What games can we expect on Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo finally revealed its next console on Thursday, confirming that it’s called the “Switch 2” as many expected.

In a brief two-minute video, we see the full design of the console-handheld itself, including the long-rumoured magnetic Joy-Cons and mysterious ‘C’ button that’s rumoured to handle social features like game chat. However, Nintendo left out many key details, including specs, pricing and, most importantly, a games lineup. It says a Switch 2-focused Direct will come on April 2nd.

Instead, the company simply made a rather interesting tease for what appears to be the next Mario Kart game, which should be titled Mario Kart 9 following 2014’s Mario Kart 8 and its 2017 Switch re-release, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The brief footage teased a desert track, a redesign for Donkey Kong that looks inspired by The Super Mario Bros. Movie and up to 24 player races.

Of course, the existence of Mario Kart 9 is hardly surprising, though a new entry in a flagship Nintendo series is undeniably exciting. What I personally would love to see from the series is a continuation of the guest characters featured in Deluxe, like Zelda‘s Link and Splatoon‘s Inkling. While Mario Kart doesn’t need to become a full-on Smash Bros.-level gaming-wide crossover, it would be nice to see some additional Nintendo icons, like Metroid‘s Samus, Star Fox‘s Fox or maybe even Pokémon‘s Pikachu. (Since we’re seemingly never getting a new F-Zero game, they can at least put Captain Falcon in Mario Kart to join his kart and stage.)

Beyond that, what’s most exciting about the Switch 2 is the promise of many new games, and not knowing any others besides Mario Kart certainly fuels speculation. It’s probably safe to assume Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be a cross-gen title, just like how Breath of the Wild was for the Wii U and original Switch. And beyond that, we know the Switch 2 will play most Switch games (outside of “certain” exceptions), so that opens up the catalogue even more, especially for other titles still to release this year. (Will Pokémon Legends: Z-A get a dedicated Switch 2 version or just release on the OG Switch and be playable on the new hardware through backwards compatibility?)

So, lots of questions, clearly. With that in mind, we want to know: what are the games you’d love to see on the Switch 2?

Personally, while I’m looking forward to both Mario Kart 9 and Metroid Prime 4, I’m most eager to see what the next Smash Bros. will look like. While I certainly don’t expect that in the launch year, it will be interesting to see when Nintendo finally teases what that game will be. After all, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the biggest crossover in gaming — do you attempt to somehow build on that even more or, more daringly, do some sort of series reboot? Can you even go back to a smaller roster?

Beyond Smash, my favourite Nintendo series has long been Fire Emblem, and I’m curious to see what’s next from the venerable strategy-RPG franchise. The last game was Engage, which came in January 2023, and rumours have long suggested a remake of one of the classic Japan-exclusive games (likely Genealogy of the Holy War) was in the works as well.

Since I love to cover Canadian games, it would be cool to see what Vancouver-based Next Level is doing. The studio’s last game was 2022’s Mario Strikers: Battle League, and before that, we got Luigi’s Mansion 3, which ended up becoming one of the Switch’s best-sellers. Therefore, I’d assume we’ll get Luigi’s Mansion 4 from the Canadian studio, which would be pretty cool.

Labo is the sort of unique and inventive thing that Nintendo does best, and I hope to see more like that on Switch 2. (Image credit: Nintendo)

And finally, I’d love to see some bold new IP. Nintendo is constantly thinking outside of the box with weird new games like Arms, as well as the likes of the DIY Labo cardboard kits or Ring Fit Adventure exercise game. The company is often at its best and most interesting when it gets experimental, and I’d love to see what the company will do with the Switch 2. While there’s still a lot we don’t know about the hardware, perhaps it could make novel use of the rumoured optical sensor that will give the console a mouse-like functionality. Remember how the Switch launch title 1-2 Switch emphasized silly things like HD Rumble when milking a cow? Hopefully, we get something quirky like that with the new and improved Joy-Cons. (And, for the love of God, please have them make drift a thing of the past.)

That’s some of what I’d like to see from the Switch 2 in these early days. What are you hoping to get from Nintendo’s next console? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Nintendo