[gamescom 26] No new titles, but the Nintendo booth was still burning with passion

[gamescom 26] 신작 없었지만 뜨거웠던 닌텐도 부스

gamemeca • Kim Hyung Jong 게임메카 김형종 기자 2026.08.29 11:31 UTC+9

AI Summary

Nintendo rocked Gamescom 2026 with a massive booth. The lineup focused heavily on Switch 2 games rather than unreleased titles. Fans flooded the venue to catch demos, tournaments, and exclusive merchandise.

Look, let's be honest, Nintendo turned up to Gamescom 2026 with a massive booth and gathered the crowds. But here's the cheeky twist: playable unreleased titles were rather thin on the ground. The 2-player co-op game 'Orbitals', 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4', 'EA Sports FC 27', and the first-party fitness game 'Nintendo Switch Sports Resort' were pretty much the whole lot. Heavy hitters like the anticipated 'Fire Emblem Three Houses', nor major IPs like 'The Legend of Zelda', 'Mario', or 'Pokémon', made an appearance with new titles.

Now, reading that, you might reckon the booth was left looking rather barren. But oh, mate, you'd be dead wrong. Nintendo opted for a strategy of cramming in as many games already released for the Nintendo Switch 2 as humanly possible. It was a technicolour all-star gala featuring first-party outings like 'Splatoon Raiders', 'Star Fox (2026)', and 'Super Mario Wonder', alongside ports such as '007 First Light' and 'EA Sports FC 27'. You could proper feel the firm intent to firmly imprint the 'Nintendo Switch 2' onto the global consciousness, and we've snapped the atmosphere on camera for you.

▲ The event kicks off, and the crowds begin to gather at the booth (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Demos for Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Wonder, and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ A chance to get hands-on with the physical Switch hardware (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Festivities are in full swing right in the centre (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ A Mario Kart World tournament was underway (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ The packed Nintendo Switch Sports Resort demo zone overflowing with people (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Games being enjoyed together by parents and children (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Splatoon Raiders, where the crowds just keep on growing (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ The booth showcasing Pokémon Pokopia (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

The Star Fox demo area — ▲ The Star Fox (2026) demo area (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Slip off to the side, and you'll find the third-party demo booths (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Germany loves its football, as seen at EA Sports FC 27 (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ The 007 First Light demo booth (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ The bustling Modern Warfare 4 booth packed with people (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ 'Metaphor: ReFantazio', which has its Switch 2 version teased for November (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Nintendo merchandise on sale as well (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ Star Fox and Mario-related goods on display (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

▲ An adorable Ditto photo zone makes an appearance (Image courtesy: Gamemeca)

닌텐도는 게임스컴 2026에 대규모 부스를 내고 유저들을 불러모았다. 다만 다소 독특했던 지점은, 미출시 시연작이 적었다는 점이다. 2인 협동게임 '오비탈스', '콜 오브 듀티: 모던 워페어 4', 'EA 스포츠 FC 27' 그리고 퍼스트 파티이자 운동게임 '닌텐도 스위치 스포츠 리조트'가 사실상 전부였다. 기대작인 '파이어 엠블렘 풍화설월'이라던가, 대장 IP '젤다의 전설', '마리오', '포켓몬' 등의 신작도 나오지 않았다.

이렇게 이야기하면 '부스가 텅 비어있었나' 생각이 들 수도 있겠다. 하지만 아니었다. 닌텐도는 닌텐도 스위치 2로 출시된 게임을 최대한 많이 가져오는 전략을 활용했다. '스플래툰 레이더스', '스타 폭스(2026)', '슈퍼 마리오 원더' 등 퍼스트파티 뿐만 아니라 '007 퍼스트 라이트', 'EA 스포츠 FC27' 등 이식작까지 총출동한 총천연색의 올스타전이었다. 확실하게 세계에 '닌텐도 스위치 2'를 각인시키려는 확고한 의도가 느껴졌던 그 현장을 카메라로 담아봤다.