The Switch console is a lifesaver for Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY). After the flop of the Wii U, which was launched in 2012 and was supposed to be the big follow-up to the Wii console, the company needed a spark to get its mojo back. The Switch did this and more. It has been the number one sales console for 24 consecutive months, beating even new consoles out of the fray Microsoftsee Xbox en Sony‘s PlayStation in November last year.
With almost 71 million consoles in the hands of customers, however, there is an expectation for a continuous production of new games. Here are some Nintendo titles to be released in 2021.
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New Pokémon Snap
Announced on January 13 and released on April 30, New Pokémon Snap is a unique game produced by Nintendo and the Pokemon Company (in which Nintendo holds a 33% stake). This is a sequel to the original Pokémon Snap game released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64. The aim of the game is to explore the Spring Region (a made-up area in the world of Pokémon) and to search and photograph different creatures. It sounds trivial for a video game, but the original Pokémon Snap was a success and in 1999 sold more than 1.5 million copies in the United States.
The sequel to the game is important as it emphasizes the nostalgia and endurance of Nintendo / Pokémon titles. Parents who played the original Pokémon Snap can be motivated to buy and play the new version with their children, and create it anew Pokémon Snap fans (or just Pokémon fans in general).
The game sells for $ 59.99. Do not expect it to be a monster title Mario Kart or Animal transition, but it definitely has a chance to be a top 5 game on the Switch this year.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Wrath
Released on February 12, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Wrath is essentially two Mario adventures in one game, with the classic Mario versus Bowser battles at the heart of the action. To keep up with the release, Nintendo is now selling a limited edition Mario-themed blue-and-red Switch console, the first Switch to hit the market since its 2017 release.
As with New Pokémon Snap, investors should not expect 3D World to be the best-selling Nintendo game of the year. However, in line with the launch of the game, Nintendo has released the Super Mario Bros. 35 World Count Challenge announced, a competition where online players work together to kill 3.5 million Bowsers in the limited-edition free edition commemorating Mario’s 35th birthday. The important part of this challenge is that it requires a Nintendo account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership, two products that the company wants to grow significantly over the next few years: memberships because it will help grow revenue, and Nintendo accounts because it’s still trying to fix the bugs in the Wii where accounts were console-based and did not transfer to new systems.
How the stock is doing
Nintendo’s shares are at a high of or near, which may make investors think they missed the boat and all the gains from the success of the Switch console. However, it seems that sales of consoles will not slow down any time soon. The Switch was the most popular search on Amazon in 2020 (not only in electronics but also on the entire website), and more than 1 million units were sold in China through its partnership with Tencent which was launched in December 2019. Considering that its stock is still trading at just 11 times earnings, there may still be time to get on the Nintendo train.