Donkey Kong, Samus, Kirby, and a squid kid.
Though highly anticipated and so far incredibly successful, the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been relatively quiet regarding its offering of exclusives. The well-received Mario Kart World is the system's standout title so far, with the only other brand-new exclusive being Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a collection of micro-games serving as an in-depth tech demo.
Every other exclusive is simply an upgraded version of a Switch exclusive, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom's premium Switch 2 Editions, or the free upgrades to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This mix of new and returning exclusives muddies the water a bit when looking forward, but there is a pretty exciting lineup of Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives set to release throughout 2025, into next year, and potentially beyond. 10 Donkey Kong Bananza July 17, 2025 Close Donkey Kong Bananza is the next Switch 2 exclusive on the docket for this year, releasing on July 17, 2025. It feels like the kind of game that would have been perfect as a launch title, being DK's first new 3D game since Donkey Kong 64 all the way back in 1999, and a potentially great showcase of the new console's potential. A little more than a month removed from Mario Kart World, though, Bananza might have more sales success. DK and Pauline take an odyssey through various underground realms, all of which are almost entirely destructible. You can smash your way through nearly every surface to find the coveted Banandium Gems while on a mission to stop VoidCo. from reaching the planet's core. 9 Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition July 24, 2025 Close Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is the next exclusive upgrade, and the first to demonstrate Nintendo's ludicrous naming conventions for such games. Jamboree was already widely celebrated after its launch on the Switch in October 2024, but Jamboree TV will crucially include new content which takes advantage of the Switch 2's new functions and accessories. Related Super Mario Party Jamboree Review: More Like An Entire Amusement Park Than A Party Nintendo's Super Mario Party Jamboree is a refreshing mix of new and updated features tailor-made to be the most expansive and focused entry yet. Posts New modes and mini-games will utilize the Switch 2's mouse controls, the console's microphone, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, a peripheral that's sold separately. The Switch 2 Edition, dropping on July 24, will bring a host of performance improvements to Jamboree as well, including better textures and a higher frame rate. 8 Drag x Drive August 14, 2025 Close Drag x Drive feels like the Switch 2 equivalent of Arms, a proof-of-concept game that's likely to remain relatively niche. Drag x Drive is a 3v3 wheelchair basketball game that takes advantage of the Switch 2's mouse controls – you slide your Joy-Cons as if you were turning the wheels of a wheelchair. It's set to release on August 14 and may help bridge the gap between more traditional Switch 2 exclusives. Mouse controls on the Switch 2 have had a positive reception so far, but they've largely been used in more traditional ways: strategy games like Civilization 7 and for first-person aiming in Cyberpunk 2077. Drag x Drive will be a real test of the technology, as early previews have mentioned the game can be exhausting. It's excellent for representation and drawing more attention to the sport of wheelchair basketball, but it's also catching a lot of flak for its comparatively bland art style. 7 Kirby And The Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition August 28, 2025 Close Although it's another upgrade to a Switch game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a mouthful— I mean, a more compelling re-release than Jamboree. Star-Crossed World is a brand-new story expansion for the Pink Puffball's latest mainline adventure. Its upgrade price of $20 is perhaps indicative of how much new content there will be. The upgrade price is for those who own Forgotten Land on the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition alone is $80, adopting Nintendo's new controversial price point for its most premium games. In Star-Crossed World, a meteor has struck the world, and Kirby is the one to investigate. Very little information has been revealed, but it will more than likely follow the Forgotten Land base game in its structure, with new Mouthful Modes promised for the expansion. Following Drag x Drive on August 28, Kirby's debut on the Switch 2 will come with improved performance as well. 6 Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition October 16, 2025 Close Seeing how Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were fixed on Nintendo's new console, the Switch 2 Edition of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is likely to be the definitive way to play the new monster-catching RPG. Developer Game Freak has struggled to bring Pokémon up to par visually with other modern 3D games, and Z-A doesn't make any great strides, but it at least has a novel concept. Z-A will take place entirely within the Kalos region's Lumiose City during a restoration initiative to make the urban environment better accommodate human and Pokémon cohabitation. Scheduled for October 16, it carries over some of the celebrated battle mechanics from Pokémon Legends: Arceus, while introducing some new wrinkles, like the player being required to dodge incoming attacks. 5 Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Late 2025 Close Age of Imprisonment is the third Hyrule Warriors game, a musou spin-off series developed by Koei Tecmo. In the same way Age of Calamity was a non-canonical prequel to Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will take place before Tears of the Kingdom's main timeline, depicting the events of the Imprisoning War. With a release window of late 2025, it marks the beginning of a slate of upcoming Switch 2 exclusives that don't have a concrete release date yet. This Imprisoning War is a separate conflict from the identically named Imprisoning War that takes place between Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past in the Zelda series' Fallen Hero Timeline branch. The Imprisoning War was partly depicted in TOTK's Dragon Tear memories; it's the saga of Ganondorf's imprisonment underneath Hyrule Castle, where he remained for untold millennia until the seal is broken in TOTK's prologue. You'll be able to play as Zelda, Rauru, and, presumably, the other Sages in massive, hack-and-slash battles agains Ganondorf's minions. 4 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond 2025 Close The wait for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond never seems to end, but it's still set for release sometime in 2025. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was released all the way back in 2007, and Prime 4 has been in turbulent development for many years, having initially been announced in 2017. With Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime Remastered landing on the Switch, though, the series is making a bit of a comeback, and Prime 4 is shaping up nicely. Beyond will also release on the original Switch, but its Switch 2 version appears to have significant differences in its controls and performance. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond sees Samus on the new planet Viewros, and will bring a subplot involving rival bounty hunter Sylux to the forefront. The game will be playable with the Switch 2's mouse controls, but the real highlight is Samus' new psychic powers, which let her manipulate objects from a distance and solve various puzzles. 3 Kirby Air Riders 2025 Close Kirby is having a big year on the Nintendo Switch 2, with Kirby Air Riders also coming to the system before the end of the year. A legacy sequel to 2003's Kirby Air Ride, Air Riders is an action racing game. Its announcement trailer reveals very little, but if it's anything like its predecessor, Air Riders will be very straightforward to play, but complicated to master at its break-neck speeds. Kirby Air Riders will be the first game directed by legendary series creator Masahiro Sakurai since 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Rumor has it, Air Riders was Sakurai's condition for agreeing to develop a new Smash Bros. title. Kirby Air Riders does not yet have a narrower release window than 2025. 2 The Duskbloods 2026 Close With The Duskbloods, we've moved on to Switch 2 exclusives that are coming in 2026 or later. Developed by FromSoftware, the studio behind Dark Souls and Elden Ring, The Duskbloods was one of the more pleasant surprises from the big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April. FromSoftware has become one of the industry's most reliable development houses, but The Duskbloods is already raising eyebrows. The game is unexpectedly a PvPvE multiplayer experience, set to feature many hallmarks of the extraction genre, which is itself rather divisive. Following this year's Elden Ring Nightreign, a co-op roguelite spin-off, The Duskbloods continues a notable trend of FromSoftware focusing heavily on multiplayer. Details are scarce on The Duskbloods, but it's caught a lot of eyes for its thematic similarities to the beloved Bloodborne. 1 Splatoon Raiders TBA Close Splatoon Raiders is the only announced Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive to not have any sort of release window. It was announced alongside a Splatoon 3 update, with the promise of more information at some point in the future. It stars Deep Cut, the music trio of Splatoon 3, and a character known only as a mechanic. It's the first-ever Splatoon spin-off, and appears to be primarily a single-player adventure. Deep Cut and the mechanic are stranded on the Spirhalite Islands after their helicopter crashes, and the mechanic is briefly shown as the player character, accompanied by a robotic companion. The best guesses peg Splatoon Raiders as a third-person shooter with survival and crafting elements, as Deep Cut is seen setting up a hub craft of sorts. Splatoon Raiders will come exclusively to the Nintendo Switch 2 likely no sooner than next year. Like Follow Followed Nintendo Switch 2 9/10 Brand Nintendo Original Release Date June 5, 2025 Original MSRP $449.99 Operating System Proprietary The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for April 2, 2025. Storage 256GB internal / MicroSD Resolution 1080p / 4K App Store Nintendo eShop Wi-Fi Yes Ports 2x USB Type-C / 3.5mm audio HDR Support Yes See at Official Site Expand Collapse
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