Ready player one

With Nintendo going into full-on lockdown mode as far as Switch details are concerned the rumour mill is operating at full capacity. The latest report to come out of LetsPlayVideoGames - the site which has already been proven correct on several key Switch details and purports to have several sources close to Nintendo - is that the untitled Super Mario sequel and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will both be available at launch.

With regards to Super Mario, LPVG gives the following details:

The title will apparently feature a 3D open world hub from which different worlds can be selected, with multiple objectives to complete in each, much like Mario 64 or Mario Galaxy. This may seem obvious, but we share this information to specify that this will not be a Super Mario 3D World-style game where the action is in 3D, but each stage is a linear path designed to be completed a single time.

The multiplayer teased in the trailer will be a co-op version of the main game, with both players able to work together toward objectives, but with a form of tether to keep the players from going too far from each other. Player two's gameplay will not hold player one back from progress, but player two can be the one to complete an objective and be shown as receiving the level end reward. A screen will then show how much of the progress toward that success was down to each player, like how many red coins each player collected in a red coin stage.

Skyrim is also definitely happening, despite Bethesda's refusal to categorically state that the title is Switch-bound. LPVG's source states that it will be the recently-released remastered version of the game and will allow mods "post-launch". Like the PS4 version, these mods will be limited to existing in-game assets.

One of LPVG's sources claims that a new version of Splatoon will accompany the Switch at launch, possibly as a pack-in for the higher-price bundle, rumoured to be £249.99:

A big part of the push for this will be a 1 vs 1 mode where two players on separate Switches can fight over a map, switching their weapon of choice at will mid-game. Nintendo expects the short match nature of Splatoon to translate well to handheld multiplayer, in that players need only commit a few minutes to a full multiplayer match.

There are also plans to add additional single player content to the game, and for the Switch version of the game to have a similar free content output schedule to the one the Wii U version of the game enjoyed.

Finally, LPVG has reinforced reports that Zelda: Breath of the Wild will miss the Switch launch. The site says that the Wii U version will also come later than March.

What do you make of these reports? Let us know by posting a comment.

[source letsplayvideogames.com]