Nintendo’s hybrid console gets better and better with every passing month as new and classic titles are continuously added to its ever growing library of games. This time around Devil May Cry is giving Nintendo fans a first time taste of demon slaying action in a fairly impressive port of a series favorite.

Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition is a 2020 re-release of the 2005 original game, it is developed and published by Capcom. It was originally ported to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One in 2018 and is now available for Nintendo Switch.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition on Nintendo Switch was provided by Capcom in support of this review. Medium to near complete spoilers for Devil May Cry 3 and the overall Devil May Cry mythos may be present within this review.

Get ready to rock with a youthful Dante all over again in Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition for Nintendo Switch.

As 2019 closed with the beginning of 2020 coming forth Capcom announced plans to show support for Nintendo’s handheld console in a big way. This surprisingly lead to the ports of its modern action staple Devil May Cry. The initial game and its sequel were recently ported to the hybrid platform and now it’s the prequel’s turn. Starring a younger in his 20’s Dante, Devil May Cry 3 has the half-human/half-demon demon slayer opening up his shop “Devil May Cry” while trailing his twin brother Virgil as he looks for the ultimate source in power even if it takes the human race as a sacrifice to find it.

Capcom introduces new features to the Switch version of DMC 3 to keep the ‘stylish’ feeling fresh.

THE GOOD: I’ve played pretty much every version of Devil May Cry 3 imaginable since it’s launch on the Playstation 2 back in 2005. You’d think coming to realize that you’ve owned a single game on four different consoles would be an excellent time to take a step back and try to rational what you’re doing with your life as a consumer, nope. Some ports of games just feel necessary and while not always perfect in port form the Devil May Cry series is definitely one of those occasions. The high octane, over-the-top action the franchise is best known for will always have a place for downtime regardless of the hardware or generation, especially with the recently released Devil May Cry 5 and is a match made in heaven for quarantine with the coronavirus/COVID-19 epidemic. Granted, mechanic wise DMC 5 and Devil May Cry 3 are mostly two totally different games (especially the Switch version), but considering the earlier entries are fairly standalone that don’t require too much lore know-how the Switch versions are a more than welcome opportunity to jump in whether for the first time or returning to an undeniable classic.

Unleash a barrage of combos with freestyle mode.

Devil May Cry 3 on Nintendo Switch while technically is the same port the Playstation 4 and Xbox One received two years prior takes a few steps above the former to ensure the best experience possible while on the go. Admittedly, I was disappointed with the initial port of the first three games which I played on Playstation 4. It had all the bare bones bells and whistles one would expect with a HD re-buff, but that was basically all there was to it. It was like the PS4/Xbox One version of the games were mere direct ports of the PS3 versions. I’m not sure if Capcom felt inspired, listened to fan feedback, or both but they really went the extra mile for the Switch version of Devil May Cry 3 (haven’t played 1 & 2 yet). There’s a ton of extra content including a co-op incarnation of the fan-favorite Bloody Palace which has you and a friend in an arena like setting destroying demons left and right to rank up the highest scores possible. You can also freely switch up Dante’s fighting styles at will with a new freestyle mode that you can choose at the start of the game. I have to be honest though, I was having a bit of a time getting back used to the controls of a fifteen year old game. I played Devil May Cry 5 around launch and had a bit of a similar problem. This isn’t a complaint by any means and it’s one of the reasons why ports can be a bit of a rediscovery for the love of an old school game like Devil May Cry 3. Feels great getting back into the grove of buffing my style meter back up to Stylish in a consistent rate again.

Try your hand in co-op in Devil May Cry 3’s new Bloody Palace.

THE BAD: As with many games ported to Nintendo Switch due to the limited hardware it won’t look as pretty as the PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One versions, but that’s ok. If you came into the thought process of buying a Nintendo Switch and expecting every game to be a graphical powerhouse then you probably should have done a bit of research on mobile gaming. Yes it’s made amazing strides within the last half a decade alone, but there will always be some issues with more demanding games until mobile gaming is as close to perfection as it can get.

Kill demons on the go in Devil May Cry 3 on Nintendo Switch.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Devil May Cry is the series that refuses to die and with good reason. There will always be a place for an over-the-top action game such as it whether it’s relaxing at home while in quarantine or lock down, or travelling on the road/seas/skies with nothing to do but kill time. The Switch version of Devil May 3 may not be the most graphically sound, but from a content and gameplay perspective I think it’ll be hard to beat even with the more than likely re-release for next-gen, but Capcom is more than welcome to prove me wrong if this is their indication for ports going forward.