Another year is here and that means it’s time for our yearly Nintendo predictions! Put on your thinking caps and join us as we try to guess what Nintendo will do next! 🧐

Check out last year’s predictions HERE to see how we did! We did a bit better with our 2021 predictions with the following coming true:

For Justin in 2021:

  1. An upgraded Nintendo Switch (Nintendo Switch Pro) will be announced in 2021 (another redo of a 2020 prediction).
    1. 0.5 point — wasn’t called the ‘Switch Pro’ but the Switch OLED was an upgraded Switch that was announced in 2021
  2. Bayonetta 3 will get a new trailer (2020 redo prediction)
    1. Happened at the end of the September 2021 Nintendo Direct
  3. Metroid’s 35th Anniversary will not go unnoticed by Nintendo (some new Metroid info will happen whether it’s Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Switch (finally) or Metroid Prime 4 or a new 2D Metroid title)
    1. A new 2D Metroid (Metroid Dread) was announced and released!
  4. The Pokemon Gen 4 (Diamond/Pearl) remakes will release this year
    1. These were announced and released in 2021!
  5. It is also Zelda’s 35th anniversary — I could see Nintendo celebrating this heavily (more so than Metroid). I think we’ll get the aforementioned BOTW 2 release but I also think we’ll see Skyward Sword HD and/or a compilation of other past Zelda games on the Switch (similar to Mario 3D All-Stars).
    1. Not counting this but the Skyward Sword HD part was correct!
  6. A new Mario sports game will be announced, my hope would be for Mario Strikers, Baseball or Golf
    1. Yep, a new Mario Golf was announced
  7. This Wild Card prediction came true as well: N64 games will finally arrive on the Nintendo Switch Online service
    1. N64 games arrived on the Switch Online service

That’s 6.5 points for Justin (2 for the Wild Card)

For Trev in 2021:

  1. Joy-Con drift will continue to make headlines, with Nintendo offering cagey replies about it.
    1. Yep, Nintendo has been non-committal on the issues with Joy-Cons
  2. amiibo will see a sizable increase of new releases in 2021. I think New Pokémon Snap will bring some additions.
    1. 0.5 point, we did get some new amiibo cards and Metroid Dread amiibo but none for New Pokemon Snap
  3. Brewster’s Café will finally be added to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
    1. Yep, Brewster returned in 2021!
  4. The Coronavirus threw a monkey wrench into things, but Nintendo Directs will return in a big way in 2021. Less game-specific and mini’s, more full-fledged ones.
    1. Yep, Directs were back to mostly normal this year with more full-fledged ones
  5. The Crash Team Racing experiment will result in the eShop offering more trials of full games.
    1. Yep, this happened with other titles in 2021

That’s 4.5 points for Trev

Trev and I didn’t do too bad this year and it was really just the Wild Card that was the difference maker between our points. Hopefully this next year brings more success both for Nintendo and our predictions 😄🥳

Justin’s Predictions

  1. New 3D Mario game to be shown off
  2. More Wii U ports will arrive on the Switch (hoping for Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD and/or Xenoblade Chronicles X)
  3. Breath of the Wild 2 will finally release by November 2022
  4. Wii Sports follow-up to be announced
  5. New Metroid Prime 4 trailer shown
  6. Dormant Nintendo franchise (like F-Zero / Wave Race / Excitebike/truck) to make a comeback
  7. New Fire Emblem announced (remake of a previous game most likely)
  8. New Donkey Kong game announced for Switch
  9. Xenoblade 3 gets announced
  10. Gameboy Advance games and/or possibly Nintendo DS games announced for the Switch

Wild Cards*

  1. GameCube games arrive in some form on the Switch
  2. Some new Nintendo hardware shows up whether that’s a Switch hardware revision or possibly a new motion controller / Labo peripheral

Trev’s Predictions

  1. This is a repeat of a prediction I made two years ago, but I believe the Switch will finally start having bestsellers released under the Nintendo Selects label. This is my only repeat prediction, by the way.
  2. COVID-19 (and its variants) will continue to lead to understandable game delays and issues with stock. Expect to see more DLC and ports as a result. Starting with…
  3. Metroid Prime Trilogy will release on the Switch, continuing the momentum from Dread and building anticipation for Prime 4.
  4. Like Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, we’ll see more “budget” first-party releases, probably ports of older, simpler titles. Speaking of ports…
  5. More 3DS games will be ported to the Switch. But Like Miitopia, the new additions won’t be significant.
  6. Mario Party Superstars will receive DLC. I’m guessing a board from Mario Party 3 and additional characters for the first update.
  7. Pure Nintendo will expand its presence. Whether it’s through Twitch, Youtube, or other means, expect to see more of us.
  8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land will become the best-selling game in the entire series!
  9. Nintendo Switch Online users should expect another game like Tetris 99, Mario 35, and/or Pac-Man 99 to add value to the service. And in another perk to the service…
  10. Free trials and quarterly plans will make their overdue appearance.

Wild Cards*

  1. Wii Sports Resort will return; Switch Sports Resort? It’ll be open world a la Go Vacation and offer traditional controls for Switch Lite Players.
  2. Pure Nintendo will get blue check verification on Twitter, for what it’s worth.

*Wild Cards are worth two points

 

What are your predictions for 2022? Let us know in the comments!