It’s been eight years since the Nintendo Switch was launched, and finally, it’s successor is here. Nintendo revealed details on the upcoming console in a recent direct. This direct is a 60 minute major show featuring Nintendo’s next generation console and we will be going over third party games, first party games, and console features. To start off, let’s talk about the newest installment in the Mario Kart series.
Mario Kart World: Releasing at launch of the console (we will talk about the launch after the games)
We got our first look at the latest Mario Kart game which will be called Mario Kart World, an open world/arcade racer hybrid that will feature free roam mode; as well as both single player and online multiplayer. Some other details of this huge game include 24 racers, costumes for the characters, elimination races, and more! With its new gameplay, the game will actually have some connected tracks throughout this massive open world (meaning you will be racing from one course to the other). Now we only had a 4 minute trailer for this game and this game will be releasing exclusively on the Switch 2 at launch. It’s also worth mentioning that this game will have its own Nintendo Direct on April 17th so if you want to learn more about this game you will and hopefully we can learn about a possible battle mode and DLC (although with its price there better not be DLC).
The Hardware/Console Overview:
According to Nintendo the Switch 2 is not just an upgraded Switch, but a fully new console from the ground up. It will feature new games ,and for the first time on a Nintendo Console, 4K HDR support with 120 FPS for some games can be achieved using the Switch’s TV Dock. The Switch will also feature a fan for handling graphically intense games. We will also see voice chat and camera support using the official Nintendo Switch 2 camera, 3D audio and improved speakers, two USB ports, 256 GBS of storage instead of the original 32 GBS of storage, faster loading times, a new pro controller that will feature back buttons, new hall effect joy con sticks (not as much drift), magnetic Joy Cons that will also be larger and can be used as mouses that will also be used in games like Metroid Prime 4, and so SO much more. (Metroid Prime 4 is an original new game that we will be talking about later in the article). If you want to get to know more about the Switch 2 hardware, there will be a full paid tech demo known as the welcome tour that will show off the features I mentioned above. It’s also worth noting that it will have a similar menu to the original Switch and will have a faster e-shop/menu than the original. Finally, the console be compatible with 3 types of games including Switch 1 games (mostly all your Switch 1 games will be compatible), Switch 2 exclusive games, and Switch 1 enhanced games (meaning you can pay a few dollars more to have enhanced graphics and DLC). Whether its incorporating the features I mentioned like in the recent Mario Party Jamboree where there be mini-games using the camera, mouse controllers and voice chat, is unclear, although expected thanks to the new hardware. Another Game upgrade will be to the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom featuring enhanced graphics and FPS! And if you don’t want to pay you can use Nintendo Online to pay for the Zelda update. Also, exclusively for Switch 2 , GameCube Games will be available on Nintendo Online.
Third Party Games:
Third Party Games coming to the Switch 2 will include games like: Cyberpunk 2077, FF7 Remake Intergrade, Street Fighter 6, Borderlands 4, Civilization 7 (with mouse mode), Star wars Outlaws, 2K WWE and NBA, EA Sports games (Madden and FC), Split Fiction, an enhanced port of both Fortnite and Hogwarts Legacy, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 remake, Elden Ring, Yakuza O, A Sequel to Hades, Human Fall Flat and enter the Gungeon. This isn’t it all, though! Silksong (no release date yet), new parts of Deltarune, and a port of Hitman World of Assassination! Speaking of Hitman, the creator of Hitman (IO games) is making a new installment in the 007 series (James Bond) coming sometime in the Switch 2 generation.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and FromSoftware’s Next Game (the Dark-Bloods):
Let’s talk about the newest Zelda Game and the third Hyrule Warriors, which will be following in Koei Tecmos Warriors games. It will have the same artstyle and same timeline as Tears of the Kingdom (as this game will be a prequel to that game), and expect this game coming this winter. Then, in 2026, From-Softwares (creators of Elden Ring and the Dark Souls games) are making a new multiplayer PvPvE game coming exclusively to the Switch 2 in 2026. This will be the latest game created and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki (who also directed Elden Ring and Bloodbourne).
Drag X Drive and Kirby’s Air Riders:
If you want to know more about this console’s mouse features there will be a game showing off the control method with Drag X Drive. Think wheelchair basketball but with robots! This game will have you dragging your Robot with the mouse controls by literally dragging your new joy cons on tables and shooting the ball with motion controls. It’s unknown if there will be other control methods or other modes but it will be coming out in the summer of 2025. The next game will be similar to Mario Kart in which it’s a racing game but it will feature everyone’s favorite Pink Puff Kirby in Kirby’s Air Riders. Not much is known about this game, however. Kirby’s Air Riders will be a sequel to the original GameCube release and will be released in 2025. Also the game will be directed by the man behind the original Kirby games, Super Smash Bros and Kid Icarus, the legendary Masahiro Sakurai.
Donkey Kong: Bananza:
Now while people expected a 3D Mario Plat-former this will be a 3D Donkey Kong game in a very similar style to Mario Odyssey and is rumored to be by the same team behind Mario Odyssey/Galaxy. This will be the first 3D Donkey Kong Plat-former since Donkey Kong 64 in 1999. This upcoming 3D action plat-former that might actually be open world will have Donkey Kong smashing through underground environments, the world itself, bosses and rocks throughout the area with a new rock friend! Both are trying to stop an evil corporation from destroying Donkey Kong’s mines and land. This game will also feature possible 2D sections recreating the classic Donkey Kong Country style of game but will be abandoning the design found in the Donkey Kong Country games with a new design that is very similar to the classic arcade game/Donkey Kong 94 and the Mario movie. This will be a major exclusive release on July 17th of 2025 and hopefully this game is bananas!
The Launch and the Elephant Prices in the Room:
So this sounds amazing and this was truly an INCREDIBLE direct. BUT! Just like everything in life, it comes at a cost, which happens to be the pricing of the games and maybe the console. The console price tag is okay (if you look at it as a solid steam deck competitor or maybe a solid replacement for the Switch 1), but then there are the game prices themselves. You see game prices have been going up from 50 dollars to 60 dollars to now 70 dollars in our modern time. 70 dollars is now the standard for AAA games. But now, with the Switch 2, something like Donkey Kong Bananza will be 70 dollars which is a jump from the Switch 1’s 60 dollars standard AAA prices, but then there’s Mario Kart World which will be 80 dollars!!! Making it the most expensive modern standard release of a game! Not to mention the new pro controller is also 80 dollars (only for new back buttons). Now there could be some reasons why it’s so expensive like pointing the blame towards the recent tariffs in the U.S.m or Nintendo just simply being a greedy company. But personally I’m hoping that this will be the only 80 dollar Switch 2 game and hopefully will be like Tears of the Kingdom, as it’s the only 70 dollar game on Switch 1 (made by Nintendo). I think Nintendo knows this as there will be a bundle featuring Mario Kart and the Switch 2, saving you 30 dollars and will definitely be advertised like that. Now with that said here is the pricing for both the bundle and the normal console, along with the release date…
JUNE 5th 2025!
Nintendo Switch 2: $449 (150 dollars more than the original switch) (Same price as digital PS5)
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World: $499 (remember that Mario Kart is 80 dollars)
(Same price as the disc PS5)
