Nintendo used its September Nintendo Direct to reveal two major new games for Nintendo Switch 2 — Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond. The two projects take very different approaches to their respective franchises. Metroid Ravenous returns to the series’ 2D action roots with a darker tone and new combat mechanics, while Kirby and the World Beyond introduces a much larger 3D world designed around free exploration.
Metroid Ravenous Brings Samus Back
Metroid Ravenous is a new 2D entry in the Metroid series and will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on January 28, 2027. The game follows Samus Aran after her ship crash-lands on an unfamiliar moon. She is then ambushed by a mysterious group of assassins and left severely wounded, forcing her to explore an underground world while searching for a way back to the surface.
One of the game’s biggest new mechanics is directly connected to Samus’s Metroid abilities. She will be able to drain energy from defeated enemies to recover her strength. Nintendo has summarized the concept with the phrase “eat or be eaten,” highlighting the more aggressive survival-focused direction of the game.
Combat will also introduce new counter-based mechanics. Players can stun enemies by countering their attacks and then quickly drain their energy. Samus will also have to face five mysterious Space Ninjas, each waiting for her throughout the game’s labyrinthine environments and equipped with powerful weapons.
Although Metroid Ravenous remains a 2D Metroid adventure, its new mechanics and darker presentation could make it feel significantly different from previous entries. The game appears to build on the foundation of Metroid Dread while introducing a more aggressive approach to combat and survival.
Kirby and the World Beyond Expands the Series
The second major announcement was Kirby and the World Beyond, a new 3D adventure developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. The game is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2027, coinciding with the Kirby franchise’s 35th anniversary.
The biggest change is the scale of the world. Nintendo says players will be able to freely explore expansive environments while making creative use of Kirby’s Copy Abilities. The first footage suggests a significant move toward larger, interconnected-looking areas compared with the more structured level design of previous 3D Kirby games.
Several Copy Abilities also appear to have new traversal and combat possibilities. This could make exploration a much more important part of the experience rather than simply moving from one traditional platforming stage to another.
However, Nintendo has not officially described Kirby and the World Beyond as a conventional open-world game. The company instead uses the phrase “freely explore expansive environments.” As a result, it is still too early to determine exactly how open the game’s world will be.
Two Very Different Nintendo Switch 2 Experiences
The announcements of Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond demonstrate two very different directions for Nintendo’s major franchises. Metroid Ravenous focuses on tense exploration, aggressive combat and Samus’s newly awakened abilities, while Kirby and the World Beyond emphasizes exploration, freedom and a much larger 3D environment.
Both games will be Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, making them important additions to the console’s growing lineup. Metroid Ravenous is scheduled for January 28, 2027, while Kirby and the World Beyond is planned for spring 2027.
Together, Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond suggest that Nintendo is not simply repeating familiar formulas on its new hardware. Instead, the company is using established franchises to experiment with new mechanics, larger environments and different styles of gameplay. For Nintendo Switch 2 owners, both games are now among the projects worth watching ahead of 2027.
