The holiday season is shaping up to be a blockbuster for Nintendo Switch owners, with several hotly anticipated titles coming soon. With this in mind, I got to visit a preview event for Nintendo in NYC. With a range of titles on display, it was my time to get some time on the most exciting titles coming to the Nintendo Switch this fall.
Topping the list is WarioWare: Move It!, the latest in the beloved microgame series that has players twisting and turning their bodies to beat hundreds of lightning-fast minigames. Sonic is dashing onto the Switch as well in Sonic Superstars, a new 2D platformer with stunning visuals.
Mario makes his grand return in the first original side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. game in over a decade, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which promises new abilities and unpredictable gameplay. For a more relaxing experience, Nintendo had Fae Farm ($57.95 US on Amazon) and Detective Pikachu Returns ($49.93 US on Amazon) on display, offering up magical adventures and a caffeinated mystery adventure set in the Pokémon universe.
With these and many other promising titles on the way, Nintendo Switch owners have a lot to look forward to this holiday season, so let’s dive into the titles you should look out for in the coming weeks and months.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
As a lifelong lover of the red plumber, I was excited to sit down and try the latest installment in the franchise—and let me tell you, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a real treat. Nintendo is clearly trying some new things here while still delivering that classic 2D Mario platforming action.
The most interesting addition is these Wonder Flowers that can radically transform levels and gameplay. Turning Mario into an elephant or making warp pipes move around sounds wild, and it is just as exciting when you actually sit down and play it. I love how Nintendo keeps reinventing Mario’s power-ups. These powers feel as if they’ll encourage exploration and make replaying levels extra rewarding.
Beyond the Flowers, Wonder sports the biggest roster of playable characters in series history, with fan favourites like Daisy finally playable. Even in my short demos, I was stunned by how gorgeous the visuals are—the backgrounds and character animations are so lively and detailed. This may be the prettiest Mario yet, filling the screen with colour and concepts that make it a visual feast for the eyes.
Multiplayer is also gets some twists, with competitive badge challenges that sound frantic in the best way. I’m eager to take on my friends and see who can master Super Mario Bros. Wonder‘s new mechanics. Of course, at its core, this is still classic Mario—running and jumping through cleverly designed side-scrolling stages. The controls remain top-notch, and Wonder already looks packed with secrets to uncover.
I couldn’t be more excited to get another shot at Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It is shaping up to be one of the most creative, charming, and content-rich Mario games ever. I can’t wait to dive deeper into the Flower Kingdom when the game launches next month!
Sonic Superstars
The Blue Blur’s latest game, Sonic Superstars, speeds onto consoles on TODAY! Let me tell you, it’s an absolute blast and keeps the essence of what made the franchise so exciting. As someone who grew up on Mario and never owned a Sega Genesis, I’ll admit I was late to the Sonic party. But after getting my hands on Sonic Superstars, I’m fully on board the Sonic hype train.
This vibrant 2D sidescroller oozes nostalgia while also feeling fresh thanks to new abilities for Sonic and friends. You’ve got your classics like Sonic’s dash and Tails’ flying, but also fun new powers like Knuckles’ tunnelling and Amy’s propulsive hammer swing. Switching between characters mid-level keeps things interesting, with each having their own playstyle.
The levels themselves are a gorgeous technicolour dream, with standouts being a trippy carnival zone and a glitchy cyber world. Bosses put your skills to the test, like a giant robot with extending arms you need to platform up. Local co-op is a blast, though solo play still shines.
As someone new to Sonic, I was grinning ear-to-ear, blazing through loops and launching off of springs at top speed. It recaptures that pure, infectious joy of classic platformers. Sonic Superstars proves the fastest thing alive still has gas in the tank. Old and new fans alike should spin dash to this love letter to Sonic’s 2D heyday.
WarioWare: Move It!
I was a bit hesitant to be seen as silly when I stepped into the room for the demo of WarioWare: Move It!, but I am thankful I pushed past it and gave it a try. The latest entry in Nintendo’s beloved WarioWare microgame series coming to Switch on November 3rd, and it is a blast to play, even if it is bananas.
WarioWare: Move It! is shaping up to be a true successor to the wacky Wii classic Smooth Moves, requiring players to hold Joy-Cons and physically move their bodies in sync with the lightning-fast microgames. With over 200 new microgames, the classic WarioWare formula of completing silly 5-second challenges remains intact. You’ll be tasked with everything from dodging obstacles to dancing along to brushing your teeth, with success requiring quick reflexes to match each microgame’s required gestures.
While single-player offers various story modes following Wario and friends’ tropical vacation antics, WarioWare: Move It! also expands the series’ multiplayer offerings. Up to 4 players can compete in board game modes, take turns, or team up in co-op for certain microgames. It’s a perfect party game to get friends and family moving and laughing together.
For fans of the series’ signature brand of wacky humour and challenging microgame action, Move It! looks like a must-buy. It’s been too long since the last console WarioWare, and WarioWare: Move It! is set to deliver more of that magic motion-controlled mayhem that made Smooth Moves such a hit. Don’t miss out when WarioWare: Move It! lands on Nintendo Switch this November.
