Let’s Predict Nintendo’s 2019 Roadmap
What We Know
The Switch has brought Nintendo phenomenal success, an upward trend the likes of which we saw with the Wii or original DS. While it may not eventually hit the same heights, you can’t argue that the Switch has had a fantastic first two years, supported by a wealth of strong software.
With the system’s third year now in full effect, it’s looking like it could be even bigger than the first two, should everything go Nintendo’s way, that is.
The first few months of 2019 have been decent for Nintendo fans, but not outstanding, similarly to 2018. January brought us yet another stellar rerelease in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, while also providing a third-party Switch exclusive in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.
Since then, we’ve basically seen a wealth of smaller releases or ports like Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, Steins;Gate Elite, Final Fantasy IX, The Lego Movie 2 Videogame, and Tetris 99. It’s nothing mindblowing, sure, but there continues to be a steady stream of content for Switch owners.
While the first couple months may have been slow, the rest of the year is looking like it’ll really pick things up for the Switch, especially in terms of first-party games. March kicks all of this off with the first original Nintendo game for Switch in 2019, Yoshi’s Crafted World.
With the success of their other stylized platformers, Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Wooly World, the new Yoshi game is certainly one that could make a big splash.
April and May bring a flood of acclaimed older titles to the Switch, including Dragon’s Dogma, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Assassin’s Creed III, Resident Evil 4, and Resident Evil Zero.
Of course, things really kick off for the big N in June with the release of Super Mario Maker 2, a game that holds almost limitless potential for the growing Switch userbase. Just a few weeks later we get the highly anticipated release of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the first console Fire Emblem since Radiant Dawn on the Wii.
A recent surprise reveal added to the mix is Astral Chain, launching in August, an intense looking exclusive from Platinum Games that has you playing as a police unit in an anime-cyberpunk inspired setting.
