The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles Nintendo has ever produced, with a wide variety of games to choose from and plenty of unique features. We’ve already gotten to play new entries across the Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokémon series on Nintendo Switch, but there are still plenty of great games on the way for the hybrid console. This includes exclusive games developed internally by Nintendo as well as third-party titles and ports also available on other platforms.
Thanks to the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, we now know of a slew of games coming to the system in 2021 and beyond. And on top of that, there’s still a lot more time for more announcements to be made, so we may get even more games throughout the year. However you slice it, it’s an exciting time to be a Nintendo fan.
With that in mind, there are still lots of games to look forward to on the platform. These are the best upcoming Nintendo Switch games for 2021 and beyond.
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Life is Strange: True Colors — September 10, 2021
Following the success of the previous Life is Strange games, True Colors seems like it will once again pull at your heartstrings. This entry focuses on a new protagonist, Alex Chen, an Asian American with psychic powers. In True Colors, Chen is tasked with finding out the truth behind her brother’s mysterious death. It will play much like the other games, wherein you must interact with other NPCs, explore, and make decisions.
WarioWare: Get It Together! — September 10, 2021
Wario fans were thrilled when WarioWare: Get It Together! was announced at E3 2021. Much like the other games in the series, this one will feature 200 microgames (that’s even more bite-sized than a mini-game) that are meant to be played with others. Based on the game’s trailer, it will be just as wacky as you’d expect, with some silly microgames that are sure to make you smile. Better yet is that you can play these games online for the first time in the series.
Diablo II: Resurrected — September 23, 2021
Diablo II: Resurrected serves as a remaster of the original Diablo II, which first launched for PC in 2000. In Resurrected, you’ll get improved gameplay, a better user interface, enhanced visuals, and other quality-of-life changes. It also comes with the Lord of Destruction expansion at no additional cost. And best of all, it’s coming to Nintendo Switch this fall. This is one of the rare instances of a major third-party AAA game launching across all platforms simultaneously, including Nintendo Switch.
Metroid Dread — October 8, 2021
Metroid Dread was one of the most exciting E3 2021 announcements, particularly because it’s been 19 years since the last original 2D game in the series. Interestingly, Metroid Dread was actually first conceived as early as 2004, but never saw the light of day until now.
Dread takes place after the events of Metroid Fusion and follows Samus on her journey to planet ZDR. While there, Samus must face off against aliens and robots by any means necessary. And of course, we still have Metroid Prime 4 to look forward to, but at least Dread will help make that wait a little less excruciating.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy — October 26, 2021
This game looks fantastic, but the Switch version comes with a major concession. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will come to Nintendo Switch, but only via the cloud. So if you’ve got reliably fast internet speeds, this one might be one to try on Switch.
In it, you play as Star-Lord, leading the rest of the Guardians. It will be single-player only, with a heavy emphasis on narrative and player choice. As for the gameplay, it’ll be a mix of action with third-person shooting and some exploration as well.
Mario Party Superstars — October 29, 2021
Mario Party is back, this time with 100 classic mini-games from the N64 and GameCube era. That’s right, in Mario Party Superstars, you’ll get to play many of your favorite boards from the classic games in the series either locally or online.
It includes the Peach’s Birthday Cake board, the Space Land board, and others. This one might not be as appealing if you didn’t play the original Mario Party games, but it’s still sure to be a fun time either way. And based on the sales of Super Mario Party, the next installment is sure to sell like crazy. It’ll launch later this fall.
Shin Megami Tensei V — November 12, 2021
If you like the Persona games, you should consider trying Shin Megami Tensei V. In it, you’ll play as a high school student who investigates a demon infestation. Those demons can be fused and customized, just like a Persona. It’s noticeably darker than the Persona games, but players looking for a more serious adventure might prefer this. It features a post-apocalyptic setting, with a more grand-scale story that sees the people of Tokyo undergoing a demonic attack. Make your way through dungeons and battle your adversaries in this all-new adventure.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl — November 19, 2021
As announced during a recent presentation celebrating the series’ 25th anniversary, the Pokémon Company announced Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, which will function as remakes of the original Diamond and Pearl games. These games first launched for the Nintendo DS in 2006, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have been completely rebuilt from the ground up for Switch.
You’ll notice it has a chibi art style similar to that of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019), along with updated features that make it more playable in a modern setting. Interestingly, these remakes aren’t actually being developed by Game Freak but rather by ILCA, the team that brought us Pokémon Home. However, fans can rest easy knowing Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are being directed by Junichi Masuda, who worked on the DS originals. These remakes are slated to launch in November 2021.
Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp — December 3, 2021
It’s hard to believe Advance Wars is back, even if its newest entries aren’t original games. As announced during the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct, Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is headed to Switch later this December, serving as remakes of the first two games in the series.
Advance Wars is a turn-based tactical game with a devoted fan base. In fact, fans have been asking for more Advance Wars for years, and Nintendo will finally deliver. The last entry, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, launched for the Nintendo DS in 2008, but the series has been dormant since then. It’s likely Nintendo is gauging interest in the Advance Wars series to possibly develop a new game.
Fall Guys — 2021
The hit party battle royale game, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout captivated a large player-base during the summer of 2020 and aims to come out on Nintendo Switch sometime this year. It became famous for its wacky game modes, tons of unlockables, and references to other games such as Doom and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Fall Guys was originally supposed to launch for Nintendo Switch this summer but has been delayed to a more general 2021 release window. Here’s hoping it actually does launch this year.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus — Early 2022
While ILCA is working on the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes, Game Freak is cooking up something special with Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This will be an open-world action RPG, a first for the series, and it will take place before the events of Diamond and Pearl in the Sinnoh region. Fans have been asking for an open-world Pokémon action RPG for what feels like decades now, and Game Freak seems to be delivering on that wish.
It will still follow a similar structure to the turn-based games but will have real-time combat. You’ll be able to explore the open world and freely catch Pokémon that roam throughout it. At this time, there’s still a lot we don’t know about this game, but it’s shaping up to be something really different for the series. It’s currently scheduled to release in early 2022.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns — March 2022
Hailing from developer Firaxis, the team behind XCOM, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a turn-based tactical RPG. It will feature similar gameplay as the XCOM series, but with a few twists and turns that keep it separate from them. In it, you play as a new hero called The Hunter, who can be customized to your liking. But you can still fight alongside your favorite Marvel heroes, including Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man. Best of all, it’s coming to Nintendo Switch, meaning you’ll be able to play it on the big screen or on the go.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel — 2022
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been heralded as the best game of the generation and possibly the best video game of all time. It comes as no surprise that Nintendo wanted to create a direct sequel to it, though just what form that will take remains unclear.
A teaser trailer released at E3 2019 suggests that Zelda could be playable along with Link, and the world seems to be suffering from another calamity despite the destruction of Ganon.
At E3 2021, Nintendo showed off more of this game, still referring to it as “the sequel to Breath of the Wild.” The open world still remains, but players will now be able to venture to the skies above, similar to Skyward Sword. It’s gearing up for a 2022 release window.
Project Triangle Strategy — 2022
Project Triangle Strategy (title in progress) is a brand-new tactics game created by Square Enix. This game serves as a follow-up of sorts to Octopath Traveler. Eccentric and crazy names aside, the Square Enix community and its fans seem ecstatic about this game, as it’s the first tactics game the company has developed in a long time. Once you’re inside, you’ll quickly notice the beautiful art style you know and love. Rather than turn-based combat, you’ll witness a grid-based tactics battle system, including riveting storytelling. The best part is that you can get the free demo on the eShop today if you want. The bad news is we all have to wait until 2022 to play the real deal. We’re crying too.
Splatoon 3 — 2022
Although the release isn’t expected for quite some time, Nintendo gave us a sneak peek at Splatoon 3, set to launch at some point during 2022. During the last Nintendo Direct, we got the chance to see a new locale referred to as Splatlands, a desert populated by Inklings. Even though there wasn’t much unveiled with the Splatoon 3 preview, we know that it will still have 4v4 Turf War online battles and new equipment to unlock. All that aside, we have a bunch of unanswered questions. We’re burning to know the new features and whether the game will present a powerful single-player mode.
Sports Story — TBA
Golf Story was far more than a golf game on Nintendo Switch — it was a full-scale role-playing game filled with charming characters, all wrapped up in a golf shell that could still be enjoyed by those who don’t care about sports in the slightest. Developer Sidebar Games is taking this concept even further in Sports Story, which blends sports with role-playing mechanics again and adds plenty of new sports. These include tennis and you’ll study at a tennis academy, just like in the Game Boy Color classic Mario Tennis. You will even get the chance to compete in a “Decasportathon” to show just how up to the challenge you truly are. Although this game was slated for mid-2020, a Nintendo Direct indicated that it had been delayed.
Bayonetta 3 — TBA
Bayonetta 2 likely only released because Nintendo stepped in and agreed to publish the game as a Wii U exclusive, and PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta 3 will also release as a Nintendo exclusive. The game is coming to Switch … eventually, but PlatinumGames and Nintendo have offered little information over the last few years regarding its release date, story, or content. We do know the titular hero will return, as we saw in a teaser trailer, and we can expect plenty of high-octane action and goofy fan service along the way. Given how incredible the first two games are, we’re willing to let PlatinumGames take as long as it needs.
Hollow Knight: Silksong — TBA
One of 2017’s absolute best games is getting a sequel in Hollow Knight: Silksong, and it’s headed to Nintendo Switch sometime in the future. It will take the stunning visuals, Metroidvania gameplay, and atmosphere of the original Hollow Knight and put you in the shoes (do these creatures wear shoes?) of Hornet, a princess who is tasked with protecting Hallownest. Silksong was announced last year, and we haven’t gotten much of an update on its development, but hopefully, we won’t have to wait much longer. If it’s half as good as the original, we’re all in for a treat.
Metroid Prime 4 — TBA
Since we’re on the topic of games we know nothing about, word about Metroid Prime 4 released several years ago at an E3 Nintendo Direct presentation, but we haven’t heard anything from Nintendo since. Supposedly, the game was still in the developing process at Bandai Namco. Still, the game was not advancing as quickly as Nintendo expected, and it was thus scrapped and restarted with Metroid Prime trilogy creator Retro Studios taking the wheel. We don’t know if the game will launch in the next few years, but we do know one thing: Metroid fans are great at waiting. Otherwise, they may get stuck with another game like Other M, and no one wants that.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope — 2022
One of the most exciting upcoming Switch games is Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. This will be the sequel to Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, a game that surprised many of us when it launched in 2017. It will still feature the beloved tactical strategy gameplay but will send players to new planets, hopefully introducing even more variation in enemy types. With more open-ended exploration and the migration to space, Sparks of Hope seems like it’ll be a worthy successor to one of the most beloved Switch games.
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