The Nintendo Switch has had some pretty great games in its first two years, from 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey to 2018’s Octopath Traveler and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And it looks like Nintendo won’t be slowing down any time soon, with 2019 looking to already have a decent lineup of new games from beloved franchises. There are a few cross-platform games that will come to the Switch, alongside the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but here’s a list of some of the biggest games coming exclusively to Nintendo’s hybrid console this year.
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – January 11, 2019
Due largely to its lack of third-party support, Nintendo’s Wii U console was a failure in terms of sales, which is a shame because the console housed some great games. Luckily, a lot of these games have been given second chances in the form of Switch ports, and the latest game to get this treatment is New Super Mario Bros. U, which will be coming to the Switch on January 11 as New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, featuring the original base game, the New Super Luigi U add-on, and some completely new features, like being able to play as Toadette, who can transform into Peachette.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – January 18, 2019
At long last, the new game in the No More Heroes series, Travis Strikes Again, is finally upon us. Fans of the hack-and-slash action games have been waiting for this since No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle released on the Wii almost a decade ago. Now, Travis Touchdown’s story continues when Travis Strikes Again comes exclusively to the Switch on January 18.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses – Spring 2019
When Marth and Roy were introduced to Western audiences in Super Smash Bros. Melee, curious gamers started looking into the Fire Emblem series, which has since become one of Nintendo’s biggest and most reliable franchises. At this past E3, it was revealed that the next mainline game in the series will be called Fire Emblem: Three Houses and will be coming to the Switch sometime this spring.
Yoshi’s Crafted World – 2019
A follow-up to 2015’s Yoshi’s Woolly World, Yoshi’s Crafted World was originally revealed during E3 2017, and its release date has seemed to be pushed back and back ever since. It seems the game’s release has finally been set for 2019, however, and will likely be released in the first half of the year.
Daemon X Machina – 2019
Another E3 announcement, Daemon X Machina is a mech action game by Armored Core producer Kenichiro Tsukuda. We don’t have a release date, or even a release window, but it has been confirmed that the game will be coming out sometime this year.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 – 2019
With both the original Luigi’s Mansion and its sequel, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, now on the 3DS, Luigi is taking his ghostly adventures to Nintendo’s newest console. Not much is known about the new game (in fact, the game may not even end up being called Luigi’s Mansion 3), but what’s for sure is that a new Luigi’s Mansion game is coming to the Switch this year.
Animal Crossing – 2019
Animal Crossing fans rejoice; it’s finally happening. Details on this game are also scant, but there will for sure be a new entry in the Animal Crossing series coming to the Switch in 2019.
Town – 2019
Pokémon developer Game Freak are currently working on a non-Pokémon RPG under the working title Town. The game will take place entirely in a single, small village and will release for the Switch sometime this year.
Pokémon – 2019
But that’s not all Game Freak is working on. Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! were released last year as the first mainline Pokémon games for a home console, but back when the Let’s Go games were first announced it was also revealed that Game Freak has been working on more traditional mainline Pokémon games for the Switch as well. It is currently unknown if these games will be the start of a new Generation, though it seems pretty likely that they will. These new mainline games are expected to come to the Switch sometime in the second half of 2019.
Beyond 2019
Of course, there are still plenty of popular Nintendo franchises that have yet to receive a new entry on the Switch. New games are bound to be announced throughout the year during Nintendo’s many Nintendo Direct presentations, and there are still the presences of games like Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3 looming over gamers, whether they end up coming out in 2019 or not.
