Nintendo is experiencing a resurgence right now, thanks in large part to the success of the Nintendo Switch and new Nintendo Switch games. The hybrid hardware, which allows you to play it as both a console and a handheld, has sold over 20 million units globally—more than either the Xbox One or the Playstation 4 had sold at this point in their respective life cycles.
Say what you want about the Big N: Nintendo got here not by following convention, but by being adamantly, stubbornly themselves, sometimes to their own detriment. When the company's out-of-the-box thinking doesn't work, we get dead-on-arrival disasters like the Virtual Boy, the Wii U, and the GameCube marketing campaign. When it pays off, though, we get shooting stars like the Wii (no one was betting on motion controls in 2006!) and the Nintendo Switch.
The 10 upcoming Nintendo Switch games on this list are in keeping with Nintendo's insular, focused nature; they're remakes, ports, or reimaginings of video games you know and love, with just enough of a twist to keep things fresh. You can always count on Mario to be Mario, on Samus to be Samus, on Link to be Link, and ok Nintendo to be Nintendo; you love them for it.
From the latest "Metroid Prime" installment to 'Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes," here are 10 Nintendo Switch games coming soon, and their release dates.
Bayonetta 3
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Unknown
As of now, we don't have much more than the game's title. But Bayonetta 2, which debuted on the Wii U and was ported to the Nintendo Switch, was one of the strongest titles of its generation. The third part in this loose hack-and-slash trilogy, Bayonetta 3, will hopefully keep that tradition of excellence alive.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 2019 (Unspecified)
This is a turn-based RPG that punishes you. The conceit behind Fire Emblem is that when one of your characters dies in the game, you can't revive him with a priest, or use magic herbs to resurrect him. You lose that character permanently which raises the stakes considerably and forces the player to value the characters. Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be the first Fire Emblem title on a console since 2007.
Luigi's Mansion 3
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 2019 (Unspecified)
Mario's skinny, nervous, upstaged brother is back for a new poltergeist adventure. Again, he's equipped with a vacuum cleaner, and again, he has to solve puzzles and rid a house of ghosts. If you've played a Luigi's Mansion game title before, then you know what to expect. If this will be your first, think of the Boo Haunted Houses in Mario games. Do you want to play a game with that sort of playful, scary-but-not-too-scary vibe? If so, keep an eye out.
Metroid Prime 4
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Unknown
At last, galactic bounty hunter Samus Aran returns for another 1st person adventure in Metroid Prime 4—the first Prime title in over a decade. We're likely in for a long wait; we haven't even seen any screenshots yet. But we're fine with the team taking as long as they need to. We're just glad we're getting it, and we're looking forward to the next, sprawling Ridley boss fight.
Mortal Kombat 11
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Publisher: Warner Bros.
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Mortal Kombat 11 looks gory and gross; the Mortal Kombat development team has been pushing that envelope for years. But with any luck, the game will be a lot more than just a splatter show. Its predecessor, Mortal Kombat X, had a revamped combo system and provided multiple fighting styles for each character. With Mortal Kombat 11, the developers are introducing what they call a Custom Character Variation System. They're vague on the details, for now, but any innovation that allows players to better distinguish themselves from the competition sounds good to us.
Resident Evil 4
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Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: 2019 (Unspecified)
It is is a credit to the staying power and resonance of Resident Evil 4 that buyers continue to buy and rebuy it it, even 15 years after its debut on the GameCube. The story of Leon Kennedy saving the President's daughter from a zombie-esque cult still provides thrills. From the Regenerator's breathing, to the whirring of Dr. Salvador's chainsaw, to the low roar of El Gigante, this game is a jolt of terrifying nostalgia. And like the best horror movies, it still holds up. Knowing the scary parts does little to diminish them; this is a staple and gold standard for any serious video game collection.
Team Sonic Racing
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Publisher: Sega
Release Date: 2019
Mario dominates kart racing, but Sonic is looking to challenge that with Team Sonic Racing. And unlike Mario Kart, which is largely a solo pursuit, this new game is a team effort; you have to share powerups and help your buddies to finish in first place. Fittingly, there’s a robust multiplayer option that leans into this more social approach.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
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Publisher: Grasshopper Manufacture
Release Date: Jan. 18, 2019
There were tons of casual titles on the Nintendo Wii—lots of point, waggle, and shoot games that gave the console a poor reputation amongst dedicated gamers. But No More Heroes, released in 2008, was a notable exception; the hack-and-slash action title starred Travis Touchdown, a nerd with a beam sword, who took on a massive league of assassins. A sequel followed in 2010, and Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is the second sequel in this ongoing, self-consciously ridiculous story. Check it out if you like dark humor and slapstick violence, a la Kill Bill.
Yoshi's Crafted World
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Super Paper Mario allowed players to "flip" from a 2D to 3D plane, and Yoshi's Crafted World has a similar conceit; you play on a side-scrolling 2D level, but you can also duck around and behind the background scenery to find extra rewards and additional pathways. The soft, cuddly appearance of Mario's dinosaur buddy is no coincidence; the same game developers (Feel-Good Studios) designed Kirby's Epic Yarn. This new game exhibits that same joyful creativity.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
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Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Jan. 16, 2019
In the midst of all these new game announcements, Nintendo is quietly building its online subscription service, which allows you to play original, 8-bit NES games. And this January, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) is debuting on the service. Part sidescroller, part bird's eye adventure, it was made during a time when Nintendo was still trying to figure out who Link was, and what a Zelda game was. This title is as much a historical document as it is a game.
