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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.

Let’s face it: we, as a society, love anything and everything to do with relaxing, enjoying some free time, and delving into brand new stories that distract us from our everyday lives. One of the mediums that people of all ages have turned to over the past few decades is video games, the pinnacle of interactive storytelling.

Although video games mainly originated between the 1970s and 80s, it’s pretty clear that the world hasn’t gotten enough of them. From popular franchises like Mario to Call of Duty to Pokémon, it’s pretty safe to say that civilizations across the globe wouldn’t be the same without them. With that being said, which new games are coming out this year that people should be interested in?

 

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Release Date: March 29th, 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch

Ah, Yoshi…the popular character we all know and love who first appeared in Super Mario World for the SNES in 1990. Since then, he’s become the protagonist of his own set of video games, with Yoshi’s Crafted World being the latest edition. In this game, you play as Yoshi and his friends as they try to recover the legendary Sundream Stone, which Kamek and Baby Bowser have recently stolen. Using their eggs and the environment around them, they travel across the land, finding hidden coins and clever secrets along the way. This adorable side-scrolling platformer is a must if you love both the cutesy art style of 3D Mario characters on a 2.5D plane and if you’re a fan of new and addicting gameplay developments.

 

Yoshi’s Crafted World will be released for the Nintendo Switch on March 29th, 2019.

 

Mortal Kombat 11

Release Date: April 23, 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One

One of the most popular and well-known fighting game franchises of all time has a new game premiering worldwide this year! Mortal Kombat was first launched in 1992, and Mortal Kombat 11 will be the newest addition to the series. This much-talked-about 2.5D fighting game is all about gory combat, featuring 25 classic characters from across the famed series. With returning Fatalities and Brutalities, there will also be new gameplay features such as “Fatal Blow” and “Krushing Blow,” giving you brand new ways to KO your opponents in the most flashy ways. But be warned: the Mortal Kombat series is not for the faint of heart.

 

Mortal Kombat 11 will be released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 23rd, 2019.

 

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Release Date: 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch

While the title is only its tentative name, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the upcoming sequel to Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon released in 2013. Even though we don’t know much about the game at this point, if it’s anything like its other two predecessors, be prepared for a spooky and exciting adventure through Boo-haunted mansions with your trusty Poltergust 5000! The Luigi’s Mansion series is well-known for being one of the first games to establish Luigi as a character, giving him a fully-fledged personality and making him become one of the largest gaming mascots in the world. There’s nothing die-hard fans love more than listening to Luigi hum that famous theme song as he reluctantly walks through his newfound mansion!

 

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is set for release in 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

 

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Release Date: June 21st, 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Another reboot of a successful video game released in the past, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (sometimes referred to as CTR: Nitro-Fueled) is an unexpected but widely welcomed kart racing game heavily based on its predecessor. Unlike the other games we’ve mentioned, Nitro-Fueled is actually more of a remaster than a brand-new game. However, based on the long-time fans’ reactions, it’s safe to say that this is all that they wanted: a brand new way to experience all the classic, fast-paced hijinks of Crash, Coco, and the rest of the gang.

 

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is scheduled to be released on June 21st, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Release Date: July 26th, 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch

My personal favorite on this list, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the latest in a long-running series of tactical role-playing-games developed by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo. Just like all of the previous games, you are in control of the main hero Byleth (whom you can actually name, as well as choose their gender), who becomes the leader of an army to fight against the evil forces of darkness! Well, that’s how it usually is, but Three Houses takes a slightly different approach with a whole new tutoring system and an academic setting reminiscent of worlds like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Both old and new fans will love this animeesque strategy-adventure, but the biggest question is: which characters will you pair up?

 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be released on July 26th, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Release Date: 2019

Console: Microsoft Windows and Xbox One

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an upcoming platform-adventure sequel to its popular precursor Ori and the Blind Forest (released in 2015), and fans are ecstatic that they get to experience another journey featuring their favorite spirit. Just like before, you are in control of Ori, a guardian with special abilities, and you get to progress through the game’s areas by solving puzzles and acquiring skills and upgrades. Using a system inspired by games like Metroid and Castlevania, players unlock new areas by using these unique abilities, and not only discover a new world to explore beyond Ori’s familiar forest, but find out about Ori’s true destiny.

 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is set for a tentative release in 2019 and will be available on Microsoft Windows and Xbox One.

 

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Release Date: Late 2019

Console: Nintendo Switch

It would be impossible to talk about the upcoming video game without mentioning Pokémon. While the recent Pokémon installments – Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! – were highly praised and well received, older fans are itching for a game aimed at the older generation, without the slightly dumbed-down, hand-holding mechanics of its recent games; and that’s exactly what fans are going to get. On February 27th, 2019, Nintendo unveiled the newest set of Pokémon games: Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield! The game will be set in a region that closely resembles Great Britain, with the three starter Pokémon available at the start of the game being Grookey (a grass-type monkey), Scorbunny (a fire-type bunny), and Sobble (a water-type lizard). In a statement made recently by Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, he said: “The new title coming out…will be a completely different game [to Pokémon Let’s Go]…it is not an entry game, but a game that we want longtime fans of the Pokémon series to look forward to.” It’s an exciting time to be a Pokémon fan!

 

It’s unknown what specific day they will be released, but we do know that the newest Pokémon games will come out in late 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

 

What exciting games did we miss? Be sure to let us know!

Aimar B. Galarza is an undergraduate English Literature student in the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus aspiring to become a future editor. She has a passion for anything to do with books, film, writing, music, and acting. She enjoys playing the piano and guitar and has also participated in various musicals as a dancer, singer, and actress, one of them being "Homeroom the Musical" which was presented in Ponce, Puerto Rico and later on presented in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Last but not least, she's also a voice actress on YouTube (AimyAngel) who's collaborated in fan dubs, audiobooks, and animated episodes.
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