Nintendo Confirms Switch Releases, Teases New Console Announcement
Nintendo has pulled back the curtain on its plans for the near future, revealing a robust lineup of games for the Nintendo Switch in its latest financial report. While the industry buzzes with anticipation for the console's successor, the company made it clear that the current generation still has plenty of life left, confirming release dates for five major titles and keeping several highly anticipated projects on its official upcoming schedule.
The report, which covers the fiscal year ending in March 2024, not only highlighted the incredible ongoing success of the Switch platform but also provided fans with a concrete roadmap for the coming months. For Switch owners, the message is simple: get ready for a busy year.
A Packed 2024 Release Slate Confirmed
Nintendo is ensuring that Switch players have a steady stream of high-quality experiences to look forward to through the summer and beyond. The company locked in the release schedules for a diverse collection of remakes, remasters, and new adventures. This pipeline of content demonstrates a strong continued commitment to the more than 141 million Switch consoles sold worldwide.
The upcoming confirmed launch schedule includes:
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (May 23, 2024): A long-awaited and beloved GameCube classic, this remake brings the charming paper-craft RPG to a new generation. With a complete visual overhaul and the same witty, engaging story that made it a fan-favorite, this is one of the year's most anticipated Switch titles.
- Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (June 27, 2024): Originally a standout title on the Nintendo 3DS, this spooky adventure is getting a high-definition upgrade. Players will once again join the perpetually nervous Luigi as he explores multiple haunted mansions, armed with his trusty Poltergust to suck up ghosts and solve clever environmental puzzles.
- Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (July 18, 2024): A surprise announcement that taps directly into Nintendo's competitive history, this title challenges players to blast through over 150 speedrun challenges pulled from 13 classic NES games. It features online leaderboards and a mode that recreates the legendary 1990 World Championships.
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble (June 25, 2024): While a third-party title from SEGA, this Switch exclusive is a key part of the console's summer lineup. It brings the classic, fast-paced, marble-rolling puzzle action back with all-new stages and an Adventure Mode, plus online multiplayer for up to 16 players.
- Endless Ocean Luminous (May 2, 2024): This serene underwater exploration game launched just before the report, but its inclusion in the fiscal presentation highlights Nintendo's focus on providing unique and varied experiences. It allows up to 30 players to dive together online into a vast, procedurally generated ocean, discovering over 500 species of marine life.
The Future Pipeline: What's Still to Come?
Beyond the games with firm 2024 release dates, Nintendo's official schedule continues to list several other key projects that have fans eagerly waiting. These titles represent the next wave of major releases, ensuring the Switch has a strong tail end to its lifecycle.
Most prominent among these is Pokémon Legends: Z-A, officially slated for a 2025 release. This next major entry in the wildly popular franchise is set to return players to the Kalos region, first seen in Pokémon X and Y, with a focus on the futuristic Lumiose City.
The continued presence of these games on the release schedule serves as a powerful statement from Nintendo that significant, system-selling software is still in active development for the current platform.
Metroid Prime 4: Still on the Horizon
One of the most-watched titles on Nintendo's long-term forecast remains Metroid Prime 4. The game, which famously had its development completely rebooted in 2019 to be helmed by original series developer Retro Studios, is still listed with a "TBA" (To Be Announced) release window.
While the lack of a specific date is a continued source of speculation, its unwavering inclusion in every financial report is a crucial sign of reassurance for the passionate Metroid fanbase. It confirms that the project is still an official part of Nintendo's future plans, even if the company is taking its time to ensure the final product meets the high standards set by its predecessors.
Acknowledging the Next Generation
Perhaps the biggest news to come from Nintendo alongside the financial report was an official statement regarding the successor to the Nintendo Switch. In a rare move, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa formally announced that information about the new console will be shared "within this fiscal year," meaning before the end of March 2025.
This is the first official confirmation from the company that a new hardware announcement is on the timeline. However, Furukawa was careful to manage expectations, stating that the new console will not be featured in the next Nintendo Direct presentation in June, which will focus exclusively on the software lineup for the latter half of 2024 for the existing Nintendo Switch. This dual approach—confirming the future while focusing on the present—shows a carefully managed strategy to transition between console generations without halting the momentum of the current one.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: When did Nintendo release its latest financial report?
A: Nintendo released its financial report for the fiscal year ending March 2024 on May 7, 2024.
Q: What are the next big Nintendo Switch games with confirmed release dates?
A: The next major confirmed first-party releases are Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (May 23, 2024), Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (June 27, 2024), and Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (July 18, 2024).
Q: Did Nintendo announce the Switch 2?
A: Nintendo did not announce the "Switch 2" itself, but company president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the successor to the Nintendo Switch will be officially announced sometime before March 31, 2025.
Q: Is Metroid Prime 4 still in development?
A: Yes. Nintendo's latest release schedule, included with its financial report, continues to list Metroid Prime 4 as an official upcoming title with a "TBA" release date, confirming it is still in active development.