Xenoblade Chronicles X
Image: Nintendo

Good news, everyone! Having successfully beaten 2024, you're all advancing to the next stage: Happy 2025!

With Switch entering its ninth year come the start of March, and a reveal of its successor promised sometime between now and the end of that month, there's an awful lot to look forward to whether you're a die-hard Nintendo fan or someone who swings by for the big Zelda and Mario games.

The launch of new Nintendo hardware is a special time in the gaming world and everyone is eager to crack on with the next generation and see what Kyoto's finest have been beavering away on. We know that our backlogs will carry over to the new console thanks to backward compatibility, and all the leaks and rumours point towards an iterative update to the current Switch, so it'll be up to the software developers to knock our socks off with new ideas.

Expectations are sky-high, of course, but time and again Nintendo has shown a knack for surpassing our loftiest hopes.

Splatoon Nintendo Store
Image: Alex Olney / Nintendo Life

And in the meantime, there's plenty of known knowns to be looking forward to: Xenoblade Chronicles X, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are all scheduled for this year, and DK's kicking things off in just a couple of weeks with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Hmm, they missed a trick not calling that one DKC Returns Returns.

Sprnkle in a large portion of indies (including Citizen Sleeper 2, Demonschool, and Morsels) and third-party players (Civ VII, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, DQ 1 & 2 Remake, Layton and the New World of Steam) and 2025 wouldn't be looking terrible even if Switch 2 weren’t on the horizon.

Whatever 2025 brings us in the realm of video games or other realms (they do apparently exist!), the pleasure of your company on this Nintendo journey has us excited for the next chapter. From everyone here at Nintendo Life, we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year. It's gonna be a belter!

Got any gaming resolutions? Let us know below what you're hoping to accomplish in 2025! And if you're looking for a recap of the previous 366 days, we can probably help you out there...