This was supposed to be the year the Nintendo Switch walked peacefully off into the sunset. After a packed 2023 that included successes The legend of Zelda and Super Mario games, the Switch had little on the calendar this year and the prospect of a successor loomed. And yet, here we are after a hectic few weeks of gaming news, and Nintendo might have the most exciting lineup for the rest of the year, surpassing Xbox and PlayStation.
In terms of quantity, Nintendo's range is comparable to that of its competitors during the same period. (I'll have to reserve judgment when it comes to quality.) Xbox Game Studios has a new flight simulator, a couple of strategies gamesObsidian's latest role-playing game, a star field expansion, and probably Indiana Jones rounding things off, along with cross-platform Obligations. Sony Interactive Entertainment, meanwhile, has the adorable Astrobota multiplayer shooter called Concorda PC port God of war Ragnarök, and lego horizon adventures (which will come to Switch in addition to PC and PS5).
The difference is that the Switch has been available three years longer than the most recent Xbox and PlayStation, and Nintendo is clearly preparing for its successor. This is usually not the case: the last few years of a console's lifespan are usually quiet, while the company focuses on the next generation. It is not the moment in which a long-awaited turn occurs in the Zelda formula. Nintendo even has major Switch games coming out next year.
Equally impressive, even games that don't necessarily seem all that exciting (i.e. ones that already exist on other platforms) have turned out great. Luigi's mansion 2 is a remake of a handheld game that debuted over a decade ago, and yet it looks, plays, and feels very similar to its modern predecessor, the excellent slapstick comedy. Luigi's mansion 3 of 2019. (Even if the new game is missing Gooigi.) It's the kind of silly, fun game that few major developers outside of Nintendo have really explored, and it stands out for that. Its release follows other well-made ports this year such as other code collection and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.
The main test for Nintendo will be to maintain this consistency between console generations. The company has often had a mixed success rate with new platforms; The mega-hit Wii and Switch were preceded by consoles that underperformed and struggled when it came to a reliable release schedule. It's hard to assess the potential of a Switch successor without knowing anything about it, but a steady stream of high-quality Nintendo games will certainly go a long way toward avoiding the terrible days of the Wii U.
