Biggest Nintendo Switch Games Coming This Year

The Nintendo Switch launches worldwide this Friday, March 3rd, and these are some of the marquee releases we can expect in the console’s debut year. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The biggest installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise to date is a launch title for Nintendo’s new console, and will surely be a catalyst if the Switch is to succeed early on. The game looks visually stunning and the gameplay looks fun and interactive, seemingly affording players multiple approaches to combat and exploration. Considering the scarcity of launch titles for the Switch, there is a lot riding on Link and Co.’s shoulders. And having reportedly sold more copies in two days than Super Mario 64 did, it's probably fair to say the gamble paid off.The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – With Skyrim coming to the Nintendo Switch, it marks the fourth “launch” of the game, having already had a “legendary” and “special” edition, after the initial release back in 2011. We know what we’re getting with this one, and more Skyrim is never a bad thing in my eyes. Skyrim is the type of game that you never want to stop playing, and now you don’t have to as you can now take it with you wherever you go!Super Mario Odyssey – Not much is known about this Super Mario Title, other than the glimpses of the game we received back in October, and the gameplay trailer shown off during the Nintendo Switch Reveal event back in January. This time around, Mario finds himself in a variety of totally new settings, many of which are based on the real world. The trailer showed an urban area (hilariously named New Donk City), a dense forest, a shanty town and plenty of other locales ripe for exploration by everyone’s favourite plumber. Wahoo!Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Mario Kart 8 is receiving a makeover to bring it into the world of the Switch with this enhanced version, which admittedly looks stunning. The game which can tear friendships apart through the use of just one tactical blue shell can now be played on the go for the first time without the use of one of Nintendo’s previous handhelds. The fact that the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons allow for local multiplayer at any time and any place is a great asset for this iconic racing game. Pokémon “Stars” – Ok, so this game hasn’t officially been announced, but Nintendo have confirmed a Pokémon game is in the works for the Switch. Expect this game to be what Pokémon Emerald was to Ruby and Sapphire, or what Pokémon Platinum was to Diamond and Pearl. A common complaint with Pokémon Sun and Moon is that they don’t run smoothly on the older models of the 3DS due to the higher resolution models and textures. Apparently, this was due to Game Freak developing the game for easy porting over to the Switch. The main attraction the Switch has is the ability to be able to take games on the go, but I’m excited to have a main series Pokémon game playable on my TV at home.  Other notable releases include Minecraft, Dragon Quest XI, Project Sonic 2017, Fire Emblem Switch, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Shin Megami Tensei, Arms and 1-2 Switch. Not all of the games listed have a set release date and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some delays. Overall, the Nintendo Switch seems to have a much stronger lineup than the Wii U did at launch, and the only way is up from there.