While Nintendo has provided occasional updates on Twitter, over a year has passed since the last official Nintendo Direct. As Nintendo remained oddly silent throughout the pandemic, fans grew restless about the future of the hybrid console. Critics also began comparing the lackluster Nintendo Switch 2020 lineup to the Wii U era. But after a series of surprise announcements, the year 2020 is exceeding fan expectations. Let’s dive in.

Notable First & Second Party Titles

It is no secret that Nintendo’s first-party games are its key to success. While the company cannot publish a mainline Mario or Zelda title each year, fans yearn for a sustained cadence of Nintendo releases. After flurry of Tweets and YouTube videos, Nintendo solidified the remainder of its 2020 Switch lineup.

• Fire Emblem Three Houses: Cindered Shadows DLC (February 2020)
• Animal Crossing New Horizons (April 2020)
• Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition (May 2020)
• Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC (June 2020)
• Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (June 2020)
• Paper Mario: The Origami King (July 2020)
• Super Mario 3D All-Stars (September 2020)
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe (October 2020)
• New Pokemon Snap (2020)

Third-Party Support

Although secondary to Nintendo’s intellectual property, third-party support is critical to sustained success. While the current year’s first-party titles might disappoint fans, AAA developers offered exceptional support in 2020.

• Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (January 2020)
• Rune Factory 4 Special (February 2020)
• Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition (February 2020)
• Doom Collection (March 2020)
• Trials of Mana (April 2020)
• BioShock: The Collection (May 2020)
• Borderlands Legendary Collection (May 2020)
• XCOM 2 Collection (May 2020)
• The Outer Worlds (June 2020)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (June 2020)
• Crysis Remastered (July 2020)
• PGA Tour 2K21 (August 2020)
• NBA 2K21 (September 2020)
• Ys Origin (October 2020)
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (November 2020)
• Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (November 2020)
• Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (December 2020)
• Doom Eternal (2020)
• Bravely Default II (2020)

Indie Darlings

Independent developers have also found a home on the Nintendo Switch. The hybrid platform has not only increased profitability but also saved multiple studios from bankruptcy. Listed below are several of the most notable titles from 2020:

• Baba is You (March 2020)
• Streets of Rage 4 (April 2020)
• Shantae and the Seven Sirens (May 2020)
• CrossCode (July 2020)
• Carrion (July 2020)
• Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (July 2020)
• A Short Hike (August 2020)
• Spiritfarer (August 2020)
• Evergate (August 2020)
• Cadence of Hyrule DLC (October 2020)
• Torchlight III (2020)
• GONNER2 (2020)
• Axiom Verge 2 (2020)

Conclusion

But we want to know what you think. Are you excited about the Nintendo Switch 2020 lineup? Will you buy any of the recently announced games? Let us know in the comments below and the social media links on the right. Also, be sure to check out our other news items on Pokemon, Modern Warfare, Capcom, Blizzard and more.

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