Nintendo has been having a successful couple of years, with the Nintendo Switch being one of the most favoured hand-held gaming consoles ever made. On March 26, through Nintendo Direct Mini (a live video presentation by Nintendo) shined the spotlight on a breadth of different types of games launching for the Nintendo Switch system in 2020.
- Though the Nintendo Switch launched four years after the first launch of Xbox One in 2013, the Switch managed to surpass Xbox One in sales. As of late January 2020, the 50 million Nintendo Switch devices were sold internationally. Clearly, the Japanese gaming company is having its time in the sun. Financial datasets from Nintendo reveals that between March 2018 and March 2019, net sales were valued at US$11,070,000,000 and forecasts predict a steady increase for March 2020.
According to Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, “In addition to Nintendo franchises, 2020 will see the Nintendo Switch library grow even more with strong support from a diverse field of publishing partners like 2K, Electronic Arts and Square Enix.”
What’s available?
Games featured in the video include sprawling role-playing adventures like Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and Bravely Default II. Plus, classic franchises like Borderlands, XCOM 2 and BioShock coming to a Nintendo system for the first time. For the sake of nostalgia, one can look forward to remakes of fan favorites like Burnout Paradise Remastered and Panzer Dragoon: Remake. Titles perfect for both casual and longtime gamers include Good Job!, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which is already available, but there is a seasonal Easter event and Earth day special with an update).
Screenshot from Shadow Of Doom, the third expansion pack for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Marvel gaming fans can get their hands on a third expansion pack, Shadow Of Doom, for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order. The add-on sees Doctor Doom versus Marvel’s first family, Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom are now playable characters as they fight through a new story campaign.
Sold out internationally, Ring Bit Adventure has been wildly popular — especially during the COVID-19 lockdown for its approach to fitness. Nintendo Direct Mini announced a new Rhythm Game mode, an option to switch to a female voice and to change the language of the in-game voice, and more. In the Rhythm Game mode, move to the beat of a dozen music tracks from Ring Fit Adventure and a few tracks from popular Nintendo games, including Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
A player demos one of Ring Bit Adventure’s new features
The calendar ahead
Even more games are coming to Nintendo Switch in the coming months, including Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (March 27), Trials of Mana (April 24), The Elder Scrolls: Blades (spring), Minecraft Dungeons (spring), Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (May), Mr. Driller DrillLand (June 25), The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (June 30) and Vigor (autumn).
FILE PHOTO: Visitors are seen at a booth of Nintendo Switch at the China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference in Shanghai, China August 2, 2019. REUTERS/Pei Li/File Photo
In a disclaimer at the start of the video, Nintendo states that, due to COVID-19, “release dates and other information presented in this video are subject to change,” and invites followers to keep up to date through Nintendo’s official social media handles.
