This steady stream of new Nintendo content in 2026 will keep me busy for at least the next few months:
This Thursday is the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade; 2 weeks after that is the release of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined; 2 weeks after that is the release of Virtual Boy for Switch 2; 2 weeks after that is the release of Pokemon Pokopia; 1 week after that is the release of Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection; 3 weeks after that is the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie; 3 weeks after that is the release of Pragmata for Switch 2...
On December 05 2025 06:24 Impervious wrote: Hey Guys, my girlfriend has a switch 1, and I'm looking to get some recommended games for her. She's not a big gamer and admittedly neither am I anymore.
She absolutely loved playing through Hogwarts Legacy, and she also loves Stardew Valley. That's pretty much all she's played so far. These are wildly different than games I would personally play, so I'm having hard time figuring out what to recommend that would be similar to either of those. I can see that some people in this thread have played an extensive amount of games on the Switch. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Sure! Here are my recommendations based on that information. (Definitely watch each game's trailer or even a gameplay video / video review before buying them, so you know if the games are what you truly want.)
Stardew Valley is a pretty laid back, cozy, farm/life simulator game. Similar Switch 1 games that might be appealing are Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (I can vouch for AC:NH and DDV, though I haven't played SoS:GB).
There are two other games that I really enjoyed, which have some cozy/sim aspects but are more action-adventure type, perhaps blending the genres of Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley. Those two games are Harvestella and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, both of which I loved playing.
There are obviously plenty of great Pokemon, Mario, and Zelda titles too, though they may differ significantly from Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley. Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Legends: Z-A can both be pretty chill adventure games though, if you're open to Pokemon.
I appreciate these comments. I bought her a switch 2 for Christmas to open up some newer game opportunities for her. I showed her a bunch of these games, and she didn't seem all that interested in any of them.....
She's currently enjoying a game called "Cult of the Lamb". That adds another wildly different third game that she's played a significant amount of and enjoyed. From what I can see, these are all low-stress games that, while they might have combat of some kind, is relatively simple. These are all a bit goofy in their own way. Additionally, these all seem to have puzzles or some kind of challenging gameplay. And they all seem to have some amount of grind to them. There might be a structured storyline to follow, but plenty of opportunities to ignore the structure to just do whatever you want too. Graphically they are all very different.
On December 05 2025 06:24 Impervious wrote: Hey Guys, my girlfriend has a switch 1, and I'm looking to get some recommended games for her. She's not a big gamer and admittedly neither am I anymore.
She absolutely loved playing through Hogwarts Legacy, and she also loves Stardew Valley. That's pretty much all she's played so far. These are wildly different than games I would personally play, so I'm having hard time figuring out what to recommend that would be similar to either of those. I can see that some people in this thread have played an extensive amount of games on the Switch. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Sure! Here are my recommendations based on that information. (Definitely watch each game's trailer or even a gameplay video / video review before buying them, so you know if the games are what you truly want.)
Stardew Valley is a pretty laid back, cozy, farm/life simulator game. Similar Switch 1 games that might be appealing are Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Disney Dreamlight Valley, and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (I can vouch for AC:NH and DDV, though I haven't played SoS:GB).
There are two other games that I really enjoyed, which have some cozy/sim aspects but are more action-adventure type, perhaps blending the genres of Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley. Those two games are Harvestella and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, both of which I loved playing.
There are obviously plenty of great Pokemon, Mario, and Zelda titles too, though they may differ significantly from Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley. Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Legends: Z-A can both be pretty chill adventure games though, if you're open to Pokemon.
I appreciate these comments. I bought her a switch 2 for Christmas to open up some newer game opportunities for her. I showed her a bunch of these games, and she didn't seem all that interested in any of them.....
She's currently enjoying a game called "Cult of the Lamb". That adds another wildly different third game that she's played a significant amount of and enjoyed. From what I can see, these are all low-stress games that, while they might have combat of some kind, is relatively simple. These are all a bit goofy in their own way. Additionally, these all seem to have puzzles or some kind of challenging gameplay. And they all seem to have some amount of grind to them. There might be a structured storyline to follow, but plenty of opportunities to ignore the structure to just do whatever you want too. Graphically they are all very different.
Glad she's enjoying Cult of the Lamb! That's very different from the other two games, and it's always nice to try out new genres There are plenty of amazing roguelikes that are in the same category as CotL, but many are higher-stress games that are less forgiving or require precise timing (like Lost in Random: The Eternal Die or Hades, if she'd like more challenging roguelikes). Here are three other games that might resonate with her, from the puzzle/unique perspective:
The Plucky Squire is laid-back with puzzles, and it alternates through a variety of different art styles.
Cocoon is a laid-back adventure-puzzle game that I found really fun too.
Tunic's gameplay is similar to old-school Zelda games (and the boss fights might be a little frustrating).
Tunic is amazing, it has all of these incredible secrets to uncover. It starts off feeling like a sort of Zelda homage and then the boss combat is Souls-like. And then you start delving into the riddles and it's like nothing I've ever played before, so clever and intriguing and fun.
I had never heard of Cult of the Lamb, and it sounds utterly rad. I'm going to pick it up and give it a try!
A new expansion for Super Mario Bros. Wonder is coming soon, with more content, more multiplayer, more upgrades, and playable Rosalina/Luma. Release date is March 26th.
On January 23 2026 05:48 KobraKay wrote: Nintendo is going strong in 2026. Good for them.
They definitely are, both with the current hardware sales data and with the 2025-2026 Switch 2 software line-up!
Even with a slower holiday season, "Switch 2 Remains The Fastest-Selling Console In The US At 4.4 Million Units. The Switch 2 ended 2025 with a total of 4.4 million units sold in the US, according to Circana's Mat Piscatella. This means that after its seventh month on the market, Nintendo's new system is still the fastest-selling home console in US history. ... Concerns around potential price rises persist as the US grapples with tariffs and the rapid rise of AI, but overall, it seems Nintendo's new console is off to the best start we could have possibly hoped for." https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/01/switch-2-remains-the-fastest-selling-console-in-the-us-at-4-4-million-units
On January 23 2026 16:24 sharkie wrote: My Nintendo stocks definitely need the good news. :D They tanked hard
I think Nintendo stock issue is not about the company itself, of course AI is an issue being a hardware company. But the biggest issue is the shit show that's the JP govt nowadays, with dissolving the lower camera and the yen being in the gutter.
Capcom has had the same deep drops due to how devaluated being the yen and companies that trade in that currency are getting hit.
Nintendo also traditionally has had Nintendo Directs in February, so I'm hoping by next month we find out more information about video games releasing in the second half of 2026
On January 23 2026 16:24 sharkie wrote: My Nintendo stocks definitely need the good news. :D They tanked hard
I think Nintendo stock issue is not about the company itself, of course AI is an issue being a hardware company. But the biggest issue is the shit show that's the JP govt nowadays, with dissolving the lower camera and the yen being in the gutter.
Capcom has had the same deep drops due to how devaluated being the yen and companies that trade in that currency are getting hit.
meh, i think the decline in Nintendo stock is as legit as the rise in Nintendo stock. they are related to sales levels. The stock should gone up based on the available facts of the time. Sales volumes were great. Based on poor holiday sales and a slew of price cuts in big markets like France and USA the stock should go down... and it did.
Nintendo beat out the scalpers by being the scalpers and getting their biggest fans to pay them the most money. Its a cold business.
On January 23 2026 16:24 sharkie wrote: My Nintendo stocks definitely need the good news. :D They tanked hard
I think Nintendo stock issue is not about the company itself, of course AI is an issue being a hardware company. But the biggest issue is the shit show that's the JP govt nowadays, with dissolving the lower camera and the yen being in the gutter.
Capcom has had the same deep drops due to how devaluated being the yen and companies that trade in that currency are getting hit.
meh, i think the decline in Nintendo stock is as legit as the rise in Nintendo stock. they are related to sales levels. The stock should gone up based on the available facts of the time. Sales volumes were great. Based on poor holiday sales and a slew of price cuts in big markets like France and USA the stock should go down... and it did.
Nintendo beat out the scalpers by being the scalpers and getting their biggest fans to pay them the most money. Its a cold business.
The price of a console during its generation is almost always highest early on / at release. If people are excited and eager to play it, then they'll buy the console immediately and not wait months or years for discounts. This has always been true. That's not scalping.
I've played a decent amount of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade so far. I have some positives and I have some negatives to report. First, the positives...
It's gotta be the most beautiful Switch 2 (or Switch 1) game on the console. The art is simply stunning, Midgar and the other environments are lively, the animations are vibrant, and the cinematic scenes are second-to-none. Graphics are always less important to me than gameplay, but this game is still objectively gorgeous. I also think the voice acting is phenomenal, and I think Square Enix is doing a great job of balancing the original FF7 themes/references with some new plot points and story changes. I don't even think that FF7 "purists" will be that upset with this remake's direction. The music is also expertly conducted to elicit nostalgia while simultaneously being modernized, and the framerate is smooth and consistent. Well played.
Now for the aspects that I'm disappointed with, starting with Barret. I loved the rough, tough, and gruff badass in the original FF7, but in Remake Intergrade I find him to be an insufferable asshole. The writing of his character/dialogue is way too unlikeable for me, and to a lesser extent I'm also getting tired of just how extremely brooding/emo Cloud is. I feel like the writers turned up the personalities of Barret and Cloud to the extreme, to the point where they've become satirically exaggerated and flanderized. (Their voice actors are still great though, in my opinion; I think the writing is to blame.) I think the other characters are written very well and are pretty likeable.
While I'm generally a fan of sidequests and completionist-content in RPGs, I'm really struggling to enjoy Remake Intergrade's aimless, silly fetch quests, especially when it's so hard to navigate around the maze-like town of Midgar to complete them. They're frustrating to even access half the time, and I've just started skipping some of them, which is very unlike me.
And worst of all: the combat is... not great. The decision to change the battle system from a turn-based RPG to an action-RPG is probably my least favorite decision that Square Enix made for this game, and the fights are already getting mundane and monotonous for me. Such little strategy is needed now, even with (mostly unnecessary) materia/spells available; ten seconds of mindless slashing / button mashing and an enemy is defeated. Meh.
I'm feeling somewhat let down right now, although to be fair I had very high expectations for Remake Intergrade. I'll definitely play more of this game, but if its beauty continues to be so... superficial... then I might pass on the other two games in the new FF7 Remake trilogy and instead just eventually watch some of their cinematic scenes on YouTube or something.
Today's new Nintendo Direct trailer for the upcoming The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is short and sweet. References to both Super Mario Odyssey's Sand Kingdom and Super Mario Bros.'s World 1-2 (the first underground level)... and Birdo... and Baby Mario and Baby Luigi... and YOSHI!!!
On January 23 2026 16:24 sharkie wrote: My Nintendo stocks definitely need the good news. :D They tanked hard
I think Nintendo stock issue is not about the company itself, of course AI is an issue being a hardware company. But the biggest issue is the shit show that's the JP govt nowadays, with dissolving the lower camera and the yen being in the gutter.
Capcom has had the same deep drops due to how devaluated being the yen and companies that trade in that currency are getting hit.
meh, i think the decline in Nintendo stock is as legit as the rise in Nintendo stock. they are related to sales levels. The stock should gone up based on the available facts of the time. Sales volumes were great. Based on poor holiday sales and a slew of price cuts in big markets like France and USA the stock should go down... and it did.
Nintendo beat out the scalpers by being the scalpers and getting their biggest fans to pay them the most money. Its a cold business.
The price of a console during its generation is almost always highest early on / at release. If people are excited and eager to play it, then they'll buy the console immediately and not wait months or years for discounts. This has always been true. That's not scalping.
Also, I'd like to further explore the reasoning that the weak yen is a factor in Nintendo stock declining. A weak Yen helps Nintendo because the majority of their sales occur in Europe and the USA. Just like a weak Canadian dollar helps Canadian companies export everything.
Therefore, the strengthening Yen in July and August would've, if anything, harmed Nintendo Stock. The stock price went through the roof in the summer just as the Yen was strengthening.
The stock going up and then down is primarily related to sales volumes. Nintendo stock along with the Yen is about where it was a year ago. Ho hum, nothing to see here.
Could be an interesting pair of games for fans of Star Fox!
Raptor Claw's FUR Squadron rather proudly wore its Star Fox inspirations on its sleeve when it flew onto Switch back in 2023, and its sequel, FUR Squadron Phoenix, isn't shying away from things either.
This on-rails space shooter arrives on the Switch eShop on 25th February, and it looks every bit as McCloud-ian as we'd hoped. There's a crew of fluffy pilots, nimble space ships, an interplanetary "system" under threat from an evil force — yeah, this is Star Fox.
Much like its predecessor, however, there's a certain psychedelic sheen over the whole thing that stops FUR Squadron from feeling like a complete retread of things we've seen before. With neon visuals, CRT scan lines and mech battles (!!), there's a pretty intriguing vibe under all of the familiarity. ...
Raptor Claw claimed that the game was heading to Switch 2 last year, shortly after the console's first tease reveal, and while it will certainly be playable on the new system, Switch 1 owners won't miss out. Based on the studio's reply to a comment on the above trailer, FUR Squadron Phoenix has been designed for Switch 1, but will see "boosted performance" on the new hardware.
With Nintendo showing no sign of releasing a new Star Fox game anytime soon, we'll be relying on projects like this to fill the Lylat-shaped hole in our hearts.
1. There's a free demo available for "Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties", in case anyone likes the Yakuza series or wants to try out one of those games for free. I've never played the franchise before, but I've heard good things!
2. If you like the Paper Mario franchise / gameplay / combat system, you may enjoy "Escape From Ever After". The plot is apparently a humorous take on various fairy tales. (It's currently on sale for $20.)
3. More info has been released about the upcoming Virtual Boy games.
Supposedly, there will be a Nintendo Direct next week featuring a Nintendo Partner showcase. I guess we will see in the next couple of days if this is true.
Unrelatedly, my daughter is 60+ hours into Octopath Traveller and really enjoying it. I think most of her characters are around level 45-50; however, she mentioned she is having trouble beating many of the bosses, so she is going to grind a bit to get her characters' levels up higher.