Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – August 29
Take the highly recognizable characters of the Mario universe, the comical stars of Ubisoft’s Rabbids franchise, the deep turn-based tactical gameplay of titles such as XCOM, put it in a blender, and what do you get? A gaming mash-up that no one realized they wanted, but now we do. Ubisoft officially announced Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle to open their presentation at E3 2017 following leaks about the cross-over from as far back as November 2016. The title of the game leaked a month ahead of the announcement, when Kotaku received art assets corroborating rumors about the game’s existence.
Built on The Division’s Snowdrop engine, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will feature Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Yoshi alongside four Rabbids dressed as their Nintendo counterparts as they fight alongside one another to restore the Mushroom Kingdom. While its art style may suggest a game designed to appeal to a younger audience, the mechanics remain as deep as fans of the genre would expect.
Pokken Tournament DX – September 22
Pokken Tournament DX will be the first — and most certainly not last — Pokemon game to release on the Nintendo Switch, and will be an enhanced port of the previously released Wii U game, similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The new release will feature five Pokemon that were not playable on the Wii U including Croagunk, Empoleon, Darkrai, and Scizor who were all included in the arcade version of the game, and Decidueye, who will be an exclusive character to the Nintendo Switch.
The enhanced Pokemon fighting game will also include several new game modes. Team Battle mode will pit three Pokemon versus an opponent’s three Pokemon. Group Match mode will allow up to 100 players to form a group with custom settings. Players in the group can compete against one another and spectate each other’s matches. Two new battle stages — Snow Gift and Thalia Beach — will also make their way into the release.
Fire Emblem Warriors – October 13
In January, Nintendo dedicated an entire Nintendo Direct to announcing multiple Fire Emblem games coming to mobile, 3DS, and Switch. Among those announcements, Nintendo revealed that Fire Emblem Warriors was coming to the Switch later this year. Developed by the same team behind Hyrule Warriors — Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, and Team Ninja — in collaboration with Fire Emblem developer Intelligent Systems, the game will bring the hack-and-slash gameplay made iconic by the Dynasty Warriors franchise to the world of Fire Emblem.
The game will feature a number of characters from the Fire Emblem franchise including the original Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade Light, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Fire Emblem Fates. While the gameplay will lean more towards the action-heavy Dynasty Warriors style, some elements from the Fire Emblem series will make their way into the game, such as the Weapon Triangle and Support Conversations.
Super Mario Odyssey – October 27
Perhaps the most anticipated exclusive game still to come in 2017, Super Mario Odyssey will become the latest release in a long lineage of fantastic 3D Mario games. Nintendo teased the project in late 2016 and officially announced it during the Nintendo Switch presentation in January. Since its unveiling, the game has received critical praise from nearly anyone who has gotten their hands on it, including sweeping the “Best of” categories at Gamescom.
The game maintains core elements of classic Mario gameplay, while also adding new mechanics to diversify gameplay. The addition of Cappy, the spirit which possesses Mario’s cap, received the most attention during E3 2017. During the game, players can throw Mario’s cap at different objects, enemies, and NPCs in order to control them. At one point in the E3 gameplay footage, Mario throws Cappy at a T-Rex and takes control of the pre-historic beast. The game launches at the end of October, but is already shaping up to be one of the best exclusives available during the holiday.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – 2017
It’s been seven years since the original Xenoblade Chronicles launched for the Wii in Japan. Nintendo revealed Xenoblade Chronicles 2 at the Nintendo Switch presentation in January. While the game does act as a sequel to the original game — unlike Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U which was as a spiritual successor to the original — it will feature a new cast of characters led by the main character, Rex, as he explores the brand new world of Elysium.
Like Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronciles 2 had a solid showing at Gamescom 2017, leaving those who got their hands on it impressed with where the game is currently at. While the game still does not have a firm release date, Monolith hasn’t given fans of the series any reason to doubt that it will miss its holiday 2017 mark.
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