The most anticipated Nintendo Switch games for 2023 and beyond

The professional wrestling ring has a new opponent, as AEW: Fight Forever laces up its boots ahead of its Switch release. This is the first big All Elite Wrestling game, boasting plenty of main event superstars on its roster. Former WWE game team Yukes developed it. This AEW game aims to recreate the glory days of WWE’s best-selling wrestling games–specifically, WWF games like No Mercy, WCW/NWO Revenge, and Wrestlemania 2000–by combining classic sports entertainment action with diverse match types, plenty of big talent, and plenty of opportunities to spill some blood in the ring.

Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, set five years after the first game, does not deviate from the concept that developer Night School has employed in past games. At its heart, it’s still a narrative-driven experience in which you must carefully negotiate conversations and solve a few riddles. The big difference here is the story, as Oxenfree II’s tale of unusual anomalies, malevolent groups, and an environmental researcher seeking answers is a strong mix of intrigue and mystery.

If you want to return to 1997 without hearing Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” every 10 minutes on the radio, get ready for Atelier Marie Remake. A complete remake of the iconic PS1 JRPG, this version adds a few new play mechanics found in more recent games in the series and plenty of new objectives.

Shigeru Miyamoto does what he pleases. He has acquired that right and wishes to create a new Pikmin game. Pikmin 4 is the next adventure starring the charming helping animals, and the Switch’s control method implies gaming will be more intuitive. According to Miyamoto, this will let you devote more time to strategic gaming decisions and less time to just positioning your Pikmin in specific areas. There will also be a new perspective closer to the Pikmins’ height. However, whether this will be one of several options or the new norm is still being determined.

There’s been a quiet revival of arcade action games over the last couple of years, as both Streets of Rage and
Over the last few years, there has been a quiet renaissance of arcade action games, with both Streets of Rage and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles making a reappearance. In Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, Billy, and Jimmy Lee are ready to sweep the streets, and now is Double Dragon’s time to shine. Rise of the Dragons, the latest iteration of the martial arts brothers, draws inspiration from modern genres, combining brawling action with rogue-lite aspects. When this retro-flavored beat-’em-up hits later in 2023, you can punch through levels, unlock more characters, and invest in some nifty bonuses between stages.

Some of the best platforming games of yesteryear featured Disney’s famed animated characters, and the House of Mouse is gearing up for a new adventure in July. Disney Illusion Island follows Mickey Mouse and his friends as they explore the mysterious island of Monoth on a quest to rescue three magical books, and the game so far looks like an appealing platformer. The island is home to plenty of surprises, and Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy are all brought to life with hand-crafted animation. Disney Illusion Island is shaping up to be a family-friendly game, with room for up to three other players to join you.

What happens when a Greek pantheon meets musical theater? Stray Gods is a musical choice-based RPG with an all-star voice cast. Stray Gods is an odyssey fused with a mystery as Grace strives to learn what happened to her predecessor, Grace, a college dropout gifted with the abilities of a Muse. Laura Bailey plays Grace, and Troy Baker joins her as Apollo, Felicia Day as Athena, Rahul Kohli as the Minotaur, and many other big names.

30XX, now in early access on Steam, will see you jump, shoot, and slash your way through tasks. This spiritual successor to Capcom’s Mega Man series, a roguelike action platformer that can be played cooperatively, blends sharp controls and fluid movement with an infinite cycle of battling, dying, and being reborn to try your hand at surviving a dangerous gauntlet all over again.

Bomb Rush Cyberpunk, an extremely funky expression of personal flair, graffiti, and sharp cel-shaded visuals, is shaping out to be the Jet Set Radio spiritual successor that fans have been waiting for. It’s all about building your reputation in each area, spray-painting walls, and challenging other crews for local supremacy in a tough confrontation. Aside from the urban jungle appeal, expect to hone your skills in environments inviting you to grinding, sliding, wall-running, and flying maneuvers.

This summer, it’s time to get penitent, as Blasphemous 2 urges you to hit vile beings in the face with the pointed end of some medieval weaponry. This side-scrolling Souls-like game, like the first, places you in the armor of the Penitent One, a holy warrior locked in a never-ending cycle of rot and violence. Blasphemous 2 continues the prior game’s action-packed design with gothic art direction; hard boss encounters, and a haunting soundtrack before inflicting righteous retribution on horrific creatures.

While several of the year’s most anticipated fighting games will not be available on Switch, Mortal Kombat 1 is not one of them. The Switch version of NetherRealm’s hyper-violent fighting game will be released alongside the PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 editions; however, it is being developed by Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive. This isn’t the first time a modern Mortal Kombat game has been released on a handheld gaming system. While you can expect a few graphical concessions to get it running on Switch hardware, this version will most likely contain all of the trademark gore you’d expect from this fighting game franchise.

Mineko’s Night Market, another narrative-driven and social simulation adventure game for the pile, is similarly a celebration of Japanese culture and a story about friendship. Intertwined with themes of tradition–and many cats–you’ll help Mineko solve puzzles, play market games, and sneak past government officers using ingenious disguises. With hours of adventure through its different environments and four seasons to enjoy, don’t be shocked if you find yourself wheeling and dealing with locals to help advance the story.

It’s an exciting time to be a Dragon Quest fan since, in addition to the new Dragon Quest Monsters, Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest – The Adventures of Dai is on the way. Infinity Strash, based on the manga and anime series of the same name, recaps the key plot beats of its original material as you take control of Dai and fight back against the Dark Army. In this action-packed RPG, expect lots of dungeon crawling and the possibility of recreating legendary anime scenes.

Don some spandex, embark on a hero’s journey and perform a hurricanrana off the top rope in WrestleQuest as you progress from rookie phenom to world champion in this ode to a bygone age of wrestling. You’ll be able to powerbomb your way through a wrestling universe where sports entertainment and RPG fantasy have formed a spectacular tag partnership featuring wrestling icons like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and Andre the Giant.

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, a combination of CyberConnect2’s legendary Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, is another amazing fighting game to look out for soon. This new installment of the 3D arena fighter includes 124 playable characters, a few new faces, and a revamped version of the story portrayed in prior installments, including the climactic showdown. There will also be new content to weave into the universe of Boruto, Naruto’s sequel series focusing on his son and his burgeoning legend.

For adventure fans with a dreamlike twist, keep a look out for Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends. In this one-of-a-kind journey through Slumberland, you’ll be accompanied by four characters: fearless Nemo, the magical-wielding Princess, the mischievous clown Flip, and the agile royal guard Peony, as you explore a realm inspired by Winsor McCay’s seminal 1905 comic strip. The dreamscape is strange, the waking world has its secrets, and each character will provide a distinct way to play the game due to their intrinsic features and skills. Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends, with music by Wayne Strange, is shaping out to be an exciting all-nighter of a game.

The title of this noir-action game tells you everything you need to know about it. On your quest for vengeance, you’re armed with a Gunbrella, a rifle that also functions as an umbrella. It’s the follow-up to Doinksoft’s indie hit Gato Roboto, another interesting-looking indie game published by Devolver Digital. It will be available in 2023.

What about trains makes them such ideal vehicles for heinous murder? You’ll have to figure out the answer for yourself as Loco Motive places you in the shoes of a rookie detective, a lawyer, and an undercover spy as they race to prove their innocence before the true killer strikes again. While the start is bleak, the rest of the game unfolds like a comedic whodunit as you interact with other passengers. Loco Motive offers a charming pixel art look, a melancholy soundtrack by Space Haven’s Paul Zimmerman, and plenty of puzzles that perplex you.

The gaming calendar is normally filled with exciting action games, but for a change of pace, play this tranquil gardening game and make friends with a talking onion. The Garden Path is a slice-of-life simulator with a painterly style that sounds like a therapeutic cause to sit back and tend to a patch of earth that needs a green thumb touch.

In this action-packed platformer focusing on exploration and combat, you’ll play as Illyia of Moonstone, a young Runist on a quest to find her missing twin sister and a route home. There is plenty of danger along the way, but Illyia rapidly learns keen sword skills and potent runic magic that will help her survive in a dangerous world.

The most recent pair of mainstream Pokemon releases have been best-sellers for Nintendo, and the world of Paldea, like the games that came before it, is set to expand with two new expansions. The first of these, The Teal Mask, includes a festival you can attend and a new legendary Pokemon you can obtain. Later in the year, as part of a student exchange program, you can enter a new academy in The Indigo Disc, which also has a mythical pocket monster to hunt. Furthermore, the game will be updated with hundreds of legacy Pokemon, allowing you to find and catch iconic beasts like Ninetails, Metagross, and Vikavolt in the wild.

It has long been one of the best run-and-gun action game titles, but for a change of pace, the series is switching from blitzkrieg to a more calculated tactical-RPG structure. Metal Slug Tactics, a blend of stunning pixel art and smooth animation, includes series powerhouses Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma and their outrageous weaponry in an isometric tactics structure that looks fun, witty, and explosive ahead of its eventual release.

Yacht Club Games has released multiple sequels to its breakout hit Shovel Knight, but Mina the Hollower is a completely new brand for the independent developer. The game is supposed to be inspired by Game Boy classics such as Link’s Awakening, and the studio started the development process early with regular streams and blog postings exhibiting concept art and design concepts. It is coming due to a successful Kickstarter campaign, but a release date still needs to be set.

Star Wars: Hunters is a team-based action game originally intended for iOS and Android, but it’s now coming to Nintendo Switch. Hunters feature 4v4 combat on maps modeled on legendary Star Wars locations. There will be numerous playable characters, like Jedi, Stormtroopers, Mandalorians, and more.

Metroid Prime 4 has been in development for several years, and it was even relaunched in 2019 when Retro Studios took over. There is still no indication of a release date, and no one knows how far it is in development. Whatever, with Retro Studios at the helm and the sheer genius of the trilogy preceding it, Metroid Prime 4 will be worth the delay… whatever long that may be.

In the interim, you can play (or revisit) Metroid Dread, which revived the side-scrolling Metroid genre last year. According to Jeff Grubb of GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb, you may be able to return to the Prime series sooner than expected in Metroid Prime Remastered. According to the report, Metroid Prime Remastered is coming to Switch.

See on Amazon

Detective Pikachu Returns – October 6

How did a Pikachu end up with a wisecracking demeanor, a talent for investigating crimes, and an insatiable appetite for coffee? That’s the Genesis story that will be featured in the spotlight in Detective Pikachu Returns, as the brave detective teams up with his human companion Tim Goodman and various other Pokemon to unravel a series of puzzling happenings in Ryme City.

 

If Bowser thought Mario in a cat costume was terrible, wait until he meets the Mighty Plumber in his ultimate elephant form. While this new 2D Super Mario Bros. game features plenty of traditional gameplay enhanced by spectacular new visuals, a diverse cast of playable characters, and flawless animation, Wonder Flowers shakes up the formula. When Mario touches one of these plants, the world around him changes unanticipatedly, from pipes coming to life to hordes of adversaries arriving to challenge him.

If you’ve always wanted to relive the adventures of Solid (and Naked) Snake, Konami’s new Metal Gear Solid collection will satisfy your desire for covert action. This collection includes not just Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater but also the original Metal Gear and Snake’s Revenge games and a virtual museum of supplementary content.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R, one of the best RPGs of its era, is getting a significant makeover this year. This remake of the 1998 cult classic also overhauls its combat to offer more strategic options for success as you explore a dangerous planet, with 3D settings, new 2D character sprite models, and gorgeous aesthetics.

The latest WarioWare game is a cardio blast with over 200 microgames to keep you moving. You’ll need quick reflexes to beat each game with a Joy-Con in each hand, and if you want to join a few friends in the fun, up to four players can take on Wario’s challenges in local Party Mode.

This new edition of Super Mario RPG keeps the original turn-based DNA of the SNES classic while amplifying it with brand-new graphics. Super Mario RPG is a thrilling voyage around the Mushroom Kingdom as you take on the wicked forces of the Smithy Gang for those who missed out on the original game, which starred Mario, Bowser, Peach, and the original characters Mallow and Geno.

Rocksteady’s trilogy of genre-defining Batman games, the best superhero video game story ever, is coming to Switch in one ultimate package. This collection includes the improved editions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City with Arkham Knight and all of their respective DLC. That’s a full Batcave worth of bonus costumes, challenge missions, and story content, adding dozens of hours to the enormous package.

It’s been nearly two decades since her last solo journey, but Princess Peach is back in the spotlight. For now, Nintendo is keeping specifics on this new game under wraps. Still, based on the quick teaser, Peach can use Sailor Moon-style magical girl transformations to power up and unleash royal pain on anybody who threatens the Mushroom Kingdom.

Some of the best 3DS games have gotten a second chance on the Switch, and the next game to get that treatment is Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. This game has undergone a visual makeover and sees Mario’s shy sibling, who is terrified of ghosts, takes on all manner of problematic phantoms in the Evershade Valley.