2020 has been an odd year, for a multitude of reasons. Brand new consoles have launched, though they are near-impossible to find in stock anywhere. Nintendo had one of its best financial years yet, but was largely silent and had the smallest number of new releases out of any previous year for the Switch. Tons of games were delayed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, it was a mixed bag of a year to say the least. But 2021 is looking brighter than ever, with Sony and Microsoft’s new generation of consoles getting plenty of new exclusive titles and many highly anticipated titles that were delayed getting their releases.
But what not many gamers realize is that The House of Mario is also looking to have a fantastic year, and may very well steal the PS5 and Xbox Series X’s thunder if Nintendo plays its cards right. There are still two months remaining in 2020, and for all that fans know, Nintendo may have one last Direct planned where the company could have some truly game-changing announcements.
Nintendo fans have been wondering when the next big Nintendo Direct would finally drop, as the company has not given fans a Direct in over a year with the last “true” Nintendo Direct taking place on September 15, 2019. It’s true that Nintendo has released plenty of Direct Minis, Indie Directs, and Partner Showcases, but all of these presentations were somewhat lacking in any major game announcements and were mostly filled with major third party ports and indie titles. This holiday would be the perfect time for the company to unveil a full Direct as the company’s last major game of the year, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, drops this Friday on November 20th.
With Age of Calamity out of the way, the company could very easily build hype for future games to come next year with one more Direct presentation, showing off already announced titles like Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 3, and New Pokemon Snap, and also reveal a brand new game or two.
If Nintendo is smart, it will take this time to announce a brand new game or two for the console. With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at the forefront of everyone’s mind, Nintendo needs to give fans something major in order to regain the spotlight. And apart from the Switch Pro, the company needs a new must-buy title for the Switch’s 2021. The sequel to Breath of the Wild is shaping up to be the most likely candidate for next year’s biggest game, but in case the game doesn’t come as soon as fans expect, there are other potential candidates. A gameplay reveal for Metroid Prime 4 would certainly be another great contender, as the game has been highly anticipated for the console ever since it was announced over three years ago during Nintendo’s 2017 E3 showcase.
It would also be great for the company to announce a couple of brand-new first party Switch titles; a new Super Mario Strikers or Mario Golf game would be great picks, as there’s usually at least one Mario sub-series that appears every year for the console. A brand new entry into one of Nintendo’s much smaller franchises like F-Zero, Star Fox, or Donkey Kong Country would also be wonderful to see, though they don’t seem particularly likely. The real crowd-pleaser that Nintendo needs to include is, of course, Breath of the Wild‘s sequel. The 2017 original sits at one of the highest selling Switch games and also one of the top-selling entries in all of the Zelda franchise, so it’s understandable why so many Nintendo fans are anxious to see its sequel come to the platform. The game was announced last year, but solidifying a release date for it would help build hype and excitement for the title.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X pride themselves in being the most powerful gaming consoles on the market, and compared to the Nintendo Switch, they absolutely blow it out of the water. For some time now, it’s been rumored that Nintendo has some sort of “pro” version planned for its console that will beef up its power in a similar way to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X beefed up their respective consoles. The Switch Pro could really help redefine the Switch as a console that can better compete with the other systems on the market, at least marginally. The Switch Pro doesn’t even have to be a massive improvement, as long as it improves the processing power by a bit.
If Nintendo really wanted to compete, it could announce the Pro version of the Switch alongside the release of one killer game slated for next year, with Breath of the Wild‘s sequel as the most likely candidate. The Switch Pro’s additional power could also allow it to play third party games that otherwise would never be possible on the platform, like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Fallout 4. Additional third party support and a great new exclusive right out of the gate would certainly put the Nintendo Switch Pro in great standings compared to the other consoles, especially considering the current status of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
While the PS5 and Xbox Series X are now released, they are nearly impossible to get a hold of. Microsoft recently stated that its console shortages will continue on for quite a while (continuing into 2021) so this gives Nintendo a huge opportunity. If the company acts fast, Nintendo could announce the Switch Pro before the end of the year and release it sometime within the first half next year. If managed properly, Nintendo could sell its upgraded Switch as next-gen hardware right alongside the PS5 and Series X and directly compete with the other ninth generation systems.
But whether any of this happens certainly remains to be seen. This is all just speculation, but there is another two months remaining until 2020 ends and there it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Until then, Nintendo fans have Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity to look forward to, as well as plenty of other Switch games already announced to be coming in 2021.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity releases for the Switch on November 20.
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