Topic: *Switch 2: Nintendo’s Biggest launch ever?!*

I wouldn't be surprised by this, I just don't think it would be one Nintendo is relying on. Nintendo seems to be acting extremely conservative for this launch; I suspect they will dump all sorts of things into their launch window to cover their bases — visually impressive AAA ports and Switch 1 updated games and Switch 2 exclusive games and reliable evergreen Nintendo IPs, etc.

@StuTwo
I actually completely agree with you on the crowd that will buy Prime 4. It will be forum fanatics like us, streamers, bloggers, etc. And yes, like you said, those are INCREDIBLY important groups of people in this always-online world to set the tone of a new console.

I think your audience logic with my timing logic could work together. Let Mario Kart 9 launch with the system, be exclusive to Switch 2, sell an obscene amount of copies, and basically rule Youtube and Twitch for the Spring/early Summer. And just when things start to stabilize, boom - you release Prime 4, touting upscaling and upgrades if played on Switch 2, and the streamer crowd naturally hops right over to it and keeps the ball rolling.

And then the new 3D Mario launches as the Holiday title and all is well with the world lol

It certainly has the chance to be.

Mario Kart and something like Elden Ring complete edition would make it an awesome launch.

@1UP-HUSKY
Agree on that. The World economy is different this time, and switch 2 is just more of the same with more beef. OG switch is still rocking and many have a huge backlog. Parents is not in a hurry replacing the OG switch.

@rallydefault

I don't think the Switch 2 launch will not be accompanied by a first party single player tittle, like you seem to be suggesting.

Mario Kart is nice and all, but you need to offer great standalone experiences to lure early buyers, be it Metroid Prime 4, new 3D Mario, or some other 1st party tittle.

@alexwolf
... Mario Kart 9 is a first-party single-player title. Like... the biggest first-party title you could get aside from the next 3D Mario. As with all Mario Karts, it will have single-player and multiplayer modes. And maybe this one will have more of a world to it, much like Diddy Kong Racing or something, but perhaps even more fleshed out.

Metroid Prime 4 is a Switch 1 game, not a Switch 2 game. They're not gonna use it as a "launch" title, guaranteed. And the next 3D Mario is not ready - that's gonna be a Fall '25 title at the earliest.

@rallydefault

Mario kart is not a single player game, it is either an online or local multiplayer game. The single player campaign in Mario kart 8 was literally non existent.

Breath of the wild was also released on Wii U, but this didn't stop it from also being a launch title for the Switch. Metroid prime 4 could easily be a cross gen release.

@alexwolf
Metroid Prime 4 will release within the first 6 months of the Switch 2, but they will not jeopardize its sales by launching it alongside Mario Kart 9. Guaranteed.

Your statement that Mario Kart doesn't have a single-player campaign is literally false.

And if they end up creating a single-player world even remotely like the one in Diddy Kong Racing, it'll be insanely cool. Look at how many people still talk about and play that game, and its local multiplayer usually isn't even the reason for all the love.

@rallydefault

Mario kart 8's single player offering was a joke, let's not kid ourselves, it is the only flaw in an otherwise perfect game.

Mario kart is an evergreen tittle, so it always sells, so it makes little difference when Nintendo releases Prime 4.

I really hope that we get a solid single player first party launch game with the Switch 2, I guess we will know for sure in less than 2 months.

MP4 was recently reconfirmed as coming out for Switch 1 in 2025 so the only 2 possibilities are it comes out before Switch 2 or within 6 months after. I wouldn't totally rule out it comes out before, but probably only if Switch 2 has a Fall release.

At most we’d get GTA 5 and GTA Online if anything.

Would be a missed opportunity to include a game like this as a pack-in game for Switch 2, similar to Wii coming with Wii Sports, Wii U coming with Nintendo Land, and PS5 coming with Astro’s Playroom.

I'm betting there will definitely be some sort of Zelda remaster at launch. My personal guess would be Twilight Princess, but I could be wrong. Zelda has become a much bigger part of Nintendo's brand since BOTW and so it makes sense to have one lanch with Switch 2.
and if I may put on my absurd speculation hat for a moment. I could see whatever Zelda that remake having an optional small open world mode similar to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury in order to test new mechanics for the next mainline Zelda title.

@FishyS
Yea, it's only gonna be before if Switch 2 is out around September than around May.

@alexwolf
That's an entirely subjective statement. I've spent dozens and dozens of hours in the single-player modes for MK8 getting all the three-stars in all the modes and pushing in the time trials.

When is the last time Nintendo launched a new console with two huge AAA first-party releases? (Honest question, I don't know the answer and I'm not looking it up lol)

If we remove the much-argued-over term AAA and just go with huge (very well known and liked and one of the system's top sellers) then the answer is arguably Wii since it had Wii Sports and Zelda. Since Wii Sports was a pack-in showcase game with no track record Nintendo probably didn't consider it huge at the time though. Nintendo definitely usually strings their big games over a few months rather than dropping them all on one day. I assume they'll do that again this year if we get an early year release as a way to slowly build up hype, especially if they have a big third party game at launch to go alongside Mario Kart.

@FishyS
Ok, yea, interesting. I also remember Mario 64 and Pilotwings for the N64 launch, right? But again, Pilotwings…. lol

I just don’t see them putting Prime 4 out at the same time as MK9. That would be such a gross mishandling of their own IP, basically kneecapping Metroid’s already-lowish sales potential.

Prime 4 is gonna get its own month to shine and hopefully get the most sales in franchise history.

@rallydefault I still think Prime 4 is coming before Switch 2. As for what would take the role of space sci-fi FPS with epic single player campaign in the Switch 2's launch window, I think that would go to Halo (MCC).

@Grumblevolcano
Hrm... I don't know. The game just doesn't strike me as being ready for release in the next 4ish months. I think it's a summer title, like June-August, and that's being a bit optimistic for me.

@rallydefault I think April - June for Prime 4, leaning towards May but that prediction is reliant on the concept of a February general Direct. If Nintendo does a Mini, Partner Showcase or skips February events completely it does seem pretty much guaranteed that they're saving the next news for the April Switch 2 Direct.

@Grumblevolcano Imagine if the Switch 2 Direct features Metroid Prime 4, Halo Collection and Doom Dark Ages. It could break the internet!

@GrailUK Please don't; that would look too much like an xbox direct where every other game is a shooter.