What to Look Forward to on Nintendo Switch in 2024
New year, new Nintendo. After a great 2023, there’s still a lot to look forward to in 2024, from Princess Peach’s first starring role in a Switch game to an abundance of exciting indie games.
This past year was a great year for Nintendo, though, to be fair, releasing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would have that effect on any year. But as great as Zelda is, there were a lot of other noteworthy Nintendo games this year. 2023 saw great games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG, Pikmin 4, and Metroid Prime: Remastered release to critical acclaim. Generally speaking, 2023 was an excellent year for video game releases.
But now it is time to look forward to the new year. What other games are there to look forward to in 2024? Will there be any remasters? What big first-party Nintendo franchises will have a new release? What about indie games? While it may be too early to tell what kind of year 2024 will end up being for Nintendo, there are already a few things to look forward to.
Princess Peach: Showtime
Princess Peach: Showtime was officially revealed in the September Nintendo Direct and will launch on March 22nd, 2024. While this isn’t the first time the princess has taken on the protagonist role, it will be the first time on the Nintendo Switch. Mario won’t be taking a break since there are already two Mario-led remakes scheduled for this year, so Princess Peach: Showtime will be a welcome change of pace.
Based on what trailers have shown, the gameplay centers around Princess Peach stealing the show back from a group called the Sour Bunch after they took over the Sparkle Theater. Like how Mario changes appearance to unlock powers in his games, Princess Peach dons several unique outfits that help solve problems. These new forms include Swordfighter Peach, Kung Fu Peach, Detective Peach, and more. Each suit-up allows Peach to take on different challenges.
Princess Peach: Showtime combines classic cartoonish combat with unique puzzles and challenges. This new game takes the world of Mario in a new direction, and if it lands with audiences, it could launch a whole new series within the Mario franchise. There’s still more to see from this game, and it would not be surprising to see another trailer or two between now and the March release date.
Remakes & Remasters
In the first of several remakes and remasters set to be released in 2024, Mario and his original rival, Donkey Kong, are at odds again. Mario vs Donkey Kong adapts the series from the Gameboy Advance to the Nintendo Switch. The trailer doesn’t show much in terms of challenge with the platforming, though with the release date scheduled for February 16th, it won’t be long until we get the chance to learn more. Either way, it is good to see Donkey Kong taking on a major role in a Mario game again, even if he’s a villain.
Mario’s not-so-brave brother, Luigi, returns to Evershade Valley in the HD remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2 for the Nintendo Switch sometime in the Summer of 2024. The original game was released for the Nintendo 3DS ten years ago, so many current Nintendo fans have yet to have a chance to try this entry in the popular series. With the success of Luigi’s Mansion 3 back in 2019, this remake should serve as a solid holdover for new fans until news breaks of a potential fourth game.
The last in the current roster of remakes is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which has no firm release date other than sometime in 2024. The original release on the Gamecube was back in 2004, making this remaster twenty years in the making. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door received remarkable critical praise when it was released, so it will be exciting for a new generation of Nintendo players to experience this game on the Nintendo Switch, especially with the recent success of Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Origami King back in 2020.
Exciting Indie Games
The Nintendo Switch is a great console to find some great indie games, and thankfully, one of the most anticipated indie games of 2024, All Possible Futures’ The Plucky Squire, will be available on the Switch at launch. The unique mechanic of swapping between 2D and 3D gameplay promises to bring an engaging twist to a fairy-tale-inspired romp through this unique setting. While it doesn’t have a final release date yet, it was already delayed to 2024, so chances are it won’t get delayed again. Right?
This April, from developer Rabbit & Bear Studios, comes Eiyuden Chronicle: 100 Heroes. This ambitious RPG will have over 100 playable characters to mix and match a unique team, and each of those characters can build a friendship with the others, leading to tactical combo attacks in battle. Between the dramatic story, the enormous supporting cast, and classic pixel art mixed with 3D environments, Eiyuden Chronicle: 100 Heroes promises to be something special.
Announced in the latest Nintendo Direct in September 2023, WayForward’s Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution finally makes its way to a Nintendo console after its original development for the Gameboy Advance was canceled in 2004. Thankfully, the trip down memory lane to an earlier time will be worth the twenty-year wait. Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but set to launch sometime in 2024.
From Brace Yourself Games, the developers of Crypt of the Necrodancer, comes a new spinoff, Rift of the Necrodancer. This new title leaves the crypt behind and becomes a full-on rhythm game. The protagonist, Cadence, returns to tackle challenges in the modern world but also has to close dangerous rifts that keep opening. Much like many games on this list, there is no firm release date other than sometime in 2024, so watch out for any future announcements.
From developer Louis Waloshcek comes the self-described “chill puzzle platformer,” where the player takes the form of a tiny gecko: The Gecko Gods. It’s not clear what the story of this game will be yet, though there is a hint about a mission to save a friend. Either way, exploring ancient ruins, headbutting enemies, and scarfing down giant bugs as a gecko is a dream I didn’t know I needed to fulfill. The Gecko Gods also has no current release date other than sometime in 2024. However, since this game appeared in the recent Indie World Showcase, that could be a good sign it will launch sooner rather than later.
Scheduled to release sometime in 2024 is the aptly named Another Crab’s Treasure from developer Aggro Crab (Going Under). This cartoonish souls-like pits a diminutive hermit crab up against other crustacean enemies, with the critical choice of what “shell” to use for defense. A cracked coffee mug or a tin can? Between the creatively designed enemy crustaceans and the fast-paced action, this is one for the wishlist in 2024.
High Hopes & Longshots
Development of Metroid Prime 4 was announced in 2017, the same year the Nintendo Switch was initially released. This game has had a somewhat storied development history, with developers Retro Studios taking over the project in 2019 after Nintendo claimed that previous developers Bandai Namco Japan and Singapore didn’t meet their expectations. Thankfully, Retro Studios is known for all three previous Metroid Prime games, so even though it’s been many years since the last Metroid Prime was released, this studio does have a proven track record with the series. There hasn’t been any significant news on the project since 2019, but that doesn’t mean Metroid Prime 4 couldn’t possibly be released sometime in the latter half of 2024. Just don’t hold your breath.
After the success of Hollow Knight from developer Team Cherry, the anticipation for their follow-up game, Hollow Knight: Silksong, has reached the point where nearly every trailer-heavy event, from Nintendo Directs to The Game Awards, is flooded with fans hoping to hear more about the game. In 2019, Team Cherry revealed the project and even showcased a gameplay trailer, which is much more than has ever been shown of Metroid Prime 4. While there is still no firm release date for the long-awaited souls-like sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong has a higher chance of launching in 2024 than Metroid Prime 4.
New Console Rumors
Over the last few years, there have been many rumors about the next Nintendo console. Will it be some sort of Nintendo Switch 2? Or something entirely different? In the past, Nintendo has not been the type of company to introduce a new console and stick a number after the name, unlike Sony, which will likely announce a PlayStation 6 at some point. But this is a unique situation for Nintendo.
The Nintendo Switch is the third best-selling console of all time, easily outselling other Nintendo consoles like the Wii, the GameCube, and the Nintendo 64. This is all despite the console being on the verge of celebrating its seventh anniversary this March, about a year longer than Nintendo has typically waited between launching new consoles. Could this be the year that the rumors are proven true?
If the rumors of a new Nintendo console are true, Nintendo will need some exciting games to help launch the new hardware. There are some faint rumors of a new 3D Mario game, which could fit the bill in the same way that games like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey (the most recent 3D Mario game) did when they released the same year as the Switch launched. It’s also worth mentioning that Mario Kart 8’s long-running DLC packs just wrapped up at the end of 2023, meaning that after nearly ten years, Nintendo is finally turning their sights to something like Mario Kart 9, which would be a great game to help sell a new console.
Even with so much unknown, there is still so much to look forward to for the Nintendo Switch this year. There are plenty of great indie games other than the handful mentioned in this article, and there are a lot of great remakes waiting to be experienced on a new console and by new players. In the immediate future, Nintendo will likely host a new Direct presentation in February, as they have hosted one every February for the last few years. A Direct could be the perfect opportunity to confirm rumors and spark hopes.
What Nintendo Switch game are you looking forward to the most this year? Is there anything exciting that didn’t get mentioned here? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts! Keep checking Gamepressure for the latest Nintendo news and updates this year.
Matt Buckley | Gamepressure.com
