Nintendo’s first-party slate for 2020 is currently looking very bare, but aside from rumours and hearsay, there are a handful of titles still confirmed to release this year and beyond. This include a range of new Pokémon games, the long-gestating Metroid Prime 4 and more.
A recent Nintendo Direct Mini highlighted new third-party games coming to the Nintendo Switch this year and next, including Shin Megami Tensei V — but Nintendo fans have yet to hear any confirmed news of upcoming first-party releases.
The last major Nintendo Direct actually happened way back in September 2019 and since then there’s only been minor updates or themed Directs based on already announced games.
With the release of Paper Mario: The Origami King on July 17, Nintendo has officially run out of dated first-party games for 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has had an understandable impact on games production globally, but it is strange to have no confirmed games on Nintendo’s release schedule, particularly in a time when people are gaming more than ever before.
While we know there are games releasing this year, no Nintendo game currently has a confirmed release date. Here’s what we know about Nintendo’s 2020 release schedule and what’s beyond the horizon.
Confirmed First-Party Nintendo Releases
Bravely Default II, the third entry in the Bravely Default series, is one of the few Nintendo games confirmed for release in 2020. This release date hasn’t been updated since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, so it may slip back into 2021 if production is impacted.
Also coming in 2020 is Harvest Moon: One World, a new entry in the popular farming sim franchise that promises an all-new engine and modern graphics.
The rest of the games on Nintendo’s schedule are currently undated, but are more likely to be 2021 releases.
Pokémon is the most well-represented first-party title, with both Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Unite confirmed for release on the Nintendo Switch with no firm date.
Bayonetta is more of an honorary first-party franchise for Nintendo given the witch’s appearance in Super Smash Bros. but you can look forward to her adventures in Bayonetta 3 coming to Nintendo Switch at an unannounced date.
Also coming (eventually) is the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4, which was originally announced in 2017. This game has been passed onto a new development team since its original announcement, so when (or if) it finally releases is unclear. All we know right now is it definitely exists in some form.
It’s the same deal with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. This title was announced at E3 2019 but has received no update since. We’re hoping to hear more about this game soon.
Way back in July 2019, Yo Kai Watch 4 was also confirmed for an eventual Western release. We’ve yet to hear anything more, so keep an eye out for this title. With an enhanced version of the game releasing in December 2019 in Japan, it could be the West receives a port of this version in 2020 or beyond.
Outside of first-party games, the Nintendo Switch will also get a bunch of fantastic-looking third-party adventures in 2020 and beyond, including Cris Tales, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, No More Heroes 3, No Straight Roads and more.
Rumoured First-Party Nintendo Releases
While we already know some of the bigger games releasing in 2020 and beyond, there’s also a bunch of unconfirmed releases floating around the web. The biggest rumour concerns a Mario title known as The Super Mario Remastered Collection, a package for Switch said to include Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine in remastered form. While this is an exciting prospect, it’s not currently confirmed.
Another rumour for a fan-favourite franchise is the return of Pikmin in the form of a Pikmin 3 remaster for Switch. As with the Mario collection, this is currently unconfirmed.
Also allegedly on the way is a Metroid Prime Trilogy remaster for the Switch. Originally this rumour listed a June release date for the game but that never came to pass. It would be the perfect way to hype up the long-gestating Metroid Prime 4 but for now, we’ll have to watch and wait for confirmation.
Further teases list The Tomb Raider Collection, Monkey Ball, Mass Effect and a 2D Metroid as coming to Nintendo Switch sometime this year, but like every other game in this list the rumours are currently unconfirmed.
Until Nintendo announces a brand new Direct or confirms the rumours currently floating around, we won’t know much more about the upcoming games slate for the Nintendo Switch. With no dated first-party titles on the agenda for 2020, it might just be a long wait yet before we hear anything new.
In the meantime, stay tuned to Kotaku Australia for all the latest news, rumours and wacky conspiracy theories from the world of video games, pop culture and beyond.
Leave a Reply