A reader forecasts six games they believe will be released in the Switch 2’s first 12 months, including a new Animal Crossing and Splatoon.
When Nintendo delays something, it's a mix of disappointment and relief. On one hand, you want something to come out soon, but on the other hand, it shows they're putting in effort and not rushing things for a deadline.
Although I'm disappointed I won’t get a Switch 2 for Christmas, I'm okay with it. Hopefully, it'll give Nintendo the time to make their launch games excellent.
It's also a chance for me to predict the games I think they will and should release within the first 12 months. I also assume they'll have a new IP, but I can't talk about that since I can't predict it – so don’t assume I only want sequels, these are just the only things I can predict.
1. Animal Crossing 6
I didn't think of this until GC mentioned it, but it makes sense. It's odd that Nintendo stopped releasing content for such a popular game. With New Horizons pushing the game into popularity, it wouldn’t make sense to only have the next one come out halfway through the Switch 2’s life. They're going to want this one out as soon as possible.
2. Mario Kart 9
There hasn't been a new Mario Kart for the Switch, and considering how well the current Wii U port did, it's guaranteed that a new one will come out very early on. Especially since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came out early as well and has been consistently selling. I can't say what the theme will be, but I would expect it to include lots of non-Mario characters. Perhaps even some third-party ones, like Smash Bros. but for racing.
3. Splatoon 4
There’s no way they’re going to leave this one for long because the franchise is huge in Japan. With the release of the final bit of DLC, the last one is ‘finished’ now. Many will complain when it's given priority over other games, but Nintendo is always driven by what's popular in Japan, and the series deserves to be bigger in the West. So, a new console is a good opportunity to give it another push.
4. Super Mario Odyssey 2
This is the most obvious one. I doubt it will literally be Super Mario Odyssey 2, but whatever the next big 3D Mario is from Nintendo’s A-team. Rumor says it'll be a Donkey Kong game, and it'd be cool if this meant a riff on the very first game, where Mario and DK were adversaries. That could also explain why they just remade Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, which otherwise seemed random. I don't know what to expect from a new 3D Mario, but I imagine it will be amazing and showcase the capabilities of the Switch 2 perfectly.
5. The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild remaster
There are rumors that a tech demo exists for The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild remaster, and it's likely that Nintendo will release it as a full game. They may also consider packaging it as a remaster double-pack with Tears Of The Kingdom, although that would be a lot of Zelda content to release at once.
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DX
It seems that Nintendo may not rule out a deluxe version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the future, with improved graphics, all the DLC included, and a few new characters. This could be similar to the Switch 2 version of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
I understand that predicting Nintendo's actions can be difficult, but these are not necessarily concrete predictions, just a list of priorities. It's clear that Nintendo's approach is very different from everyone else's.
It's challenging to anticipate how Nintendo will handle backward compatibility and game upgrades for the Switch 2. For instance, if Metroid Prime 4 is released on the Switch 1, it's unclear if it will be cross-generation or if there will be a major upgrade for the Switch 2. Will this upgrade be a paid update or a separate game?
It's difficult to predict because Nintendo may prefer to sell the game again, but they may be realizing that's not viable anymore.
By reader Ashton Marley
The reader's views do not necessarily reflect those of GameCentral or Metro.
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