While 2019 was largely a transitional 12 months for Sony and Microsoft as each firms started laying the groundwork for his or her next-generation consoles, Nintendo spent the 12 months sustaining the Switch’s spectacular momentum. Since it launched almost three years in the past, the hand held/dwelling console hybrid has been promoting on tempo with the Wii, and in 2019, Nintendo buoyed it together with one other nice string of exclusives, to not point out a brand new, portable-focused addition to the road, the Switch Lite.As profitable as Nintendo has been through the previous 12 months, nonetheless, 2019 was not all sunny for the corporate. The 3DS, which had been sputtering alongside for the previous a number of years, appears to have been quietly put to relaxation, with no new releases for it on the horizon, and Nintendo’s paid Switch Online service nonetheless hasn’t lived as much as its potential regardless of some enhancements. With 2019 quickly coming to an in depth, let’s have a look again at how Nintendo fared through the 12 months that was.A Strong Year Of First-Party GamesNintendo ended 2018 on a excessive notice with the discharge of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which might turn into the Switch’s fastest-selling recreation to that time and break quite a few different gross sales data for the corporate. 2019, against this, started rather more mildly. Nintendo kicked off the 12 months with New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a Switch port of the Wii U launch recreation, and its subsequent huge first-party launch, Yoshi’s Crafted World, would not comply with till March. Both have been good video games in their very own proper, however neither have been “must-haves” on the extent of Smash Bros., and the primary half of the 12 months felt lackluster because of this.That would all change come summer season, when Nintendo unleashed a veritable deluge of first-party titles. The torrent started with Super Mario Maker 2 in June. From then on, at the least one main first-party recreation hit the system every successive month. The critically acclaimed Fire Emblem: Three Houses adopted in July; a brand new Platinum Games title, Astral Chain, arrived in August; The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake and Daemon X Machina each launched in September; and Luigi’s Mansion 3 capped off October. This regular launch schedule culminated in November with the launch of the newest mainline Pokemon video games, Pokemon Sword and Shield, which shortly set new gross sales data for the console and surpassed Smash Ultimate to turn into the system’s fastest-selling titles thus far.Complementing Nintendo’s spectacular lineup of video games was one other string of high-profile third-party releases. Switch obtained ports of quite a few critically acclaimed titles in 2019, together with a number of that didn’t appear technically potential, akin to Dragon Quest XI, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Mortal Kombat 11, Divinity: Original Sin 2, and even Blizzard’s fashionable hero shooter, Overwatch. And that is to say nothing of the system’s continued indie help. 2019 noticed quite a few nice indie video games arrive on Switch, amongst them the Zelda/Crypt of the NecroDancer mash-up Cadence of Hyrule, the arcade hit Killer Queen Black, and the breakout Untitled Goose Game. Despite its gradual begin, 2019 has turned out to be the strongest 12 months the Switch has seen but by way of software program.Switch Online Takes One Step Forward, One Step BackAfter quite a few delays, Nintendo’s premium Switch Online subscription service lastly arrived in September 2018, and the corporate labored to bolster the service’s attraction in 2019–although it nonetheless has a lot room for enchancment. One of essentially the most notable perks Nintendo Switch Online provides is entry to a library of basic NES video games, and that lineup grew steadily this previous 12 months as Nintendo added a small handful of titles to it every month. The NES library now spans almost 50 video games, together with some all-time classics akin to Zelda II, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Punch-Out–all of which joined the service in 2019. However, the glacial tempo at which Nintendo added NES video games this previous 12 months made the wait for brand spanking new titles excruciating, and seemed the service was merely an afterthought to the corporate.Thankfully, Nintendo Switch Online obtained a much-needed shot within the arm round its one-year anniversary, when Nintendo lastly started providing a library of basic Super NES video games to subscribers at no further price. Switch homeowners had been eagerly anticipating the eventual arrival of SNES titles on the hybrid system, and the preliminary lineup was spectacular, that includes a number of the 16-bit system’s finest releases, together with Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.However, the joy of lastly having the ability to play SNES video games on Switch was tempered by one vital disadvantage; fairly than persevering with so as to add new basic video games to the service every month, because it had performed as much as that time, Nintendo introduced that future NES and SNES titles would now not be added at common intervals. Sure sufficient, because the SNES library arrived again in September, the corporate has not added any extra basic video games to the Switch Online service, so these hoping to play different SNES titles like Donkey Kong Country or Super Mario RPG on Switch will seemingly be ready a very long time.Beyond that, this previous 12 months noticed the shock launch of Tetris 99, a battle royale-inspired tackle the basic puzzler. Switch Online subscribers may obtain and play the sport freed from cost, making it among the best incentives to subscribe to the service. Nintendo would ultimately launch a paid Big Block DLC for Tetris 99 that added a handful of offline modes to the sport, however those that need to play the title on-line towards different gamers can nonetheless solely accomplish that by subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online.Nintendo additionally experimented with extra unique provides for NSO subscribers this previous 12 months. In addition to periodically providing in-game freebies for numerous titles, Nintendo applied a Switch voucher program, which gave NSO members the choice to buy a pair of recreation vouchers that might then be redeemed for choose first- and third-party Switch titles. It was an attractive provide, however this system was curiously short-lived; whereas vouchers can nonetheless be redeemed as much as a 12 months after you first bought them, Nintendo stopped providing the flexibility to purchase vouchers again in July, so in the event you did not reap the benefits of this system earlier than then, you successfully missed your likelihood. For all of the steps Nintendo has taken in the appropriate course with Nintendo Switch Online in 2019, the service nonetheless has a lot room to develop.Switch Lite Is The Final Nail In 3DS’s CoffinWhile its finest days have been clearly behind it, the 3DS nonetheless confirmed some indicators of life heading into 2019. The dual-screen handheld obtained 5 notable releases through the first half of the 12 months. A remake of the beloved DS RPG, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, led the cost in January; Yo-kai Watch 3 and Etrian Odyssey Nexus each adopted in February; an expanded port of the Wii basic Kirby’s Epic Yarn arrived in March; and at last, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth obtained a Western launch in June.Since then, nonetheless, 3DS releases have all however dried up, and Nintendo has not introduced any new video games on the best way to the system, suggesting it’s lastly shifting on from the dual-screen platform. While the corporate continues to push 2DS and 2DS XL as budget-friendly units for youthful gamers, the shortage of any information about new 3DS video games on the best way speaks volumes in regards to the system’s future, and its destiny appears to have been sealed with the arrival of a brand new Switch mannequin: the Switch Lite.Released alongside The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening in September, the Switch Lite is a smaller, cheaper model of Nintendo’s flagship system that removes options like the flexibility to dock to a tv in an effort to emphasise portability. Even earlier than the mannequin was formally unveiled, rumors had been circulating that Nintendo was engaged on a portable-focused model of the Switch that will act as a successor of types to the 3DS, and the Switch Lite, with its sturdier physique and cheaper worth level, matches that invoice. Early gross sales numbers for the Switch Lite have been optimistic, so barring any shock bulletins by Nintendo, it seems that system is taking the 3DS’s place as a kid-friendly various.A Promising Look At 2020While each Sony and Microsoft are readying their next-generation consoles for launch in 2020, the Switch remains to be very a lot within the early years of its life, and subsequent 12 months will seemingly see Nintendo persevering with to help the system because it has thus far–with new, interesting video games. The firm has solely given us a short glimpse at what lays forward for Switch subsequent 12 months, nevertheless it already appears promising, with a port of the underrated Wii U gem Tokyo Mirage Sessions arriving in January and a brand new installment within the Animal Crossing sequence following in March. The cult favourite sequence No More Heroes and Deadly Premonition are additionally receiving Switch-exclusive sequels in 2020, and a remaster of Xenoblade Chronicles is on the best way in some unspecified time in the future subsequent 12 months as properly, giving Switch homeowners one other epic RPG to dive into.And that is to say nothing of the opposite video games we already know are in improvement. Nintendo and Platinum have been silent about Bayonetta 3 because it was first introduced again in 2017, and Metroid Prime 4 remains to be looming on the horizon. Neither recreation has a launch window but, so they could not essentially arrive subsequent 12 months, however we’re because of hear extra particulars about them. We additionally bought our first tantalizing have a look at a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at E3 2019, so we might be taught extra about that recreation in 2020. On prime of that, much more DLC is in improvement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate subsequent 12 months. We nonetheless do not know all the pieces 2020 will maintain for the platform, however the Switch’s future appears shiny.Other Matters, In TransientNintendo changed the bottom Switch mannequin this previous August with an up to date model that boasts higher battery life.Nintendo launched two new cell video games in 2019, Dr. Mario World and Mario Kart Tour, the latter of which has been very profitable up to now and was the most-downloaded free recreation on iPhone this 12 months.Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, which hit cell units in 2017, obtained a brand new paid membership tier.The first photos of Super Nintendo World, a Nintendo-themed attraction being developed at Universal Studios Japan, have appeared on-line. The park is slated to open in Spring 2020 and can characteristic two rides and an “interactive element.”Nintendo opened a brand new flagship retailer in Tokyo.Nintendo Switch has bought 15 million models in North America as of October 2019, surpassing Wii U’s international lifetime gross sales.The VerdictDespite some tough patches, 2019 was one other nice 12 months for Nintendo, significantly with regard to the Switch. While the 12 months might have began off slowly by way of releases, the system obtained a string of nice first-party exclusives in addition to a handful of noteworthy third-party ports and indie titles. Switch homeowners should be ready on some primary, generally requested options like folders, and the Nintendo Switch Online service remains to be missing in lots of regards, however this 12 months has arguably been the strongest one but for the system, and it’s well-positioned heading into 2020.The goodThe dangerousThe again half of the 12 months was crammed with a ton of nice exclusives and critically acclaimed portsNES/SNES video games are now not being added to Nintendo Switch Online at common intervals, and the service nonetheless cannot measure as much as rival choicesNintendo Switch Online’s attraction was considerably boosted with the addition of SNES video gamesSwitch nonetheless lacks some primary options like foldersSwitch’s 2020 lineup already appears promising, with a handful of noteworthy titles on the best way subsequent 12 months