Summary
This coming June 2024 is set to be absolutely massive for theNintendo Switch, as it will be setting the home console/handheld hybrid up for its last big wave of games before the release of the Switch 2. TheNintendo Switchis over seven years old at this point, and so many fans are anxious for Nintendo to release new, more powerful hardware that will allow the company to release more ambitious games.
But while there are many who want Nintendo to move on and release the Switch 2 console, the company is still not done with the original console. Nintendo still has some ambitious plans for Nintendo Switch hardware, with hopes that the console will pass the Nintendo DS' lifetime sales by the end of this fiscal year. This would put theSwitch lifetime sales within striking distance of Sony’s PlayStation 2, meaning the Switch stands a realistic shot at one day becoming the best-selling video game console of all time.
If Nintendo wants the Switch’s strong hardware sales to continue, it will need to provide new games that will draw in new customers. The upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-Areleasing in 2025 will no doubt help in that regard, but the console’s second-half of 2024 is looking rather barren at the moment. Nintendo has confirmed that its second-half of 2024 slate will be revealed at anupcoming Nintendo Direct presentation in June, which is why the month is going to be absolutely massive for the Switch.
Nintendo Direct Coming in June 2024
At the time of this writing, Nintendo has mostly kept quiet about the Switch’s 2024 lineup. Fans know that thePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorremake is releasing May 23, whileLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDis releasing June 27, but otherwise, the company’s plans for this year are largely a mystery. Nintendo has established a cadence of releasing at least one big new Switch game nearly every month, and while there may be a gap in the summer, it seems likely that trend will continue in the months leading up to the 2024 holiday shopping season.
It remains to be seen exactly what Nintendo has in store for the Switch in the second half of 2024, but more information on that front will come at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct. Nintendo has not provided a specific date for the June 2024 Direct at the time of this writing, but it has said that the event will be focused entirely on Nintendo Switch software. Some fans may be disappointed that they won’t be able to tune in andlearn about the Switch 2 console, but this means Nintendo can use the event to focus exclusively on setting the Switch up for a massive second-half of 2024 filled with games.
Rumored Switch Games That Have Yet to Be Announced
Of course, Nintendo fans will be wondering exactly what games they may be treated to at the 2024 Nintendo Direct. It’s impossible to know at this point what Nintendo has up its sleeve, but there have been various leaks and rumors over the years aboutupcoming Switch gamesthat have yet to be actualized. That could be because there is nothing to those rumors and they aren’t based in reality, but it could also be because Nintendo has just been waiting for the right time to release those games. There’s no guarantee that any of the games listed here are going to be seen at the Nintendo Direct in June, so fans should keep their expectations in check, but all of these titles have been rumored or “leaked” at some point or another.
There has been a lot of talk about a 2DDonkey Konggame that may be in development. Recently, it came to light that a 3DDonkey Konggame from Vicarious Visions was canceled, but the projects seem to be unrelated. Nintendo announcing its plans to expand Super Nintendo World withDonkey Kongcontent has lent credibility to the idea that anew 2DDonkey Konggameis in the works, but such a project has yet to be announced.
Other projects that have been rumored for a while but have not been revealed include a newFire Emblemgame that is a remake of one of the franchise’s older titles, as well as anewSuper Mariobaseball game. It’s been a whopping 16 years since the last time Nintendo released aMario Baseballgame, so it definitely seems like the spin-off series is due for a big comeback.
As far asMetroid Primegoes, Nintendo releasedMetroid Prime Remasteredlast year after years of leaks and rumors. Shortly afterMetroid Prime Remasteredwas released, reliable insiders suggested that Nintendo had plans to bringMetroid Prime 2andMetroid Prime 3to the Switch as well, though they would be more like enhanced ports as opposed to full-blown remasters. Some have said that Nintendo actually has finished work on these games already and is simply sitting on them.
The same goes for Switch ports of theWii UZeldaremasters. Unfortunately for franchise fans,The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HDandThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HDremain trapped on the Wii U at the time of this writing. For many, bringing those beloved games to the Switch is a no-brainer, but Nintendo has yet to pull the trigger for one reason or another. Since it’s highly unlikely Nintendo has a newZeldawaiting in the wings for the Switch, bringing these classics to the system could help fill the void and keep fans satisfied while they wait for the inevitable main seriesZeldagame for the Switch 2.
Confirmed Switch Exclusive Games That Have Yet to Be Released
Nintendo has two major Switch games that still need proper showcases.Pokemon Legends: Z-Awas revealed earlier this year with a somewhat vague concept trailer that confirmed its setting and the return of Mega Evolutions. No gameplay ofPokemon Legends: Z-Ahas been shown yet, and so the game seems like a safe bet for the June 2024 Direct.Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s release date is planned for 2025, so the game could very well be the Switch’s swan song whenever it’s out.
That really depends onMetroid Prime 4, though.Metroid Prime 4was one of the first games Nintendo ever announced for the Switch, yet seven years later, fans still have yet to see a single screenshot. The reason isMetroid Prime 4development was rebooted, with Nintendo seemingly unsatisfied with the work that had been done by Bandai Namco. The project was then handed over to Retro Studios, the team that made the originalMetroid Primetrilogy. There have been some rumblings that Nintendo is going to bringMetroid Prime 4to the Switch 2, but as of the latest official word, the game is still expected to come to the original Switch.
Maybe it will be aBreath of the Wildsituation whereMetroid Prime 4is released simultaneously for the original Switch and the Switch 2 hardware, but sincethe Switch 2 is rumored to be backward compatible anyway, that seems unlikely. Whatever the case may be, here’s hoping fans get a long-awaited update onMetroid Prime 4at the big Nintendo Direct that’s set to take place in June.
Switch
A late addition to the eighth console generation, the Nintendo Switch is a hybrid platform that can be experienced as a home or portable system. Launching with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the platform has amassed a wide selection of triple-A and indie titles. Since the console’s debut, Nintendo has released two other models: the Switch Lite and OLED.
