Nintendo has always played by its own rules, one of the defining factors of its decades-long run of being a successful video game industry giant. The company boasts some of the most recognizable characters in the industry, with a few that could even go toe-to-toe with Mickey Mouse. And now, with 2022 looming on the horizon, Nintendo is primed to have one of its most impressive years since the Switch debuted.

It’s not difficult to say what, exactly, makes a Nintendo console a success. The company has long had the formula to keep fams engaged: create unique hardware and couple it with approachable, enjoyable games. And it’s managed to employ that formula well with the Switch, with most of its massive IP receiving new entries on the system, or at the very least, ports of Wii U games that suffered from that console’s lackluster sales.

RELATED: Nintendo Fans May Want To Hold Off On Purchasing the Switch OLED

Now, 2021 is one the wind down after a relatively calm year for the company, at least compared to 2020. While there are still a few months to go, September’s Nintendo Direct presentation painted a stunning picture of what’s to come for Nintendo, and it just might be the most impressive lineup that the company has had since the Switch launched back in 2017, a year that brought the back-to-back hits Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.

New Nintendo Games in 2022

breath-of-the-wild-2-e3-trailer-overlooking-region

Right now, Nintendo has a respectable list of exclusive games slated to launch in 2022. While the pandemic could easily see some things shifted around, Nintendo fans should be strapping in for a feast of new software as the calendar inches over to the new year. Not to mention, there’s still likely a healthy serving of games to come in 2022 that haven’t even been announced yet.

Breath of the Wild 2

The most notable game launching on the Switch in 2022 is doubtlessly Breath of the Wild 2. Its predecessor not only redefined what a Legend of Zelda game could be, but has also been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. While there are still scattered bits of player feedback for Nintendo to address in the sequel, Breath of the Wild 2 is an absolute goliath of a game for Nintendo. If it’s anything like the first, it could end up being talked about for years to come.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kirby has always existed in a peculiar space. While the character is one of Nintendo’s most recognizable icons, his games tend to be skewed towards younger audiences and stuck on 2D playing fields. That’s why Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a fully 3D game launching next year, came as such a surprise during the September Direct. The game looks like it could be the character’s best outing yet, possibly even as defining as Super Mario Odyssey was for Mario’s future on the Switch.

Bayonetta 3

Last, but certainly not least, is Bayonetta 3. A game now years in the making, Bayonetta 3 is one Nintendo's most mature games, and by a pretty significant margin too. While there still isn’t a specific release date, just like many of the other triple-a games releasing next year, it’s now confirmed to be launching in 2022. The game looks like a fairly wild time, too, with a new ability allowing players to take control over Kaiju-style monsters.

Nintendo 64 Games Coming to Switch

nintendo 64 switch dock pic

Surprisingly, one of the Switch’s biggest boons, presumably in 2022, will be older games rather than new ones. The Switch is now confirmed to be getting N64 games in the near future, which will add some of the games that defined Nintendo’s early 3D era. Classics like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time are slated to appear on the service at launch, but there’s more to come.

What makes the N64 games so special is how indicative it is that Nintendo is listening. While it’s taken longer than many hoped it would to get the games on the system, fans have been anxiously awaiting something like this since the first NES and SNES games were added to Nintendo Switch Online.

The Nintendo 64 addition makes GameCube and Game Boy games appearing on the console at some point feel a bit more realistic, and considering the dedication to nostalgic experiences permeating through the internet these days, fans would doubtlessly be excited for any expansion to the retro library.

Nintendo Switch Hardware in 2022

nintendo switch oled

One of the major questions still circulating about the Switch is how the hardware itself will stack up in 2022. Regardless of how fans feel about the system, it’s impossible to deny that there’s a massive discrepancy between the Switch’s power and the PS5 and Xbox Series X. While how powerful a system is doesn’t necessarily change how enjoyable its games are, the difference in load times and frame rates is only going to feel worse as time passes.

Nintendo has remained adamant that the Switch OLED model is the only upcoming hardware revision, contrary to reports of a Nintendo Switch Pro that have been circulating for a little over a year. There are a few different theories as to why that may be, but fans, for the most part, seem to think that a Switch Pro is real, and Nintendo simply doesn’t want that revision to affect sales of the OLED model.

It’s impossible to say exactly where things will fall, though a beefed-up Switch is probably worth it for Nintendo at this point, especially if the Switch is only halfway through its lifecycle. While the OLED model is a good change for a few reasons, it isn’t quite what fans were expecting. And with such a sweet roster of games in 2022, the hardware to back it only seems natural.

MORE: 10 Great AA Games You Can Play On The Nintendo Switch