What Mario and Zelda games are missing?
Switch 2’s first-year Mario/Zelda drought
Fans are marking the Nintendo Switch 2’s first birthday by pointing to a gap in the flagship releases that usually define a new Nintendo hardware cycle.
Nintendo launched the Switch 2 on June 5, 2026, and the conversation around its opening year has centered on expectations for big first-party hits—especially fresh entries in the Mario and Zelda franchises. Instead of a new Mario and a new Zelda appearing within the console’s first twelve months, players are still waiting, which has become the dominant theme in fan discussions about how the system’s early slate has landed so far.
What it means for players and the market
A lack of new marquee Nintendo software matters because these games tend to: - drive console adoption and hardware attach rates - anchor marketing campaigns and seasonal demand - set the tone for a platform’s long-term first-party roadmap
With Switch 2 now a year old, the missing titles are being treated as a key signal of pacing—whether Nintendo is staggering major releases later in the lifecycle, focusing on other first-party projects, or holding blockbuster announcements for subsequent quarters.
Why fans are still talking
The issue isn’t that Switch 2 launched without playable Nintendo content overall; it’s specifically the continued absence of new Mario and new Zelda games during that first year. That contrast—between expectations for headliner franchises and what’s actually arrived—helps explain why the wait has become the story’s headline on fan reflections.