Let's try to predict the Switch 2 launch lineup

[Reprise]

So the Switch 2 is now probably less than a year away from launching and I thought it might be interesting to try to guess what might be the launch line up of titles, or at least the games that might be released in the first few months. Or if you want to name your dream line up, you could do that.

Obviously there might be some completely new IPs and games, but there's also probably going to be some PS4/XB1 and PS5/Series X ports that we didn't get on Switch because of the weaker hardware.

From Nintendo I think we will definitely get a new 3D Mario game. Super Mario Odyssey 2 or whatever title or direction they decide to go in.

Could we also finally get Mario Kart 9 at some point within the first 6 months? I think Nintendo will definitely stagger the release of some big titles over the course of the first year and a new 3D Mario platformer will be out day one, with a new Mario Kart following a couple of months later.

In terms of ports from other systems, I think a new Call of Duty game will come out for the Switch 2 (Call of Duty games will be released on Nintendo platforms right? I swear I read that) and also there might be a port of something like Elden Ring.

What do you all think?

[marurun]

I don't know we should expect Mario Kart 9. MK8D is still doing gangbusters, and it wasn't long ago the last expansion pass content dropped for 8. I mean, excluding the WiiU version (which only sold 8 mil units) the Switch sales alone are like 62 million units. Truth told, I'm not sure where Mario Kart goes from 8. I don't know that Nintendo would want to repackage 8 a third time, and the sheer amount of content in MK8D would make things very difficult for an early MK9 release.

So I guess that's a non-prediction. I do wonder if Nintendo will sell some Switch games with graphical and frame rate boosts, or if they will allow the Switch 2 to naturally improve performance on Switch games. If backwards compatibility is in an "original performance" mode, I could see a few select titles getting a re-release with improvements. MK8D wouldn't likely be one unless they really spruced up the graphics (it didn't have any frame rate hitches), but there are a number of later releases like TotK which would be lovely with a 60 FPS release with improved resolution or somesuch.

I think they've had enough time to be prepared for a new Smash Bros release, though. I wouldn't be surprised to see year one releases of a new Smash Bros and a new Splatoon, and perhaps Metroid Prime 4, though Prime 4 could also be a crossover title that will work on Switch in lower res at 30 FPS but looks and performs better on Switch 2. In fact, I would expect a couple crossover titles, given the huge existing Switch user base.

[Raging Justice]

Not a prediction, but I wish they'd release a new Starfox. I think that would make a lot of people happy and Starfox games have always been great tech demo games for whatever system they are on. I'm not interested in multiplayer gaming at all, but I could see a multiplayer mode being one of the selling points of a new Starfox game. I also think they could do a great crossover with Ubisoft and get some Starlink characters in the game as DLC. Starlink was a nice gift to Starfox fans so I would enjoy the collaboration.

I hope they don't do re-releases. I don't hate re-releases necessarily, but it's not what builds excitement around your system. Plus, as someone who has been buying a lot of Switch games recently, I'm not interested in re-purchasing any of them. I want NEW games. Performance and graphics improvements in games I've already played does not excite me AT ALL. I will make an exception though for games that got shitty releases on the Switch 1. A re-release of the Batman Arkham games with a version of Arkham Knight that doesn't run like shit and a physical release that ACTUALLY HAS ALL OF THE GAMES ON CARTRIDGE is something I could get behind. A re-release of Starlink with the whole game including DLC on cartridge would be great too. I'm sure this is all wishful thinking on my part though.

I see more Mario games coming. I know that goes without saying on a Nintendo console, but I mean more games than usual. Super Mario RPG and Wonder were big successes. I don't know if Princess Peach sold well though.

I would like to see the Switch 2 land some exclusives aside from just 1st party stuff. I miss when every console had exclusives, it actually made them all feel different. Again, probably wishful thinking on my part, but I don't think it would kill Nintendo to throw some money at certain developers to make their game exclusive. Sony has multiple exclusive 1st party developers. Nintendo just has...well, Nintendo. They used to have Rare once upon a time.

Also, will we see more XBox games released on Switch 2? They started doing that recently.

[Reprise]

I do wonder if Nintendo will sell some Switch games with graphical and frame rate boosts, or if they will allow the Switch 2 to naturally improve performance on Switch games. If backwards compatibility is in an "original performance" mode, I could see a few select titles getting a re-release with improvements.

Yeah, that's a good point. I am not sure now they are going to handle backwards compatibility and 'Switch 2 enhancements'. Depending on how it is handled, we could end up with a few games being re-released with improvements, as well as new cross-gen releases.

Truthfully, I suspect you are right about Mario Kart 9, but I also can't help thinking surely they would want a new Mario Kart game on the new console? They have surely milked MK8 enough now after, what, 11 years is it? A new one would sell so well and they could do even more crossovers, like they experimented with Zelda and F-Zero last time. Maybe even turn it into a Smash Bros type thing?

Metroid Prime 4 will probably get a cross gen release, I agree with that.

A new Splatoon makes sense, but 3 still feels quite new.

I can see a new Smash Bros happening, but as you said with Mario Kart, I am not sure what there is left for them to do.

Not a prediction, but I wish they'd release a new Starfox. I think that would make a lot of people happy and Starfox games have always been great tech demo games for whatever system they are on.

I agree. And something I also wish they would release is a new F-Zero game. A proper big AAA 3D one.

[marurun]

I would like to see the Switch 2 land some exclusives aside from just 1st party stuff. I miss when every console had exclusives, it actually made them all feel different. Again, probably wishful thinking on my part, but I don't think it would kill Nintendo to throw some money at certain developers to make their game exclusive. Sony has multiple exclusive 1st party developers. Nintendo just has...well, Nintendo. They used to have Rare once upon a time.

For starters, there's the Pokemon Company, which is jointly owned by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak. There's also has HAL and Intelligent Systems, which are both technically independent companies, though heavily entangled. There's also Sora Ltd, Camelot Software Planning, and Retro Studios, though Retro is technically a Nintendo subsidiary. More recently there's Mercury Steam. A lot of games we consider Nintendo IP (Kirby, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, etc...) may be wholly or partially owned by Nintendo but were created by 3rd parties in collaboration with Nintendo. So there's still a lot of non-Nintendo developers in this space. And Nintendo has always been very willing to work with other companies like Namco, Koei, Tose, and even Capcom to offer support programming and to play on their strengths. Super Smash Bros Ultimate may have been a Nintendo title, but Sora Ltd and Namco did most of the development work.

[Raging Justice]

I could see that Harry Potter game and something like Kingdom Come Deliverance getting "Definitive" releases on the Switch 2. I also think it would be interesting to see those cloud streaming Switch games (like Resident Evil 3 Remake and a Plague Tale Innocence) get ACTUAL releases on the Switch 2. I'd fork over the cash if they got proper physical releases.

I would like to see the Switch 2 land some exclusives aside from just 1st party stuff. I miss when every console had exclusives, it actually made them all feel different. Again, probably wishful thinking on my part, but I don't think it would kill Nintendo to throw some money at certain developers to make their game exclusive. Sony has multiple exclusive 1st party developers. Nintendo just has...well, Nintendo. They used to have Rare once upon a time.

For starters, there's the Pokemon Company, which is jointly owned by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak. There's also has HAL and Intelligent Systems, which are both technically independent companies, though heavily entangled. There's also Sora Ltd, Camelot Software Planning, and Retro Studios, though Retro is technically a Nintendo subsidiary. More recently there's Mercury Steam. A lot of games we consider Nintendo IP (Kirby, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, etc...) may be wholly or partially owned by Nintendo but were created by 3rd parties in collaboration with Nintendo. So there's still a lot of non-Nintendo developers in this space. And Nintendo has always been very willing to work with other companies like Namco, Koei, Tose, and even Capcom to offer support programming and to play on their strengths. Super Smash Bros Ultimate may have been a Nintendo title, but Sora Ltd and Namco did most of the development work.

Yeah, I guess you're right. I still miss Rare though

[alienjesus]

Just to expand on Marurun's post, the vast majority of Nintendo's IP this generation has been from studios outside of Nintendo's internal development. Nintendo themselves were responsible for some of the big hitters like the mainline Mario games, Zelda games, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and Ring Fit Adventure, but so many other studios have worked on Nintendo's other IP this gen.

Just from the top of my head:

Mercury Steam helped develop Metroid Dread
Retro Studios developed DK Tropical Freeze and Metroid Prime Remastered
Monolithsoft developed the Xenoblade game and assisted on Zelda and Pokemon among others
Game Freak developed the Pokemon series
HAL labs are responsible for the Kirby games
Intelligent Systems developed the Fire Emblem, WarioWare and Paper Mario titles
GoodFeel developed Yoshi's Crafted World and Super Princess Peach
Platinum Games developed Bayonetta 3 and Astral Chain
Bandai Namco did the heavy lifting work on Super Smash Bros as well as Pokken Tournament and New Pokemon Snap
Ubisoft did the Mario and Rabbids games
Next Level Games made Luigis Mansion 3 and Mario Strikers
Camelot Software Planning did Mario Golf and Mario Tennis
Koei Tecmo made the Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors titles
Eighting helped with development of Pikmin 4 as well as the ports of Pikmin 1,2 and 3
Arc System Works made Another Code Recollection
WayForward made Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp
Grezzo made Miitopia and Link's Awakening
NDCube made the Mario Party games for the Switch
Atlus made Tokyo Mirage Sessions
ArtePiazza made the Super Mario RPG remake
Spike Chunsoft developed the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon remake

There's probably a bunch more. Nintendo might not have the number of developer acquisitions of the likes of Sony or Microsoft, but they've got a lot of studios they work with closely to develop their IP and I don't have any concerns that they will be able to release many games within their IP within the first year or two of the Switch 2's lifespan.