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What games will Nintendo Switch 2 launch with? We have some ideas

Giovanni Colantonio
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We’re officially on “new console watch.” Reports from credible publications like Eurogamer say that Nintendo secretly showed developers its next system behind closed doors at this year’s Gamescom. While it’s only a rumor, it’s a realistic one. We’re six years into the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan and even the longest-running consoles turn over at eight. If Nintendo’s next system is one or two years away, it’s time to start lining up support from third-party developers.

We’ve speculated on features we’d want in a new system before, but the reality of a new platform has me asking another question: What games would you launch with something like this? The Nintendo Switch’s launch day was crucial to its long-term success thanks to a bonafide classic in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While the rest of its launch lineup wasn’t as impressive, Nintendo capitalized fairly quickly with titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2. If Nintendo’s going to push Switch owners over to a new system, it’ll have to roll out the big guns.

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While Nintendo’s next console may realistically only launch with one or two major exclusives, that hasn’t stopped me from putting together my dream “day one” list. From some very likely Nintendo sequels to third-party ports that could showcase a new system’s power, I’d be happy to see any of these games usher in a new era of Nintendo hardware.

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Super Mario Odyssey 2

Mario twirls his cap in front of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.
Nintendo

In just a few weeks, we’re getting the next 2D Mario game in the form of Super Mario Wonder. Based on what we’ve played so far, it’s a delightful evolution of Nintendo’s best formula. While I’m sure that’ll entertain me, it’s the next 3D Mario game that I’m really looking forward to. Super Mario Odyssey was an important game for the Nintendo Switch in 2017, proving that Nintendo was committed to bringing its A-game to the system beyond an all-time great Zelda game. It has a chance to make that statement again on its next system by leading with the plumber’s next adventure.

The Super Mario Odyssey formula was a winning one and I’d be happy to see it repeated for a proper sequel. But what’s fun about 3D Mario games is that Nintendo always finds a way to take the series in an unexpected new direction. It’s a philosophy that’s given us classics like Super Mario Galaxy and left-field swings like Super Mario Sunshine, a personal favorite. Hopefully, Nintendo keeps that formula up and finds a new approach to Mario that takes advantage of its next system’s technical upgrade.

Mario Kart 9

Mario and friends zip through a race course in Mario Kart 8.
Nintendo

At this point, Mario Kart 9 seems like the most realistic possible option for a Switch 2 launch game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Switch game by a mile and it wasn’t even a new game. The Wii U game’s life truly began on Switch, as Nintendo turned a simple port into a six-year platform that it could keep investing in. Long-tailed DLC support found Nintendo coming as close as we’ve ever seen to creating a long-tailed live-service game.

While that’s impressive, the trick isn’t likely to work again on another platform. It’s time for an upgrade. If positioned as a launch game, Mario Kart 9 has the potential to be another sales behemoth that anchors the new system’s entire lifespan. With proper DLC support, it could easily become the game every Switch 2 owner needs to have in their library. Even if it’s not a day-one game, I’d be shocked if it didn’t hit the system within six months of release.

Metroid Prime 4

Samus looking up at the menacing Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime Remastered.
Nintendo

Very early in the Switch’s lifespan, Nintendo was perhaps a little too eager to tease what games would hit the platform. Titles like Bayonetta 3 wouldn’t actually hit the platform until five years later. The worst offender, though, was Metroid Prime 4. Originally unveiled with a simple logo reveal, the project ran into trouble when Nintendo decided to restart development on it under Retro Studios. Video games take a long time to develop, so it was a costly setback which explains why we haven’t seen anything about it since.

At this point, Metroid Prime 4 makes more sense as a cross-gen title that’s playable on both Switch and its successor, much like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The series has earned some new fans in the Switch’s lifetime thanks to the excellent Metroid Dread and a fantastic Metroid Prime remaster, so there’s a lot of momentum to capitalize on. A surprise launch announcement would feel like a cathartic payoff for patient fans and instill confidence in players that Switch 2 won’t just focus on Mario and Zelda.

Astral Chain 2

A cop peers out a a city in Astral Chain.
PlatinumGames

Any console launch needs a few third-party standouts to help sweeten the pot. It’ll be crucial that Nintendo leans on its strongest partners to show that external developers are ready to develop for the console. The best ally it could have in its corner come next console launch is Bayonetta 3 developer PlatinumGames — and it just so happens that the company might have a project in the works that could be a perfect fit.

Last year, rumors indicated that the studio might be working on a sequel to its 2019 Switch title Astral Chain. While the leak should be taken with a grain of salt, it’s a believable rumor. The action game was beloved by fans and critics alike, so it seems likely that PlatinumGames would want to capitalize with a sequel. If it can deliver that on day one, it’ll be a perfect option for Nintendo’s more hardcore audience who are hungry for a fast-paced action game.

Baldur’s Gate 3

A team of warriors fighting a big eyeball snake.
Larian Studios

When the Switch was announced, Nintendo nestled a big third-party announcement into the show: Yes, Skyrim was coming to the system. It was a bit of a meme moment, but an important one. It showed that the Switch was a more technically capable console that could handle a massive Bethesda game. Granted, The Elder Scrolls game was six years old at that point, so it wasn’t the most impressive feat in hindsight. But Nintendo could repeat that magic moment with another landmark RPG: Baldur’s Gate 3.

Larian’s enormous CRPG is making waves right now and is on its way to being considered one of the all-time greats of its genre. Even if a Nintendo version comes out one year after the PC game’s launch, it’ll still be the kind of high-profile third-party game that gets players excited. Not only that, but it would be the perfect game to flex how much more powerful Nintendo’s new system is. It’s not a pipe dream either: Larian’s Divinity: Original Sin 2 is available on Switch, so the developer has a history of getting its big titles working on Nintendo’s limited hardware. If it can pull that off, the presumably portable Switch 2 could become the definitive way to experience it.

GameCube games on Switch Online

The colorful cast of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door stands on grass.
Nintendo

I’ll cheat a little bit here because this entry includes a whole bunch of games. The Switch has become a haven for retro titles thanks to Switch Online. There, subscribers can play a batch of games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and even Nintendo 64. That’s all exciting, but there’s one key console that’s missing: GameCube.

The GameCube was home to some of Nintendo’s most important games, from Super Smash Bros. Melee to Animal Crossing. A select few of those titles came to Switch in the form of ports and remasters, but many of them are still lost in space. If Nintendo really wanted to add an extra value proposition to both its new console and its online plan, bringing along a batch of GameCube classics would be an excellent move. I know I’d re-up my subscription if it meant having an easy way to play F-Zero GX or bring Mario Kart: Double Dash online.

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Giovanni Colantonio
Giovanni Colantonio
Section Editor, Gaming
Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…
Don’t expect Zelda’s $70 price to become the new Switch standard, says Nintendo
Link looks at his hand in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be Nintendo's first Switch game to be priced at $70. News that Tears of the Kingdom, a sequel to one of the bestselling and most critically acclaimed titles on the system, will have an increased price compared to its predecessor came as a surprise over three-and-a-half years after its announcement. It also raised questions about what the future of pricing for Nintendo games will be, especially as Sony, Microsoft, and third-party publishers all upped the cost of their new games in recent years. 
While Nintendo will release Tears of Kingdom at $70, a spokesperson for the company tells Digital Trends that this will not always be the case for its first-party games going forward. 
"No," the spokesperson said when Digital Trends asked if this is a new standard. "We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis." 
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #2
To get more insight into the price shift, I spoke to Omdia Principal Analyst George Jijiashvili, who explains what has caused the price of games to go up in recent years and how Tears of the Kingdom demonstrates that Nintendo will "remain flexible about first-party title pricing." Ultimately, Nintendo fans are finally starting to feel the impact of inflation that's been sweeping across the game industry, even if it's only "on a case-by-case basis" for now.
The price is right
Nintendo claims that not every one of its significant first-party game will be $70, and we can actually already see that in action. Preorders just went live for Pikmin 4, which launches on July 21, after Tears of the Kingdom, and it only costs $60. Still, Zelda's price tag indicates that going forward, Nintendo will at least consider raising the price of its most anticipated games to $70. But why start with Tears of the Kingdom?  
When asked why it chose Tears of the Kingdom as its first $70 Nintendo Switch game, a Nintendo spokesperson simply reiterated that the company will "determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis." Still, it's a surprising choice for Nintendo to make that pricing change to just one exclusive game almost six years into the Switch's life span. Jijiashvili thinks the choice to do this with Tears of the Kingdom was a pretty apparent one for Nintendo, although it won't apply to everything going forward.
"If you are going to make a game $70, it's going to be the follow-up to one of your most critically acclaimed and bestselling games ever," Jijiashvili tells Digital Trends. "I don’t think that this means that $70 will become the standard price for all major Nintendo releases. It's worth noting that Metroid Prime Remastered is priced at $40. It's clear that Nintendo will remain flexible about first-party title pricing."

It makes basic financial sense for Nintendo to ask for a little bit more for a game it knows will be one of the biggest releases of 2023. But what factors in the game industry and world's economy at large caused Nintendo to make this decision? 
Priced Out
For more than a decade, people got comfortable with AAA video games being priced at $60. Of course, there were occasional exceptions to this rule, but it was seen as an industry standard until the dawn of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Publisher 2K was one of the first to announce a price increase, and companies like EA, Sony, and Microsoft have all followed suit. Jijiashvili chalks this up to inflation-related pressure on game publishers.
"The games industry has already been experiencing a lot of inflationary pressure," he explains. "AAA games are much more expensive to make now than they used to be, but prices have actually been declining in inflation-adjusted terms -- if prices had risen with inflation since 1990, they would now be over $90. On top of that, we’ve had a big burst of general inflation, meaning that publishers are looking at big increases in everything from salaries to tools. It’s going to be really hard for most publishers to avoid passing on all those extra costs at some point."
Jijiashvili provided us with a graphic created by Omdia that "shows what the typical price points for each generation would look like if you adjusted for inflation." As you can see, the inflation-adjusted prices are only exponentially growing, and the big game pricing shifts the graph highlights were all technically not even enough to keep up with inflation when they happened. 

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Metroid Prime Remastered just surprise launched on Nintendo Switch
Samus Aran stands tall in Metroid Prime Remastered.

A remastered edition of Metroid Prime was just surprise announced via February's Nintendo Direct. Even more shocking is the news that Metroid Prime Remastered is available to download via the Switch eShop today.

Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023 - Nintendo Switch

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Nintendo’s mobile games are more influential than you might think
Alear and Marth open a door in Fire Emblem Engage.

Nintendo’s mobile games don’t get enough credit. While Nintendo had some undeniable hits like Pokémon Go and Fire Emblem Heroes, many consider the rest of its mobile efforts fairly underwhelming and even somewhat disappointing for a video game company of Nintendo’s stature. While nothing ever quite reached the high bar Pokémon Go set in 2016, Nintendo’s mobile games are a bit more influential than they get credit for.
Over the past few years, games like Pokémon: Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have built upon their mobile counterparts. Then, during the September 13 Nintendo Direct, Fire Emblem Engage’s announcement and main gimmick cemented that Nintendo isn’t just viewing mobile games as a mostly failed side experiment. While they might not be the most successful games out there, their DNA is creeping into the Nintendo Switch’s bestselling titles.
Mediocre mobile returns
Nintendo’s mobile gaming efforts kicked off in the mid-2010s. Niantic created the AR game Pokemon Go, which quickly became a smashing success in 2016. In the six years since, the game has generated around 678 million installs and $6 billion in player spending, according to data from Sensor Tower.
While working with Niantic proved fruitful for The Pokemon Company, Nintendo partnered with DeNA for most of its initial mobile games. Unfortunately, none of these quite reached the heights analysts and Nintendo expected. Super Mario Run was a smash hit at launch but failed to sustain much interest and consistent revenue, so it’s considered a disappointment by Nintendo.
Meanwhile, other games like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Mario Kart Tour, Dr. Mario World, and Dragalia Lost launched, and while they’ve still made lots of money for Nintendo, most haven't matched the success of the most popular mobile titles. The biggest exception to this is Fire Emblem Heroes, a gacha game where players can summon classic Fire Emblem characters. It’s had over $1 billion in player spending alone as of June 2022 and is Nintendo’s “flagship title on the [mobile} platform,” according to Sensor Tower.
More recently, Nintendo tried to recapture the success of Pokemon Go with Niantic’s Pikmin Bloom, although that game has reportedly disappointed as well. Overall, it’s understandable why some people are surprised to see only a couple of surefire mobile hits from a company with the pedigree of Nintendo and consider it a side venture that never realized its full potential. If you look closely at the console games in these series that Nintendo put out since, though, it isn’t ignoring everything learned while making mobile games.
Mobile's monumental impact
Nintendo has the masterful ability to find the strongest elements of an idea, draw those out, and then expand upon them to create something uniquely memorable. We’ve seen it do this time and time again with subsequent entries of its flagship series, but it’s a mindset it has applied to its mobile games upon closer inspection.
As far back as 2018, Pokemon: Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee recognized the charm of not needing to battle a Pokemon to capture it, and incorporated that into a traditional RPG experience. More recently, items and mechanics like gardening and cooking from Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp made their way into Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was able to revive its live service offerings by repurposing the best tracks and assets from Mario Kart Tour.
Fire Emblem Engage – Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch
The legacy of Nintendo’s mobile games could also be felt in the September 13 Nintendo Direct. The showcase’s first announcement was Fire Emblem Engage, which is turn-based strategy game where the main gimmick is being able to summon classic Fire Emblem characters with a ring. While it doesn’t look like Fire Emblem Engage goes full gacha, it’s clear that Nintendo recognized how people liked collecting and using classic Fire Emblem characters in a new adventure, so the developers drew and expanded upon that idea for Fire Emblem Engage.
Before the announcement of Pikmin 4, Shigeru Miyamoto also took a lot of time to highlight Pikmin Bloom. While we don’t know much about Pikmin 4’s gameplay, Nintendo could find some aspects of that game’s exploratory experience, weekly challenges, or something I’m not even thinking of to freshen up the next mainline game. The same could even happen with Super Mario Run the next time Nintendo decides to make a 2D Mario game.
While watching Fire Emblem Engage’s reveal during the latest Nintendo Direct, it became clear that Nintendo’s mobile games have quietly become influential forces in the company's console games. Nintendo has slowly plucked the best ideas out of them and brought them into Switch games without extra monetization. While the future is cloudy for Nintendo's seemingly stalled mobile push, I hope the company can still find a place for its games on mobile, using the platform as a space to experiment with its beloved series.

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