Anticipation is building ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event next month (April 2), and its rapid approach has seen the Switch 2 rumor mill back spring to life.
There are all sorts of leaks swirling covering everything from the console’s potential price to what display tech it’ll use (unfortunately, it’s looking like bad news for OLED fans).
While all the chatter about the Switch 2 hardware has got me interested and very eager to put the hybrid device through its paces myself, it shouldn’t be forgotten that above all the Nintendo Switch 2 is a gaming console.
And that means the Switch 2 launch games are key.
A strong launch lineup can be the difference between a console flying off the shelves from day one or starting off its lifecycle with a bit of whimper.
With Nintendo set to blow the lid of the Switch 2 in less than two weeks, these are the launch games I need to be convinced to lock in my pre-order and pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 on day one.
Mario Kart 9
Let’s start with the most bankable launch game, a new Mario Kart (likely Mario Kart 9). When the Switch was first unveiled to the world back in mid-January, the console was showcased with a brand new Mario Kart, making this one a near-certainty.
Granted, Nintendo hasn’t commented on whether this new Mario Kart will be a launch game, but considering it’s been 11 years since the last brand-new MK game (Mario Kart 8 on Wii U in 2014), the timing feels right. Speeding around a Mario Kart track will be the perfect way to kick off the Switch 2 era.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
To be totally honest, I’m not the biggest Metroid Prime fan, but even I’m eager to finally get my hands on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. After being announced in 2017 with merely a name and logo, last summer, Nintendo at long last gave us a proper trailer and confirmed the “Beyond” subtitle.
Clearly, the development process for this one has been rocky, so it would be great to see it out the door right from the start of the Nintendo Switch 2’s lifecycle. Any further delays and the increasingly impatience Metroid fan community might just lose it.
Elden Ring
I’ve played through Elden Ring twice already on PS5, and am in the middle of a third run on Steam Deck. Do I need another place to play FromSoftware’s open-world wonder? Not especially, but I know if the Nintendo Switch 2 launches with an Elden Ring port, I’ll pick it up for yet another platform.
Elden Ring feels like an essential launch game because it would be a great yardstick to measure how much more powerful the Switch 2 is compared to its predecessor. The first-gen Switch would probably melt in your hand if you tried to run the vast Elden Ring, so if the Switch 2 can handle it, we’ll know the leap is big.
New Nintendo IP
Nintendo’s biggest games tend to be within well-established franchises like Mario, Zelda, Kirby and Pokémon but one of my favorite things about the start of a new console generation is it’s the perfect time to try something new.
Shortly after the launch of the original Switch, we got the fighting game ARMS, and the Wii U introduced us to Splatoon (Which has become a dependable franchise with two Switch-based sequels). I hope at least one of Nintendo’s studios has been cooking up something fresh for the launch of the Switch 2.
A party game
The obvious fifth pick would be a new 3D Mario title. Super Mario Odyssey remains a masterpiece and was released seven years ago this fall. However, if we get a new Mario Kart, that’ll satisfy my appetite for the mustachioed-plumber for at least a few months, so instead, at launch I want to see a family-friendly party game.
Nintendo has a track record in this area launching Nintendo Switch with 1-2-Switch and the Wii U with Nintendo Land, while neither of these were classics, they were great party games for showcasing your new console to friends and family. A title like this would add some needed variety to the lineup. Just please don’t make another terrible 1-2-Switch sequel.
