Upcoming Nintendo Switch Releases in 2024

The Nintendo Switch is an innovative handheld gaming device that fills the giant void between mobile and console games. The platform is designed around games that are easy to jump into for a short period of time, while retaining the size and complexity of a typical console release. Nintendo understands the perks and limitations of their now-flagship product, and they do an amazing job of creating games that suit it well. For many avid PC and console gamers, mobile games don’t offer enough depth to suit their needs. The Switch allows for better content on-the-go, and has a truly unique fun-factor that melds the nostalgic joy of playing the Wii with the convenience that we all remember from the Gameboy and PSP. Without further adieu, here are Argentics’ top picks for new releases slated for the Switch in upcoming months!

Hot off the press, Echoes of Wisdom released in late September to much acclaim from critics. Set in Hyrule, for the first time ever players control Princess Zelda on her quest to rescue Link from the peculiar Still World that lies somewhere within Hyrule’s ripples of time and space. To pull off the rescue, Princess Zelda wields the Tri Rod, a magical weapon capable of creating “echoes”, which are artificial resemblances of real-world objects, previously-defeated enemies, and more. Echoes must be discovered and learned before being used; many are found during the main quests, but others, both useful and bizarre, can be located in optional caves and dungeons, which greatly encourages exploration. Of course, each echo comes with a cost, so you must make your moves wisely.

Weild new weapons in refined environments in Echoes of Wisdom!

Visually, the game resembles the 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening, using a 2.5D display for much of the gameplay, while blending in different 2D and 3D art styles during cutscenes. The artists and programmers definitely had a lot of fun with this freedom, and did a great job blending modern features like shadows and rays with the timeless look of the OG Nintendo 64 titles. The art and play-style are reminiscent of the Lego Star Wars franchise, in the sense that the characters have a new, yet recognizable look, and the gameplay is action-packed but will still test your brain with numerous puzzles. On top of this, the story runs deep and is full of major plot twists that will delight both veterans and newcomers.

For those longing for another classic hack-n-slash Zelda title, fear not. Princess Zelda can switch to sword fighter mode at almost any time to face enemies head-on using Link’s sword. Though this action drains energy quickly, it can be used to clear rooms in a heartbeat. Regardless of which combat style you opt for, you’ll still need your trusty Tri Rod to get the most out of the game, as it can be used to create things like trampolines that allow you to access new parts of the map. Fight bravely and don’t take any wooden nickels on your quest into the Still World to rescue Link!

No character is more synonymous with the Ninentdo than the beloved Italian plumber, Mario. With almost two dozen titles featuring Mario since the release of the Switch, it does beg the question: are these games worth rushing out to buy, or is Nintendo using the franchise as a cash cow? We’ll break down the two releases scheduled for fall of 2024 and let you decide.

You can play on a handful of unique boards in Jamboree. Do your best to outwit your friends and keep your eyes peeled for Bob-ombs.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is set to drop on October 17th. The game is being touted as the largest Mario Party to date, and takes you and your friends to an island resort where you can engage in all sorts of skullduggery, such as whack-a-mole and even a baking contest! The game contains over 110 unique minigames, and really shines because of it. It’s going to take hours to discover all of the minigames, much less begin to master them.

Jamboree sticks with the classic Mario Party style that sees players competing to buy stars and progress along a board. Your success in minigames determines how fast you progress, while failing to complete large Bowser-related ones can set you wayyy back on the board. With support for up to 20 players, these minigames will send tremors through your network of friends. The game also offers a co-op mode that sees players working together in tower defense, survival, and boss-battle scenarios. This mode is a great way to end a long night of stabbing one another in the back with a little old-fashioned teamwork.

With tons of new features, characters, and massive online support, Jamboree is sure to be one heck of a party! It sticks to the tried-and-true pillars of the series, and takes no risky departures from the formula. For fans of the Mario Party series, this game will not disappoint. For those wanting to try something a bit different, you may want to hold out for the next Mario release in November.

Set sail to Concordia in this exciting new tale about two plumbers masquerading as electricians as they try to restore power and civility to a string of islands.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership is an RPG scheduled to come out on November 17th and will see the two brothers reunite for a story-based game for the first time in nearly a decade. The pair of pipewrenching plumbers set sail to the Concordia Archipelago where they will battle enemies, solve puzzles, and work to restore electricity to the islands’ inhabitants, the plug people, who use it as a source of life. The story is heartfelt, and contains loads of side quests that add to the lore and aura of the land.

Developers chose to go with a 2D art style for Brothership that creates a truly nostalgic feel. Characters and environments are created using simple shapes and without many extra frills. This does not mean the artists took a lazy approach, but rather the opposite by giving each character a truly unique look while maintaining a vintage style. On top of this, the game's animations are super over-the-top. Seeing a simply drawn character suddenly spring into combat, or flail their hands wildly when something comes up in conversation. This adds an element of physical comedy that one would expect to see onstage at a theater; getting it in a video game is even better!

Don’t be fooled by the old school looks of this game, though. The RPG elements contain layers of depth that will have you debating the best way to level up the brothers’ stats to best suit their weapons and playstyle. This attention to character-building is a sweet addition to a game that frankly could have gotten by on less. Coupled with the aforementioned side quests, this is sure to add a ton of replayability to the game as you try out different combinations of skills, weapons and equipment. In a series dominated by sequels and remakes, Brothership has the potential to be a breath of fresh air for the Mario franchise.

While fast action games like Mario and Zelda are the bread and butter of the Switch, the upcoming release of Civilization 7 in February of 2025 on the platform proves there is some real power packed inside this handheld device. Long thought of as a PC-only franchise, Civ 6 made the jump to console back in 2016, and to Switch in 2018. Controls were a little clunky to figure out, but being able to play a strategy game of this size on a handheld device was monumental at the time. Civ 7 should smooth out the controls while bringing some exciting new features to the franchise.

Civ 7 uses the same basic formula that the franchise has employed from the start: found a civilization and guide it from prehistoric times into the future. While this sounds simple on paper, it is anything but. As supreme leader of your empire, you need to balance things like research, resources, money, and diplomacy. The intersectionality between these is where things get interesting. You could amass a large army and use big stick diplomacy to keep your neighbors complacent, or you could race to discover a future technology so advanced that nobody dares to mess with you. Your playstyle is entirely up to you, but it is important to factor in your nearby environment, leader abilities, and world events when developing your gameplan.

Source: https://steamdeckhq.com/news/civilization-7-changes-up-series-strategic-loop-gamescom-2024/

The traditional way of playing the game is on a randomly generated map covered in fog-of-war, which encourages exploration to meet new civilizations and acquire new resources. On top of this, there are playable scenarios that place you on a developer-made map. Some of these are reenactments of historical events, while others are zany fantasy maps with things like circular continents or endless deserts surrounded by impassable mountains.

A major change coming to the franchise is that your leader will not be bound to their respective civilization. The game is split into three eras: antiquity, exploration, and modern, and your actions in the previous era will affect which civilizations you can play as in the next. This is meant to mimic the rise and fall of real world empires within a single location, for example the changes from ancient Greece, to the Roman Empire, to the present-day European Union. The series has never included a mechanic like this before, and it will likely be what makes or breaks this game. Though the release is still a few months out, keep this one on your radar as a lengthy handheld strategy game is always perfect for long days of travel.

Sega’s goldenboy is making a return on October 25th in this half remake, half standalone game. The game contains a full remaster of the famous Sonic Generations, arguably the franchise’s last big hit. Revisiting the classic time-traveling adventure with updated graphics and smoother mechanics is sure to be a treat, but do not justify a full-price release on their own. Fortunately, the remaster is just a scoop of what the new Generations has to offer. The game also features a full campaign focused around Shadow’s showdown with arch-nemesis Black Doom.

The storytelling in Shadow’s campaign runs surprisingly deep for a Sonic game. In order to garner the strength to defeat Black Doom, you must go back in time and relive painful memories to earn new abilities, all while piecing together historical events in order to find the right time to thwart Black Doom’s evil plan. If the storytelling is solid, then the gameplay is outright exhilarating! You will zoom through levels at breakneck speeds all while trying to defeat enemies and escape death. The game has both 2D and 3D elements, which give some parts that early 2000’s Sonic feel, and allow others to remind you that it is a brand new game made with the latest tech. The balance of new and old is pulled off very well here and the game is a ton of fun, we hope you check it out!

With so many new releases on Switch this fall, it's impossible to cover them all. Some other titles worth keeping on your shortlist is the perennial Just Dance: 2025 releasing In mid-October. This is bound to be another fun addition to the series full of the latest music and some fresh new moves. There is also a great story-based game called Neva releasing the same date, which tells the emotional tale of a young woman and a wolf cub who work together to discover themselves while surviving the perilous world around you.

Remakes seem to be the trend of the year, and fans of the Sims franchise have not been forgotten. My Sims: Cozy Bundle is coming out on November 19th and contains both the original My Sims and My Sims Kingdom. If this doesn't fulfill your nostalgia trip, then perhaps January's Donkey Kong Country Returns will. This is a remake of the classic Wii game that offers new levels and features for the Switch.

The Switch is a versatile platform that thrives due to its action and multiplayer games, but can also provide a console-like experience at just a fraction of the price. 2024 will be a great year for fans of revisiting the games of their youth, and has a few new titles to offer as well. If you're working on building a new game of your own, don't hesitate to reach out to Argentics. Our veteran staff can help you with your project at any step of the way!

If you think this year's lineup of new releases sounds a bit stale, you can always port over your project from another platform to Switch. Argentics specializes in this porting process, and guarantee that your game will run just a smoothly on Switch than it did on its native platform. The market for quality handheld games is huge right now, so reach out to our team and we can have your game releasing on Switch in no time!