I've been a Nintendo geek ever since I started playing my family's GameCube at around four years old. Needless to say, I'm very excited for the Switch games that are going to be released this year! Narrowing down the list was difficult, but I think I managed to do it.
10. "Fire Emblem: Three Houses"
Release Date: July 26th, 2019
Genre: Tactical Roleplaying/Fantasy
Plot: "Three noble houses that are part of the Officer's Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house is comprised of many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield." -Nintendo.com
I've played Fire Emblem since middle school and I'm really excited about this new game! I can't wait to see all of the up and coming features that haven't been in the game before.
9. "Luigi's Mansion 3"
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Action/Adventure
Plot: Not much is known yet, but fans can assume that it's similar to the "Luigi's Mansion" 3DS game, which involves Luigi winning a mansion, which ends up being haunted. He then has to race to find Mario, all while fighting off enemies like ghosts and ghouls.
The "Super Mario" series is a staple of Nintendo, and everyone knows what it is. I firmly believe that the series deserves the hype it gets, and I can't wait to play this game.
8. "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order"
Release Date: Summer 2019
Genre: Action
Plot: "Assemble your ultimate team of Marvel Super Heroes from a huge cast including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the X-Men, and more! Team up with friends to prevent galactic devastation at the hands of the mad cosmic tyrant Thanos and his ruthless warmasters, The Black Order." -Nintendo.com
From what I've seen so far, the graphics in this game look amazing. It's been a while since the last Marvel game came out, and the timing for this one seems to perfect, given all of the "MCU" movies that are being released (particularly "Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame").
7. "Town"
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Roleplaying
Plot: "Town takes place in a town that looks like any ordinary town — a small town, even a peaceful town. You may think this is a run-of-the-mill RPG ... except that there are tons of monsters attacking Town's town. These are not the kinds of monsters Game Freak is best known for; they're not pocket-sized. They're huge." -Polygon.com
This game comes from GameFreak, AKA the Pokémon Team, so I have pretty high expectations. We don't know much about this; "Town" appears to just be a working title and only a few clips and graphics have been released. That being said, it does look really cool so far.
6. "Pokémon"
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Adventure, Roleplaying
Plot: We don't know yet, but we can assume it'll be similar to the other games; picking out a pocket friend and ally to help you take on the Region's Gyms and eventually the League Champion!
"Town" isn't the only thing that GameFreak is working on. There's also going to be a "Pokémon" game released on the Switch as well! There's a lot of rumors about what it may be, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Nintendo and GameFreak are really holding out on announcing anything. All we know is that it'll be different from "Pokémon Let's Go" and will likely continue the tradition of the other games.
5. "Yoshi's Crafted World"
Release Date: March 29, 2019
Genre: Action
Plot: "Like many other Yoshi games, there is a light story guiding your adventures across Yoshi's island home. Baby Bowser and Kamek appear in Yoshi's happy home and steal the coveted Sundream Stone, scattering its gems across multiple worlds. As Yoshi, you'll have to track down the Sundream Stone and stop a horde of Baby Bowser and Kamek's minions along the way. That means lots of collectibles and hidden secrets, just like in past Yoshi games!" -iMore
I love Yoshi just as much as I love Mario, if not more. This one looks really unique and entertaining, and I can already tell that I'm going to adore it.
4. "Team Sonic Racing"
Release Date: May 21st, 2019
Genre: Kart racing
Plot: "Controlling of one of fifteen characters from the series' cast, players compete in races using sports cars. They view gameplay from a third-person perspective while performing tricks, drifting, and collecting power-ups. 'Team Sonic Racing' differs from traditional kart racers because of its focus on cooperative gameplay; the player is part of a team of racers and wins races through efficiency rather than speed. Game modes include earning competing to earn points, time trials, customizing the racing rules, and a story-driven campaign that serves as a tutorial." -WikiZero
This is set to come out the day after my birthday, which is pretty damn cool. Sonic games are a childhood favorite of mine, and this one looks like it'll be really carefree and fun!
3. "The Lego Movie 2"
Release Date: March 28, 2019
Genre: Action/Adventure
Plot: "As in 'The Lego Movie Videogame', the game will follow the same type of gameplay, only with new additional characters and refined combat mechanics. Worlds and characters from both films will be featured in the game. In the game, players create various structures in order to access new levels. The game will also include scenes from the film to indicate the separation between levels and/or missions." -Games Database
I won't have to wait much longer for this one! I already have it preordered. This game is based on the movie of the same name, and it'll be so cool to be back in the virtual world of Legos.
2. "Unravel 2"
Release Date: March 22, 2019
Genre: Puzzle
Plot: "Unlike the first game, 'Unravel Two' is both a single-player and a multiplayer game, though local co-op only. The game focuses on two Yarnys, which can be controlled with either one player or two, which must work together in order to solve puzzles and manipulate the world. The game contains the main storyline, set on an island, as well as challenge levels, significantly more difficult levels." -Polygon.com
It's been a while since I played the first "Unravel" game, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I'm especially looking forward to the multiplayer options!
1. "Animal Crossing"
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Social simulation
Plot: Unknown, but probably similar to the other games. It's open-ended, playing as a human in a world of virtual animal friends, and being able to shop and fish and play in your in-game town by yourself or with other players.
If I had to choose just one game, this is almost definitely the one that I'm most excited for. I've loved "Animal Crossing" for almost a decade now! All "Animal Crossing" games are quite relaxing and carefree, and I'm sure this one will be no different (although the wait for it is the opposite of relaxing and carefree!). A lot of fans have theories and speculation about what this game may bring, but we don't know for sure yet.
