With the
Nintendo Switch 2
arriving on June 5, 2025, Nintendo has announced a handful of games coming to the new console, like Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World
and Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza
, but there are years worth of releases ahead of the new console. While there are certain games that you can (reasonably) expect to show up, like a new 3D Mario or a new Animal Crossing, but some of Nintendo’s less beloved series only have a chance at showing up this console generation.
As for which series we want to see, most of these are games that aren’t necessarily guaranteed but still have a decent chance at appearing. The majority of these are franchises that have at least a few entries, so it’s not just a one-off game that deserves a sequel, but a true Nintendo series that needs to reappear. Here are the games we are hoping to see on Nintendo Switch 2.
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1
Mario Baseball
Let Mario and his friends return to the diamond.
Many Mario sports series saw entries on the Nintendo Switch, including the Mario Strikers series, which had been dormant since the GameCube. One sport didn’t, Mario Baseball. The last entry was Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii in 2008, but the game would fit right in on the Switch 2. It could have normal controls and motion controls, making it fit right in on the system. Plus, baseball has grown in international draw, especially with the prominence of international stars, like Japan’s Shohei Ohtani, making it a perfect time for Nintendo to return to the baseball diamond.
2
F-Zero
Racing shouldn’t be limited to just Mario.
F-Zero felt like a longshot to return for quite some time. It hadn’t seen a new entry since F-Zero Climax in 2004, which didn’t release internationally. But in 2023, Nintendo released F-Zero 99, a multiplayer racing game released as part of Nintendo Switch Online, featuring a retro-look, classic F-Zero maps, and 99-player multiplayer. It has lasted longer than some other 99 games Nintendo has released and with Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch selling over 80 million copies, it seems like a second racing game for the Switch 2 just makes a ton of sense.
F-Zero GX has been confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch Online at the launch of Switch 2.
3
Star Fox
The Switch 2 demands a return to the final frontier.
Star Fox as a potential video game on the Nintendo Switch 2 sounds enticing, although it’s the entry on the list that requires the most modernization. It has a somewhat modern release in Star Fox Zero, but that game wasn’t well-received, sitting at 69 on Metacritic. An on-rails light shooter seems like a difficult pitch for a full-sized AAA game, but Nintendo could find a way to modernize it through an open-world setting or more complex flying, but regardless, there just isn’t another Nintendo franchise like it.
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4
Mario Paint
Let’s put these mouse control Joy-Cons to work.
Prior to the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, Mario Paint seemed like a novelty that could stay in the past. But with the reveal of mouse mode controls using the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, it feels like a perfect time for a sequel. The original Mario Paint included drawing, coloring, and minigames, all using a mouse accessory. New minigames, and even potentially some type of focused single-player campaign set around those minigames could justify a new entry in the series.
Mario Paint could potentially return as a Nintendo Switch Online game, now that the Joy-Con can mimic a mouse.
5
Mario Maker
Another great fit for mouse controls.
While it’s possible this just ends up being an update to Mario Maker 2, a third entry in the series designed around using mouse controls seems like too good an opportunity to pass up. Players have already made some pretty incredible levels with the default controls, but with mouse controls, creating levels can be made even easier and more precise. Not only would this make the creation of levels more approachable for people by having less cumbersome controls, it would also raise the ceiling for how intricate the best level makers can be. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce some Super Mario Bros. Wonder mechanics and enemies into the game, giving even more level types to create.
6
Paper Mario
With recent remasters, maybe Nintendo can make a good one again.
Paper Mario is a series that has seen somewhat regular releases since its introduction, but the series has waned in critical acclaim with recent entries. Games like Paper Mario: The Origami King have continued to be disappointing due to a focus on strange combat systems. However, that was in 2020 and in the final years of the Nintendo Switch’s life, Nintendo released remasters of both Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG
and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the two most popular Mario RPGs, and both games that feature more traditional combat systems. With these re-releases, perhaps Nintendo is thinking about returning the series to a more classic style in the future.
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7
Nintendogs
The world needs digital puppies.
Nintendogs, the real-time pet simulator where you care for digital puppies, has been limited to only the DS and 3DS. This was likely due to the game using the touch screen and built-in microphone for interactions with the dogs, making it a difficult game to put on other consoles. But the Nintendo Switch 2 is equipped with just enough new ways to play that it could be home to the next Nintendogs title. The console has a built-in microphone and mouse mode could be used for petting and playing with the dogs.
8
Golden Sun
The Nintendo Switch saw great success with turn-based RPGs.
Golden Sun is a beloved turn-based RPG that has three entries, with the most recent being Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for the Nintendo DS. The series is beloved, receiving even more love with the first two games coming to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Nintendo lacks RPGs in its first-party line-up, and that’s especially true for non-Mario games. Golden Sun would fill that void and its developer, Camelot, is still around, primarily making Mario sports games.
Both Game Boy Advance entries are available on Nintendo Switch Online.
9
Earthbound
I know Nintendo isn’t listening, but I will continue asking for Mother 3.
It’s not going to happen, Nintendo will not be officially releasing a translated version of Mother 3, and it certainly won’t be making a new game in the series either. At this point, either Nintendo thinks the game won’t actually sell well or they just like watching people squirm. Either way, I would like to see it, but I understand that the chances are practically zero.
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle
