Now, Nintendo Switch hasn’t really been around for that long, has it? Especially not in comparison to its current-gen competitors, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The intrepid little handheld that could released in March 2017 and has achieved some quite astonishing things in that time.
Arriving in the wake of the poor, blundering old Wii U, this humble little system certainly had its work cut out for it. Nobody was quite sure which way it would go, and it didn’t launch with an immediate must-have title to get us to jump on board straight away. Not unless you count The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was which already available for the Wii U.
Despite all of this, the Switch has won over gamer hearts around the world, with its home console/portability functions and ever-growing library.
There’s always space for improvement in that regard, though. If there’s one thing we all know about gamers, it’s that they’re often ravenous for more, more, more, like Oliver Twist (although with less of the heart-wrenching adorableness and more whining on Internet forums).
It wasn’t until the exclusive big-ticket items started to arrive (the Splatoon 2s and Super Mario Odysseys of the world) that things really took off for the system. There’s still much more to come, though, and some have been completely disenchanted with the Switch’s 2018 line-up compared to last year’s.
On that note, let’s take a look at some big Nintendo sequels we know are coming our way, alongside some that could well be coming in the future.
30 IN DEVELOPMENT: Animal Crossing Switch — Making Us Cross(ing)
Oh, yes indeed, Nintendo. I saw what you did there, you wily, wily funsters, you. I won’t say that I appreciated it, but I do have to admit that you trolled me super good with that one. Did they get you too? Of course, they did. Don’t @ me.
Nintendo-loving hearts around the world sank at that last presentation, as the whole Animal Crossing thing seemed to be just about Isabelle joining the cast of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. That was the bait, and then came the switch: A new mainline Animal Crossingis in development, and is coming to the system next year.
29 IN DEVELOPMENT: Metroid Prime 4 — Prime-d And Ready
E3 presentations and Nintendo Directs are a mixed bag, aren’t they? Sometimes, we’re given a heaping helping of gameplay footage, and even a playable demo. Naturally, these are reserved for the titles that developers have made some good progress with, to have some kind of build in place.
Other times, a simple nanosecond’s footage of a logo is enough. This was the case with Animal Crossing Switch, and it’s also all we’ve seen of Metroid Prime 4 so far. We don’t yet know how the single-player is going to stack up against the multiplayer (the main campaign has always been the focus of the Prime titles proper), or even if it’ll have multiplayer at all. The one thing we know so far is that it’s coming.
28 POSSIBLE: A Brand-New Mario Kart — Blue Shell Bruhaha
Now, granted, we’ve got Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. As far as Switch karting goes, we’re covered. In the current you get a port and you get a port and everybody gets a port Switch landscape, though, I can’t help but feel that the franchise deserves better.
As with Breath of the Wild, the game was certainly one of the biggest of the early Switch lineup, but it isn’t a new title. Excellent placeholder though it is, we’re sure to see a spangly new installment of Mario Kart in the future. Whether it comes to Switch or whichever system Nintendo’s cooking up next remains to be seen.
27 IN DEVELOPMENT: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate —EVERYBODY’S Here!
Speaking of Super Smash Bros., I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but a really-not-a-big-deal-at-all little title called Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is coming to Nintendo Switch in December.
You may be feeling some kind of way about Nintendo’s releases this year, but Ultimate is sure to be the big one.
Billed as an all-encompassing compilation piece, this one’s going to be utterly replete with content. There’s no opening the bag of chips and finding that it’s a bag of air with a couple of chips in it. This bag’s full of every character ever, and a raft of new ones like Isabelle from Animal Crossing and even some Castlevania representation.
26 IN DEVELOPMENT: Luigi’s Mansion 3 —MAAAAAAARIO!
As I say, the Switch didn’t launch with a big, exclusive system-seller. This is a tough feat for any new console to pull off, though, and something that nobody managed this generation.
The cream of the GameCube launch crop was Luigi’s Mansion, a new IP starring the greener, ganglier brother. I became a cult favorite, and spawned a sequel for the 3DS. All has been quiet on that front since 2013, but now it’s confirmed that Luigi’s Mansion 3 is in the works for the Switch. We can look forward to new mechanics, a new mansion (or mansions) and, with any luck, a longer game.
25 POSSIBLE: Mario Golf Switch — Expanding Your Sporting Horizons
So, how are we feeling about Mario Tennis Aces? That’s a controversial question for sure, as the community just can’t quite make their minds up. It was one of the big first-party Nintendo releases of this year, sporting some intriguing new mechanics with the new energy system, trick shots, racket damage and such.
It might be the most refined take on Mario Tennis to date, but it’s also been super barebones. Mario sports fans surely got a kick out of it, though, even if just temporarily. On that note, how about a new Mario Golf title with a more in-depth single-player? If someone could get on that, we’d sure appreciate it.
24 IN DEVELOPMENT: Fire Emblem: Three Houses —Three Houses Are Better Than One
So, yes. As we know, the Fire Emblem franchise has already made an appearance on the Switch, in the shape of Fire Emblem Heroes. This Dynasty Warriors-themed slice-and-dice ‘em up is fun, chaotic and brilliantly ridiculous, but sometimes, you get a hankering for combat that’s a little more tactical.
That being the case, it’s good news that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is on the way, a return to the familiar tactics-based style of the series. The first mainline entry for a home console since Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn back in 2007, this one’s going to be huge.
As is the wait for it, as it recently slipped back to 2019.
23 IN DEVELOPMENT: Final Fantasy VII — Coming Back To Nintendo
That’s right, friends. Those ports just keep on coming.
I arrived quite late to the Final Fantasy party (the seventh entry, my first JRPG, ignited my love for the series), so I don’t remember a time when the series called Nintendo consoles home.
It certainly did at one time, though, and now Switch is getting those titles that never made it to Nintendo’s earlier systems: Final Fantasy VII, IX and more are being ported.
When can we expect those? As with so many other titles in this rundown, a vague ‘2019’ is the only date we’ve got to go on so far.
22 POSSIBLE: Octopath Traveler 2 — Where The Heckola Are We Going This Time?
While the biggest Switch titles tend to be first-party games (as is usually the case with Nintendo), that’s not always the way. The system is faring a little better with third-parties than the company has in the past, and one of the biggest fruits of that endeavor was Octopath Traveler.
A Ye Olde RPG fan’s dream come true, this one was super-well received, by fans and critics alike. Physical copies were darn tough to come by on launch. With this in mind (and with dollar signs in their eyes, of course, like in cartoons), Square-Enix would be silly not to consider a sequel. Faint murmurings are already afoot on that score, as we reported last month.
21 IN DEVELOPMENT: Yoshi’s Crafted World — It’s Coming, There’s Knit A Doubt About It
A lot of the time, when talk turns to impressive visuals in gaming, we’re referring to realism. Perching atop a building and looking out at the vast and impressive vista of New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man, for instance.
Nintendo don’t really care about any of that. Some of their titles boast visuals that are impressive, dynamic and detailed in their own ways. Titles like Yoshi’s Woolly World totally embraced this, and looked fantastic for it. For the follow-up, Yoshi’s Crafted World, the art takes on a cardboard cutout-styled approach.
When will that be released? You guessed it, 2019.
20 IN DEVELOPMENT: Pokémon Switch — For Real This Time
As we’ll see later, opinions remain mixed about the upcoming Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee. From the game’s very first announcement, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be a main series title, which disappointed many.
Nintendo and Game Freak, anticipating the usual internet snark, were careful to tell us that there was also a mainline Pokémon title on the way, which would mark the official beginning of generation eight. Just what we’ve got coming, in terms of new mechanics, regions, Pokémon and everything else, remains a mystery for now.
Can you guess the vague release date for the new Pokémon? I’m fairly sure you can: 2019.
19 POSSIBLE: ARMS 2 — There’d Certainly Be No ‘Arm In A Sequel
Of all those early Switch titles, none surprised me quite like ARMS did. Like a lot of you, I’m sure, I was all kinds of unimpressed by early trailers and footage. It looked kind of fun and creative, but a bit throwaway. A silly party sort of title.
Over a year later, it’s my most-played Switch game.
An accessible yet deceptively deep take on the fighting genre, the developer’s love for the game shows in every lavishly designed and animated moment of the action.
An excellent foundation for a new IP, if Nintendo can expand on the formula for a sequel in the future.
18 IN DEVELOPMENT: Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn — Will It Be Epic?
The gelatinous pink funster that is Kirby has already made his presence felt on Switch, in the shape of Kirby Star Allies. He’s also, naturally, going to have a prominent role in the line-up of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Away from the Switch, though, another Kirby adventure is taking shape. Fans who remember 2010 Wii title Kirby’s Epic Yarn (another game notable for its charming and unique visuals) might be glad to hear that a port is on the way for Nintendo 3DS. It’s been dubbed Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn, though we don’t yet know what the extra epic might entail.
Yep, 2019 for that one.
17 IN DEVELOPMENT: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe —Here He Comes Again
As we all know, then, Nintendo have been a little trigger-happy with the Wii U ports of late. The likes of Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze have been propping up a release schedule that was a little sparce.
Why? Because they were Wii U games, which many of us never got to experience. That’s Nintendo’s spiel, anyway, like they’re doing us a joyful charitable favor by pulling these out of their Santa sacks.
Still, a quality game is a quality game. The next of these ports will be New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, which is scheduled to arrive on January 11, 2019.
16 POSSIBLE: The Next Donkey Kong Country — Another Trip To The Country
So, yes. As we’ve established, the Switch is going to play host to so many of Nintendo’s biggest IPs. Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime, Fire Emblem, Yoshi, Luigi’s Mansion… all of these are confirmed to be currently in the works, joining the ranks of Super Mario and other big-ticket items we already have.
But what of Donkey Kong? Everyone’s favorite wears-a-tie-to-simply-emphasise-the-fact-that-he’s-got-no-pants-on ape has made all kinds of appearances on the system so far. The Tropical Freeze port, the DLC for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the starting cast of Smash Bros. Ultimate… yet he doesn’t have a game to call his own. Maybe we’ll see one soon?
15 IN DEVELOPMENT: Diablo III Eternal Collection — Diabolical Fun
Now, it isn’t news to anybody that Nintendo’s systems are often a little lacking in technical grunt. That was inevitable in the Switch’s case, with the system hopping from handheld to home console like something out of freaking Minority Report.
As a result, third party developers have struggled to get some of their more demanding titles optimised for the Switch, if possible at all. We’ve seen some great strides in this, though, with big names like Doom running just fine on the system. Diablo III Eternal Collection is next, due to arrive on Switch on November 2. It’s going to be a huge package, complete with all the previous DLC.
14 IN DEVELOPMENT: Bayonetta 3 — The Witch Is Back
In so many ways, you really wouldn’t think that Nintendo would be so fond of the Bayonetta series. After all, the titular witch’s antics and general check-out-my-jiggly-bits attitude is distinctly not family-friendly.
Nevertheless, Nintendo do like to appear cool sometimes. You know, like Bob Hope when he used to dress as Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli. They secured an exclusive new entry in the series in Bayonetta 3, which is sure to be bigger, badder, and more bodacious than anything we’ve seen yet. And if you’ve played the previous games (which were also ported to Switch), you’ll know that’s one heckola of a high bar to vault over.
13 POSSIBLE: WarioWare Switch — Wah Wah WAH!
For me, one of the most brilliantly unique and creative (yep, that’s a euphemism for utterly batpoopy unhinged) IPs in Nintendo’s repertoire is WarioWare. Wario has always been my favorite Nintendo character, and I was glad to see him star in such an odd series. The microgames concept is inspired, and the amount of variations on it we’ve seen is fantastic.
A few months back, we saw the release of a new compilation entry, WarioWare Gold. It was a 3DS title (owing to its touchscreen-heavy control system and microphone use, presumably), and many had hoped that it would see release on the Switch instead. Hopefully, in time, we’ll see a brand new entry for the hybrid handheld.
12 IN DEVELOPMENT: Travis Strikes Again —No More Heroes: A Heroic Effort
Next up, we’ve got another character from the Bayonetta school of questionable bebehaviornd general violence- Travis Touchdown.
No More Heroes released in 2008, exclusively on Wii (for a time, at least). It’s a hack and slash adventure starring an otaku turned professional assassin, which spawned a sequel (No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle) in 2010.
On January 18 next year, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes will be added to the franchise. A Switch exclusive, it sees Travis and his new nemesis Badman sucked into a video game console, doing battle with each other within the games. An intriguing concept, as you’d expect of Suda51.
11 IN DEVELOPMENT: Pikmin 4 — Well, Let’s Hope
Now, this one’s a little tentative. At the moment, Pikmin 4 would slot neatly into the ‘Possible’ category of this rundown. Still, I’m going to give optimism a go.
The fact is, while there has been some talk of a new Pikmin in development (Nintendo confirmed such last year), we haven’t really been given anything at all to go on since.
Is the project still in the works? Were references instead directed at Hey! Pikmin, which hit the 3DS last year?
Until we hear more, it’s a bit of a riddle. Nevertheless, if you wish for something hard enough and your heart is pure, wondrous things can happen, friends. Quirky RTS titles with freakish little plant-people can be yours.
