Namely, the two most notable games I played were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong: Bananza. The latter isn't a launch game, but they both made strong first impressions – not only as games themselves, but also as demonstrations of what the Switch 2 can do. Let's dig in.

Nintendo is switching a few things up with its new console as it enters the next generation of gaming. The Switch 2 was unveiled Wednesday morning during a Nintendo Direct press conference, and Variety got a hands-on demo with the hardware and games launching on June 5.

That's a stellar lineup for the first year of a console, let alone half. But Mario is Nintendo, and without a new 3D adventure it makes the Nintendo Switch 2 launch feel lukewarm. I've come to terms with the lack of Mario Odyssey 2 in 2025, but please Nintendo, make sure 2026 has a new 3D Mario adventure.