If you enjoy surprises, you may want to pay attention: Nintendo isn’t building the Switch 2 lineup around Super Mario alone. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa says developers are working on both established franchises and “brand-new software” as well.

The Nintendo Switch 2 hasn’t even reached its first anniversary, yet it already boasts several highly entertaining releases such as Mario Kart: World, Donkey Kong: Bananza, Pokémon Legends: AZ, and the more recent Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Still, one question keeps coming up: where are the next big 3D Super Mario adventure and the next mainline The Legend of Zelda? Nintendo is fully aware that fans are hungry to return to its most celebrated series with entirely new entries, so it opened 2026 by confirming that its teams are already working to make that happen. And there’s more to it than just sequels: the hybrid console is also set to receive experiences that Nintendo fans have never seen before.

Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo’s president, recently spoke in an exclusive interview with Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shimbun (shared via Nintendo Patents Watch on BlueSky), covering topics such as the Nintendo Switch 2’s commercial performance following its June 2025 launch, the company’s direction in film production, and more. Unsurprisingly, the conversation also turned to Nintendo’s game development strategy, and that’s where Furukawa explained that two broad categories of projects are currently underway: new entries for major franchises, and completely fresh experiences designed to feel unfamiliar even to longtime fans.

“We’re developing titles from popular franchises that many fans are eagerly awaiting, but also entirely new software,” he said in the interview. That alone is enough to get players imagining what could be next for Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or Splatoon, and it also opens the door to bigger wishes – like a timeline where Star Fox or F-Zero receive new content again. Alongside that blockbuster potential, Furukawa’s comments also point to fully original projects, and considering Nintendo’s track record with unusual and innovative ideas, those new concepts could end up being the real wildcard for Switch 2 owners.

In many ways, this approach isn’t far from what Nintendo did with the original Switch. That first hybrid console delivered massive hits like Super Mario Odyssey and the Zelda: Breath of the Wild / Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom duo, while also experimenting with more unconventional projects such as ARMS, Ring Fit Adventure, and the distinctive Nintendo Labo. Even if those oddball releases didn’t always reach the same commercial heights and fans tended to focus more heavily on the big-name series, the plan now appears to be the same blend: headline releases from major franchises, paired with unexpected and offbeat experiences.

Switch 2 Holiday Sales in the West Were Underwhelming

As for sales, the latest reports suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t enjoy an especially strong holiday season, at least across the US and Europe. While the system continues to post solid results in Japan, analysts have noted a noticeable slowdown in Western markets. Even so, it’s still early days, and Furukawa’s statements make it clear that Nintendo has already set its full machine in motion to expand the Switch 2 catalog over time.

Source: 3djuegos