Release date surprise: Rhythm Paradise Groove hits July 2
Nintendo just dropped a little double-whammy: Rhythm Paradise Groove now has a release date — July 2 — and that announcement also happens to mark the most recent first-party game confirmed for the original Switch. With Tomodachi Life: A Dream Life launching next week and this rhythm title in the summer, there aren’t any more Nintendo-made releases penciled in for the older console after July.
So… where did all the Switch games go?
Since the Switch arrived in 2017, Nintendo has typically kept a steady drip of upcoming first-party titles on the calendar. For the first time in nearly nine years, that calendar looks oddly empty starting in July. To sum up the situation: Rhythm Paradise Groove is the last official Nintendo title scheduled for the original Switch, there are currently no other first-party announcements for it, and Nintendo said in 2023 it planned to keep releasing Switch games through 2026.
Switch 2 is stealing the spotlight
Make no mistake — Nintendo’s attention has clearly shifted to the Switch 2. The successor launched in June 2025 and has been selling like hotcakes, so development focus and marketing energy are largely going toward that platform. The good news for old-school Switch owners is backward compatibility: existing Switch games will play on the new machine, and the original console still sits proudly as Nintendo’s best-selling system with over 155 million units sold.
Investor meeting incoming — expect fireworks
Nintendo’s investor briefing in early May could be a big moment. It’s when the company typically publishes sales numbers and outlines strategy, so fans and investors will be watching for answers about the Switch 2 pricing, the future of the original Switch, and whether Nintendo will keep supporting both devices. Don’t forget: even if first-party releases dry up, third-party and indie developers can still bring games to the original hardware.
Will Nintendo Direct save the day? And what about big-name rumors?
There’s always hope for a surprise Nintendo Direct, but the chatter suggests Nintendo might prioritize the Switch 2 from here on out. The successor needs headline-grabbing exclusives, and recent whispers — which feel pretty credible — point to a remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and a new Star Fox project this year. The big question is whether any of those high-profile titles will also be made available on the original Switch, or kept exclusive to the new hardware.
Star Fox rumor: incoming on Switch 2 this summer?
Word on the street (and by street, we mean industry leakers) is that a new Star Fox game is due this summer for the Switch 2, with an announcement possibly landing this month. Sources like Nate the Hate have been shouting about it, and some outlets are backing up the claim. Take it with a grain of cosmic stardust — exciting, probably real, but still technically a rumor until Nintendo says otherwise.
