As 2022 comes closer and closer, Nintendo fans are looking forward to the games set to release that year. Although we don’t know of all the games that will be coming out next year, the games that have been announced are looking good. A few of Nintendo’s most popular series are getting new installments in 2022, but there’s bound to be more games we don’t even know about yet. For now though, let’s take a look at the games Nintendo has officially announced for 2022.

To start off the year, we have Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which is releasing on January 28th. Nintendo has already released 2 trailers, and they look very promising. The game looks like it’ll be introducing new game mechanics and concepts, while still keeping the classic charm that keeps fans coming back to the Pokemon series. Many are hyped for this game because it strays from the usual Pokemon formula, but others have gripes with the trailer such as the graphics not looking good enough, or the world being too empty. Even so, I’m sure Pokemon Legends: Arceus will be successful. After all, there’s still four months for the development team to polish things up. In my opinion, the game looks great so far. A lot of Pokemon fans, including myself, are excited to play this game when it comes out.

Another classic Nintendo series that’s getting a new game in 2022 is The Legend of Zelda. The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – one of the most popular Nintendo Switch games – is scheduled to release sometime in 2022. There have been two videos released showcasing the game, but despite that, we really don’t know much about it. Fans have been speculating about what the sequel will entail ever since the first trailer released in 2019, and the teaser shown this year sparked more excitement and discussion. The first trailer shows Link and Zelda traversing some sort of dungeon together, implying that Zelda will have a bigger, more active role in the game, while the more recent teaser features Link soaring through the skies between floating islands and showing off some of his new abilities, ending with one word on a black screen: 2022. Since this is a sequel to one of Nintendo’s most successful Switch games, it’s sure to sell well.

One of Nintendo’s newer series, Splatoon, is also getting a new game in 2022. Though we don’t have much information about it yet, Splatoon fans are no less excited about the series’ third installment. Although the trailer for Splatoon 3 is only three minutes long, it’s packed with information, showcasing new weapons, customization options, and game mechanics as well as a brand new setting. It’s far from Inkopolis – where the first two games took place – and full of chaos. Not to mention, a new game means new lore. Although Splatoon seems to be a fairly simple game from first glance, it’s actually packed with lore. The third game seems like it will take a different direction in its story than the first two games, and although we don’t know what it will be, it’s very likely that the story will focus more on the Salmonids, a species in the Splatoon world. Many fans already expected this, but the trailer reinforced this theory when it showed the main character with a Salmonid as a pet. The action-packed trailer did a great job drumming up excitement in the Splatoon fandom and had many discussing their hopes and expectations for the game, which I’m sure will not disappoint when it comes out.

As 2022 progresses, Nintendo is bound to release and announce even more games. There are already rumors about which games those will be, but there’s no way of knowing until Nintendo makes an official announcement. I’m looking forward to seeing what else 2022 has in store for Nintendo fans because it already looks like it’s going to be a great year for Nintendo.