- Nintendo is hitting its stride with the Nintendo Switch, and the second half of 2019 is full of release dates for major Switch games.
- A huge new “Super Mario” game, a new Pokémon game, and a long anticipated “Animal Crossing” game are all in the cards.
- For those without a Switch, Nintendo has two major smartphone games in the works – including, for the first time, a “Mario Kart” smartphone game.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
After two years with dozens of major game launches, the Nintendo Switch is comfortably hitting its stride.
And, in the second half of 2019, Nintendo’s hottest console in years is expected to see some of its biggest games yet: a new Pokémon game, a major Mario sequel, and a long anticipated “Animal Crossing” game. For those who don’t own a Nintendo Switch just yet, Nintendo has major games coming on smartphones, too!
Here’s a rundown of Nintendo’s big plans for the latter half of 2019:
1. “Super Mario Maker 2”
One of the best 2D “Super Mario” games isn’t just a game but a creation tool: “Super Mario Maker” on Wii U enabled millions of players to create their own “Super Mario” levels, test them, and then share them all over the world.
In June, Nintendo plans to release the second game in that series with "Super Mario Maker 2."
As in the first "Super Mario Maker," players will be able to create their own 2D "Super Mario" levels using objects from a variety of "Super Mario" games - goombas and koopas and chain chomps from across decades of "Super Mario" history.
While the first "Super Mario Maker" offered objects from "Super Mario Bros.," "Super Mario Bros. 3," "Super Mario World," and "New Super Mario Bros. U," it looks as if "Super Mario Maker 2" will also allow the use of objects from "Super Mario 3D World" - including the various "suits" from that game.
Release date: June 28
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
2. "Dr. Mario World"
"Dr. Mario World" is a free-to-play puzzle game based on the long line of "Dr. Mario" puzzle games from Nintendo.
Like previous Nintendo games on smartphones, "Dr. Mario World" is being developed in collaboration with third-party partners - in this case, it's the Japanese social-media company Line and the Korean game-development studio NHN Entertainment.
So, uh, what is it? We don't know too much just yet, but it sounds like a traditional color-matching puzzle game along the lines of previous "Dr. Mario" games. One twist: It'll be free-to-play. Nintendo describes it as "free to download with optional in-app purchases."
Release date: Early summer 2019
Platform(s): Apple and Android devices
3. "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order"
Despite the "Marvel" name right there in the title, don't expect "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order" to be a blockbuster affair along the lines of the Marvel films.
Instead, it's a long anticipated sequel to a cooperative, dungeon-crawling game series starring the Marvel superheroes. This time, the Guardians of the Galaxy are part of the fun as you take down countless bad guys from an isometric perspective.
As ever, Thanos is the baddest bad guy of them all here, and you're tasked with stopping his plans to destroy the universe. No pressure!
Release date: July 19
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
4. "Mario Kart Tour"
"Mario Kart" has been a big deal for more than 25 years. And now - finally - it's coming to smartphones.
The game is "Mario Kart Tour," and it's now scheduled to arrive this summer.
So, what is "Mario Kart Tour"? That remains to be seen - Nintendo has yet to show anything beyond the logo seen above.
You can tell from the naming convention that "Mario Kart Tour" is its own thing, separate from the main thread of "Mario Kart" games that have come out on Nintendo consoles exclusively. "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" is the most recent entry in the main series. "Mario Kart Tour" is expected to be a side game, like "Mario Kart Arcade GP."
That the game isn't a numbered entry isn't the only indication that it's a spin-off - the fact that it's for a smartphone, not one of Nintendo's consoles, is another big indicator. We'll find out soon enough!
Release date: Summer 2019
Platform(s): Apple and Android devices
5. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening"
The Game Boy classic "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" was an incredible achievement when it arrived on Nintendo's Game Boy handheld console in 1993. It felt and played almost as well as the Super Nintendo game "The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past," despite running on far less powerful hardware.
More than 25 years later, Nintendo is finally giving "Link's Awakening" the remaster treatment it deserves: The game is supposed to get a gorgeous update on the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
Release date: 2019
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
6. A new "Animal Crossing" game
If there's one game Nintendo Switch owners have been clamoring for, it's a new "Animal Crossing" game.
The beloved homemaking game that has endeared itself to so many fans across nearly 20 years is finally on its way to the Nintendo Switch. The tiny bit of a tease that Nintendo offered during its Nintendo Direct presentation isn't intended to directly represent gameplay, but I'd be surprised if it didn't look similar when the game arrives.
Release date: 2019
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
7. "Luigi's Mansion 3"
If you're old like me, you may remember playing an early Nintendo GameCube game named "Luigi's Mansion." It came out way back in 2001!
It wasn't anything like a typical Mario game - instead of jumping on goombas and clearing treacherous gaps, Luigi was sneaking around a haunted mansion with a flashlight and a vacuum. His goal: stun the villainous ghosts with his flashlight and then vacuum them up. Naturally!
The game got a sequel many years later: "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon" for the Nintendo 3DS. But the series has been absent from a Nintendo home console since that original game. Soon, in 2019, a third entry in the series is expected: "Luigi's Mansion 3."
Release date: 2019
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
8. "Pokémon Sword & Shield"
Pokémon is coming to the Nintendo Switch: Prepare yourself!
Nintendo is developing "Pokémon Sword" and "Pokémon Shield" for the Nintendo Switch. Not spin-offs, like "Pokémon Stadium" or "Pokémon Snap" way back on the Nintendo 64, but full-on main-series entries. As is typical for main series "Pokémon" games, there are two versions ("Sword" and "Shield").
The game is set in a new region, known as Galar, and it features the new art style that looks similar to the "Pokémon Let's Go!" games that arrived in late 2018. It also features new Pokémon, new trainers, and a new story.
With a launch window set for late 2019, "Pokémon Sword" and "Pokémon Shield" are likely to be the biggest Nintendo games of the year.
Release date: Late 2019
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
