Nintendo Switch exclusives for 2023, not just The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

2022 was a thriving year of publications for Nintendo Switch: a remarkable twelve months in itself, even more surprising considering that it was the sixth year of the platform’s life. The releases have touched very different genres, from multiplayer sports to action games, through platformers and role-playing games. As things stand, 2023 – in terms of exclusives – doesn’t seem to be able to offer the same amount as the year just ended; at the same time many announcements have yet to be made, and we have at least one heavyweight theoretically capable of contending for the Game of the Year 2023.

Let’s find out together, therefore, the exclusives for Nintendo Switch of 2023 announced to date.

Fire Emblem Engage

Exit: January 20, 2023

Fire Emblem Engage is the second game in the main series to land on Nintendo Switch, more than three years after Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which has become, albeit not by much, the best-selling chapter in the saga. Unlike its predecessor Fire Emblem Engage seems more tied to traditions, with less hybridizations of a typical RPG and, consequently, a plot with fewer openings and alternatives. The title is developed by Intelligent Systems, in collaboration with Koei Tecmo and Gust, which seems to have influenced the production aspect, even more “anime” than usual. On a technical level, however, the work appears to be of excellent quality.

The game justifies a “fanservice” apparently cumbersome: Alear, a Divine Dragon, needs to defeat an Evil Dragon to save the land of Elyos, and in his mission – through rings / emblems – he will have the possibility to summon adventurers from other worlds. Adventurers who are characters famous from the saga, some of whom are also admired in Super Smash Bros., such as Marth, Roy, Byleth, Corrin and Ike.

There is less than a month left for the release of Fire Emblem Engage, so you will soon be able to read our review.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

Exit: March 17, 2023

Surprisingly announced a few weeks ago, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a spin-off of the (now) exclusive Nintendo saga, of which the third episode was released on October 28th. As mentioned, it is not a canonical chapter, and the target it aims at is rather vague. The game is supervised by Hideki Kamiya and directed by Abebe Tinari, one of the few Western-born employees of Platinum Games. The work, openly, aims to attract users who do not like action games; Bayonetta Origins: Cerenza and the Lost Demon will be an adventure with mechanics and a very different graphic style than usual, more fairy-tale and – apparently – less baroque. It will expand the narrative universe of the saga, and for this reason – despite the playful differences – it could be of interest to Bayonetta fans. The commercial outcome of the operation is inscrutable: we’ll find out in March if it turns out to be a work worthy of the fame of the series.

Master Detective Archive: RAIN CODE

Exit: Spring 2023

Developed by Spike Chunsoft, in collaboration with Too Kyo Games (made up largely of former Spike Chunsoft employees), Master Detective Archive: RAIN CODE will arrive in spring 2023. Most of its creators had previously originated Danganronpa . This new work has a dark look, albeit always faithful to strong and saturated lights, and in general the aspect seems very interesting to us: it is not particularly rich on a technical level, but it seems well-finished, and the integration between characters and environment is very harmonious. It is an adventure whose protagonist, Yuma (victim of amnesia), is an investigator: as the title suggests, his task will be to find the solution to various mysteries, in a setting with spectral and surreal hues.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Exit: May 12, 2023

It was pretty obvious that, when we were talking about the potential heavyweight, we were referring to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Announced in 2019, it will finally be released on May 12, 2023, six years after its famous predecessor, considered by many to be the best game of the last decade (we live on another planet, we are referring to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild). Despite the various trailers shown, we know almost nothing about this adventure. On a narrative level, it will begin after the conclusion of the predecessor and, following the awakening of a mummy, presumably that of Ganondorf, Zelda will disappear underground, and Link will obtain a “magic arm” that will allow him to obtain new powers, such as the ability to send certain objects back in time. There will be many more aerial phases (also because parts of Hyrule will detach from the ground, to become flying islands), and presumably a verticality never before experienced in an open world. Otherwise, we have very few other clues; Nintendo expects our trust, and in this case they deserve it. A more substantial trailer will probably arrive by March, which will give us the last details before the release. Will it be able to live up to its predecessor?

Disney Illusion Island

Exit: 2023

Disney Illusion Island has been announced for 2023, but does not yet have a precise release date; is in development at Dlala Studios, authors in 2020 of the most recent Battletoads. The game will be a platform devoted to cooperation, since it will support up to four players at the same time, who will be able to take control of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. Graphics should be vector; it is certainly very simple, and has a more essential character design than the canonical one. Still, the look is nice, and the animations seem neat. Most of the details of the game are still unknown; it is not clear, for example, if collaboration in certain cases will be mandatory, and therefore even if a single player can / must control multiple characters. However, the project seems interesting, as well as attractive for Nintendo fans; after all, i 2D platformer they remain a currently underrepresented genre.

Pikmin 4

Exit: 2023

Pikmin 4 was surprisingly announced during last September’s Nintendo Direct by Shigeru Miyamoto himself; this is already news, given that in recent years the Japanese master has dedicated himself almost exclusively to projects outside the world of video games, such as Super Mario Bros. – The Movie and the Super Nintendo World amusement park. His presence at the announcement gives us hope that, finally, he will return – at least as a producer – to actively collaborate in the development of a video game. We know practically nothing about Pikmin 4, and it is not certain that it will really be able to come out by 2023. Technically it seems to us to have taken a significant step forward compared to its predecessor (which dates back to 2013), and from the very short video shown it is clear that it will be possible play with a different shot from the usual, no longer from above but behind the protagonist – we suppose interchangeably with the one we are used to. It’s not a small difference, but a potentially substantial introduction, because it will have a big impact on both combat and exploration. We can’t wait to find out more.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Exit: TBA extension

Originally scheduled for April 2022, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp has been postponed to a later date. This is an already completed game and ready to be published, postponed “only” for much more serious issues, namely the outbreak and continuation of the conflict in Ukraine. Nintendo evidently finds it inappropriate to publish such a work in such a dramatic situation, so the release of the title cannot be taken for granted. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, developed by WayForward, contains the remakes of the beautiful episodes for Game Boy Advance, originally created by Intelligent Systems, still among the best turn-based strategies around. The graphic aspect, in case of release, will have to be evaluated carefully: it was decided to abandon the 2D graphics, however opting for a graphic style that is anything but modern.

Metroid Prime 4

Exit: TBA extension

Metroid Prime 4 is not expected for 2023, and will hardly be released by next December; however it was announced in 2017, and the latest news we have dates back to 2019 (when it changed developers, returning to the Texan hands of Retro Studios), so it is reasonable to expect updates. We have never seen anything from the game, except the logo – presumably temporary – and an illustration that appeared on the developers’ social channels. Nintendo continues to include it in its lists of upcoming games, continuing to give us hope for a relatively close release.