Unfinished Business: How Fans Brought KOTOR 2’s Restored Content to the Nintendo Switch

For over a decade, fans have hailed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords as a masterpiece of storytelling and moral ambiguity. However, the game’s original 2004 release was notoriously rushed and incomplete, with large portions of its story and gameplay left on the cutting room floor. The gaming community’s answer to this was the legendary Sith Lords Restored Content Modification (TSLRCM), a fan-made project that has become so essential to the experience that many consider it the “true” version of the game.

When Aspyr Media, the developers of the game’s port to Nintendo Switch, announced in June 2022 that a free DLC would officially bring the Restored Content Mod to the console, it was met with immense celebration. It was a rare instance of a developer officially embracing a fan project, a move that promised to make the definitive version of the game accessible to a new generation of players on a portable platform. The excitement, however, was short-lived.

Just a year later, in June 2023, Aspyr officially announced the cancellation of the DLC, offering a free game to players who had purchased the title. The reason given was vague, citing an “objection from a third party” in court filings related to a class-action lawsuit. While some speculated on the nature of the objection, the outcome was clear: a promised, highly anticipated feature was no longer coming. This news was a massive blow to the community, who felt misled by the initial promise. But where a developer faltered, the fans once again stepped up.

The Community’s Solution: A Fan-Made Port

Within days of the official cancellation, the modding community began its own project to bring TSLRCM to the Nintendo Switch. The effort, led by passionate modders GloriousCheese and Vertania, leveraged existing modding frameworks for the console to create a working port of the latest version of the Restored Content Mod. This monumental task involved adapting the vast amount of restored dialogue, quests, and bug fixes from the PC version to work seamlessly on the Switch’s unique architecture.

The result of their tireless work is a fully functional version of TSLRCM for the Nintendo Switch. While this is not an official release and requires players to have a modded console, it provides a solution for those who were left disappointed by the cancellation. The fan-made port includes all the essential elements of the original mod, such as:

• Restored Planets and Story Arcs: This includes the complete HK Factory, a large and crucial area that explains the origins of the HK-50 droids and a major plot point.
• Expanded Dialogue and Companions: The mod restores countless hours of dialogue, fleshing out companion backstories, motivations, and the game’s ending. Characters like the Handmaiden, Disciple, and the Sith Lords themselves have their stories fully realized.
• Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements: The original game was notoriously buggy. The mod fixes hundreds of bugs, including many that locked players out of quests or caused game-breaking crashes.
• New Quests and Items: Players can find new quests on every planet, from a mission to save a group of stranded Jedi on Dantooine to a deeper dive into the politics of Nar Shaddaa.

The Future of KOTOR 2 on Switch

The fan-made Restored Content Mod for the Nintendo Switch is a testament to the dedication of the KOTOR community. It’s a prime example of how gamers will go to incredible lengths to preserve and perfect the games they love, especially when official support falls through. While it’s a shame that the DLC was canceled, the fan project ensures that Switch players can still experience the definitive version of the game.

For those interested, guides and tutorials on how to install the fan-made mod are available on various forums and modding communities. However, it’s important to note that this is a technical process that involves modifying your console’s software. For the average player, the best way to experience the Restored Content Mod remains on the PC, where it is easily accessible through platforms like Steam and GOG. Nonetheless, the community’s success in bringing this mod to the Switch is a heroic chapter in the history of fan-made game preservation.