Nintendo Switch 2 can win fans over with these 5 reboots

If you squint your eyes and look into the distance, you’ll see the Nintendo Switch 2 just on the horizon. I’d love to tell you exactly when it’s coming out, and how much it will cost, but like Gandalf, Nintendo is keeping its secrets. Months of speculation did result in a reveal video showing off the console, plus we got a sneaky glimpse of Mario Kart 9. Beyond that, however, we know very little.

That’s a perfect segue into more speculation. Well, more like hopeful speculation. You see, while Nintendo has honoured so many of its legacy characters and franchises, it has also left quite a few of them dormant. This means the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 is the perfect time to revitalise them with brand-new entries. Here are five series begging to make a comeback.

F-Zero

Nintendo

If you’ve ever read a news story about F-Zero heading over to Nintendo Switch Online written by me, you’ll know that I’m fairly rabid for a new, proper entry in the franchise. It has been far too long since we saw it in 2004 and aside from Mario Kart, Nintendo doesn’t really flex its racing game muscles. The fast-paced, futuristic visuals, and excellent track design deserve to shine again.

Not only would it bring in more fans who want unique racers, but there hasn’t ever really been a bad F-Zero game, so you’d think it’s a confident sell for the company. These hyper fast racing games are underappreciated nowadays and there’s a gap in the market for something with real bite to accompany a more powerful console.

Golden Sun

Nintendo

You could argue that Nintendo serves its RPG fans pretty well with Zelda, Xenoblade, and Fire Emblem, but I’d argue there’s always more to be given. The Golden Sun franchise is small, with only a few games, but those games left a huge impact on players. The world felt so different to anything else coming from the developer, and the series perfectly captured the essence of a Japanese RPG, including the tropes and themes we’ve come to love.

The previous entries followed the same world and story, set years apart, and picking up threads left behind by the last appearance on the Nintendo DS would be huge for fans of the genre. There’s plenty of space for another RPG, especially one with traditional turn-based combat, boosted by sumptuous pixel graphics. The combination of battles and puzzle-based exploration was refined throughout this series, and it was backed by a cast of characters that players would adore for years.

Star Fox

Nintendo

It’s frankly criminal that we haven’t had a proper mainline Star Fox game (Lylat Wars in some countries) for years. The franchise has it all: terrific space combat, a cast that is unforgettable, fast-paced action, and charming stories. Considering Star Fox was once a pivotal game for the SNES technology, utilising 3D polygonal graphics via the Super FX chip, it’s odd that it hasn’t been used to showcase growing advancements in recent years.

Showing off Mario Kart 9 for the Switch 2 was a handy way to pull in millions of fans, but show me a new Star Fox with tasty visuals and those wonderful characters, and we’d be cooking. 2017 was the last time we got anything new for Star Fox, and when you realise it’s lauded as one of the best games ever made, it’s easily due for a new instalment. What’s more, it’s a perfect family game, using animals as the main cast, with quippy dialogue and a ‘Saturday morning cartoon’ adventure story set in the depths of space.

Kid Icarus

Nintendo

When I played Immortals: Fenyx Rising by Ubisoft a few years ago, my first thought was, “Nintendo should make a Kid Icarus game like this.” That’s still my thinking; bring us a large, expansive and explorable world with Kid Icarus’ style oozing throughout. The Greco-Roman world is ripe with potential for enemies, stories, and interesting art direction. Hell, Nintendo could just remake the original game in the style of Super Mario Odyssey, and I’d be happy.

The story for the first game, that was available for the NES, had players control Pit as he tried to rescue Palutena from the clutches of Medusa and as the series evolved, it really leaned into the classical history, but with a charming Nintendo flair. Combining airborne combat - flying around with a bow and arrows - with land exploration across a landscape inspired by the Greek countryside and architecture, would be a dream on the new Nintendo hardware.

Warioland

Nintendo

Wario has become a mainstay in the Nintendo catalogue over the years, but beyond the WarioWare titles filled with minigames, the character hasn’t been used in the way he was originally intended. As a kind of ‘anti-Mario’, he was always preposterous and a bit silly, but he was also always hatching nefarious schemes or escaping from some kind of danger, and his original roots are in platforming, much like Mario.

Of course, Nintendo will be working on a new Mario title as I write this, but I’d love to see Wario get some time in the sun, whether that’s in a 3D platformer, or via his 2D roots. Pair him with Waluigi and throw in a healthy dose of comedy - a kind of buddy road trip - and you’ve got a winner. They don’t have to be evil, they can just be mischievous. It would sit so nicely alongside whatever Mario has coming up next and expand the ‘Mario family’ further with proper meaty experiences.