After years of waiting, the Nintendo Switch 2 was finally announced, along with a first look at a new Mario Kart game. The Nintendo Direct on April 2 revealed the Switch 2’s release date as June 5. It will retail for $449.99 and will also be available in a bundle with the new Mario Kart game for $499.99. It is only backward-compatible with certain Nintendo Switch games.
Following the announcement, many indie developers confirmed upcoming titles for the new console, some of them below. There were also many games announced in the Nintendo Direct. There are rumors out there, but we will focus on the confirmed (and very likely, based on evidence) Nintendo Switch games we know about so far.
Mario Kart World
In Switch 2’s official first-look trailer, we got a glimpse of what we now know as Mario Kart World. From the footage, we can tell that the track is called Mario Bros. Circuit and is possibly a new original map with 24 starting places. Familiar faces appear as drivers with a slightly redesigned Donkey Kong. A few other details could be extracted from the footage, but there was a fun Yoshi-themed drive-thru restaurant visible.
On April 2, the Nintendo Direct trailer gave us much more clarity. The game will be available on launch day and in a bundle with the console. Mario Kart World’s courses are connected, allowing players to explore an entire world with their kart. There are different terrains and weather conditions for players to go through. The trailer outlines many new game modes. The game will retail for $79.99.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
This game is the prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Koei-Tecmo is producing the game in collaboration with Nintendo. It appears as though you can play as Princess Zelda, King Rauru, or Mineru. So far, the developers have released little information about the game, except that it’s coming out in the winter. To see the graphic and some gameplay, check out the trailer below.
Pokémon Legends Z-A
Okay, so this is not completely confirmed (It is confirmed now!). However, the company that makes Pokémon, Game Freak, got hacked in October 2024. The major data leak revealed many different suspected codenames for upcoming plans. A codename for Generation X of Pokémon was mentioned to be in development for the Switch 2 codename and have two different versions following the previous models of Pokémon games, according to Nintendo Everything.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a new game in Lumiose City, which previously appeared in the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games. It is being released for both the Switch and Switch 2, with a special edition for the latter.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza releases a little after launch on July 17. It’s an all-new 3D platforming action game starring Donkey Kong. The description of the game says, “Help Donkey Kong make his way through the depths of the Underground World. The deeper he goes, the more amazing places he finds!” Donkey Kong Bananza will retail for $69.99. Check out the trailer below to see Donkey Kong smash everything.
The Duskbloods
FromSoftware, the creators of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, produced this game. It will launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. There is not much known about this title, but the graphics look great, depicting a gothic world. The character you play as seems like a vampire because in the trailer it appears he sucks blood from someones neck and the title points towards something vampire-related. Check out the trailer below.
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby Air Riders is a new Kirby title that releases after launch. No gameplay is in the trailer, but we do see Kirby surfing on his Warp Star machine with his friends. This 2025 iteration of the game is the first Kirby Air Ride game since the original was released on GameCube in 2003. Kirby Air Riders is being developed by Masuhiro Sakurai, who is an iconic video game director and designer. Sakurai is most known for creating Kirby and the Super Smash Bros. Series.
Indie Games
My Time at Evershine
Indie developer Pathea Games, who made My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock, says their cozy simulation RPG My Time at Evershine will be on the Switch 2 as well as PC and other consoles. There isn’t much known about the game at this moment, but all current information can be found on their Kickstarter.
Bestiario
Bestiario, coincidentally, is another RPG game from an indie studio fundraising on Kickstarter. Bestiario is a turn-based strategy with social simulation elements draws inspiration from the Persona saga. The game’s world and story heavily take inspiration from Spanish folklore and mythology. This is fitting considering Wiggin Industries, a studio in Barcelona, is the game’s developer. The most updated information is on their Kickstarter.
Synth Beats
Synth Beats is an action RPG by Swiss game studio Radhood, launching on the Switch 2 and other consoles. According to the developer, players will “capture monsters to use them against the scientists who created you. Sail the open ocean in a stolen boat belonging to your captors and destroy their failed experimental creatures to put an end to the creation of the Synth Beasts.” Players will be able to catch over 40 different synth beasts. On Steam, the game is supposedly “coming soon.”
Littlelands
Rafael Martín and Kyle Creamer developed this adorable game by using a chibi art style similar to the Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Players can play at their own pace. According to the game’s Steam page, you can “grow berries, hunt for treasure, fish, or just sit on a wooden bench and watch the sunset.”
Yooka-Replaylee
Yooka-Replayee is actually a remake of the 2017 game, Yooka-Laylee, which the developers coined as the “spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie.” Playtonic Games makes both platformers and gave a cheeky announcement by saying Nintendo instead of the Switch, pointing towards a Switch 2 release. However, there is slight confusion because the game’s second iteration, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, got a better reception than Yooka-Laylee, but they are choosing to remake the latter instead of the former.
We will continue to update and revise this list as more announcements arise…
Originally published February 6, 2025.
The post All the Nintendo Switch 2 Games We Know About So Far appeared first on Nerdist.
Source: Kiat Media
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