It may be a walking cliché at this point, but Nintendo is one of the most important companies in the entire gaming industry. Having immeasurable influence on designers from every walk of life, it’s not hard to see why players are always so eager to hear what the Big N has in store. Twitter also hypes things up beyond belief, but Nintendo consistently delivers some of the most polished and enjoyable games around.
With the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct stealing the show, we now can safely say that the rest of the year is looking up for Switch owners…even with that Breath of the Wild sequel slated for 2022. Here are our most anticipated games on Nintendo Switch for the rest of 2021.
Metroid Dread (October 8)
Probably the biggest stunner of the presentation, Metroid Dread came out of nowhere and is bringing the Metroid series back to its roots. This 2.5D sequel to Fusion is darker in tone and is taking all of the advancements made in Metroid: Samus Returns to create what looks like an absolutely stellar new installment.
The trailer shown off also had an excellent homage to both Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion by starting with “Metroid 5.” That sent chills down our spines. Those chills were further bolstered by the reveal of a rather fetching Collector’s Edition that will be available at launch. This might be the game of the show, honestly.
Mario Golf: Super Rush (June 25)
This one may be cheating as the game comes out in 10 days, but Mario Golf: Super Rush looks awesome. It’s been a long time since the Golf series has seen an installment on a home console, with the last being Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour all the way back on the GameCube. Camelot has stumbled a bit with the Tennis titles, but Super Rush looks to really improve upon the foundations set by its GCN predecessor.
The funky Rush multiplayer mode looks like a goofy party pleaser, but the core three-click golf gameplay is something that has been missing in the industry for a long time. With 2K Games only recently getting its PGA Tour series up to par and Sony seemingly doing nothing with Everybody’s Golf, expectations are high here. I have a feeling Nintendo will score a hole-in-one…or at least a double eagle.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 (June 25)
Remember what I said about cheating above? Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 absolutely qualifies for cheating, especially since it released last year for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but Switch owners are absolutely going to want this one. After being dormant for more than a decade, Activision came out swinging with a remaster that perfected the classic formula and compiled two of the greatest extreme sports games into one. It really is a masterpiece of the skating sub-genre.
Unless the Switch port royally screws something up, this belated release on Nintendo’s platform is going to end up being one of the best games you can buy in 2021. It may not have 4K resolution output or 120 fps support, but taking all of those classic levels on the go is possibly worth a double-dip, if not a triple.
No More Heroes III (August 27)
After eons of begging and pleading from fans, auteur indie designer Suda51 is finally bringing Travis Touchdown back into the fold. The cult classic Wii series still remains one of the best games ever created, so it’s no surprise that we’re excited to see how this trilogy will conclude. It doesn’t hurt that a slick new art style and an even greater emphasis on grindhouse aesthetics seem to expand on the cheesy charm of the original.
The wildly expanded plot for No More Heroes III seems to cast shade at typical gaming tropes for upping the ante, perfectly in line with the subversive style of the original. Coupled with what hopefully will be an expansion of the Wii’s motion control scheme, we really just cannot wait to get our hands on this.
Blaster Master Zero 3 (July 29)
Developer Inti Creates has done an exceptional job of resurrecting classic series and giving them a new lease on life. With two amazing Blaster Master titles under its belt, the surprise announcement of a third caused a fervor in the fan base. The story of Jason, Eve, and SOPHIA III has not only paid homage to the NES original but improved upon nearly every aspect of it. These are seriously killer indie platformers.
There’s not much known about what this third installment will have, but between Blaster Master, Bloodstained, and Azure Striker Gunvolt, just the name Inti Creates gives us reason to expect greatness. This technically isn’t a Switch exclusive, but it just feels right on a Nintendo console, hence its inclusion.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (December 3)
It has been more than a decade since Nintendo has done anything with the Advance Wars series beyond a cameo in Smash Brothers. While an entirely new installment would have been great, just having the games available on a modern platform is reason enough to be excited. That it’s getting a nifty new cel-shaded art style is supremely good news.
We still don’t know too much about whether or not these remakes will see improvements, but 2021 is going to end with a bang thanks to this compilation. If everything goes well, this could even lead to a brand-new installment.
Shin Megami Tensei V (November 12)
Atlus’ Persona series might be more widely known, but its Shin Megami Tensei series was the predecessor on which Persona’s mechanics were built. We already knew Shin Megami Tensei V was in development and how it would look, but we were never quite sure of when it would be released. With the Nintendo Direct giving us a firm November 12, 2021, date, we can now safely put this on our most anticipated list. It doesn’t hurt that the game looks outstanding.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl (November 19)
Maybe it’s not fair to put remakes on the list, but then we’ve already included Tony Hawk and Advance Wars, so rules don’t apply. Nintendo didn’t give us an extra look at these two games during E3 2021, but both Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are shaping up to be some of the most faithful remakes the company has made in quite some time.
Eschewing the 2D style from the DS originals, the 2.5D look actually retains a lot of the quirky charm that its inspiration had. Squashed, chibi-style character models? Check. Overhead viewpoint for traversing the world? Check. It looks like a love letter to those classics and the past that only Nintendo can provide.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin (July 9)
There are a ton of fans of Capcom’s Monster Hunter series that never got a chance to try the 3DS spin-off, Stories. Forgoing the typical action-RPG trappings of the main series for more of a JRPG vibe, Stories was a refreshingly different take on the well-traveled franchise. Stories 2: Wings of Ruin looks to continue that with an even more ambitious story mode with cutscenes and everything. Including some crossover content with Monster Hunter Rise (which is quickly becoming one of the best-selling games in the series) is also a nice incentive to get hardcore fans interested.
The House Of The Dead: Remake (TBA)
Nintendo’s whole existence since the GameCube has been based on nostalgia, so it’s no surprise that we’re excited as hell for the upcoming House of the Dead remake. It’s likely not going to remain a Switch exclusive and isn’t even a property owned by the Big N, but Sega’s influential light-gun title has been missing in action for far too long. That we’ll finally have a way to experience it again in an era where light-guns no longer function on HDTVs would honestly be reason enough for the hype, but this remake also looks quite good. Let’s pray for Joy-Con pointer functionality.
