Nintendo hosted their big Nintendo Switch Presentation last week, and the blowout reveal has finally made hybrid console/handheld feel real for a lot of fans. And this feeling of realness will only increase as the Switch’s is just under a month-and-a-half away. This kind of quick turnaround between announcement and launch is literally unprecedented (and frankly, kind of awesome).
But what about the games? Nintendo’s notorious penchant for secrecy went into overdrive during the run-up to the Switch Presentation, but now we’ve got a pretty good idea what the console’s first year (and beyond) will look like. The Switch’s release schedule is packed with big titles, and more than 80 games are said to be in development for the console.
So lets-a-go and have a look at every game in the works for the Switch…
March 3, 2017
These are the games that will be available for the Switch on Day One.
| 1-2-Switch | Contrary to expectations, this bizarre minigame collection won’t be a system pack-in. |
| Just Dance 2017 | Just Dance 2017 was one of the first Switch games announced, so of course it’ll be ready on Day One. |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | You didn’t really think Nintendo’s flagship game for the Switch would miss the console’s launch, did you? |
| Skylanders Imaginators | Activision’s toys-to-life smash will also call the Switch home. |
| Super Bomberman R | A reboot of one of the Super NES’s best multiplayer games. |
March X, 2017
They won’t be available on Day One, but these Switch games will be released within a few weeks of the console’s launch.
| FAST RMX | The third game in Shin’en’s futuristic racing series. |
| Has-Been Heroes | A turn-based roguelike from Frozenbyte. |
| Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together | This co-op puzzle game from Nintendo has a weird title and an even weirder look. |
April 28, 2017
Nintendo’s first major post-launch game will be…
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only other Switch game with a confirmed release date. This re-release of the Wii U hit will include the new racers and tracks from both downloadable expansions, as well as several other additional racers and a brand new Battle Mode. |
Spring 2017
Here’s what you can expect to play in the 90 days after the Switch’s launch.
| The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ | Nicalis teased Isaac’s Switch debut with a very amusing scavenger hunt, and now its confirmed for release on Nintendo’s next console in the Spring. |
| Arms | Bizarro boxing between characters with telescoping arms? Arms is without-a-doubt in development at Nintendo. |
| Cube Life: Island Survival | It looks like Minecraft, but it’s not Minecraft. |
| Disgaea 5 Complete | The complete Disgaea 5 experience will be available in a portable format only on the Switch. |
| Lego City Undercover | It was a big hit for the Wii U, and now WB Games is bringing the open world game back to the Switch. |
| Puyo Puyo Tetris | The crossover puzzle game from Sega is finally on track for a North American launch. |
| Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition | One of the most popular Rayman games ever will reappear on the Switch in a “Definitive” package. |
| Redout | Originally released for the PC last year, the futuristic racer will make its Switch debut shortly after launch. |
| Rime | Tequila Works’s exploration adventure should be available in May. |
| Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows | Plague Knight’s campaign is coming to the Switch as a standalone game. |
| Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope | Shovel Knight’s original adventure has a new subtitle and a date with the Switch. |
| Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment | Specter Knight’s upcoming expansion will also be released for the Switch as a standalone game. |
| Sonic Mania | This 2D homage to Sonic’s past will race onto the Switch alongside its PC, PS4, and Xbox One debut. |
| Steep | Ubisoft’s winter sports collection will climb Switch Mountain shortly after launch. |
Summer 2017
The Switch will stay hot (and fresh) in the Summer.
| Splatoon 2 | In Splatoon 2, Nintendo will add more weapons, more fashions, and more arenas to the shooter sequel. Stay Fresh! |
Fall 2017
Get ready to celebrate the holiday season with a big batch of new Switch games.
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | You’ll soon be able to take Bethesda’s epic RPG on the go with the Switch. |
| Fire Emblem Warriors | Koei Tecmo and Nintendo extend their partnership to include a second Warriors game, which should be out this Fall. |
| NBA 2K18 | 2K’s basketball sim will make its return to Nintendo platforms. |
| Project Sonic | The next 3D Sonic game will also Spin Dash its way to the Switch. |
| Super Mario Odyssey | The next Mario game will return to the wide open style of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. I think “Mafia Don Bowser” is my favorite Bowser ever, and Mario’s boomerang hat looks like an interesting addition to the series. |
TBA 2017
All of these games will be out by the end of the year… hopefully.
| Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 | Bandai Nacmo plans to bring the latest game set within the Dragon Ball universe to the Switch. |
| Dragon Quest Heroes I & II | Square Enix and Koei Tecmo will package together both of these “Warriors” spinoffs for the Switch. |
| Farming Simulator 17 | It’s all right there in the title… the latest farming sim from Giants Software will be released for the Switch sometime this year. |
| FIFA Soccer | We don’t know if it’ll be FIFA 17 or FIFA 18, but EA will release their soccer sim on the Switch this year. |
| I Am Setsuna | A retro-styled RPG from Square Enix and Tokyo RPG Factory. It’s currently available for the PC and PS4. |
| Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition | In case there was any doubt, Mojang’s sandbox game will definitely be released for the Switch. |
| Minecraft: Story Mode | As will this Telltale-developed spinoff that stars Patton Oswalt. |
| Monster Boy | Monster Boy is a spiritual successor to the 80s-era platformer Wonder Boy, and it is officially in development for the Switch (as well as the PC, PS4, and Xbox One) at FDG Entertainment. |
| Puzzle Box | Puzzle Box is a puzzle game from Bplus that asks players to recreate a series of pixel art images using a “paint-by-numbers” control scheme. |
| Stardew Valley | Concerned Ape’s farming RPG will be released for the Switch sometime in 2017. |
| Syberia 3 | The adventure game from Microids will also launch on the SWitch this year. |
| Tank It! | Tank It! is a “war simulation game” with an “anti-war” message from developer Bplus. |
| Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers | The fighting game that took the Super NES by storm is coming back to a Nintendo platform with two new characters… Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. |
| Untitled Image & Form Game | The developer behind the SteamWorld series will bring a mystery game to the Switch in 2017, though it might be SteamWorld 3, which is also currently on track for a launch this year. |
| Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | Monolith Soft will release a direct sequel to their epic Wii RPG sometime this year. |
| Yooka-Laylee | Playtonic’s 3D platformer was originally in development for the Wii U, but the game was pushed to the Switch when they discovered the Wii U didn’t have enough processing power. It should be out by the end of the year. |
No Release Date
We don’t know when they’ll be released, but all of these games are confirmed to be in development for the Nintendo Switch.
| Dragon Quest X | Square Enix’s MMORPG has never been released in North America, and they’ve given no indication the Switch port will be either. But there’s always a chance. |
| Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time | Nor has the publisher announced a North American release schedule for the next single-player entry in the series. However, this one has a much better chance of crossing the Pacific. |
| Dungeon of Zaar | Inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars, and Pokemon, Dungeon of Zaar is a turn-based strategy game in development at indie developer Kurb. |
| No More Heroes 3 | Travis Touchdown will return, but Suda51 doesn’t know when and he also never actually referred to the game as “No More Heroes 3.” |
| Pikmin 4 | Nintendo quietly announced Pikmin 4 several years ago for the Wii U. Since then, they’ve provided a few small updates on the game’s progress, but it might be a while before we hear more about its inevitable rebirth on the Switch. |
| Project Octopath Traveler | A retro-styled RPG from Square Enix. |
| The Sacred Hero | Directed by a teenage developer named Kane Goodridge, The Sacred Hero looks to be heavily influenced by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and a handful of older Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles. |
| Seasons of Heaven | A puzzling adventure game where players help a small boy and his dog explore a mystical forest. |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Brand New Title | Atlus wasn’t ready to commit to releasing their next big RPG in North America just yet, but I’m confident it’ll cross the Pacific sooner rather than never. |
| Taiko Drum Master Switch | I’m just spitballing here, but I bet the two JoyCon Controllers will be perfect for the next Taiko Drum Master game. |
| Untitled Nobunaga’s Ambition Game | Koei Tecmo has plans to bring a game from their long-running strategy series to the Switch, but we don’t know when or if it’ll be a new game or a port of an older one. |
| Untitled Pokemon Game | Is it the rumored Pokemon Sun/Moon director’s cut? Is it another in a long line of spinoffs? We don’t know because it didn’t make an appearance at the Switch Presentation, but we’ll probably find out soon. |
| Untitled Tales Game | Bandai Namco and Nintendo go way back with the Tales series, and Tales of Symphonia was even a GameCube-exclusive just ten years ago. What do they have planned for the future? We’ll have to wait and see. |
Rumored
These games might be in development for the Switch. Or they might not. That’s why they’re RUMORED. Other rumored games include Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Dark Souls Trilogy, Dragon Quest Builders, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XV, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, Freedom Planet 2, Rive, Shakedown Hawaii, Super Mario Maker, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 7, and World to the West
| Beyond Good & Evil 2 | We know that Ubisoft and Michel Ancel are working on the highly-anticipated sequel, but will it come to the Switch? |
| Mother 3 | The capper to the Earthbound trilogy has only ever been released in Japan. Is it finally going to be released in North America on the Switch? |
| Rabbids Kingdom Battle | This supposed Mario/Rabbids crossover has been one of the most consistent Switch rumors since the console was revealed back in October. It sounds legit, but who knows? |
