Following its official reveal earlier this month, I’ve started practically counting down the days until the Nintendo Switch 2 is in my hands.
Sure, we don’t actually know when it’s going to come out quite yet, aside from official confirmation that it will be sometime in 2025, but I’m very optimistic that’ll be hitting shelves before the middle of the year. The release date isn’t the only thing that isn’t set in stone, however, as Nintendo has also been unusually quiet about the slate of games that will be available for the upcoming system at launch.
Just one potential game was shown in that first reveal trailer, a new entry in the Mario Kart franchise, which sits in stark contrast to the handful of titles we saw back when the original Nintendo Switch was shown off. There’s a special Nintendo Switch 2 Direct set to air on April 2, which I suspect will wow us with a flurry of upcoming titles but until then I’m left to speculate about what might be in store.
There are some games in particular that I really want to see on day one and would be more than enough to tempt me into placing a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order the second they open. In fact, I’d even be happy if these became available throughout the console’s first year. From dream sequels to impressive ports, these are my five dream Nintendo Switch 2 games that I would love to be able to play soon.
5. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
I’m kicking off this list with an entry that I think is absolutely plausible: a port of the superb Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
This has been rumored for a few weeks now and would be a fantastic showcase of the upcoming system. The port of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim wowed me when it was shown running on the original Nintendo Switch – seeing such a huge role-playing game (RPG) running on a tiny handheld was almost hard to believe at the time. I think that a version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake for Nintendo Switch 2 could very well capture that same magic.
It’s a game with a very impressive sense of scale and took me well over 40 hours to complete when I first played it on PlayStation 5 which is the kind of lengthy experience that’s ideal to keep you busy throughout a console launch window when there aren’t often that many brand new games to choose from. Originally developed for PlayStation 4, it still has phenomenal visuals that are both realistic and seriously stylish and could therefore really serve as a graphical showcase for Nintendo’s new machine – it’s also a very fitting choice if the rumblings that it will be about equivalent to a PS4 in power are true.
There’s also the fact that it’s just a great fit for handheld play. Being able to chip away at a hefty RPG is fantastic whenever you have a spare moment out and about. The PC version of the game is already a popular choice for Steam Deck owners, so the Nintendo Switch 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake would be a match made in heaven.
4. A new 3D Mario game
Super Mario Odyssey, the last 3D Super Mario installment, launched back in 2017 and we haven’t heard a peep about a follow-up since.
I’m hoping that this means Nintendo has been secretly cooking up some special for the Nintendo Switch 2. Super Mario titles are invariably among the biggest and best games on their respective systems, so having one to dive into right out the gate would be the best possible start for the next console generation and would surely help the Nintendo Switch 2 fly off the shelves at launch.
As for what a new 3D Super Mario game could look like, I really have no clue – but that’s what makes it such an exciting prospect. Nintendo routinely reinvents the series, surprising and delighting us at every turn. If you had told me that Mario would one day be able to possess a dinosaur or run wild in an uncomfortably realistic rendition of New York, before Odyssey dropped I would’ve probably laughed you out the building.
We are discussing my dream games, though, so my personal wish would be for something in line with the structure of Super Mario Sunshine. A sprawling hub world that’s filled with cool secrets to discover would be a treat and the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 would likely allow for a larger and more complex environment than we’ve seen from the series before.
3. 1-2 Switch 2
Okay, hear me out with this one. 1-2 Switch wasn’t perfect, but if there’s one thing that this Nintendo party game did well it was showing off all the interesting hardware features of the original Nintendo Switch.
From finding an actual use for the oft-neglect infrared camera on the right Joy-Con Controller to that one ball-counting minigame that everybody seemed to tout as the definitive showcase of HD Rumble tech, it was an exciting introduction to all the system’s weird and wonderful features.
Given all of the apparent changes to the Joy-Con Controllers with the Nintendo Switch 2, such as the rumored ability to use them like a PC mouse, a true follow-up to 1-2 Switch could be a very smart way for Nintendo to introduce these new additions to the more casual side of its audience on day one.
And no, I don’t consider the existing Everybody 1-2-Switch! a proper sequel as it focused much more heavily on using smartphones as controllers than finding cool ways to make the most of the console itself. There’s also a brilliant naming opportunity just sitting right there – simply call it ‘1-2 Switch 2’. You can have that one for free, Nintendo.
2. Splatoon 4
On the subject of using hardware features, a fresh Splatoon sequel is near the top of my wishlist for one simple reason.
If we can indeed use the new Joy-Con like a mouse, it’s going to be an absolute blessing for shooter games, and I can’t think of a greater way to take advantage of that fact than with a new entry in Nintendo’s flagship third-person shooter franchise. The Splatoon series has always had a bit of a problem with controls, as motion control is almost essential if you want to play at a high level.
The level of fine adjustment that it offers is just not comparable to using the controller on its own and it’s putting you at a massive disadvantage if you would rather not wave your peripherals now. A mouse-like Joy-Con could really even the playing field, however, and in turn demonstrate that this feature is something with serious utility rather than just a gimmick.
1. Tomodachi Life
If there’s one thing that’s been sorely missing from the latest console generation, it’s that more weird and experimental side of Nintendo.
What better way to bring that back with a vengeance than to reinvent Tomodachi Life for the Nintendo Switch 2? If you’re not familiar, this Nintendo 3DS hit was like nothing else you’ve ever played before. It’s part The Sims and part procedurally generated reality TV show, tasking you with creating Mii characters to inhabit a virtual apartment building and then letting you sit back and watch how they all get along (or not).
I don’t just want a straight port or remake, either, as I’m hoping that the Nintendo Switch 2 has some cool new social features up its sleeve. Imagine a big shared version of Tomodachi Life, with hundreds of Miis from around the world all in one place.
I still look back fondly on the hilarious antics of the Mii Parade on the Nintendo Wii’s Mii Channel, which I would regularly visit to find out what kind of whacky creations other users have managed to cook up. More ambitiously, this could be the perfect complement to some kind of Miiverse revival – one of the things that I’m absolutely desperate for with the Nintendo Switch 2.
Now it’s your turn. What are your dream Nintendo Switch 2 games? Which of my picks are the most likely to happen? Drop me a line in the comments.
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dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)
