Believe it or not we’re already basically a third of the way through March. The year is definitely moving quickly. However, that got me thinking about how 2021 was (at least in some people’s opinions) a pretty slow year for the Nintendo Switch. Sure, there were some standouts like Metroid Dread and Monster Hunter Rise. And while their biggest franchises like Mario, Pokémon and Zelda did make an appearance in spin-off or remake titles like Bowser’s Fury, Super Rush and Mario Party Superstars as well as New Pokémon Snap and Skyward Sword HD – these were staggered across the year and arguably none of them made huge splashes. There were, of course, some obvious reasons why this was the case (chief among them the challenges coming from the pandemic), however, after four years of the Switch some may have been concerned…
Well, if the first four months (plus everything that’s still undated) are anything to go by, 2022 will be a big year for the Switch with March and April in particular, looking to be super busy. We already got the huge hit Pokémon Legends: Arceus in January but if you’re thinking of what to play in the coming months – there are a lot of options. Back on the 4th of March Triangle Strategy launched and while Square Enix’s Tactical RPG isn’t the most-popular genre – the games’ great amazing HD-2D visuals (think Octopath Traveller) and really good review scores may make it a title worth considering. Then on the 18th of March, the first wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC launches with 8 new tracks being added. This may not seem like a big deal – but it’s hard to overestimate how popular MK8D and you can read more about my thoughts on that here. Plus, I don’t remember the last time Nintendo put so much marketing power behind a game as they are for Kirby and the Forgotten Land (coming on the 25th). There are several trailers you can check out and a free demo on the eShop. And I for one am super excited for that one.
And it doesn’t really slow down in April either. Yes, Nintendo yesterday, understandably, announced that Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp was being delayed due to global conditions. However, we’re still expecting the Chrono Cross Remaster on the 7th and the Wii Sports sequel Nintendo Switch Sports on the 29th. And if you watched the latest Direct – you’ll know April will also include some pretty hug third party games coming to the Switch including LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (5th), MLB The Show 22 (5th) and Star Wars The Force Unleashed (20th). Sure, May looks like it will be a slower month, however, we haven’t even spoken about Mario Strikers Battle League, Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes, the Klonoa remake, Live A Live not to mention the Mario + Rabbids sequel form Ubisoft, Splatoon 3, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet and the BOTW Sequel all still due this year.
Yes, no matter how you look at it Nintendo is definitely going big in March and April and 2022 is looking like a bumper year!
As always remember you can check out more Nintendo news, reviews and features at www.nintendogamer.co.za and if you would like a video recap of the Nintendo news you missed last week check out the latest episode of our quickfire video series 1-Up 1-Down here.