These four franchises are a hit, but it's really thanks to their episodes released on Nintendo Switch

Game news These four franchises are a hit, but it's really thanks to their episodes released on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo's cuddly toys

Besides Mario, who better than Kirby to be the Big N mascot? This little pink sucking monster, created by Masahiro Sakurai, is the pride of the company. The latest game in the franchise, Kirby and the Forgotten World, received a nice 17/20 from us and this isn't the creature's only appearance on Switch. Aside from the retro opuses ported to the hybrid console via Nintendo Online, Kirby is represented in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and in its eponymous title: Kirby: Star Allies, both released in 2018. Sales of Kirby games represent 15.08 million units soldan exponential figure when we consider those released on Wii U and 3DS such as Kirby: Battle Royale or Kirby's Blowout Blast (see infographic below).

Another emblematic figure of the red brand: Pikmin. Before invading the hybrid machine, these little creatures of nature benefited from an episode on 3DS called Hey! PIKMIN. The game is a platformer as we know it well. Pikmin 4 (on Switch, 2023) marks the return of 3-dimensional exploration. Players also have the opportunity to discover two new Pikmins: “Ice” and “Glow” and new gadgets such as a scout drone. Your objective is to progress in the adventure by learning your opponents' attacks and solving small puzzles. Pikmin 4 is an RPG that offers similar camera management to Baldur's Gate 3: the player is supposed to play with the joystick to get closer to the character, in isometric perspective. A great success if we are to believe the sales (7.86 million units) and the Game Awards prize it received in 2023 (“Best simulation/strategy game).

Games in the starting blocks

The Metroid software released on Switch has nothing to envy of their predecessors produced for Wii U and 3DS. With a remaster (Metroid Prime Remastered) and Metroid Dread, almost 5 million copies have been sold. And we're off to a good start, since a certain Metroid Prime 4: Beyond should be released soon after being announced at E3… in 2017. Its first trailer was released last June and the latter had the gift from hyper fans!

The most dazzling growth in sales is that presented by the Xenoblade Chronicles saga. The franchise has increased its sales seven-fold compared to games on Wii U and 3DS for surpass the mark of 7 million copy sales for its opuses on Switch. A great development which is not ready to stop given that Nintendo announced a little over a week ago, the remaster Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition scheduled for March 20, 2025. Rumors are circulating that the game will be released at the launch of the Japanese firm's next console.