Games
30 Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games To Look Forward In 2023
2023 is turning out to be a year full of games, to no one’s real surprise, but which ones are the most exciting? Which ones have us saving up our Nintendo eShop Gold Points? And which one was a Zelda sequel that had us foaming at the mouth? The answers may (not) surprise you.
We’re over halfway through the year now, and although Tears of the Kingdom has come and gone, but Switch has plenty more left in the 2023 tank. Below we’ve rounded up 30 of the biggest Switch games we’re looking forward to. They run the gamut from AAA first-party offerings to promising-looking indies. We’ll no doubt be adding to (and subtracting from) this list as the remaining months go by.
Switch’s 2023 got off to a good start with Fire Emblem Engage, a pair of Persona ports, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Octopath Traveler II, a Metroid Prime Remastered shadow-drop, a Deluxe edition of a Kirby classic, and the long-awaited arrival of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Pikmin 4, but there’s plenty more in the pipeline over the coming months.
Sea of Stars (Switch eShop)
From what we’ve seen so far, Sea of Stars is off to a fabulous start, as we said in our 2020 preview, but release plans were scuppered thanks to a certain little pandemic. It was supposed to launch in 2022 but got pushed into 2023 and is now scheduled for launch on 29th Aug 2023.
Sabotage Studio — known for their first game, The Messenger — seems committed to respecting not only the traditions of classic 16-bit RPGs but also the modern gamer’s time. Now that we’ve played it, we can confirm that it’s a true and exciting fusion of past and present, and it was well worth the long wait.
Rune Factory 3 Special (Switch)
Another remake of a beloved farming game from days of yore, Rune Factory 3 Special follows warm on the heels of the excellent Rune Factory 4 remake for Switch. Sure, it’s no Elden Ring, but on 5th September, we’ll be diving back into the world of Rune Factory once more.
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Fae Farm (Switch eShop)
Fae Farm promises the depth of Stardew Valley and the charm of Fantasy Life in its gorgeous co-op farming sim, which is scheduled for release on 8th September 2023. It’s incredibly pretty, and even though this list has a fair few farmy games on it already, we think Fae Farm looks like it’ll bring something new and magical to the genre.
MythForce (Switch eShop)s
Inspired by Saturday morning cartoons, MythForce is a first-person roguelike combining lots of melee-style and sword-based combat with archery in a fantasy world that will appeal to anyone with a fondness for ’80s TV animation. It’s coming on 12th September 2023.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster (Switch)
After months of rumours, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was finally revealed during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct. Originally developed by one Monolith Soft, this collection contains two cult classic card-based RPGs released on the GameCube, with a story penned by Masato Kato (Chrono Cross), these are relics that deserve a second shuffle, and we’re excited to grab our decks on 14th September 2023 (or 15th September for those of you in Europe).
My Time at Sandrock (Switch eShop)
Initially down for a September launch, My Time at Sandrock leaves early access and comes to Switch on 2nd November. The follow-up to My Time at Portia is looking to improve on the sequel in every way, including the performance woes from the original’s Switch port. Multiplayer is coming to Switch post-launch, otherwise, the move to the desert can’t come soon enough.
The Making of Karateka (Switch eShop)
The first entry in Digital Eclipse’s new Gold Master Series, The Making of Karateka builds on the interactive documentary template the studio set out with the excellent Atari 50, exploring the story of Karateka, the debut game from Prince of Persia designer Jordan Mechner.
Even if you know nothing about Karateka on Apple II, anyone with even the tiniest inkling of an interest in video games and their history should be excited for this one. As well as the documentary material, four versions of the game will be playable, including a brand-new remaster of this seminal, story-based martial arts platformer that set the stage for a wave of cinematic platformers in the mid-’80s. We’re psyched for all the games on this 2023 list, but if we had to rank them by anticipation, this would genuinely be up there with the Marios. The Switch version launches on 29th August in North America, and 5th September in Europe and Australia.
Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch)
The long-awaited return of the coffee-swigging Detective Pikachu arrives in the appropriately named Detective Pikachu Returns. He’ll be doing said returning on 6th October 2023. Yep, October and November are looking pretty busy…
Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless (Switch)
Nippon Ichi’s long-running Disgaea series is about to get big this year with Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless. Coming to the west on 3rd October in North America and 6th October in Europe, Japanese reception to the game has been pretty positive following its release in January, so expect some super-sized strategy RPG action anytime from September. It’s a pretty busy year for NIS America, that’s for sure.
Batman Arkham Trilogy (Switch)
We’ve been wishing and hoping for this one for a long time, but we’re still not sure if the Switch will be able to handle the third game in Rocksteady’s remarkable trilogy. We’ll find out when the bat signal lights up on 13th October 2023.
Sonic Superstars (Switch)
Announced at Summer Game Fest 2023. Sonic Superstars blends the classic gameplay style with 2.5D visuals and four-player co-op. Essentially it’s looking like Sonic’s New Super Mario Bros., then. Featuring Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, new power-ups and abilities are being added and the reveal trailer ended with a little tease of Fang the Sniper in pixel-art form, an antagonist who first appeared in Sonic Triple Trouble on the Game Gear.
Confirmed to be using ‘translated’ physics from Sonic Mania, we played the game at Summer Game Fest, and it feels good. Multiple retailer listings had it down for a 17th October release, and that’s now locked in.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch)
The latest addition to the 2D Mario series arrives on 20th October 2023. Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks to bring back the four-player side-on colour and chaos of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, but with a gorgeous new lick of paint and myriad new details. It looks irresistible, and we’re itching to find out more.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 (Switch)
Collecting together a grand collection of the assorted Snakes’ earlier adventures, Konami has put together quite the package with Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1. You’ll be able to buy the three main games individually if this bundle is too much to take in one go. It launches on Switch on 24th October 2023. Check out our hands-on impressions below:
Star Ocean The Second Story R (Switch)
Star Ocean The Second Story R is a gorgeous HD-2D-esque (but not quite) remake of the classic 1998 PS1 action RPG from tri-Ace launching on Switch on 2nd November 2023. With enhanced pixel art visuals combined with 3D environments to create a unique-looking world, you can play through the game as one of two characters — Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford. Each character has a slightly different perspective on the story, and you’ll be able to recruit different characters depending on who you pick.
It’s a real winner and we’re very glad to see it coming to Switch.
Persona 5 Tactica (Switch)
Persona 5 Tactica was officially confirmed for the Switch a couple of days after the Summer Game Fest Xbox Games Showcase reveal. It’s a tactical RPG based on the excellent fifth entry in the mainline Persona series, which took its sweet time coming to Switch. This spin-off, however, is scheduled to launch alongside other versions on 17th November 2023.
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Super Mario RPG (Switch)
This is looking to be a gloriously faithful and gorgeously rendered remake of the Square-developed SNES classic. We’re just happy that more people will have access to Super Mario RPG, as this will mark the first physical release of the game on European shores. It lands on those and other shores on 17th November 2023.
Metal Slug Tactics (Switch eShop)
First unveiled at E3 2021 and confirmed for Switch in the August Indie World Showcase, Metal Slug Tactics was heading to Switch sometime in 2022 before getting pushed into 2023.
Bringing tactical gameplay to the run-and-gun franchise, Dotemu is on publishing duties for this isometric turn-based take, with Leikir Studio developing. Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes is also working on the soundtrack, so there’s no shortage of talent involved. We’ve got a good feeling about this one.
Hollow Knight: Silksong (Switch eShop)
Hollow Knight: Silksong, Team Cherry’s highly anticipated follow-up to the hugely successful 2D Metroidvania Hollow Knight, was first announced in February 2019. The developers have been relatively quiet ever since, although we’ve seen some teases. Obviously, 2020, 2021, and 2022 which means that we’ll be waiting a little longer for Silksong.
A trailer for the game was broadcast as part of the Xbox Showcase in June 2022, which focused on games that are coming out “in the next 12 months”, including Silksong. But Team Cherry has since delayed the game, pushing it back into (hopefully) the second half of 2023.
Rift of the NecroDancer (Switch eShop)
Nearly a year after it was first revealed, Rift of the NecroDancer is confirmed to be coming to Switch in 2023. This gorgeous rhythm spin-off of Crypt of the NecroDancer combines Guitar Hero, Rhythm Heaven, and gorgeous visuals to create a fun, goofy, lovely little thing. We’ll be taking to the stage later this year when this one drops.
Outer Wilds (Switch)
A 22-minute timeloop game that we’ve had our eye on for quite some time on other consoles, Outer Wilds was finally announced as coming to Switch in late 2021… although it obviously missed that window.
Not to be confused with The Outer Worlds, which is already available on Switch, Outer Wilds was one of the games we hoped to see get a Switch port at the start of 2021 so we’re thrilled we’ll soon be able to play it on-the-go. It didn’t happen in 2022, though, so suuuuurely 2023 is the year at last?
Mina The Hollower (Switch eShop)
Planned for PC/Mac release in December 2023, it’s not yet 100% clear if Shovel Knight devs Yacht Club Games will bring this old-school top-down GBC-style game to Switch. But with all the Nintendo inspiration visible in the game’s aesthetic, Mina the Hollower has to come to the Nintendo console du jour, right?
Demonschool (Switch eShop)
We only had a small taste of what Demonschool is all about in our preview in late 2022, but much like its big chompy demon, we’re hungry for more. The Persona-like school downtime and the Buffy-esque feeling of being the only ones who can stop the demonic chaos invading our town is enough to get us feeling nostalgic for the 2000s, but the blend of snappy tactics, original visual style, and modern, witty writing has us looking forward to its release in 2023.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (Switch)
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is out on 1st December 2023 on Switch and focuses on Psaro, whose name you might recognise if you’ve played Dragon Quest IV. Psaro is out for revenge, and he must become a Monster Wrangler to command an army of creatures to fulfil his ambitions. The game uses the familiar turn-based battle system from the spin-off series and the main Dragon Quest series, but you’ll be commanding your menagerie of monsters in battle instead of taking up arms yourself.
SteamWorld Build (Switch eShop)
Thunderful’s SteamWorld series has worn many different hats over the years, but with SteamWorld Build, we’re digging down into the city-builder and dungeon-crawler worlds. You need to construct a mining town and explore abandoned mines looking for new materials to help grow your ever-expanding home. The game is due to be released later this year, and we can’t wait. We’ve got no release date yet, but we expect to see this one come out from the ground in 2023.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch)
One of Level-5’s surprise reveals on February 2023, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time brings back returning characters and new faces on an all-new island. You’ll be able to travel to the past as well as take on whatever jobs you want. We don’t know much about this series’ return yet, but hopefully it’ll manage to squeak in at the end of 2023. We might be waiting for a bit, though!
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam (Switch)
Level-5 cemented its grand return in the February 2023 Nintendo Direct with multiple new titles, including a brand new Professor Layton game. Hershel Layton and his assistant Luke Triton are back and their adventures take them to the United States, where Luke now lives. Now it’s Layton who’s a fish out of water in what we hope is a 2023 release… but it could be 2024. We have our fingers crossed!
The Plucky Squire (Switch)
Former Pokémon art director James Turner surprised us all with a new studio and a new game in The Plucky Squire, which is a particularly enticing piece of eye candy that looks like it’s going to dominate video game discussion when it comes out some time in 2024. It’s got this really wonderful 2D-3D hybrid thing going on, with a storybook art style that we know we’re going to love.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Switch eShop)
The title isn’t lying — there are at least 100 playable characters in this epic RPG coming sometime in Q2 2024 (after initially targeting a 2023 release date). After absolutely smashing its Kickstarter goal at the end of 2022 and raising $3.5 million, we can confidently say that each of these Hundred Heroes will be worth at least $35,000. That’s how that works, right?
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (Switch)
Konami continues its string of rereleases with Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, which contains the first two titles in Konami’s beloved Suikoden series, remastered and retranslated. Dropping the same year (presumably) as its spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle, this has been delayed to an unannounced date. Perhaps summer 2024 is when we’ll see these classics…
Metroid Prime 4 (Switch)
Having been scrapped and restarted at the beginning of 2019, with veteran Metroid Prime team Retro Studios now steering the ship, there’s still a ways to go with this one — the fact that Retro was still looking for a Lead Producer as of August 2020 should clue you in that Metroid Prime 4 needs more time in the oven — a lot more time. We’ve seen the pitfalls and perils of rushing a tentpole game to launch before it’s good and ready, and there’s no way Nintendo will let Prime 4 out of its sight until it’s juicy and tender.
Holiday 2023 is the absolute earliest we could see Prime 4, and even that is massively wishful thinking. A simultaneous launch alongside new hardware would make sense, but with a lot of plates spinning for Nintendo, it’s difficult to say, especially having had no word of Prime 4 for so long. Honestly, 2024 is looking more likely now. We can almost see the logo fading out at the end of the trailer while the ‘4’ remains and ‘202’ fades up before it…
News Source – Nintendo Life