was Black Ops Declassified for the PS Vita, which was released and promptly greeted with a terrible reception. If modern shooters like DOOM Eternal and World War Z can be brought to Switch, then the device should be able to provide a decent COD experience without the limitations of the Vita, such as the 30 FPS cap or botched multiplayer maps.

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3) Assassin's Creed

Ubisoft has always been one of the few third parties to support Nintendo at every turn. The Switch, too, has seen support for several Assassin's Creed ports already; most of the earlier games are available on the platform. But what about a game that takes advantage of the hardware?

The PS Vita had Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, which, as the name suggests, takes place during the events of the main AC3 game. And as things stand currently, the franchise has evolved to suit a denser, open-world design with RPG elements.

It has also apparently been unfeasible to port newer entries over, as seen with the release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Cloud Edition on the Nintendo eShop. This rendition runs on a PC and is streamed to the handheld via the internet using cloud streaming technology.

Since fans have already seen older-style AC games such as Liberation on handheld, a spin-off embodying the modern AC design on Switch would be cool to see.

Ubisoft could go for a game inspired by the ancient Egypt-based Origins, ancient Greek-influenced Odyssey, or viking-themed Valhalla. However, given how cherished the earlier entries are, a Liberation-style game would be just as welcome.

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4) Fallout

Microsoft and Bethesda's post-apocalyptic FPS/RPG series proudly stands alongside its sister franchise, The Elder Scrolls, as one of the most acclaimed names in the genre to date. Fallout is yet to make a mainline appearance on Nintendo Switch. And while the spiritual successor, The Outer Worlds from Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment, is on the handheld, it's not really the same thing.

Fans have been clamoring for a Fallout 4 Switch port for a while now, but nothing has come of it so far. So it might just be the perfect time for the publisher to make a move with a spin-off or side-game.

This has happened before with The Elder Scrolls, which saw an N-Gage exclusive version called The Elder Scrolls: Shadowkey. So a hypothetical Switch Fallout game would be the first in that regard; if nothing else, maybe Fallout Tactics 2?

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5) Sonic

SEGA's popular blue hedgehog is still very popular, especially on Nintendo consoles. Sonic has seen countless exclusive game releases across a variety of Nintendo hardware. For instance, the underrated Sonic & the Black Knight on Wii and the poorly received Wii U exclusive Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. At this point, it's very obvious that third parties have made better Sonic games than SEGA — just look at Sonic Mania.

However, there have also been interesting genre-changing entries. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood for the DS is a 2008 turn-based RPG developed by none other than BioWare. Yes, the same BioWare responsible for EA's Dragon Age and Mass Effect games. Since there are already a few platformer Sonic games on Switch, including the upcoming open-world game, something different could be needed to get the franchise back on track.

A Sonic Chronicles 2 doesn't sound bad at all and makes sense given the popularity of RPGs among Switch fans.