Whenever a game is “saved” from a now-inaccessible platform, it’s an exciting time. This exact scenario happened during Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal back in April. The Square Enix RPG exclusive to the 3DS, Bravely Default, is making its way to the Switch 2 as a launch title: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Like many of Square Enix’s lesser-known RPGs, Bravely Default takes the classic turn-based formula and adds several unique spins, the Brave and Default mechanics, which have appeared in other Square Enix RPGs under new names.
However, another caveat of returns is that these games tend to come with little mini-games outside of quality of life changes and updates to the main game to add more fun to the overall package. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is no exception. I got to try out one of those mini-games during PAX East this year, and it was shockingly more fun than any other tacked-on minigame I’ve seen in a re-release.
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For the demo, I got to try out the rhythm minigame, which took songs from the game and had me conduct specific actions to the beat using the Switch 2’s new mouse feature. After being able to go hands-on with the Switch 2’s Joy-Con mouse feature, it does not feel like a gimmick in any way. Moving forward, it’s changing how I’ve considered playing games on the console.
The Joy-Con mouse feature works seamlessly in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster.
The Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster rhythm game, called Luxencheer Rhythm Catch, was an excellent way to showcase the new tech. The rhythm game requires using both Joy-Cons as mice to follow the beat, with the difficulty I played using three mechanics. The first was a mix of using the right and left Joy-Con to click on the corresponding red or blue color as they came on screen with the R or L button. The second creates a line between the two cursors, with the line crossing the incoming marker to count. The last needs both Joy-Con cursors to be close together in the middle of a line.
Thankfully, these mechanics switch automatically. You just need to be on your toes and react accordingly based on what’s coming at you. Something like this seems like it could be bad or interact poorly. But it doesn’t. Everything works seamlessly with the Joy-Con mouse feature. The responses were rapid, and the movement of the mice was fluid. The hardest part really was getting used to the mouse feature itself. Once that clicked mid-way through the song, no beats or mechanics were missed. Plus, there’s some leniency with following along to the mechanics, like with the third one, where the cursors click together as long as they’re close enough. No exactness is needed.
The second minigame, Ringabel’s Panic Cruise, I didn’t have time to try out, but I did watch a little bit of gameplay. This one was about controlling a battleship fighting other ships. You control the cannons, steering, aiming, and just about every aspect of the airship from the cockpit. It looked very involved, which could be mastered with some practice. With more promised to be on the way, and with a fairly large song selection for the rhythm game, the minigames feel substantive enough on their own. Not to be the sole justification for buying Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, but to make the overall remaster a more tantalizing package.
The minigames in Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster do unlock something in the main game.
What’s most interesting is the why. Why play these games when there’s a full RPG right there? Usually, the add-in items to a remaster are to unlock concept art, character costumes, or other non-impactful rewards. For this remaster, they’re to unlock pretty big features that aren’t required for a playthrough, but are nice to have.
PR confirmed during the demo and after by email that one of the rewards is the ability to set the enemy encounter rate to 0%. It’s not critical, yet, it would be fun for challenge modes or when you just want to get to the next story objective. In other words, you’re progressing your file by playing these games when you have a quick moment.
Ultimately, they both seem like a fun reprieve from the excellent RPG when you need to step away and do something else for a hot minute. Even if some good quality of life updates, like encounter rates, are only rewarded through the minigames, compared to other added-in minigames in remasters or re-releases, having ones as fun as these is an overall win—especially when they rival the fun of other full-release Square Enix games, like Theatrhythm.
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster releases June 5th, 2025 on Nintendo Switch 2.
