Ever since the Joy-Con were detailed in the January 2017 Nintendo Switch presentation, they were immediately both lauded and criticized for the sheer amount of tech jammed inside of them. From integral features like gyro to zanier innovations like HD Rumble and the IR Camera, these were expensive, overstuffed controllers. However, as demonstrated by products like Nintendo Labo, they're also a conduit for strange and amazing gameplay concepts. Unfortunately, it seems like Nintendo is distancing itself from these technologies far too soon.
Nintendo's E3 2021 showcase was both wonderfully exciting and the final nail in the Joy-Con coffin. Tucked within the Direct was Mario Party Superstars, a compilation of series highlights dating back to the Nintendo 64 era. Partially by merit of the Switch Lite's existence and partially by merit of the N64's control affordances, Superstars completely lacks motion control, which 2018's Super Mario Party was full of.
Whereas that title was a showcase for Joy-Con technology, Superstars is a rejection of it. And, the rationale seems linear. The Nintendo Switch Lite released in September 2019 without most of the gimmicks found within the Joy-Con. As such, Super Mario Party was immediately inaccessible on the new Switch SKU, unless gamers were willing to shell out for an external pair of Joy-Con and a way to charge them. Obviously, this wouldn't fly in a post-Lite ecosystem wherein part of the user base simply cannot engage with those features. That would seem to precipitate the decision to revive the series' glory days, not only as a way to appease fans, but to eschew the control issue.
This makes sense, yet it's simply another blow to underappreciated hardware innovations which were already on the ropes. After all, conversations around the Joy-Con are backgrounded by the continued drift controversy. These controllers have an alarmingly high failure rate, and this has put Nintendo in a position where it cannot repair enough controllers or amend the issue quickly enough to avoid perpetual ire and occasional lawsuits. In a vacuum, this is already reason enough from Nintendo's perspective to step away from the tech.
As such, not only does limiting Joy-Con-centric design allow for more accessible Switch Lite gameplay, but it also motivates players to invest in the more premier (and more stable) Pro Controller, or one of its many substitutes. Anything that can be done software-side to hide from the blatant and unsatisfactorily-addressed deeper issues is probably viewed as a net positive for Nintendo. It's unfortunate, but there are many collaborating market factors that put it in the company's best interest to forget the controllers.
That is simply the reality, albeit one that leaves so much creative momentum on the table. Joy-Con games resulted in some of the most interesting pieces of Switch software. Quality-wise, there was always a 1-2 Switch for every Ring Fit Adventure, but the point stands. The most outside-the-box experiences were facilitated by these controllers. It still feels like there is more to extract from them. If the aforementioned crop proved anything, it is that Nintendo hasn't run that well dry. Yet, it seems likely that the company will even try.
However, an unlikely Joy-Con gambit in the form of WarioWare: Get It Together! is on the horizon. As noted by the game's official Nintendo page, even Switch Lite players will need external Joy-Con to play. It seems as though at least one more title has slipped past the goal and is leveraging the uniqueness intrinsic to the controllers. While this doesn't bode well for WarioWare's sales potential, it suggests that there is a bit of gas in the Joy-Con tank yet. With any luck, a few more titles will follow, and the extent of the Joy-Con potential will be realized still.
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