Exceptional Year-One Games Lineup Continues to Build Momentum
After Nintendo’s painfully slow output of games during the Wii U era, and then the concerning lack of third-party support evident at its big reveal in January this year, a lack of software was a major concern with the Switch. But our trepidation was misplaced; the Switch is so far enjoying what is arguably one of the best first years of any console. Even on its own, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild technically makes it the best launch lineup of all time, but beyond that, the Switch is already supported by standout titles from first and third-party studios, as well as a smorgasbord of “Nindies” (indie games).
Just six months into the console’s first year and there’s already a critically acclaimed game across multiple genres. Open world adventure, competitive shooter, fighting game, racing game, strategy game — the Switch has covered nearly every base with several quality titles in record short time. In between, gamers are enjoying a continued stream of smaller indie games hitting the eShop every month. With the sales of Switch continuing to boom, we’re only going to see more ports make their way to the console, too.
Perhaps most importantly, there’s a real sense that Nintendo is committed to pulling out the stops and building a solid library for the Switch. One that not only draws on its iconic franchises but curates new IPs and revives fan-favorites. With 3DS support winding down and an overwhelmingly positive reception to Switch, Nintendo seems invested in continuing to churn out games for the console. Even looking past the rest of 2017, which is tantalizingly adorned with upcoming titles like Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, there are yet more reasons to be excited further out. At E3, Nintendo did something it normally never does: roadmap future content and announce games that fans have desperately asked for. A new Metroid Prime game in the works? Check. A mainline Pokemon RPG for Switch? Check. Based on that, there’s every reason to believe that the Nintendo Switch is going to enjoy plenty of support moving forward.
