Nintendo Switch 2: every game we want to see at launch

Domagoj Belancic

21.1.2025

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

Co-author: Cassie Mammone, Philipp Rüegg, Simon Balissat, Michelle Brändle

Nintendo has unveiled the Switch 2. Here’s every new game we want for the console’s launch.

Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 last week with a hardware trailer. Apart from a few short clips of a new Mario Kart, no new games were revealed. Nintendo wants to make up for this with a Direct presentation on 2 April.

To bridge the waiting time until this next reveal, we the editorial team let our imaginations run wild. Here are the new games we’d like to see drop in the weeks and months following the Switch 2 launch.

Domagoj wishes for: a new 3D Mario

There’s nothing I want more than a new 3D Mario. With Super Mario Bros. Wonder, we just got an excellent game featuring the chubby moustache bearer – but the 2D platformer couldn’t satisfy my desire for a fully fledged 3D adventure. Super Mario Odyssey, the last «real» 3D release, is almost eight years old, so it’s high time for a new spin-off.

The Wii fan and nostalgic in me wants this new 3D Mario to be a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy – Mario in space with all kinds of cool physics gimmicks. In my opinion, the two Galaxy games are still the best Mario games of all time. On the other hand, I’d also like to see what new, crazy and unexpected game concepts Nintendo could implement on the Switch 2.

In the small add-on Bowser’s Fury, released with the Switch re-release of the Wii U title Super Mario 3D World, Nintendo has hinted at where the plumber’s journey could take him. The game didn’t offer linear levels, but an open jump’n’run sandbox world to explore as I pleased.

Imagine what Nintendo could do with this open-world concept on the Switch 2’s far more powerful hardware. I’m triple-jumping for joy!

Domagoj also wishes for: Halo: The Master Chief Collection

I actually wanted to put a new Mario Kart as the second game on my wish list. Since a new offshoot was already confirmed in the Switch 2 announcement trailer, I opted for a more adventurous wish – Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Granted, my wish isn’t completely out of the blue. According to several insider reports, Microsoft plans to release many formerly exclusive game series on third-party platforms this year. Planned ports will also include Halo: The Master Chief Collection for the Switch 2 and PS5.

What a surreal moment it’ll be when I put a Halo cartridge into my Switch 2. Who would’ve ever thought that Microsoft’s number one Xbox mascot Master Chief would be shooting up a Nintendo console?

Aside from the historical value of a Switch 2 port, the collection would also finally close my Halo knowledge gaps. And thanks to the (hopefully) powerful Switch 2 hardware, the games should all run smoothly. With any luck, Microsoft will also implement gyro control and support for the new mouse functionality of Switch 2 controllers.

Cassie wishes for: the tenth generation of Pokémon

There’s no question that the Switch 2 will get a new Pokémon edition. Since every main game’s been released every three years starting from 2010’s Pokémon Black and White, the 2022 release of Pokémon Crimson and Purple makes a 2025 game likely. As far as I’m concerned, Game Freak and The Pokémon Company can take their time with the new generation as long as they finally address the franchise’s teething problems.

First and foremost, this concerns technology. If the Switch 2 comes with a long-needed tech upgrade, I hope it’ll be fully utilised and finally free Pokémon from the criticism surrounding its modest graphics and, on top of that, jerky games.

The developers should just let off steam and start with an open world in order to present more than just large, empty overworlds. On the other hand, I’d also enjoy an old-school Pokémon that sends me across a linear living world full of trainer battles. With this approach, the developers could also concentrate more on the game’s graphics. Main thing is, the new Pokémon generation should also captivate me beyond its cute pocket monsters.

If it doesn’t happen this year, I can still look forward to the already announced spin-off Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Graphically and technically, the game certainly won ’t set any new standards – after all, it’s only been officially announced for the Switch 1 so far. But hope is that it’ll run better on my Switch 2.

Cassie also wishes for: a new Fire Emblem – or a remake

The tactical role-playing game series Fire Emblem has the potential to make spectacular use of the Switch 2’s graphical capabilities. The games don’t need an elaborate open world or real-time battles that drain the console’s performance. Instead, the developers at Intelligent Systems can concentrate on snazzy graphics and crisp levels, as they did with Fire Emblem Engage.

Apart from the graphical potential, the new mouse functionality of the Switch 2 would also fit the strategy gameplay of the Fire Emblem series perfectly.

The last new spin-off, Fire Emblem Engage, was released in 2023, so I can imagine that the next game for the Switch 2 will be a remake of an older title. One candidate, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War was only available in Japan in the 1990s. For years, there have been regular remake rumours circulating online by alleged leakers, giving fans like me hope.

The GameCube and Wii games Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are also hot candidates for new editions. Similar to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, these versions aren’t only outdated, but also extremely expensive on the second-hand market. So if we don’t get a new part straight away, there are enough Japan-exclusive titles available for a possible Switch 2 remake.

Philipp wishes for: a new Star Fox

The long-lost Star Fox 2 was released in 2017 – for the Super NES Classic. It was completed back in 1995 for the original SNES, but for various reasons it didn’t see the light of day until 22 years later. The official latest instalment is Star Fox Zero for the Wii U, an unremarkable spin-off of the once glorious sci-fi action series about a super-cool space fox.

My highlight is still the Nintendo 64 release Star Fox 64, also known as Lylat Wars. I loved it for the bombastic graphics, which really impressed a 15-year-old me at the time. It offered wonderful worlds to roam through, wiping away enemies in classic rail shooter style. I still love the game’s atmosphere today, and the arcade gameplay is timeless too.

A real successor is long overdue. The Switch 2 is predestined to set off audiovisual fireworks and send me off to fantastic worlds with Star Fox and his troupe. These fluffy action games are far too rare for Nintendo to let them gather dust in a drawer. Since Star Fox is still an iconic Nintendo brand, I think a new part for the Switch 2 in the foreseeable future is quite realistic.

Philipp also wishes for: a new House of the Dead

There’s no game I’ve played through more than House of the Dead Overkill on the Wii. Granted, one run only takes a few hours. Just like Star Fox, this is a rail shooter. You move from scene to scene, shooting every zombie as quickly as possible before they get too close. It was perfect for playing in pairs, which we did a lot in our shared flat at the time.

I even bought the gun holder for the Wiimote back then, allowing me to hold a massive magnum like my digital counterpart in the game – awesome! This fit in perfectly with the wacky vibe of the game, which pays homage to trashy 80s horror films.

Since the Switch 2 also features motion controls, another instalment in the series would be perfect for Nintendo’s latest console. The game principle also works with a controller or mouse and keyboard, but it’s most fun when I have to move my whole arms. And if Nintendo or a third-party manufacturer offers an overpriced piece of plastic that I can put the Joy Cons in, I’ll buy it immediately.

The rights to The House of the Dead are owned by Sega. In 2022, a remake was released. So the series is still alive, and a new part isn’t unlikely. However, it remains to be seen whether it’ll be based on the fantastic Overkill.

Simon wishes for: Project G.G. from Platinum Games

Platinum Games and Nintendo are a dream team when it comes to exclusive partnerships. The first result of this collaboration was the controversial Madworld for Wii – one of the first games for an «adult» audience on the «family console». For the successor console Wii U, the Japanese studio delivered a rare gem in The Wonderful 101, which has only recently reached a wider audience thanks to remasters. I hope Platinum Games finds its way back to this old, experimental strength.

Unfortunately, this is all very unlikely. There’s virtually no information on Project G.G. out, which was announced five years ago. Hideki Kamiya, the creative head behind Platinum Games, left the studio over a year ago, prompting an exodus of employees. Whether the game will be developed further and whether it’ll appear on the Switch 2 at all is highly uncertain.

And yet, I still desperately want it. After all, while the big hits define a console, smaller obscure titles give it charm. Metal Gear and Gran Turismo defined the PS1, while games like LSD: Dream Emulator and Vib-Ribbon blurred the boundaries between art and video games.

Platinum Games’ projects also fall somewhere between art and games. Accessible yet stylish, such as the cel-shaded look of Madworld, or the exaggerated action with a comic book aesthetic in Wonderful 101. Both games that break with the expectations of a console and throw something at you that feels like too much at first. Sure, Mario is great, but have you ever had a hundred people form a pistol with the flick of a finger and blast a monster truck-riding enemy into nirvana while the city crumbles all around?

If the only trailer released so far for Project G.G. is to be believed, the latest release tells a Kaiju story in which giant monsters and heroes play the leading roles. The game is to form the conclusion of a superhero trilogy, with Viewtiful Joe (Gamecube) and Wonderful 101 (Wii U) being the two previous instalments. So how perfect would a release on the Switch 2 be? A man can still dream.

Simon also wishes for: a new game from Monolith Soft

Black magic. There’s no other way to explain the development process fuelling Japanese team Monolith Soft. The Nintendo studio is known for conjuring up incredible graphics on weak hardware. Most players will be familiar with Xenoblade Chronicles. The first game in the series was released on the Wii in 2010 and offered massive game worlds that still look impressive today.

With Xenoblade Chronicles X (2015) on the Wii U, as well as Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017) and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022) on the Switch, Monolith Soft has made the most of the hardware on two other technically outdated Nintendo platforms. In these huge open worlds, you feel really tiny next to colossal enemies, massive buildings and endless mountain ranges. The viewing distance also stretches far towards the horizon, making the new Pokémon games feel almost ridiculous in comparison.

Monolith Soft was also involved in both Legend of Zelda titles on the Switch. The studio is currently preparing to launch the Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster for the Switch. However, it can be assumed that the Japanese magicians are already hard at work on a new game for the Switch 2. It’s hard to imagine the incredible worlds that Monolith Soft can conjure up with modern hardware.

Michelle wishes for: a new Sims

Many gamers regard The Sims primarily as a PC series. However, EA has also released numerous spin-offs for (Nintendo) consoles over the years. Yes, there was even a special version of The Sims 2 for the Gameboy Advance. It was less about free building, living and making a career, and more about a linear playstyle. The story was centre stage, and I followed it with interest.

I’ve had less interest in the spin-off titles for consoles, such as MySims for Wii and Switch. For a cuddly simulation, I prefer Animal Crossing.

Now, however, EA could release another «real» Sims game for the Switch 2. Thanks to additional hardware power and the mouse functionality of Joy-Con controllers, a fully-fledged Sims would be viable without any compromises.

My wish doesn’t seem so far-fetched any more. The last game in the series, The Sims 4, is over ten years old. And in 2025, EA will celebrate the series in style. It’ll be 25 years since the first Sims was released. High time for the next big Sims chapter, which is currently being worked on under the code name Project Rene.

Michelle also wishes for: a new Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing has become a staple in my console career. My first game ever, which I quickly took to heart, was Animal Crossing: Wild World – part two in the series, released for the Nintendo DS. Leisurely strolls through lush meadows, fishing or apple picking were the order of the day. The game has something very meditative about it and immerses me in a cosy virtual world. Even though my animal neighbours were sometimes a little confusing, I could always find something to like about them. It’s one of the reasons why I was looking forward to the sequels all the more.

The latest instalment is Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch. The most extensive and visually detailed game to date was a big hit during Covid. If there’s nothing going on outside, then at least my personal island is always there for me. I still love the fact that the developers have brought seasons and holidays into the game. I can even visit other islands by plane via Dodo Airline now – including those of my real-world friends! If I had any who played the game…

A new Animal Crossing during the Switch’s launch period would be nice – after all, New Horizons is already four years old. I don’t know whether the new offshoot can benefit visually from the more powerful Switch 2 hardware – after all, the simple graphics already looks beautiful on the Switch 1. However, larger islands, large cities (see Animal Crossing: City Folk) and a simpler online connection would be great additions. I’d also like if Nintendo provided the game with updates for a little longer than New Horizons.

Which games are you eager to see on the Nintendo Switch 2 soon?

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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