2021 marks several important milestones for Nintendo, but the company has not revealed any plans. Here are the possible reasons.
As Nintendo closes 2020 and its celebration of the 35th anniversary of Super Mario, the company is poised to have a busy 2021. Several iconic franchises for the venerable video game publisher will have big birthdays next year, as well as console birthdays.
Despite these great milestones to come, Nintendo has yet to reveal any plans for 2021. The company has a history of playing its cards hard and surprising fans very close to the release dates, which will likely be the case early in the game. year – – so fans shouldn’t panic too much.
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The legend of Zelda will celebrate its 35th anniversary next year, so rumors say that Nintendo will revisit the franchise to mark the occasion, whether with remastered editions of previous releases or anniversary collections, as the company did with Mario in 2020.
Similarly, Pokémon turns 25 in 2021 and as one of Nintendo’s biggest and longest lasting properties, you can get a sequel to great success Pokémon shield and sword. Potentially, Nintendo will revisit older titles, such as Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green to thrill the most nostalgic fans of the franchise.
Finally, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons kept players entertained during the boredom of 2020, something to capitalize on their success and celebrating the series’s 20th anniversary would be a strong addition to Nintendo’s 2021 release schedule.
Less likely to get Nintendo’s birthday treatment are Metroid and Donkey Kong, which mark their 35th and 40th birthdays, respectively. Metroid has had a much more dispersed release history than many of its equivalents, with only six titles released for home consoles since its launch in 1986, despite portable entries and remastering.
Donkey Kong is the franchise that put Nintendo on the map. Its original arcade game became a huge worldwide success and earned the company millions in the first two years after its launch in 1981. The franchise may see a relaunch on Nintendo Switch Online or the eShop, but the odds are against something more substantial.
2021 also marks the Nintendo 64’s 25th anniversary, the Game Boy Advance’s 20th anniversary and the Wii’s 15th anniversary. Since the launch of the NES Classic and SNES Classic, fans expect the N64 to receive similar treatment and receive a mini console pre-loaded with the biggest titles of 1996.
Nintendo denied that any plans to develop an N64 Classic are underway, but it could certainly be saving such an announcement for the right occasion. Although a GBA replica is unlikely, several titles could receive their own Switch Online library as a potential Wii Sports collection – presumably compiling Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort – could bring back the titles that made the Wii such a success in its debut in 2006.
Whatever Nintendo planned for 2021, fans can be sure that the company will deliver, at least in one way or another. Nintendo’s 2020 release schedule was sparse until it wasn’t, and marketing problems aside, there’s a lot to announce for next year. While the company cannot necessarily compete with next generation consoles, it can continue to capitalize on the nostalgia for iconic franchises and use birthdays to keep players interested.
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