Nintendo already has a number of high profile games lined up for Switch in 2022, and when you add third-parties to the mix it's looking very exciting indeed.
One genre that is looking particularly good for the coming period is tactical games, in particular turn-based strategy tactics games. For me, the upcoming year on Switch looks like it'll be full of portable gaming in a comfortable chair, taking my time and ruminating over clever moves to outsmart my foes — like a good game of chess but with plenty of fantasy and lovely extra game design thrown in around the pieces.
As tactics games may be my favourite type nowadays — a reflection of age and dulled reflexes in platformers, perhaps — here are some confirmed Switch titles that look rather marvellous and are right at the top of my 2022 wishlist...
Triangle Strategy - 4th March 2022
From the team that brought us the brilliant Octopath Traveler, this adopts the same HD-2D approach that looks fantastic on Nintendo's system (and elsewhere, of course).
It's a title that very much brings the classic Final Fantasy Tactics to mind, but with plenty of modern touches and what look like interesting narrative and choice mechanics. The demo gave a very encouraging early look last year, and with various adjustments and improvements based on fan feedback I'm optimistic that this will be a gem.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Spring 2022
Originally planned for a December 2021 release, Nintendo and developer WayForward made the decision to push this back to Spring '22 — with a My Nintendo Store UK listing (which listing is currently still live) suggesting an 8th April arrival.
As the name makes clear this combines the content of the first two games in the series, but with completely reworked and fresh visuals and no doubt some other quality of life improvements. From a personal perspective this is a series I've heard much about but not experienced, so I'm looking forward to trying this modernised take.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - 2022
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a surprise collaboration with Ubisoft in the early days of Switch, but the end result was terrific; the Donkey Kong Adventure DLC was an excellent addition, too.
With some aspects borrowed from titles like XCOM, it nevertheless carved its own path with clever character-specific abilities, along with some Mario twists on movement and attacks. It's utterly charming, and there's little reason to be anything other than highly optimistic about what the sequel can deliver.
Metal Slug Tactics - 2022
When this was initially revealed for PC in Summer 2021, plenty of people, particularly those of us with a few grey hairs on our head, were crying out for a Switch version. Unsurprisingly, publisher Dotemu is obliging, which means that the Switch will be host to a whole lot of classic Metal Slug action titles along with this new tactical spin.
Again we have a stylised isometric perspective, but with the zany military tone of the iconic IP. It looks stunning, and trailers so far point to the prospect of some excellent boss battles as well.
Marvel's Midnight Suns - 2022
As someone who happily jumps into and enjoys the silly escapism of Marvel games, this is high on the list in terms of anticipated titles. It has pedigree with development from Firaxis Games (well known for the XCOM series), and its delay to the latter half of the year (originally it was due in March) will hopefully allow it to be fully polished on arrival.
The concept, IP and mechanics look enticing, with my only concern being performance on Switch. XCOM 2 Collection can be a bit rough on Nintendo's system, but if this one has had a Switch version planned from day one, it'll hopefully have solid optimisation.
Of course, there'll be more game reveals to come and no doubt some rather good Indie / download-only strategy tactics games as well. Based upon how busy Intelligent Systems was in the 3DS era, we're due another Fire Emblem title, too, following on from 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses, so perhaps that'll be a surprise to enjoy in 2022.
As you can see, the coming year could be terrific for this genre; let us know which you're looking forward to in the poll and comments below!
- Further reading: Best Nintendo Switch Strategy Games
Comments 63
My favorite genre! This will indeed be a glorious year!
Mario rabbids! Cant wait for that game.
Mario Rabbids 2 and Advance Wars remake are both day 1 purchases for me. I’m keeping my eye on the others. These are some of the games I’m most looking forward to for the entire year.
While I do wish the marvel game and metal slug were in a different genre, I am looking forward to advance wars and rabbids.
The only tactics game Ive ever played was Mario and rabbids, which I loved. I'm gonna get sparks of hope, but maybe I should try some other games in the genre, advance wars looks pretty cool
I still have my unfinished Transformers Battleground PS4. 😅
At least i have reached the desert place.
Too many games i have, too little time to finish them all. (i have more than 300 games altogether)
I'm looking forward to the new rabbids game, even though I have to admit I haven't even completed the first one yet due to its difficulty
I'm most excited for Triangle Strategy in terms of this genre, but Advance Wars 1+2 and Metal Slug Tactics are both games I'd like to pick up as well. I do hope we also get a new Fire Emblem this year, it feels like it's about time to see one pop up.
so many cool games cant wait
Triangle Strategy is, by far, the most hype. That demo was crazy good. Mario Rabbids Spark of Hope is not far behind. The original was insanely good. And Marvel Midnight Suns is made by Firaxis, the developers of Civilization and XCOM. So you know it's gonna be dope. Advance Wars and Metal Slug Tactics are definitely buys, but I can't say I'm as excited for them as the others.
Also, 13 Sentinels is a strategy game too, of a sort. It's different, but strategy nonetheless. And I'm fairly confident we'll get a Fire Emblem announcement in 2022 at the very least. Maybe not a release this year, but at least an announcement. Maybe a release though? We'll have to see.
The more I see of Triangle Strategy, the better it looks. I am pretty psyched for it.
No matter how good Mario & Rabbids may be, it is hard to get excited for a Ubisoft game nowadays. Oh well, there's so many games out there that I don't feel like I'm missing anything for not getting excited about new games.
One of my favorite genres, and I'm happy to see it well represented on the Switch. Mario+Rabbids and Advance Wars are both Day One for me. I'm also veeeeeeery interested in Midnight Suns as I'm a big Firaxis fan, but I think I'll go for that on PC (with a chance I might double dip if it has cross-save).
I had forgotten about
Metal slug tactics. Should be amazing. Still advance wars will be lovely. Since mario and rabbits was discounted ao many tomes i won’t buy the sequel in day 1 but i’ll wait a bit.
I'm not even a huge tactics game fan, but I'm super excited for M+R 2 and Advance Wars.
Not as excited for them, but also heavily considering playing Triangle Strategy and Metal Slug Tactics.
I'm all in on the first four games on that list; I would have been far more interested in Firaxis' Marvel title had they utilized its entire roster as opposed to just some "dark" motif.
I do have a personal wish list of three (technically four) specific games/IPs I would love to see added to the Switch lineup:
1) Shining Force III Remaster: 190 hours' worth of one of Sega's Top Three best-ever RPG/SRPGs, with three interlocking Scenarios, three full armies, and absolutely EPIC battles toward the end of the final Scenario.
2) Daisenryaku: This series, little known in the West outside of Iron Storm (Saturn), Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics Exceed (XBox, PS2), and Daisenryaku Perfect 4.0 (PC/Steam) covers either WWII or Modern-era. It's known for its encyclopedic rosters of real-life units corresponding to dozens of nations, each with realistic algorithms that determine battle outcomes (it transcends Advance Wars' rock/paper/scissors mechanics because Tank does NOT equal Tank here; a group of M1A2 Abrams will wipe the floor with T-72s, for instance). Its true hidden gem is the incredible multiplayer, with up to 4 players on console and up to 8 on the PC, in any combination of human and AI and/or teams. I've personally played countless hundreds of hours of this series with friends locally; do yourself a favor and DON'T sleep on this if a Switch iteration ever gets localized.
3) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn: This was the story arc that introduced me to the series, and still stands as my personal favorite. Combining the two into a single, two-part storyline would make for great fan service by Nintendo.
I just hope and pray that Nintendo force Ubisoft to keep their NFT scams out of Mario Rabbids. It may be the last Ubisoft game I buy.
Mario + Rabbids is a crossover I won't ever forget, being one of the very best early Switch games. Sparks of Hope is certainly the one I'm most hyped for.
Ooo, it's a tough call between mario, triangle strategy, and AW. I picked triangle strategy just bc it's a new IP I'm really looking forward to.
Really looking forward to Advance Wars, but I hope they improve the visuals a little more than what they showed at E3. Looks a little off to me.
Getting Advance Wars and Mario & Rabbids 2. I hope someday Nintendo will localize the Super Famicom Fire Emblem games and Fire Emblem Binding Blade for GBA as well as all the Famicom Wars (Japan only Advance Wars that came out before the GBA release).
I was excited for Triangle until I played the demo. Kind of turned me off of it besides the graphics which were lovely.
Still working through Mario and Rabbids that I got on sale, pretty fun game and I'm sure the sequel will be neat.
A lot of great sounding games to look forward to this year! I imagine there will also be some great indies to compliment these releases. I would love if a port of Wildermyth were announced for Switch in 2022!
Why was the demo for Triangle Strategy removed on the eShop?
Definitely the one to get on this list.
Especially since we aren't allowed to buy ubisoft games anymore.
2022 is looking glorious in every way XD, but yeah, also in this genre.
Mostly excited for advance wars, solely because of nostalgia. Otherwise, Digimon Survive if it ends up releasing next year.
It's looking glorious for all types of games on Switch, but I will grant that tactical games are getting a lot of representation this year.
while I am happy for people who enjoy tactics style games, I am concerned of the lack of first party titles for the year because unless we get more information on Prime 4 and BoTW 2; Kirby, Pokemon and a couple of spin-offs aren't going to hold players attentions for long and it's going to be up to indies to keep things going until another Direct is announced.
Wasn't it mentioned in the leak that Fire Emblem Echoes is coming this year to Switch?
@Spoony_Tech I was half expecting Stealth to have written this article.😂
I went with Mario + Rabbids as my most anticipated but I have a feeling if I ever get around to playing them Triangle is going to be the better strategy game but I prefer the colorful whimsy these days.
I always want to like tactics games but somehow I find them stressful rather than fun so I usually avoid them. I did enjoy Mario + Rabbids, likely because it was easy and has Mario. Advance Wars looks cool, but not sure if I would like it.
Don’t forget the Shadowrun Trilogy that was announced in the direct!
@Mikeopferman indeed. Wow how did they forego that one? Switchup had it in their upcoming games to watch as well.
@Deepdoop Check out wargroove. It's great and is very similar to advance wars in terms of gameplay.
So glad Rabbids is getting a sequel!
@Deepdoop Honestly, any of the games on this list would be great, though none of them will be very much like Mario PLUS Rabbids. That game is kind of its own thing, with all the exploration and puzzley stuff. Advance Wars is great, though!
All this talk of tactics has me itching to go paly Three Houses some more.
@rjejr Either him or @JaxonH lol. I can see myself owning all of these at some point. Still most uncertain about Marvel but I like the dev's behind it.
Really excited for this year! I will definitely pick up Advance Wars, Triangle Strategy, and Metal Slug Tactics.
THIS IS MY YEAR!!!!
I’m shocked Metal Slug Tactics isn’t more popular among the bunch. I think that looks like the most FUN of the choices (next to Mario and Rabbids of course).
Metal Slug will be the first I buy from this list.
At some point, I'll eventually pick up Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, maybe even Marvel's Midnight Suns as well.
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/shadowrun-trilogy-switch/
The Shadowrun Trilogy comprises 3 cult tactical RPG games taking place in a dystopian cyberpunk future in which magic has re-awakened, bringing back to life creatures of high fantasy. Initially created as a tabletop RPG over 30 years ago, this one-of-a-kind setting that has gained a huge cult following during the past three decades.
All the above, M+R the most though. Really dig this genre and awesome to see the genre shine on Switch.
Naw, with both Triangle and AW I think having a Fire Emblem this year might be reaching critical mass.
Too much of a good thing and all that. XD
I am super excited for advance wars (as I sadly don’t own a gba or have played any of the ports) and metal slug tactics looks like the opposite of the thing thing you would expect from a new metal slug game (in a good way)
@Spoony_Tech If I ever see an article titled "Why Monster Hunter is the Greatest Game Series Ever (but only w/ gyro)" then I'll assume Jax wrote it.😂
My wife is jonesing for a good JRPG but we have such limited tastes it's hard to find 1 we want to play. I think Tales of Arise might be an option, or the new Star Ocean game, and anything Monolith graces us w/ this year. But usually not strategy.
@rjejr I hear the recent Y's games are pretty good. They are like Xenoblade but some that don't like Xeno seems to love Y's 8.
Excited for most of these, especially, Mario Kingdom, and Advanced Wars. What Midnight Suns game turned out to be was a big miss from me and I now have zero interest. A shame as XCOM is my all time favorite games and XCOM 2 is my most played game on the Switch.
I'm really excited for Sparks of Hope since I loved the original but I have my reservations. Mainly, the original could get really bad with it's visual glitches, so much so it became physically painful at points to keep playing and I'm worried that it's going to be the exact same thing this time round. Also while I adore the new focus on exploration (seems like a perfect step up from the original), I do worry about the new battle system not being grid based and instead being a free roaming arena. On the surface, it makes me feel like it's not going to as strategic as before but I could easily be proven wrong on that front. I may grab Advance Wars as well, but not when it comes out. €60 for 2 GBA games? Seriously? I know they're great but SERIOUSLY?.
I am planning on playing all of these, but I think Mario+Rabbids is the one I am most excited for.
Despite enjoying the genre, I never did play Fire Emblem up until August 2021. Then I started Three Houses and got hooked. I’m almost finished with my third playthrough now. I want to play the 3DS games, but I am hoping something makes its way to Switch.
Oh man, this is tough. I’m kinda looking forward to all of them honestly.
Yes it's looking ok. And I am still debating about getting Bravley default 2.
And I've just downloaded Legend of Mana.
I want something Fire Emblem this year
Advance Wars and Sparks of Hope for me. 😄
Give Fire Emblem a f-ing rest! 😡
The Japanese box art for Triangle Strategy has been made public:
Pretty pic but the title is a tad too large for my liking.
I went with Triangle Strategy but I will definitely be getting Advance Wars and Sparks of Hope too. A new Fire Emblem would be nice but I would like them to ditch the hub world, I got really bored of running around the castle.
Mario + Rabbids for me. It won’t have Ubisoft’s microtransactions because that’s not what Ubisoft Milan is about (and Switch doesn’t support Blockchain), and I don’t follow the logic that not buying their game in some way supports the devs… seems like it does the opposite.
But each to their own.
A lot of bangers in one of my favorite genres. My poor wallet!
As much as I love Advance Wars, I have played the first 2 games to death and won't be getting the remake. Hope there is a new game coming sometime.
Rabbits for me, and the others I'll look out for.
Here's hoping we get a remake of FE4!
I want all of them almost equally. Advance Wars edges though
Very excited about all of them but Rabbids probably tops all of them. The first one was such a joy. I never thought I would be most excited about that when Advanced Wars is in the mix but here we are
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