I’ve always been a Christmas console boy. In the entirety of my nearly three decades playing games, the only consoles I’ve bought with my own money were the Xbox One and the Oculus Quest. Both times I only shelled out because I was a freelancer and needed them for reviews. On the other hand, my Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, N64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, DS, Wii, PS3, 3DS, Wii U, PS4, Switch, and PS5 were all Christmas (occasionally birthday) gifts. Consoles are expensive and I’ve rarely had 300-plus bones to throw at a new system.
But as someone who writes about video games for a living, I am forced to think about the Nintendo Switch 2 every day. I see fun screenshots from Donkey Kong Bananza. I read interesting pieces about the design of Mario Kart World. I imagine how much fun I could have playing through Cyberpunk 2077 yet again while half paying attention to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And in these moments, I feel that special kind of sadness called FOMO.
Related
Somehow, The Switch 2 Became My Most Problematic Relationship
When it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, I’m not sure what I think anymore.
But so far, my FOMO has not overcome the threat of the $600+ it would take to get the console and the two or three games I want. If I hold strong for a few more months, I can get the Switch 2, hopefully cheaper, and maybe for free (via the aforementioned Christmas loophole). But my resolve is only so strong. If Nintendo drops something truly great between now and December, I may just break. Does the House Mario Built have anything like that up its bright red sleeves?
What The Switch 2 Already Has
Let’s get this out of the way right now: the current exclusives both seem great. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza both have me longing for a split release that would have seen the games released on both Switch 2 and the original Switch. But when you’re considering spending hundreds of dollars, you want a slightly deeper bench.
So, while MKW and DKB look fun, they won’t be truly effective catnip until the Switch 2’s library has reached a critical mass. The same goes for the third-party ports that hit the game at launch — like Deltarune, Cyberpunk, Civilization 7, Bravely Default, Fortnite, and Hitman: World of Assassination. I’d enjoy playing all those games. But they still haven’t added up to enough weight to tip the seesaw.
What We Know Is Coming In 2025
There are only a few exclusives confirmed for the Switch 2. Kirby Air Riders is the most exciting and, as a fan of the original GameCube game, I’m eager to give the kart racer a spin.
Though recreating the feeling of playing Kirby Air Ride late into the night at a friend’s house after a hefty helping of Velveeta Shells & Cheese on McDonald’s Hercules collectors plates… that will be no easy task.
Ultimately, Kirby falls into the Mario Kart and DK column: looks great, won’t get me to buy a console. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond looks eerie, dark, and dangerous… but I’ll be able to play it on Switch, so no hurry there. I’m also curious about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but, again, it’s coming to Switch. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is due out sometime this winter, but it could land in early 2026. So, that wouldn’t be a reason to race for a Switch 2 — even if I was a big Hyrule Warriors fan, and I’m not.
What Nintendo Could Announce To Change The Game
As fans awaited the Switch 2’s reveal, few would have bet against the reveal of a new 3D Mario game. I know I assumed that the reason Nintendo had gone a record-breaking eight years between new 3D Mario games was because it was planning something special planned for the Switch 2 launch. That wasn’t the case. But if Nintendo does have a completed 3D Mario game ready to launch ahead of the holidays, I would plunk down money before you could say ‘Let’s a go!’
I’d also spring for the Switch 2 if a new Zelda game hit the platform. But given that Tears of the Kingdom is only two years old, and Echoes of Wisdom came out in 2024, it’s tough to see how Nintendo could swing that.
Ultimately, every Nintendo fan has their own franchise that would cause the Switch 2-buying Pavlovian response. For some, it’s Super Smash Bros, for others it’s Fire Emblem, and for the unlucky few, it’s F-Zero. My taste in Nintendo games has always stuck close to the center, though. It’s either Mario or Zelda, and it doesn’t seem like either is coming anytime soon.
But, actually, you know what? There is one lega-sequel Nintendo could announce that would get me in a buying mood. If Nintendo revealed today that Star Fox Adventures 2 was in development, I’d find the money. Let me speak Dino to my beautiful Saurians once more.
Next
