With so much that could happen, let's take a look at Team NL's bingo cards for the year ahead, starting with the question we've been asking ourselves since, oh, 2021?...
On this page: Talking Point: Our 2025 Nintendo Gaming Predictions
1. 'Switch 2' 1.1. When? 1.2. Price point? 1.3. Launch games? 2. 2025 Nintendo release predictions 3. Switch Online additions? 4. Non-gaming Nintendo news 5. Wild cards! 6. Aaaaand Silksong? 'Switch 2'
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life When?
Ollie: There's a lot of chatter around a potential January reveal for the successor, which sounds perfectly plausible, but we've also got Donkey Kong Country Returns HD coming later this month. In addition, Nintendo has absolutely nothing substantial lined up for February.
It's quite funny looking back on last year's predictions and seeing just how confident we were that the 'Switch 2' would be revealed and launched in 2024. Still, let's go with early Feb reveal, launch in June .
Alana: It's going to be soon ā very soon. I reckon we're going to get a teaser in January , with a full-blown February Nintendo Direct presentation focusing on it.
I think June is the latest we'll see the console on shelves, too.
Gavin: The echo chamber is getting pretty noisy - Nintendo needs to get out there and announce the thing before everyone's too exhausted to care! The rumoured 8th January reveal sounds realistic, although later in January also makes sense. Even assuming the trailer is ready, Nintendo staff around the world are still returning to their desks after the holidays, with brimming inboxes and untold admin to sort through - a little time to get up to speed before unleashing Switch 2 seems sensible.
March feels too soon for launch, so unless Nintendo needs to boost its FY24-25 figures, May would be more likely.
Jim: I'm going to have to agree with the team on this one. Sooner rather than later feels very much like the right answer to me, so I'm eyeing early January , too. Launch-wise, I'd be looking at some point in the summer. Let's be slightly contrarian and go for early June ā what a hot take !
That said, this is Nintendo we're talking about, so brace for a teaser in March, a full Direct in September and a launch in early 2026. Oh god .
Price point?
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life Ollie: Realistically, I think we're looking at around Ā£399 / $449 . This puts it well clear of the current cost of the Switch OLED Model, but not high enough that it's approaching the absurdly hefty PS5 Pro price. Nintendo will want it to look competitive next to the likes of the Steam Deck.
Alana: I'm on the same page as Ollie ā Ā£399 / $449 is about what I'm expecting, and I can't see Nintendo going above Ā£449 / $499. The latter pairing will probably be reserved for some kind of upgrade, but I'm also being pessimistic what with rising costs and potential tarifs. I'm praying it's the lower price.
Jim: I'll keep the pessimism a-flowing, then. I can totally see the 'Switch 2' launching with the same $499 / Ā£449 price tag that select analysts predicted last year. I wouldn't want to cough up that much dough, but I know that I would . And in a world of Ā£699 PS5 Pros, I'd wager that a bunch of other people would too.
Gavin: I'm not looking forward to it, but I am preparing for some old-fashioned gouging for us Europeans. $449 USD is in the ballpark, I'd say, but I can see Europe getting an extra 50 currency units slapped on top (the PS5 Pro is a mind-melting 799ā¬ over here), and the GBP total closer to US dollars than we're used to. Let's spice things up and say Ā£429 / $449 / 479ā¬ .
Launch games?
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life Alana: Gosh, it really depends on when it launches. I would've pegged Metroid Prime 4 as a potential, but I feel like we're getting it in the fall.
Regardless, I think the launch period will focus more on updates for existing games and a very limited selection of new releases. I actually don't think Mario Kart 9 will be a launch title, but it will be out within a few months. How about a new Smash Bros. ? Sakurai teased a new project in a video earlier this year, and it'd be amazing to see that return.
An Elden Ring re-release is a safe bet, right? Am I being too ambitious? The DLC will be a year old come the summer.
Ollie: I'd love to see a new 3D Mario game at launch; it's been long enough now. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're desperate for a new entry.
A new Mario Kart seems equally likely, though I question whether we're really ready for a new entry after the Booster Course Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe . Hmm, it's a tough one... I'd rule out Metroid Prime 4, though, I think Nintendo will keep that on the sidelines for a little while yet (assuming it's a cross-gen title).
In short, I would expect one 'big' game, one gimmicky party-style game, and a whole bunch of third-party titles to bolster the lineup. How about one of those legally-binding Call of Duty games?
Jim: Yep, Mario feels like a no-brainer for the 'big' tentpole launch, but I agree with Ollie on the party game front, and I can definitely imagine 'Nintendo Switch Sports Resort' slipping in there. The OG is still selling like hotcakes and a sequel feels like a good excuse for some heart-touching 'Even Nanna can get involved!' marketing in the console's reveal trailer.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some 'Switch 2 Enhanced' options in there, too. A 4K Tears of the Kingdom with bonus 'Master Mode' content? An Echoes of Wisdom minus the dodgy frame rate? 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder Deluxe'? It all feels sufficiently plausible, whether they're free/paid upgrades or entirely new releases.
Gavin: It's got to be Mario for launch, either Kart or the next 3D platformer, with the other one coming later in the year. Given Super Mario Bros.' 40th anniversary, there's no better way to kickstart the next generation.
Beyond that, a couple of surprises (ARMS: Secondhand , anybody? Anyone?... Hello?), and the mysterious Playtest title seems like a gimme. Blimey, that came and went, didn't it?
2025 Nintendo release predictions
Won't somebody think of the puns!? — Image: Nintendo Jim: I'll be boring and throw those fabled Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports into the ring. A substantial part of me would actually prefer a Phantom Hourglass / Spirit Tracks remake at this point, but I've harped on about the Zelda ports for too long now to completely give up hope. That said, four Zelda games in three years feels like a stretch.
Let's go for a new Smash Bros. , then. It won't come at launch, but I can see it being a good Holiday '25 release.
Alana: Uhh, just like last year, I have no idea what to expect. I'd love to have a weird, unexpected year from Nintendo.
I know there's a danger of oversaturation, but isn't it time we get a new Donkey Kong game? Country Returns HD feels like such an odd release to me. Why not jump on a new title? Especially with a new console coming?
Also, I think it's time for a new Animal Crossing game. It's been nearly five years since New Horizons , Nintendo! People would run to Switch 2 with an Animal Crossing game.
Gavin: We'll get the tentpoles and I imagine there'll be a Splatoon 4 announced in the next year or so, but given backwards compatibility, I'm also hoping to see some smaller series getting a late-cycle 'Playable on Switch 2' release. The twilight titles on 3DS (Samus Returns , Shadows of Valentia ) were fantastic but got a little lost. A new Rhythm Heaven that'll play on Switch 2 but also the millions of Switches already out there? You know it makes sense.
Ollie: It's likely the OG Switch systems will continue to receive strong third-party and indie support in the coming months while Nintendo shifts focus, but I also think it's possible we'll see some more ports in the same vein as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition . And of course, we know the Switch is getting both Metroid Prime 4 and PokƩmon Legends: Z-A .
Aside from that, who knows? New Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo XL?
Switch Online additions?
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life Gavin: There are gaps to fill in the current libraries, but first-party-wise there's not a huge amount missing at this point. DS is the console I'd be most excited to see added. Having all Zelda games ever on one Nintendo console is a tantalising prospect.
Ollie: I suspect Nintendo will probably add in a new console to bolster interest when the Switch 2 launches. Could it be GameCube? DS? Dreamcast?! I'd love the former in particular, but I feel like there are so many first-party GameCube games that Nintendo would rather just give the full remaster treatment.
We'll definitely see additions to the current lineup, at least. Nintendo's done a good job of boosting the value of NSO with the likes of Nintendo Music , but more SNES and N64 games really get us hot under the collar.
Alana: More PokƩmon on NSO, please? How are we still missing old-school PokƩmon games, especially with GBA being on the service?
I don't think we'll get new consoles, at least until the Switch 2 has settled. How about a Nintendogs app for NSO members, though?
Jim: Yeah, PokƩmon is the big one for me too, but considering how many people would buy a classic collection at the $70 mark, I wouldn't be surprised to see NSO miss out.
Nintendo Music has me thinking that separate tie-in apps for subscribers will be the way forward, and I can totally imagine a revamped take on StreetPass falling into that category.
Non-gaming Nintendo news
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life Ollie: We'll get our first glimpse at the Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel in 2025. Even if it's not a full-blown trailer, we'll at least get a short look at how Yoshi fits into things and the general premise of the movie. As for the Zelda movie..? Hmm, not sure about that one. Maybe some casting announcements?
I would expect a boatload of additions to Nintendo Music. We got Super Mario 64 recently, but otherwise, new content has been a little bit slow. I suspect Nintendo will want to ramp this up throughout 2025.
Gavin: A Nintendo store in a country I live in would be nice. Honestly, given the interest and how merch sells out instantly in the existing stores/pop-up shops/museum, most European capital cities should have a Nintendo Store, right? Expanding the retail footprint slowly and steadily would fit in with the firm's brand awareness goals and all that game. So yes, more Nintendo Stores opening.
Jim: Movies are one thing, but I can see Nintendo getting back into the short-form space this year. Recent Echoes of Wisdom trailers (even the boring ones) have put me in mind of the adorable Pikmin shorts from back in the day, and with Dynamo now rebranded under the 'Nintendo Pictures ' label, I'd love to see them make a comeback. Serialise it and put it on a NSO-subscribers-only streaming service. That feels like a Nintendo move.
Alana: Well, Super Nintendo World should be opening in Orlando! Tying a Mario Movie sequel teaser in with that would be fun and safe, and easily attract tons of kids to the new park.
More Lego is a safe bet ā a Nintendo Switch Lego set would be very nice but too recent? So maybe a SNES. I'd blow a lot of money on that. Otherwise, sod it, Nintendo releases a sports watch.
Wild cards!
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life Ollie: A PokƩmon/Palworld collaboration..? Heh, no.
It might finally be time for that long-awaited F-Zero GX sequel. I think F-Zero 99 demonstrated that fans really love this series, and a new console would prove the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to finally bring the iconic racing franchise back from the brink. Come on. Do it for me.
Alana: With all four Xenoblade available on Switch from March 2025, it's time for either a new game or a crossover game. Xenoblade Warriors has been thrown around many a time by fans, so why not bite, Monolith Soft and Nintendo?
StreetPass will return with the Switch 2 in some form. Not as it was, but something similar.
Chrono Trigger turns 30 in 2025. If that goes by without anything, I'll be shocked. Give us crumbs, please. Also, less of a Wild Card, but can we have UFO 50 on Switch (2?).
Jim: Let's go for some shocking ports. Baldur's Gate III , Metaphor: Refantazio , Final Fantasy VII - the lot of 'em. Anything that feels like it shouldn't run on Switch 2, I want on Switch 2.
I'll also hesitantly go for a new Star Fox . The era of 'grey space games' is firmly in the rear-view now, but something big and open world feels like it could fit. Probably with Troy Baker as Fox. Probably .
Gavin: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Collection . REM4KE for Switch 2. Majora's Mask: Return to Termina .
Image: Team Cherry Ollie: I officially don't care anymore!
Alana: I'm sticking my neck out here ā Silksong will be a third-party launch title on Switch 2. It'll be cross-gen, obviously, but it'll be there day one on Switch.
Gavin: Still haven't finished Hollow Knight .
Jim: Silksong? Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time.
Those are some of our 2025 Nintendo predictions, but what about yours? Place your bets in the usual place. And feel free to debate our use of the "'20s" in the intro to refer to this decade and not the roaring 1920s.
