All Nintendo franchises are still missing from the Switch 2 a year later.

We're a year into the life cycle of the Nintendo Switch 2, and while the catalog of games available for it continues to grow steadily after all this time, there are still a few pretty iconic Nintendo series that haven't yet released on NSW2.

However, there is no reason to fear just yet, as the console life cycle spans several years! Nintendo knows that its roster of new and existing games has millions of fans around the world waiting for their next chance to play. I hope I can get my hands on JoyCons soon with the new game in this series.

10

Kid Icarus

Nintendo is the most well-known gaming company these days, but that doesn't mean every game they make will have the same commercial success as titles like the Mario or Zelda series. Little titles that are near and dear to gamers' hearts are ubiquitous throughout Nintendo's history, and one of the biggest of them all is Kid Icarus.

While we've certainly seen iconic characters like Kid Icarus and the goddess of light Palutena in other popular Nintendo titles, the Kid Icarus series has only seen a handful of games since its debut in 1986. It's time for Nintendo to shine a new light on this cult classic.

9

Dr. Mario

Okay, a licensed medical doctor that we would love to see someday. Granted, there's probably a bit more to be added to the gameplay than the matching puzzles we all loved with Mario. However, every handheld console Nintendo has ever released has Dr. There's a Switch 2 game coming, as it includes Mario.

Dr. Mario saw players playing a quick Tetris-like game where they had to drop capsule pills from the top of the screen to match and clear the sides of the game board. The fun and competitive puzzle game you'll love on next-gen consoles!

​​​​​​​

8

Super Smash Bros.

Just because the arcade classics of the past are all but gone, that doesn't mean people's passion for fighting games is gone! Smash Bros. The games have always been competitive. As one of the first games to enter the mainstream competitive arena, I'd love to have the opportunity to battle it out with my friends again.

The competition for Super Smash Bros. titles has always been fierce, and with consoles lacking good fighting titles until now, it's about time Smash Bros. returns. All previous Super Smash Bros. games so far. We're not sure where to go with the title's full roster of fighters, but we're confident Nintendo will find a way to keep us fighting the Bros.

7

paper mario

If the 2024 remake of the 2004 classic Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door has proven one thing, it's that we'll never tire of the different ways we can experience the world in a Mario game. It's been a long time since we've had a new Paper Mario title, although it seems like he's been around ever since he debuted with Paper Mario for the Nintendo64 in 2000.

The charming 2D style still has its place on modern consoles, and serves as a change of pace for the generic over-the-top 3D Mario titles that emerged with the leap in console power. There have been six Paper Mario games so far, but many of us are ready for a number seven on Switch 2 at some point.

​​​​​​​

6

Warioware

Nintendo loves a good spinoff game, and what better character to use as the mascot for a series of quick and quirky mini-games than Wario? If you love the fast-paced, goofy feel of fast games, you'll be familiar with this collection, known for its memorable and quirky flavor.

The game gives you all kinds of simple instructions that get faster and faster as the rounds progress, so the game never loses its replay value. Plus, now that the Switch 2 JoyCon has added mouse functionality, who knows what kind of fun new games Nintendo will be able to create?

​​​​​​​

5

Pikmin

An icon of the GameCube era that has gained staying power over the years between gaming launches, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want another Pikmin game sometime soon. These iconic, colorful little guys symbolize the pure, simple fun of Nintendo games.

Pikmin games have you roaming lush planets, collecting all kinds of items and using your Pikmin to solve creative puzzles. Because the different colors all represent the different abilities your little friend has as he interacts with the world around him. The last game came out late in the Switch's life cycle, but despite that, I'm still waiting for the Switch 2 game.

4

mario party

The first Mario Party title to return to the Nintendo64 took my family by storm upon release and brought cartoon party game shenanigans into my life for the first time. And I've spent the last few decades straining relationships with people I love by challenging them to 30 rounds of Mario Party Thunderdome.

You haven't lived life until you see the light leave someone's eyes when you steal their star and put them in last place in the game. You won't know the competition until you play a mini-game with someone you need to beat so you can buy stars next turn. It's really weird there. We deserve more than a port of Nintendo Jamboree!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​

3

super mario

Mario is Nintendo's flagship character and mascot, and one of the most well-known fictional characters overall. So much of the brand is built on the Super Mario games, and it's been a while since we brought you a fun new adventure for everyone's favorite plumber!

Super Mario Odyssey is a vibrant and engaging new take on the Super Mario games coming to next-gen console technology, bringing all sorts of cool features to the first Switch. With excitement still burning for the Super Mario movie, it seems like the perfect time to announce a new Super Mario game.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​

2

New mainline Zelda

Nintendo clearly knew they were going to completely ruin the 2026 gaming conference season with their final trailer announcing a full Ocarina of Time remake. As a 30-something who grew up on the series, I'm definitely looking forward to it, but I'm also looking forward to the inevitable new entry in the Zelda timeline.

Not everyone was a fan of the open-world style of the latest Zelda game, but with the Ocarina of Time remake scheduled for later this year, it would be a good opportunity to announce that there's a new title in the works for Switch 2 as well. Now that every home console has a mainline Zelda game, it would be even stranger for Nintendo not to do it now.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​

1

animal forest

Even if you weren't a fan of the Animal Crossing series before its global shutdown in 2020, the launch and success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons may have made you fall in love with this charming animal paradise. Almost immediately, it became Nintendo's second best-selling game of all time (behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, whose titles spanned a decade and spanned two home consoles).

After the previous game in the series, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, was released on Nintendo 3DS, eight years passed before the much-hyped Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released on Nintendo Switch. And with so much love for the game, the new entry in the Switch 2 series looks like when than the type of presentation if.