TheNintendo Switch 2is absolutely teeming with potential, especially if all the rumors are to be believed. Allegedly boasting the same power as a Steam Deck, the Switch 2 will be more than capable of running some of the best games available while giving Nintendo’s own first-party efforts a significant boost in quality. Whether it’s enhanced ambition or simply better visuals, the first-party exclusives coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch and beyond should make the most of the hardware.
Naturally, players are already thinking of theSwitch 2’s third-party launch titles, including the likes ofElden RingandCyberpunk 2077. However, if the Switch 2 hopes to compete with the other handheld gaming devices on the market, then it needs a strong offering of first-party releases right out of the gate. Luckily,the Nintendo Switch 2 is absolutely primed to have the best launch line-upas Nintendo has plenty of dormant franchises waiting to get a new entry.
10A New Animal Crossing
Fans Deserve A Cozy Sequel
Animal Crossing: New Horizonslaunched in 2020, and since then, players haven’t been treated to a new mainline game outside of the mobile gamePocket Camp. Naturally, fans are more than done with their islands, with many having sunk hundreds of hours into making it perfect. The desire to move onto greener pastures - and preferably some not surrounded by water - has only grown since then. So,it only makes sense that the Switch 2 launches with a newAnimal Crossing.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete Sets The Perfect Example For One Other Nintendo Game To Follow
Pocket Camp Complete sets a standard that Nintendo should follow with one of its other mobile games.
Nintendo is also not the only one making social sims anymore, with evenUbisoft developing its ownAnimal Crossing. So, releasing a brand-new game in the series on the Switch 2 almost feels necessary if Nintendo wants to keep up with the competition. Additionally,the improved hardware would allow Nintendo to create a far more ambitiousAnimal Crossinggame, perhaps one with more responsive villagers or multiple villages for players to move between.
9The Next Mainline Fire Emblem Game
The Nintendo Switch 2 Needs An Epic Strategy Game
Fire Emblemmay not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who crave agood strategy game on Switch, it is the go-to franchise. Outside the spin-offs,Fire Emblemonly got two releases on the Nintendo Switch, and fans are naturally craving more. However, whileEngagewas a perfectly good traditionalFire Emblemexperience,the Switch 2’s first entry in the series should head down the more experimental route thatThree Housestook.
The social sim aspect ofThree Houses, coupled with its unique setting, made it a truly standout game that no other game has come close to. Nintendo should capitalize on the improved hardware to allow the nextFire Emblemgame to feel as ambitious and new asThree Houseswas. Regardless,having a strong strategy entry on the Switch 2 at launch would be a great addition to its lineupand cater to the TRPG fans out there.
8An Advance Wars Sequel
It Has Been A Long Time Since The Last Mainline Entry
Much likeFire Emblem,Advance Warsis a more niche entry and one that many may not necessarily consider to be a must-have launch title for the Switch 2. However, with the rise in popularity of tactics games, Nintendo needs to step up its game and finally release a mainline game in the series.The last mainlineAdvance Warsgame was released in 2008 for the Nintendo DS, and it was a huge departure from what fans had grown to love about the series.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Campwas released for the Nintendo Switch, but it was a remake of the first two games and not technically a new game in the mainline series. Additionally, while well received, it implemented many controversial changes that fans did not like.
Like many of Nintendo’s dormant franchises,Advance Warsdeserves to be reawakened, and what better opportunity than with the Nintendo Switch 2? As a launch title,a newAdvance Warswould offer a unique experience that none of Nintendo’s competitors are really producing. It would also help bolster the console’s strategy game offering, something the original Switch was lacking, and introduce a whole new audience to the iconic series.
7A Brand-New Kirby Experience
The Switch 2 Needs To Launch With The Pink Ball As Its Mascot
Kirbyactually got a lot of games for the Nintendo Switch, certainly more than many of Nintendo’s other mascots. Whether it was a competitive multiplayer experience or an inventive single-player adventure,there were so many greatKirbyexperiences for fans and newcomers to enjoy on the original Switch. However, while it may seem imbalanced inKirby’sfavor, it should serve as an indication of both the character’s rising popularity and how the series has grown substantially over the years.
The recent slate ofKirbygames has proven that the character is incredibly adaptable and can be used to tell a variety of unique stories. Nintendo clearly has a lot of love for the character and some fun ideas, soit would be great to seeKirbyreturn for the Switch 2. Whether it is a smaller release likeKirby’s Dream Buffetor a much longer experience, bothKirbyfans and those who are just discovering it will definitely enjoy it.
6A New IP From Monolith Soft
Another Xenoblade Game Or Something Entirely New
Monolith Soft is one of Nintendo’s best first-party developers, constantly pushing its hardware to the absolute limit and producing some of its biggest and best games. If you want a sprawling,open-world JRPG on Switch, then Monolith Soft has you covered with the endlessly epicXenoblade Chroniclesseries. Naturally, many fans are wondering what is next for the company, especially after it just celebrated its 25th birthday.
Of course, it’s easy to speculate thatXenoblade Chronicles 4will be released for the Nintendo Switch 2. However,XBC3had a fairly definitive ending, especially with theFuture RedeemedDLC, so it seems unlikely that there will be anXBC4any time soon. Monolith Soft has allegedly been working on a new fantasy project for some time, and it isn’t impossible that it will end up being one of the Nintendo Switch 2’s first exclusive titles. Regardless,Monolith Soft is absolutely the developer to deliver a truly next-gen Switch 2 experience.
5A The Legend Of Zelda Remake
There Are So Many Options
While the majority of first-party exclusives at launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 should be brand-new games, it is clear that the fanbase desperately wantsremakes of olderZeldatitles. From the classic N64 masterpieces to those still trapped on the DS,there are a plethora of potential candidates that Nintendo could remake for the Switch 2. In many ways, a remake would be the best demonstration of the Switch 2’s technical prowess, as Nintendo could literally point to it as a display of how far it has come.
Whether it isSpirit Tracks,Ocarina of Time,Majora’s Mask,Wind Waker, or any of the other candidates, it is clear that the Switch 2 needs to give more love to theZeldafranchise than even the original console did. Of course, many of these games are available via the Nintendo Online subscription, but afull-blown remake would allow newcomers who are averse to trying older titles to experience just how magnificent the originalZeldaexperiences were.
4A New 3D Mario Game
The Switch 2 Would Be Incomplete Without One
It seems impossible that the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch without a 3DMariogame, considering that it is a staple of Nintendo’s hardware. However, outside a few enhanced ports likeSuper Mario 3D World, fans haven’t had a full-blown 3DMariogame sinceSuper Mario Odyssey, which launched alongside the Switch in 2017. Of course, there have been some pretty spectacularMarioexperiences, including the phenomenalSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, but nothing of the same scale asSuper Mario Odyssey.
There is a lot of potential for where a sequel toSuper Mario Odysseycould go, but whatever it ends up being, it needs to be on the Switch 2 at launch.
It would be great to get a sequel toMario Odysseyor even an altogether new adventurefor Nintendo’s favorite mascot. Outside ofAstro Bot, Nintendo’s competitors haven’t really produced many platformers to the same scale as a 3D Mario game. So, fans of the genre are desperate to get their hands on a new triple-A release. Naturally, there is a lot of potential for where a sequel toSuper Mario Odysseycould go, but whatever it ends up being, it needs to be on the Switch 2 at launch.
3Mario Kart 9
It Feels Inevitable At This Point
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeproved to be enough forMario Kartenthusiasts on the Nintendo Switch, especially when its impressive DLC launched a few years later. It added some much-needed variety and a number of new tracks, which helped maintain interest in the game. However, since the last Wave was released, interest has once again been waning. Naturally,a newMario Kartis in high demand, especially as it can bring a whole host of newfeatures to improve the experience.
Fans already have tracks in mind that could be remade, but it would also be great to finally see some new tracks, as theMario Kart 8 DeluxeDLC only really introduced a handful of genuinely new maps to race on. Perhaps, much likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Mario Kart 9could feature more crossovers with Nintendo-owned franchises. It would be great to see Shulk driving a Mechon or Samus flying the Gunship next to Mario and Luigi in their karts.
2Nintendo Switch 2 Sports
Relive The Classic Wii Experience
One of the greatest games on the Wii was the free game bundled with every console,Wii Sports. It was a masterclass in mini-game design, and its focus on co-op play ensured that families could all join in. It offered hours upon hours of enjoyable content despite being fairly limited in scope. Unfortunately, no Switch game has ever managed to capture that same joy, withOne, Two, Switchproving to be a failure and Nintendo Switch Sports offering an enjoyable yet never comparable experience.
So,it would be great to seeNintendo Switch Sports 2finally offer players a fun way of playing well-crafted sports-based mini-games with family and friends.Nintendo Switch Sportsattempted to expand theWii Sportsroster by including the leg strap in some of its mini-games, and that was a nice touch.Nintendo Switch Sports 2could implement similarly unique features to help it stand apart while avoiding alienating players by being too complicated.
1The Next Mainline Pokémon Game
Nintendo has already announced thatPokémon Legends: Z-Ais coming to the original Switch, but it is yet to shed light on the upcoming Gen 10 mainline game. This is easily the more exciting prospect, asPokémon Scarlet & Violetshowcased how the Switch was hampering the developer’s ambitions for a bigger and betterPokémonexperience. On the Switch 2, a mainlinePokémongame has the potential to be something truly incredible.
Everything That Suggests Pokémon Black & White Remakes Are On The Way
The Pokémon Company may be looking to remake Pokémon Black & White, at least according to several new rumors and teases from several sources.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the next mainPokémongame is an open-world as well, or whether it returns to the series' roots. Nevertheless, the next game has to address thePokémonformula’s main issuesso that fans feel like they’re getting a truly next-gen experience on the Switch 2. While not all of these games will likely launch at once on theSwitch 2- although that would be incredible - it would be great to see Nintendo come out of the gate with a very strong first-party offering to entice prospective buyers.
Source:Nintendo of America/YouTube (1),(2)
