Skip to main content

Axiom Verge 2 brings classic Metroidvania action to Nintendo Switch in 2020

Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge is a wonderfully designed love letter to the classic Metroid games of the NES and SNES generations, with atmospheric science-fiction environments and plenty of power-ups and abilities to use. If you’ve already played through the original and discovered every secret, you’ll be happy to know a full sequel, Axiom Verge 2, is coming to Nintendo Switch next year.

Appearing at the end of Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase presentation on December 10, Happ explained that he has been working on Axiom Verge 2 for the last four years, and he offered a sneak peek at gameplay for eagle-eyed fans to sift through.

“You are not in control. You are not yourself. You belong to us now,” text reads at the beginning of the teaser.

We see the protagonist materialize in a region filled with snow-covered mountains, jumping across treacherous obstacles and battling enemies with special moves and an ice pick weapon. They soon dive into the darker, spookier areas fans of the first game might be more familiar with, and briefly turn into a spider creature before disappearing.

You may think you already know the world of Axiom Verge. Think again.

Discover the origins of the @AxiomVerge universe in #AxiomVerge2 coming to #NintendoSwitch in 2020! #IndieWorld pic.twitter.com/XZqvgcEwKn

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 10, 2019

Axiom Verge helped to fill a void left by the notable absence of the classic Metroid games over the last decade, with Metroid: Samus Returns only recently rectifying that on 3DS. Happ’s blending of mysterious environments with tried-and-true exploration and platforming gameplay made the game arguably more acclaimed than any Metroid game in recent memory, including Samus Returns. With its pixel-art style, it’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch. The first game is already available to play on the system right now.

Axiom Verge 2 will release for Nintendo Switch in autumn 2020. No other platforms have been announced thus far, but the previous game released for everything from PlayStation 4 to Linux, so we would be surprised if the sequel doesn’t follow suit.

It was far from the only game announcement made during the Indie World Showcase, too. Nintendo also used the video presentation to announce Sports Story, a sequel to Golf Story with more variety but the same classic role-playing elements that fans loved in the original. Also, if you’ve been waiting to play Dauntless on Switch, you can do so for free today.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
6 Nintendo series that still haven’t made an appearance on the Switch
Pit shoots a bow.

Now that 2024 is here, the countdown is on. Rumors suggest that the Nintendo's Switch long-awaited successor is coming by the end of the year. While there's no official word from Nintendo on that yet, there's good reason to think it could happen. The current lineup of Switch games for 2024 is looking thin, so one could reasonably guess that developers may be off working on Switch 2 games by now.

As I begin to reflect on the Switch's wildly successful life span, I can't help but think  about what a bounty of games its given to Nintendo fans. I'm not just talking about Mario and Zelda games either. Most of Nintendo's franchises have been represented in some form, even if some were just rereleases or oddball spinoffs. We've seen Animal Crossing, Metroid, WarioWare, and even F-Zero get new games on the system. Nintendo left virtually no stone unturned this generation, as it turned just about every franchise it had into a cash cow.

Read more
Our favorite Switch games of 2023: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario, and much more
Link stands behind text that says Best Switch Games 2023.

If 2023 was our last full year with the Nintendo Switch, what a heck of a sendoff it got.

The rumor mill has been buzzing for months now, claiming that Nintendo plans to reveal and release its Switch successor next year. While that’s a rumor you should take with some skepticism, there’s good reason to believe it may happen. Nintendo reportedly showed off the system to developers behind closed doors at Gamescom this year, and the Switch’s current 2024 lineup feels like the final drop we’d get right before a new system. The Switch could be old news this time next year.

Read more
Which Nintendo Switch should you buy this Black Friday?
How to Preorder the Nintendo Switch OLED.

Believe it or not, the Nintendo Switch is almost seven years old already. While a brand new Nintendo console may be right around the corner, Nintendo isn't pulling support on its system in 2024. We already know we're getting games like Princess Peach: Showtime! and Mario vs. Donkey Kong alongside HD re-releases of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. So if you don't own a Switch already, it's still a good time to jump in.

Of course, Black Friday is the perfect moment to buy a new console. This year's sales event brings some brand new deals on Nintendo's hybrid system thanks to some strong bundles. There are several options to choose from over three different Switch models. So, which of the Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals should you buy?
Original, OLED, or Lite?
The Nintendo Switch breaks down into three models. There's the standard Switch that usually retails for $300, an OLED model that comes with a significantly improved screen for $50 more, and a Lite model that's only $200 but can't be hooked up to a TV. Nintendo hasn't cut the prices on any of those, but it has dropped some of them into bundles that will potentially save you some money in the long run.

Read more