When Nintendo first announced the Switch 2’s slate of launch titles, people were very quick to cry foul about how few original, exclusive games the company had lined up for its latest console. There were ports from other systems and updated versions of original Switch games. But Mario Kart World was the Switch 2’s only major new exclusive title, which, for some, put a further damper on a launch that was already mired in confusion about pricing and game key cards.
While the Switch 2’s sales disproved that pessimistic read, the system’s relatively thin selection of exclusives has continued to be a talking point in the ongoing discourse about whether the overall launch was exciting enough. But after a month of the Switch 2 being on the market, what do you know — there just so happens to be a new game for it out this week. Donkey Kong Bananza’s arrival isn’t at all a surprise because Nintendo told everyone exactly when it would be available. Being made to wait a bit might have rubbed some folks the wrong way, but in a world where we all have a back catalog of games that we’ve yet to finish (or even start in some cases), a measured release schedule kind of feels like a good thing.
Back in April when Nintendo first announced all of the Switch 2 games slated to come out through the end of 2025, you could see that the company was loosely following a monthly release schedule for its new exclusives. June would go to Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. And Donkey Kong Bananza would drop in July amid the releases of a couple Switch 2 editions of older games. At the time, Nintendo said that Drag x Drive would debut at some point in “the summer,” but it has since pegged the game to a firm August 14th release date.
Currently, there’s nothing on the docket for September, but the month could easily go to Kirby Air Riders, which is supposed to come out this year. And after Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s release in October, the “winter” will belong to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (and maybe Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which is also due out sometime in 2025).
Looking at Nintendo’s roadmap for the rest of the year, it feels as if the company is trying to pace things in a way that gives people time to really sit with and enjoy its exclusives. For every hardcore gamer who prides themself on speeding through a title and being the first to uncover or unlock all of its surprises, there are far more casuals who prefer taking their time. Nintendo could have opted to flood the zone with more exclusives from the jump — a move that probably would have made the Switch 2’s launch seem like a splashier beat in the console wars’ twilight hours. But by spacing things out, the company is guaranteeing that there will be a steady stream of new stuff for people to dig into, and giving people ample time to decide if they’re willing to pay the games’ higher prices.
The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s new flagship, which is to say it’s not going away anytime soon and there will be plenty more games for it in due time. Had Donkey Kong Bananza dropped alongside Mario Kart World, neither game would have been able to take up so much space and command attention they way they could with some distance between them. Releasing new titles at a steady pace was a major part of Nintendo’s vision for the original Switch, and that strategy paid off through the console’s life cycle. Now it looks like Nintendo’s sticking to its guns, and the Switch 2 will probably be better off for it.
