10 Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles I can't wait to play (besides 'Mario Kart World')
It's no secret that Mario Kart World is the main reason to get a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch. I even got to play it myself at the Nintendo launch event — and again a couple of days ago. But what else will you be able to play if/when you get bored of that $80 game?
Luckily, Nintendo has an extensive list of Switch 2 launch titles available to play on June 5. As is usually the case with new consoles, many of them are ports of older games. However, in this instance, that's not such a bad thing; there are plenty of people out there who only had a Nintendo Switch, meaning they still haven't played big games like Cyberpunk 2077.
Assuming you've got your Switch 2 preorder on deck, here are 10 of the best Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles to order ahead of June 5 — besides Mario Kart World (which, for the record, I highly recommend).
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Credit: Nintendo
Mario Kart World
$79.99 at Target
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
Looks fast. Credit: Shin'en/Nintendo
One of the best latter-day Wii U games was a little futuristic racer called Fast Racing Neo. This, in turn, became one of the best Switch 1 launch titles, in an upgraded form called Fast RMX. Now, developer Shin'en is back with a long-awaited sequel that promises new ideas with the same technical excellence as its predecessors.
Shin'en hasn't said much about Fast Fusion yet, other than that it will be out at launch and will only cost $14.99, making it the anti-Mario Kart in one way. But it looks the part of a futuristic arcade-style racing game with a sharp sense of speed, gorgeous visuals, split-screen and online multiplayer, and a unique car fusion system that should set it apart from the competition. And again, it's just $15.
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Credit: Nintendo
Fast Fusion (digital)
$14.99 at Nintendo
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
Expect a lot of this. Credit: Sega/Nintendo
The first port of an old game on this list can be traced all the way back to the PlayStation 3. Yakuza 0 has been around the block a few times, just never on a Nintendo platform before. Let me tell you, if you're a person who sticks close to Nintendo and hasn't played this one yet: Make it a priority.
The Switch 2 version adds some bonuses, like new English voice acting and a weird-looking multiplayer fighting mode, but Yakuza 0 could've been ported as-is, and that would've been fine. It's an oddball action-adventure game set in a highly period-accurate version of urban, red-light district Japan in the late 1980s. Aside from the very fun and very violent combat, it's also got interactive karaoke, mahjong, and all kinds of other cultural delights for you to take part in on the side.
Yakuza 0 also has a terrific story with two excellent protagonists. If you've ever been curious about the long-running Yakuza series, this is the best place to start.
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Credit: Nintendo
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
$49.94 at Amazon
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
All the Keanu your Switch 2 can handle. Credit: CD Projekt Red/Nintendo
The Switch 2 port of Cyberpunk 2077 might be a good litmus test for what the Switch 2 is capable of on a technical level, and that alone makes it compelling, at least to me.
This game famously had to be pulled from the PlayStation store after launch in 2020 because the PS4 version was so terrible, and the Switch 2 is about as powerful as a PS4. Developer CD Projekt Red has had years to sort Cyberpunk out, though, and the game is genuinely in an excellent state these days. Between that and the highly impressive Switch 1 port of The Witcher 3, it's easy to see a world where a lot of people experience Cyberpunk for the first time on Switch 2 and have a perfectly decent time doing so.
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Credit: CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
$69.99 at Amazon
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
'Deltarune' sorta defies explanation. Credit: 8-4/Nintendo
In 2015, indie developer Toby Fox broke the internet with a humble little pixel-based RPG called Undertale. Since then, Fox has been following up on Undertale with Deltarune, an expanded successor with different combat and an episodic release format, but the same off-beat sense of humor and catchy musical direction.
The first two chapters of Deltarune have been out for a while, but chapters 3 and 4 (in a package that includes all of them) are shipping at launch with Switch 2. If you've already been committed to the Deltarune train, why not continue on Switch 2? If not, maybe this is a good place to start, too. These are games that need to be experienced to be understood.
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Credit: Nintendo
Deltarune
$24.99 at Nintendo
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
One of 2024's most underrated games comes to Switch 2. Credit: Capcom/Nintendo
Our last game is another port, though the original only came out in 2024 and sorta fell under the radar on other consoles.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a bit of a weird one. It's kind of a third-person hack-and-slash action game, but also kind of a strategic tower defense game. In totality, it's very unique, cool to look at, and fun to play. Capcom has a bit of an under-discussed banger here, so maybe the Switch 2 launch can be a good way for people who missed Kunitsu-Gami the first time around to catch it now.
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Credit: Nintendo
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
$39.99 at Nintendo
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Pre-order Here
Who doesn't love 'Street Fighter'? Credit: Capcom
Street Fighter rules. It always has and it always will. I'm not much of a fighting game enthusiast, but I have it on good authority that Street Fighter 6 is excellent, and it's coming to Switch 2 as a launch title.
This game brings a few new things to the series. It's got a neat urban graffiti vibe permeating the whole thing, to go along with a single-player campaign where you create a character and run around a big 3D city challenging people to fights. The Switch 2 version has some unique features like Joy-Con support and motion controls, though honestly, I'm not sure how well either of those things are going to work. Still, it's Street Fighter, and it's hard to complain about that.
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Credit: Capcom
Street Fighter 6
$59.99 at Nintendo
Pre-order Here
Note: This is a screenshot of the PC version. Credit: IO Interactive/Steam
If you've never played a Hitman game before, the Switch 2 launch might be the perfect opportunity. World of Assassination contains three entire Hitman games in one package, meaning there's a huge treasure trove of giant, intricate clockwork levels for you to explore and learn. You can easily get dozens of hours of enjoyment out of it, in other words.
For the uninitiated, Hitman is about a fairly boring guy named Agent 47 whose job is to, well, you know. But the good news is that all the people you're tasked with killing are among the most despicable humans on Earth. Hitman looks dry and boring on the surface, but that couldn't be further from what it actually is in practice. Agent 47 is basically a murderous version of Bugs Bunny, and the game is about doing hilarious slapstick kills on war criminals and CEOs while wearing stupid disguises. It's the best.
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Credit: IO Interactive/Amazon
Hitman: World of Assassination
$59.99 at Nintendo
Get Deal
The first of two "cozy games" on this list. Credit: Marvelous/Steam
Remember in 2020 when we were all playing Animal Crossing because there was nothing else to do?
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is not Animal Crossing, to be clear. It doesn't operate on a real-time clock, and it's more about farming than town management. It also has action combat and dungeon crawling. Still, it fits under the "cozy game" umbrella that has become so popular in the past several years, especially on Switch. If you want a game where you can do a bunch of organizing and farming while occasionally fighting monsters with a sword, this might be your best bet.
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Credit: Marvelous/Amazon
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
$69.99 at Nintendo
Get Deal
I feel like this screenshot alone will be enough to sell some of you on this game. Credit: Level 5/Steam
Speaking of cozy games, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time can be described using a lot of the same language as Rune Factory. It's a game about building a town, farming, cooking, fishing, and all that other fun stuff while occasionally venturing out to fight monsters. However, Fantasy Life has a more cutesy look to it, a unique job system with 14 different roles for players to inhabit, and four-player cooperative multiplayer.
I know like seven people who have had their lives ruined by this game in the past couple of weeks, in the best way possible. Just know going in that you may not want to play any other games for a while if this one hooks you.
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Credit: Marvelous/Nintendo
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
$59.99 at Nintendo
Get Deal
That's a turn-based RPG, alright. Credit: Square Enix
Bravely Default is a game with a very silly title, but also a devoted fanbase that swears up and down about it being one of the great modern turn-based RPGs. Originally a Nintendo 3DS title, this HD remaster brings the game to consoles with sharper visuals, quality-of-life changes, and even mouse support.
If you dig classic Final Fantasy, don't sleep on this one.
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Credit: Square Enix/Nintendo
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
$39.99 at Nintendo
Get Deal
If none of these games are enough to whet your appetite, Donkey Kong Bananza is a non-launch Switch 2 title to look out for. DK's first starring role in a 3D platformer in 25 years comes alongside a brand new character design for one of Nintendo's oldest heroes, as well as a funky terrain destruction system that lets players destroy the entire level to get where they're trying to go. You'll have to wait a bit for it, but not long, as Bananza is out July 17.
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Credit: Nintendo
Donkey Kong Bananza
$69.99 at Target
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Pre-order Here
Most retailers are offering Nintendo Switch 2 games for preorder, so your first stop for picking up a new title is one of these retailers. Below, find links to each online storefront where you can shop a repository of Switch 2 games available right now.
Amazon
Target
Walmart
GameStop
Best Buy
Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star Crossed World
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch 2 Edition)
Street Fighter 6 Years 1-2 Fighters Edition
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Aiba Edition
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