The Game Awards for many, myself included, are a huge celebration of the year in gaming and what’s next for the industry. Usually, the typical suspects are invited to the party and up for the big awards: PlayStation, Xbox, Square Enix, FromSoftware. However, one company is notably missing from this year’s Game of the Year and Game Direction: Nintendo. While there were some decent titles from the publisher, none were put for big categories, even the well-recieved The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Yet, while some may see this as a downfall for them, it actually may bode well for next year with the Nintendo Switch 2.
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It is important to mention that Nintendo did snag six nominations at The Game Awards 2024. Leading the way was Super Mario Party Jamboree and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomwhich scored two each. Princess Peach Showtime! and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Beyond both got one nomination, with the latter for Most Anticipated Game. Still, this comes after Nintendo’s stellar 15 nominations last year, thanks to Super Mario Bros. Wonder and, of course, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The publisher took home three awards: Best Action/Adventure with ToTKBest Family with Wonderand Best Sim with Pikmin 4. While six is a respectable number, it does feel a bit underwhelming. The only other times it had six nominations were in 2020 and 2018.
Nintendo’s Absence at The Game Awards 2024, Explained
As mentioned before, Nintendo didn’t have too bad a year, but looking back, it definitely wasn’t as strong as past ones. Two of the new releases from the acclaimed publisher were remakes and remasters in the case of Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. In the case of originals, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was very well-received and, while rough on scores, Mario and Luigi: Brothership did have some of the best writing and dialogue in a while, all with engaging combat.
So why isn’t it up there? One can make the case that the other nominees in the game’s suited categories are rather strong. For example, the game’s music was delightful, playing with the tone of the title rather successfully. And yet, it was up against titans of the industry like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki with Nobuo Uematsu, Silent Hill 2 Remake‘s Akira Yamaoka, and Metaphor: ReFantasia‘s Shoji Meguro, as well as the sporadic and catchy tunes of Stellar Blade and Astro Bot. Another one is Best Art Direction, which it’s inspiration, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningwas nominated in. Unfortunately, there again are some powerhouses and new faces, with the likes of Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeand Neva in the ranks (alongside Metaphor and Astro Bot).
However, as I did research on the topic, I came across an interesting fact. In 2016, Nintendo was nominated for four awards, but none for games they directly developed (like Fire Emblem Fates and Pokemon Go). That following year, in 2017, it received a whopping 23 nominations. Why? Well, that year was actually the launch year of the Nintendo Switch and, with it, some of Nintendo’s finest titles came out like Super Mario Odyssey, ARMS, Metroid Prime: Samus Returnsand, of course, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was one of Nintendo’s finest years and, even more so, one of gaming’s best considering titles like Persona 5, Nier: Automata, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossusand Horizon: Zero Dawn.
How It Correlates to the Nintendo Switch 2
While it’s too soon to say how the Nintendo Switch 2 and it’s titles, it’s clear that much of the focus of the team has gone to the new console. The Nintendo Switch has always been nearing its end, with last year being it’s last hurrah of sorts. Therefore, the lack of huge titles aiming for big Game of the Year acclaims is looking to actually be a good sign. Also, it’s interesting to note that many of their projects were outsourced, like Princess Peach Showtime!, Mario & Luigi: Brothershipand The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. They still were in cooperation with the developer, but them not making it in-studio like other titles is reminiscent of 2016.
As to what titles to expect, there really is only one set in stone to be big, with it even being nominated this year: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. While it may still be considered a Nintendo Switch title, it may be similar to how Breath of the Wild launched on both the Wii U and Switch. The high demand and avid anticipation would already place the Switch 2 on a high pedestal should it launch day one or later. With awards, it already one of the games to watch and, given Metroid Prime Remastered was as successful as it was, it certainly makes a strong claim right off the bat.
Similarly, while not directly confirmed, a new 3D Mario title has been rumored for as long as Switch 2 has. Given the rapid success and unanimous acclaim of Super Mario Odysseyhaving an accessible and fun Mario title to launch next year will always have a good outlook at awards. In facts, big Mario titles usually find themselves for huge awards, as were the cases of Odyssey, Super Mario Makerand Wonder. This is the same for The Legend of Zelda, which could earn some gold for remakes and remasters, especially if Wind Waker or Twilight Princess are given highly-requested updates.
As for other potential titles that could be both great for the Switch 2 and award-getters, Pokemon Legends Z-A is also likely to snatch some nominations if all goes well. While not fully Nintendo, the series is a huge hit with audiences and critics, despite recent releases not living up to expectations. Regardless, while this year wasn’t the award-smashing one for Nintendo, next year is shaping to be one of Nintendo’s best, with the Switch 2 at the forefront.
