Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

@GrailUK I fear the reason Nintendo leaned so heavily into ports wasn’t just to make up for the failures on the Wii U, but also because they don’t have enough internal teams to keep rolling out new games for the Switch. More powerful hardware is going to need much larger teams to get the same amount out. So I think more ports and remasters are going to be needed to help keep a regular flow of games.

@FragRed Oh, I dare say they will be dipping in Wii and Gamecube games for their next gen. But their new stuff will have had years in the oven!

I suspect even Mario Wonder/ how to follow-up on New Sup was in discussion and development for a long time. The new 3D game will have been in active development even longer.

Obviously they can't spit out something fundamentally new and polished quickly, but fortunately Nintendo still has plenty of options for ports, remakes, and remasters to fill in the gaps between major releases in their main franchises.

There will be less scope to justify this. With HD remasters they can easily be justified because the gap between the fidelity of 480p and 1080p is significant. Especially when the former was designed to be enjoyed on 20" TVs. With the Wii U ports you could also easily justify it based on the fact that not many people brought the Wii U and, more importantly, backwards compatibility was never an option. Even if we ignore the significant architectural differences you can't ignore that the Wii U used full sized optical discs..... was never going to work....

UHD remasters of Switch games on "Switch 2" is not going to cut it. I'm sure it'll happen a few times but I don't think it'll be the norm. If they're going to bring across the Switch library it'll be through backwards compatibility and patches, not outright ports they're charging full retail for

This also supports my Wind Waker + Twilight Princess getting "4K" remasters theory. Say they needed two per year for the next six years, they have enough quality games to do that...

1. Windwaker
2. Twilight Princess
3. F-Zero GX
4. Star Fox Adventures
5. Star Fox Assault
6. Wave Race Blue Storm
7. Luigi's Mansion
8. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
9. Eternal Darkness
10. Kirby Air Ride
11. 1080 Avalanche
12. Geist
13. Battalion Wars (+2)
14. Excite Trucks
15. Super Paper Mario
16. Super Mario Galaxy 2
17. Donkey Kong Country Returns
18. New Super Mario Bros (collection?)
19. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
20. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
21. Punch Out!!!

How many of these would you be happy to see Remasters/Remakes for on the Switch 2?

@FishyS I missed that thread, just read it and posted a few questions! Thanks!

I think you're right, they would want it to have as wide an appeal as possible. I wonder if they would use a character from an existing franchise or create something new?

@MarioBrickLayer
I'd argue very few of those would make sense as "Switch 2" and not just straight up Switch releases if this new hardware has BC. Larger audience on Switch and you're not going to get a lot from the additional power of better hardware above the Switch when you're dragging stuff in from the Wii/GC era

Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Galaxy 2, Paper Mario and Luigi's Mansion. These all make sense just generally. I would note that they're already doing a remake of Luigi's Mansion 2 and they did remake Luigi's Mansion for 3DS. Obviously Wind Waker and Twilight Princess had HD remasters on Wii U and Skyward Sword had that treatment on Switch already. They're frequently rumoured for a good reason, it just straight up makes sense. Galaxy 2 is in a similar boat, we already got Galaxy for Switch. All of these would make sense..... just generally, not just for "Switch 2"

But beyond that? I mean, some of these probably make sense in a collection or as a straight up almost Virtual Console style release. Others probably only make sense as a new entry in that series outright. There are a few which probably deserve a full remake treatment.... but not many..... mostly just Paper Mario I'd argue....

@GrailUK Most certainly will be doing just that. It’s easier though not easy to slap on a coat of paint, upscale the resolution and just release as gap fillers.

@MarioBrickLayer From that list, I can definitely see the following making some kind of remaster comeback:

Windwaker
Twilight Princess
Luigi's Mansion
Eternal Darkness
Kirby Air Ride
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

The rest I’m not so sure about. F-Zero seems to be dead with all interest from Nintendo regarding racing games being put into Mario Kart only. Also don’t see them revisiting Star Fox, 1080 or Wave Race either. In fact Star Fox Adventures seems totally unlikely due to the negative response at the time and still continuing to exist. Paper Mario is so different now, and I just think Nintendo won’t want to release anything that reminds gamers of how it used to be. Plus they seem content on one release per system for the franchise.

@FragRed As for og Switch games next year, we have Luigi's Mansion 2, Princess Peach Breaks a Leg and Metroid Prime 4. I dare say we still have some new announcements in the September Direct (if it's quiet, then that will speak volumes, wouldn't it!) But like you said, remasters could plug gaps in the run up to new hardware. But I don't see them doing cross generation titles. New hardware needs killer apps, stuff that's 'only on Switch 2.' Third parties asking for no backwards compatability aren't worth listening to if they still don't want to sell games to the Switch's 130 million and growing audience lol. Anything that is only for Switch 2 will help sell the console, which is in their interest too. So no bc to me just doesn't make any sense for anyone. Especially since the goal of selling as many consoles as possible is to be able to sell as much software as possible. Not sure analysts have it right when once a console gets there...they should be looking at a new one lol. I would have thought software sales would be more of an indication of needing new hardware, not the actual hardware numbers. But hey, I'm not the smartest person on the planet.

@skywake I think the argument against what you're saying is that Nintendo will want to build up a library of exclusive titles to encourage people to upgrade.

NSO has replaced virtual console and I can't see Gamecube and wii games being added.

With Advanced Wars and Super Mario RPG getting remakes, I think that opens the door to almost any game being considered.

@FragRed The theory I have heard a few people explain is that a remake is a cheap way for Nintendo to gauge the interest in an old franchise before deciding on doing a new game OR to release in the build up to a new game...if that is how Nintendo think I think remakes of Wave Rave, 1080 and Star Fox would be worth the investment.

@MarioBrickLayer Mario Kart 10 will have water courses and 360 degree dogfight sections lol.

😂😂😂 That would be great!!

I think there is room for Nintendo to have multiple racing games!

I think those games (and Link's Awakening) really stand out as "cult" games that are very highly regarded amongst the specialist community but not really mainstream. I don't think there are too many more Nintendo games in that particular well.

I'd say Super Metroid, Yoshi's Island, Paper Mario ttyd, Earthbound and Mother 3 but they all still look and play great. Certainly in the case of Paper Mario ttyd that game really just needs a Pikmin 1+2 or Mario Galaxy style up-res under emulation.

@GrailUK I'd imagine things work out on the software side such that until the announcement of new hardware happens it becomes really questionable if there even is new hardware.

So like we have the usual September general Direct and it's packed with current Switch stuff and then the usual February general Direct happens with even more current Switch stuff such that people question if the rumours are fake about new hardware in 2024. Afterwards, April/May comes along and if there is new hardware, it's revealed then solely to satisfy shareholders.

@Grumblevolcano Yeah, I haven't read a single comment or read someone's take on how they should transition and thought, yeah, that nails it! Honestly, Mr Furukawa isn't mincing his words when he says it's going to be a challenge. The best they can hope for is the Switch 2 sells itself (and that comes down to all the years of development.)

My personal guess is still that Galaxy 2 will come out as part of 3D All Stars Deluxe in 2025 for the Mario 40th anniversary. It would be pretty jerky if it only came out for Switch 2, but then again it was pretty questionable making 3D All Stars limited edition to start with so who knows what Nintendo will do. Maybe a fancy physical edition only for Switch 2 just because. Ideally Galaxy 2 also as DLC to the previous All Stars on both systems.

We are all mostly convinced of back compatibility, but it will be interesting to see to what extent/for how long 'non fancy' games which don't need better hardware will be released for both systems.

@StuTwo I agree some older games have a bigger following than others, but of the 21 games I listed I think around 15 could selling 1 million copies or more.

I'm hoping we get more Metroid Prime and Links Awakening style remakes, there are a number that could look incredible with "DLSS 4K"...

@FishyS With Mario 64 on NSO, I wonder if they would do a Galaxy double pack in 2025? Ideally with redone graphics.

I wonder how many games Nintendo will release on the Switch from 1st January 2025 onwards? I think it will be very few, but it might be 2030 before we see the last 3rd party game.

@MarioBrickLayer
I don't share your enthusiasm for trawling past libraries, dusting off old games and selling them for full retail endlessly. There are some cases where it makes sense. Some old titles haven't aged a day and there is certainly value in bringing old titles through to a new audience

But if this new hardware has backwards compatibility? Why not port to the base Switch? With games like F-Zero, Wave Race and Punch Out? Why even bother? Just make a new release. Other titles they could push out like they did Pikmin 1 & 2 or 3D All Stars

I said "do something like Virtual Console" before, I think you misunderstood. I just meant drop them on the eShop largely as is. What they call that I don't know but it should be low effort and should probably happen on the current hardware