I believe 2027 is going to be an amazing year for Nintendo – Reader’s Feature

Is the Switch 2 about to enter its golden age? (Nintendo) After a mixed reception to the Switch 2’s first year, a reader is convinced that 2027 will be when it comes into is own and the next 3D Mario is finally revealed. As a major Nintendo fan I pre-ordered the Switch 2 as soon as it was announced, along with key games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. We’re now a year and a half into the console’s life and while I don’t regret my purchase it’s hard not to agree that Nintendo’s choice of games has been strange and that the lack of news on a new 3D Mario is even stranger. The first half of this year was pretty bad and the summer Nintendo Direct was the worst I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if Nintendo realised how people would react to the ultra short reveal of the Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake but it was completely the opposite of what was needed and had me a bit worried. But things turned around almost immediately after that. They had two Nintendo Directs back-to-back not long after, with a proper look at Ocarina Of Time and some actual new game announcements. Still no Mario, but obviously it’s coming… which makes me very excited for next year. Right now, we have four major releases confirmed for 2027: Metroid Ravenous, which is out in January; Kirby And The World Beyond, which is the open world game out in the spring; Xenoblade Genesis, which we know nothing about; and Pokémon Winds and Waves, which was the first to be announced and had a really good trailer. That’s a decent line-up already but while we don’t know Pokémon’s release date it’s very unusual for Nintendo to announce their Christmas game this far out, so it probably isn’t that. It’s got to be something big though, which opens up the very strong possibility of it being the follow-up to Super Mario Odyssey. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. That’s just guesswork but I think it would be shocking if the game wasn’t at least announced next year, which I think will be a great moment for it. We’re also approaching the point at which the next mainline Zelda game could be announced. Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is over three years old now and while the next one probably won’t be ready for another three or so mainline Zeldas are the one kind of game that Nintendo doesn’t mind announcing a long time in advance, even though it’s usually just a logo or a bit of artwork. At the very least we should get some kind of new Zelda game, whether it’s a remake or a spin-off, because there’s the movie out next year, it’s the 40th anniversary, and Nintendo like to have one new Zelda release, of some kind, out every year. I’ve tried to avoid taking anything for granted when I write this but with Splatoon 4 and a new Animal Crossing still not something Nintendo has even hinted at, they’ve got to break their silence soon and I feel 2027 is going to be the big year when the Switch 2 comes into its own. I’m especially not upset I got mine at launch because the memory crisis has pushed the price up since then, but Nintendo has tried to make the increase as small as possible, and you can tell they’re not happy about it. Their business is selling affordable consoles to as many people as possible and they literally don’t want to charge more for it, because unlike some companies they realise that many people buying a cheaper product is better than few people buying an expensive one. They’ve admitted that the Switch 2 games line-up could’ve been better so far, and I believe we’re beginning to see the results of that now. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave was great and I’m sure Zelda: Ocarina Of Time will be as well, but once we get past that I think the Switch 2 will go up a gear and 2027 is when it will really shine. By reader Onibee The Zelda movie is out in April (Nintendo/Sony) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. Arrow MORE: Why I chose to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 instead of GTA 6 – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: Games companies should try to appeal more to older people - Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: Rare being controlled by Activision could actually be a good thing - Reader's Feature GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.