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While the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 grab headlines, Nintendo fans have much to look forward to in 2014. Whether they own the Wii U console or the popular 3DS handheld, a variety of games will debut throughout the year that’ll provide multiple hours of fun. With this in mind, make sure you check out the following must have titles coming to your favourite Nintendo systems.

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Release Date: TBC 2014

Mario, Luigi and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom hit the track for another round of fast and furious racing. Familiar staples like banana peels and red turtle shells make a welcome return, but Mario Kart 8 sets itself apart from its predecessors with the best graphics in the series to date, and most importantly, the inclusion of futuristic hover vehicles that should remind players of Nintendo’s famous F-Zero franchise. The company puts these slick rides to excellent use, as players defy gravity by riding along walls and upside down. That said, gamers should expect plenty of twisted tracks designed to showcase these karts, though fans will still be able to steer bikes and make use of gliders. Online multiplayer supports up to 12 players per track, while Miiverse integration lets them share videos. The Nintendo faithful have their favourite games in this historic franchise, though based on what we’ve seen, this will be the most feature-packed Mario Kart yet.

Bayonetta 2

Release Date: TBC 2014

Action fans will find plenty of style and substance in this super-charged sequel. Armed with new weapons, a tantalizing outfit and fresh haircut, Bayonetta charges headfirst into the danger zone, decimating the opposition with torture attacks and perhaps the most devastating manoeuvre, the Umbra Climax, which lets her summon demons to slay enemies. In addition, her friend and fellow witch Jeanne drops in to combat the many different monsters in the game. Especially interesting are the two unique control styles. Normal features controls reminiscent of the original Bayonetta. Touch play, on the other hand, was designed with newcomers in mind who are unfamiliar with action games, as they utilize the GamePad touchscreen to pull off moves with ease. We can’t wait to get our hands on this new adventure.

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS)

Release Date: TBC 2014

It’s been too song since we hit the links with Mario, Donkey Kong and other famous Nintendo characters. That will change when the highly anticipated Mario Golf: World Tour makes its long-awaited debut. Featuring simple-to-grasp gameplay with a more arcade-style approach, gamers should have no trouble mastering the user-friendly swing mechanics as they seek to dominate a plethora of beautiful courses taking place within forest, beach and desert environments. Fans will take full advantage of Super Shots that give their heroes additional strength and accuracy. They’ll probably need these special moves not only against the computer, but also other players in heated online matches. On top of that, they can set special parameters (smaller courses, no Super Shots) and even post their high scores to online leader boards. Now all we need is the official release date for this charming title.

Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) and Super Smash Bros. (3DS)

Release Date: TBC 2014

Prepare to lay the smack down on your favourite video game characters in the next instalment to the epic Nintendo fighting series on both the Wii U and 3DS, with the handheld version sporting a cell shaded art style. Thus far, the new Smash Bros. has a wonderful cast of favourites. Yes, Mario, Princess Peach and Luigi made the cut, but so did Marth, Sonic the Hedgehog and Samus. Even better, we’ll see new faces like the Animal Crossing Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy and the biggest of them all, Mega Man, complete with signature attacks pulled from his celebrated adventures. You can also expect a wealth of stages both old and new, even one inspired by Pilotwings. Unfortunately, we don’t know how both versions will interact, as well as the possibility for single-player action and online multiplayer. Plenty of questions remain, but with a series this big, Nintendo will provide the answers we seek in the months ahead.

Yoshi's New Island

Release Date: 14/03/2014

Gamers fell in love with the original Yoshi’s Island on Super Nintendo, and had a blast with the DS sequel. The third instalment continues the series’ tradition of Yoshi ferrying baby Mario across attractive levels with its Flutter Jump, Ground Pound and Egg Throw, except this time, players will make use of the all-new Mega Egg. This gigantic egg is a powerful projectile that destroys pipes and blocks to reveal hidden areas and items. The game also takes full advantage of the 3DS gyroscope, with players physically moving the device to get a better view of a level. Not only does this let them see what lies ahead, but also achieve better Mega Egg tosses. Finally, Nintendo retained the unique visual style we’ve come to enjoy, with pastel-shaded, crayon and watercolour boards. The result is one of the best-looking portable games to date.