The last time we updated you on the 2020 Nintendo Lineup was back in February, and even though almost half a year has gone by, we still know little of what 2020 has in store for us. Give us your verdict in the comments on how the release year is shaking up. And to clear up any confusion, these are all Nintendo published titles, no third party. All of these release dates are subject to change, especially when you consider the COVID-19 outbreak.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Release Date: May 29th
In just a week, we will either be running through the Gaur Plains once more or for the first time with crisp new visuals and extra content. This Monolift Soft developed game has been heralded by many as one of the greatest modern J-RPGs of the last decade with captivating story and battle system. It tells the story of the hero Shulk, who wields the Monado, a weapon that can tell the future. Will he be able to defend the world against the Mechon menace? This Definitive Edition also comes with an all new epilogue called Future Connected, which can be playable from the get-go. Releasing on May 29th, we’re hoping it keeps us busy throughout a drought of releases from the lack of first party content.
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Release Date: June 5th
*yawn* What? Oh, right. Nintendo will be releasing a collection of 51 board games thuis summer. From chess, to toy boxing, to Go, there are plenty of games to play with your family and friends, either offline or online (up to 4 people). Despite my petty joke, this is a great value at less than $1 a game, while other alternatives on the eShop can be more expensive than that. It’s not the big Nintendo release we were hoping for next month, but with the amount of polish the publisher puts it in its games, this seems to be a solid addition to your library and a nice distraction with the 2020 Nintendo lineup.
The ARMS Character in Smash
Release Date: June
Back in March, Nintendo confirmed the first character of the second Fighters’ Pass will be from the 2017 fighting game ARMS. The company also said the fighter will be announced and released next month. The prospect of it is exciting because the character could drop at anytime as Nintendo Directs are rumored to be not be in the cards for the summer, according to VentureBeat. Don’t keep your hopes up though, as the game’s director Masahiro Sakurai has said that there’s a high probability that the DLC won’t release as scheduled, due to working from home. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Pokemon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass
Release Date: End of June 2020 and Fall 2020
Pokemon Sword & Shield are getting two new expansions. The Isle of Armor during the end of June 2020, and The Crown Tundra sometime in the Fall. Each expansion will have a new area, regional forms, clothing items, legendaries, and Pokemon for Max Raid battles. Isle of Armor, and Pokemon that didn’t appear in the Galar region. Isle of Armor sets us up with the new legendaries Kubfu and Urshifu, and new Gigantimax forms for the evolved starter Pokemon. The Crown Tundra will add Calyrex and an all-new co-op mode. Will these expansions satisfy the overbearing fanbase, despite all these additions? Unlikely…
Paper Mario: The Origami King
Release Date: July 17th
Nintendo came out of nowhere and announced Paper Mario: The Origami King on Twitter last week with a July 17th release date. It all unfolded so quickly! Ha, haha, oh okay. This new instalment features enemies of the origami kind, as Mario and Luigi realize that their dear princess has turned on them after being turned into this specific papercraft. The true antagonist is King Olly, a new villain in the Mario universe, and Mario will try to thwart him by saving the castle from his clutches and the landscape that has been scorn by his minions. The combat, once again, seems to steer away from the initial systems of the original game on the Nintendo 64 with a spinning plain. From the trailer, we find out that you have to line them up maximize your damage against Mario’s foes. We hope after a few unsuccessful sequels on the 3DS and Wii U, that this one will deliver. At least, it looks pretty!
Bravely Default II
Release Date: 2020
Square Enix’s upcoming sequel to a beloved 3DS RPG series, Bravely Default II, is still scheduled to release in 2020. Nintendo will technically be publishing it for the West. Team Asano, just off the well-received Octopath Traveler, is coming back to develop Bravely Default II. Like the Final Fantasy series, this entry will be in a completely seperate world to the first two. Still not much is known, but you can play a demo of it that’s free on the eShop right now. If you’re craving some turn-based goodness, this is it.
Rumours/Unconfirmed Titles
There are some games being heavily hinted by big gaming news outlets, like Video Game Chronicle. Apparently, there will be a bundle of past 3D Mario games being released on the Switch later this year as a part of the plumber’s 35th anniversary. These remasters include Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy, which are classics in a lot of Nintendo fans’ minds. The Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World is also hinted at being ported for the Switch. Mamma mia, that’s a lot of Mario! This rumor also gained a lot of credibility with the announcement of Paper Mario: The Origami King. It’s hard not to get excited to see a remaster for all of these titles, akin to the Crash and Spyro trilogy releases, but still….take this with a grain of salt. Hopefully, these join the 2020 Nintendo Lineup.
Paper Mario: The Origami King may have given a hint of another game in the works for 2020: a new Metroid 2D game. Mario in the trailer posed as Samus Aran wearing her helmet and blasting with an arm cannon like motion. It seems like a tease because it was completely out of nowhere as a stinger at the end. Well known leaker Sabi also suggested that a new Metroid was coming alongside a Paper Mario game this year. He mentioned it would be “related” to Metroid Fusion. Interesting, if true! My guess is that the same team behind Metroid: Samus Returns, MercurySteam, could be behind it, if this is real.
So, are you happy with this 2020 Nintendo lineup and do you think these Mario remasters could happen? Let us know in the comments below!
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