Nintendo continues to fill in the gaps

When you buy a new Nintendo console, there are a few things you can expect: some of them are excellent Super Mario, Pokemonand Legend of Zelda Games, probably great Animal crossing, Mario Kartor Smash Bros. The question mark has always been her last Things. But with the Switch 2, that doesn’t seem to be an issue; The upcoming lineup already looks surprisingly strong.

There are a few reasons for this optimistic outlook. One is a more reliable exit from the company’s seemingly smaller releases, like this week’s launch Mario tennis fever. As with the rest of the series, fever What is real tennis? Mario Kart It is the real race. Which is to say, it’s ridiculous, with all sorts of strange powers and characters added in that turn it into a chaotic mess perfect for playing with friends.

fever It is a powerful package. In addition to the basic multiplayer tournaments, there’s a mode where you climb the tower by taking on challenges, a motion control option that harks back to the days of Wii SportsAnd a single player mode where Mario has to learn all his tennis skills after turning into a kid.

As Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said during the company’s conference Latest earnings resultsThese types of updates are especially important now during the transition period between the original Switch and its successor. “It is necessary to release new titles regularly to increase the installed base of new devices,” he explained. “In addition, we believe it is very important to maintain touchpoints with active consumers on our gaming systems as we begin the transition from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 over the next few years.”

Another key part of the company’s strategy is third-party support, which has always been an inconsistent part of the Nintendo experience. Although some games released later compared to other platforms, the original Switch did fairly well on this front, likely due to its overwhelming popularity, and Switch 2 is trending in a similarly positive direction. Last week’s Nintendo Direct was filled with some… The biggest franchises in video games: He falls, Final fantasy, Elder Scrollsand Vampirebut not limited to. Some of these games are old, of course — I originally reviewed Fallout 4 More than a decade ago – but Resident Evil Requiem It will launch on Switch 2 at the same time as PS5, Xbox, and PC, which is a good sign.

We know there will be big Nintendo games coming eventually. The Switch 2’s first year has already included the likes Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananzaand Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. with annual Pokemon Day will likely happen later this month, which is the next major event Pokemon The game will be revealed soon as well. Obviously Mario and Zelda are coming at some point; It’s been almost 10 years since then Super Mario Odysseythe latest all-new 3D entry in the series Kingdom tears Launched three years ago.

In the past, this lack of clarity around large franchises was a cause for concern. But in the age of the Switch 2, there’s enough other stuff to play, and that stuff is good enough, that Nintendo isn’t beholden to the success of those blockbusters. You can buy a Nintendo console Mario and ZeldaBut games like Mario tennis fever This is what makes them platforms worth investing in.