Super Mario – For a brief moment in the Switch’s reveal trailer, fans got a look at the titular plumber exploring what looked like ruins and some sort of tropical town. Whether it’s a Super Mario Land title, or maybe the next Galaxy who knows. But you’ll probably find out tonight.
Splatoon – Its appearance in the trailer was one that focused heavily on Nintendo’s push into the esports arena. Having been one of the Wii U’s standout titles, a sequel or port to the Switch is a surefire announcement for tonight.
Mario Kart – You can’t not love Mario Kart, it’s just a fact. Again, Nintendo pretty much confirmed that the franchise will be returning on the Switch in the preview trailer. Whether it’s a Mario Kart 8 port or one built from the ground up for the Switch, though, remains to be seen.
Mario Rabbids Crossover – Though technically a collaboration with Ubisoft, the Rabbids have found their home on Nintendo’s most recent console offerings. Rumors have been circulating that a crossover is in the works, too. Perhaps this will be the start of more Nintendo and Ubisoft projects.
F-Zero – With F-Zero having shown up in Mario Kart 8, and the N64 F-Zero X releasing on the Wii U virtual console just recently, Nintendo could be reminding us of the series just in time for an announcement. The popular futuristic racing series hasn’t seen a new entry on a home console in 14 years. Though it’s all speculation at the moment, it’s one to keep an eye out for.
Super Smash Bros. – Industry insiders have been talking about the Super Smash Bros. series making its way to the Switch, too. Again, many are suggesting that it could be a port of the Wii U version. There’s also a rumor that the final three amiibo figures for the Smash Bros. set will also be announced.
A New Super Mario Title – New Super Mario titles have made their way to all four of Nintendo’s most recent pieces of hardware, so chances are we could see another one of the 2D side scrollers make its way to the Switch. Perhaps something to tide Mario fans over until the teased Super Mario game is released.
Animal Crossing – Animal Crossing has a rabid fan base, and following Nintendo’s decision to update the 3DS game very recently and confirm the series would be getting a mobile title, it could be doubling down on the series even more. With the main titles often being four years apart, a 2017 release doesn’t seem too unlikely.
Pokemon – Rumor has it that the Pokemon series will be making an appearance on the Switch in the form of Pokemon Stars. The game would be very a ‘special edition’ of Sun and Moon, likely including all version-exclusive Pokemon.
Mario Sports – Mario Sports titles have been a spin-off staple for Mario in recent years. With Mario Sports Superstars due to make its way to the 3DS in Spring, we could see some sort of sports compilation padding out the Switch’s lineup.
Mario Maker – Super Mario Maker on the Wii U was a huge success. Unfortunately, the 3DS version had a lot of the game’s best features cut out. Nintendo will likely want a Switch version to keep the rampant fanbase going on the new hardware.
Pikmin 4 – Miyamoto already confirmed back in 2015 that Pikmin 4 is in development and nearly ready, so it’s a pretty safe bet it’s coming to the Switch. Whether it’ll be a launch title or come further down the line, however, remains unknown.
Metroid Prime – With fans pretty much begging Nintendo for a new main entry in the Metroid Prime series, its announcement tonight would definitely be one to get long-term fans on board. Though, it could be quite a way off.
Published: Jan 12, 2017 01:26 pm