The 7 biggest things to expect from Nintendo in 2019

Super Mario Odyssey

In 2019, Nintendo plans to release the first-ever "core" Pokémon game for the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo is also reportedly working on a new version of the Nintendo Switch, which could arrive in the coming year.
Before the end of March 2019, Nintendo is expected to launch its first "Mario Kart" game for smartphones.

Nintendo is a notoriously secretive company, and much of the coming year for the Japanese gaming giant is a mystery.

That said, we have a pretty good idea about some of Nintendo's biggest plans for 2019: a new main-series "Pokémon" game on the Switch, the first-ever "Mario Kart" game for smartphones in the not-so-distant future, and maybe even a new version of the wildly popular Switch console itself!

And that's before we start talking about the big unknowns. Is 2019 the year when we see more of "Metroid Prime 4" than a logo? Perhaps "Bayonetta 3"?

Here's everything we know — and a few things we're less certain of, but are still entirely possible — about Nintendo's coming year:

1. A new "core" Pokémon game

Pokémon is coming to the Nintendo Switch — prepare yourself!

Nintendo said a "core RPG Pokémon title" is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Not a spin-off, like "Pokémon Stadium" and "Pokémon Snap" way back on the Nintendo 64, but a full-on main-series entry.

The beloved Pokémon game series has always been a portable affair. With few exceptions, the only way to engage with the long-running series was on Nintendo's handheld consoles. But with this new entry, that's about to change.

Nintendo said the next main entry in the long-running Pokémon game franchise — the successor to "Pokémon Ultra Sun" and "Pokémon Ultra Moon" — will arrive in "late 2019." For now, that's all we know.

2. A new version of the Nintendo Switch?

Not a new Nintendo console, mind you, but a new version of an existing one: It looks like Nintendo is already deep in development of a new version of the Nintendo Switch.

Rumors point to logical upgrades, such as a brighter screen, better battery life, and a slimmer profile — Nintendo has yet to say anything officially.

That said, Nintendo has a long history of making new variants of its game consoles.

There are several different versions of the Nintendo 3DS handheld, for instance, some with more horsepower and bigger screens than others. The same could be said for the Nintendo DS before it, and the Game Boy Advance before that.

It's more than just a rumor, it's entirely likely that Nintendo will release new iterations of the Nintendo Switch. And 2019 is said to be the year that we'll see the first of those iterations.

3. "Metroid Prime 4"

What is "Metroid Prime 4"? Little more than a logo at this point, at least publicly speaking.

"Metroid Prime 4" is the fourth game in the first-person "Metroid Prime" series. The franchise began its life on the Nintendo GameCube and drew a legion of loyal fans across several sequels. It's been over a decade since the last major entry, "Metroid Prime 3," arrived on the Nintendo Wii.

The next game is said to be in production by Japanese game company Bandai Namco, rather than the studio responsible for the previous three games, though Nintendo has yet to confirm as much.

After announcing the game through a logo back in June 2017 (pictured above), Nintendo has yet to say another word about the highly anticipated sequel.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider