Summary
It’s been a solid 2023 forNintendo. Between the huge splashes made bySuper Mario Bros. Wonderand especiallyTears of the Kingdom,Nintendohas revitalized other popular IPs withPikmin 4, Metroid Prime Remastered, andF-Zero 99. It also managed to hit the big time at the box office withThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Whilst an exciting array of exclusives has already been announced for 2024, there’s one thing that’s on every fan’s mind—that being the brand’s next console. The company has been extremely tight-lipped about its next console, with president Shuntaro Furukawa saying that there’ll be no official word on thenext Nintendo console until at least March 2024. However, a lot has been leaked and even more is rumored. The amount of Nintendo news for next year about its games and its hardware is vast.
Nintendo Already Has An Exciting Slate Of Exclusives Coming 2024
2024 Nintendo Exclusives With Confirmed Release Dates
A number ofNintendo exclusives have been confirmed for 2024. Those with exact release dates are as follows:
•Mario vs Donkey Kong- February 16
•Unicorn Overload- March 8
•Princess Peach: Showtime- March 22
Mario vs Donkey KongandPrincess Peach: Showtimehave some strong IP power for early-year releases, but it’s very likely Nintendo will have some tricks up its sleeve yet. There are also high-profile remasters known to be coming in 2024, but those have no confirmed date.
Other Exclusives Coming 2024
There are many titles confirmed to bein development for the Switch, and in terms of exclusives coming in 2024, that list remains long. These are the Nintendo exclusives confirmed for 2024 with no exact release date:
•Saga Emerald Beyond
•Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution
In addition to these titles, three indie games will receivetimed Switch exclusivity in 2024.Blade Chimera,Moonstone Island, andOn Your Tailwill all be temporarily exclusive to the Switch. This signals that Nintendo intends to keep up its support for indie developers, something that has greatly bolstered the Switch and helped make up for its inability to play some major AAA releases. Such an indie backbone has done well for the Switch and its continuation will undoubtedly be a good move.
Where’s Metroid Prime 4?
Any discussion about a new year for Nintendo since 2017 has wrapped back to the question ofMetroid Prime 4. November 2023 financial reports confirm thatMetroid Prime 4is still in the works, but its release date is still ‘TBA’. Fans have speculated all manner of reasons for this delay, but its development remains shrouded in mystery. One promising lead is 2023’sMetroid Prime Remastered. The sudden release of this remaster brought the subject ofPrime 4back into mainstream consciousness, and it might represent whatPrime 4will look like. It’s impossible to know if the games are sharing a style, but it’s good to see that Nintendo hasn’t left the series by the wayside.
Nintendo Switch 2 Rumor and Leak Recap
The Switch’s Successor Could Release 2024
There will likely be no announcement of the next Nintendo console until at least March 2024. However, this hasn’t stopped the leaks from flowing—including those that say theSwitch 2 could release as early as 2024. That status as a direct sequel to the Switch is also unconfirmed, but said leaks seem to corroborate that the next console could have a hybrid quality. Despite how early 2024 may seem given the announcement threshold, it’s true that Switch sales are falling somewhat, having already hit their peak. In addition, Twitch can no longer be downloaded on the Switch, and it will end support for the system on May 16, 2025. This could be unrelated, but it could also be a canary in the coal mine; either way, the Switch is in its twilight years.
Nintendo’s Next Console Will Likely Have 8th-Gen Power
Emails unveiled during the Microsoft vs. FTC trialcould tell something about the Switch 2’s specs. This email correspondence between Nintendo and Activision not only corroborates the rumors of the next console being a direct Switch sequel (with the emails referring to the machine as ‘NG Switch’), but that its hardware will be on par with 8th Generation consoles. Given that there are still games being released that are backward compatible with consoles of that generation, it’s possible that more AAA releases could be downscaled for the Switch.
Compounding this are even more rumors about the Switch 2’s power. Developers who reportedly got todemo the Switch 2 at Gamescom 2023claimed that it uses AI-powered upscaling tech to compete with even the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S. Again, it should be reiterated that there’s an element of volatility to many of these leaks—but fans should at least have some confidence in the next system having some more powerful graphical capabilities.
Tears Of The Kingdom Opened The Floodgates For $70 Nintendo Games
There’s an important detail to note about a potential console shift. Nintendo’s decision tocharge $70 forTears of the Kingdomcaused quite a stir, with many gamers being displeased by what seemed like the cementing of the new price tag after Sony and Microsoft had already made the leap. The Switch’s lesser horsepower when compared to said rivals only poured salt in the wound. Though Nintendo confirmed that it wouldn’t be making $70 the standard (and has thus far kept that promise), a new console with more graphical and processing ability will most likely be home to more $70 titles.
Nintendo
Nintendo is a Japanese video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. While producing highly popular hardware consoles like the Switch, the company is known for its many first party video game franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Pokemon, and many more.
