Topic: The Nintendo Switch Rumor and Speculation Thread

@Bolt_Strike That's fair. What I don't get is some of the people who are speculating that it's a Switch 2 title and not a Switch 1 title, when it was quite literally announced for Switch 1 lol

@Bolt_Strike The only patterns broke so far are:

• Skipping Unova to go straight to Kalos
• Seemingly not releasing a remake this holiday

As much as I want to see a year break from Pokemon, the Pokemon Presents doesn’t actually confirm that given 2 big points.

1. Detective Pikachu Returns was saved for June 2023 general Direct instead of being announced at February 2023 Pokemon Presents
2. BDSP and Legends Arceus release dates were announced in June 2021 so theoretically they could announce by then

As for skipping Unova, I think it’s to do with the 3DS shutdown on April 8th. Nintendo clearly want 3DS/Wii U fully gone for whatever reasons but Bank remains alive to be able to transfer Gens 6 and 7 to HOME. I think they’ll keep Bank alive until Gens 6 and 7 are on Switch, then shutdown Bank and the ability to redownload 3DS/Wii U games from the eshop.

I don't think much of anyone thinks it will be a Switch-2-exclusive but that doesn't mean they won't design it specifically to look better on Switch 2. Especially since they didn't show us any of the art.

@skywake And I care about your feelings? What is this about feelings? There's nothing coming from Nintendo mouth about the "Delay or Inventory" only outlets are reporting this from their source and the source isn't Nintendo? So how does people get the idea their source is Nintendo if so they should state it clearly so coming from "Nintendo" itself but they don't. Alot of info doesn't add - no peeps from Nintendo tell anything for release or delays or why they are going 2025. So unless you have Nintendo Uncle any outlets is just that reporting "News" but no one else from Nintendo "Directly" is saying anything one way or another. So unless one's feeling of Nintendo Direct states so everything so far is taken with grain of salt.

@Grumblevolcano Tbh I don't really see it as "skipping Unova" and I don't think Game Freak or TPC see it that way either. I think they see Legends as a subseries that allows them to tell new stories in old regions in whatever order they want; they're not beholden to the original release order of the generations like the remakes are.

In other words, Legends ZA exists because they wanted to revisit Kalos and tell a new story there. That doesn't mean they won't do traditional remakes of BW or revisit Unova at a later point. There's no conspiracy with the 3DS eShop shutdown; that's not how they make these decisions.

@Grumblevolcano Ehh there's been more than that in terms of gameplay styles and mechanics:

-For the first 4 generations they always had a third version that was a retelling of the first two with some minor changes to the story, Pokemon availability, and extra content. 5th gen then upended that by giving BW a sequel which was a completely different adventure set in the same region. Then 6th gen skipped an updated version altogether and 8th and 9th gen have done DLC.

-For most of the series history, main series Pokemon would always debut on new hardware with a new Pokemon generation. The main games debuted on the GBA with RS, the DS with DP, and the 3DS with XY. Then with the Switch instead of waiting for SwSh, they put LGPE, a remake of Yellow, on the Switch first.

-For a while Game Freak had been developing the remakes themselves and using the current gen's graphics engine/artstyle to make them. FRLG's graphics were in a similar style to RS', HGSS graphics were similar to DPPt, ORAS' graphics were similar to XY's. LGPE was a bit different naturally because it was the first Switch game, but it did slightly resemble SM's. Then with BDSP, they outsourced the game to ILCA and used an artstyle largely similar to the originals instead of SwSh's artstyle.

-There's also smaller, gameplay related pattern breaks such as the removal of HMs since SM and introducing new Pokemon mid gen since USUM instead of waiting for a new generation.

What games have been rumoured over the years that we haven't seen? I know there is:
Windwaker
Twilight Princess
F-Zero GX remake
A Fire Emblem remake

Anything I've missed. Feel free to go back a couple of years. Video games take years to make.

There's a DK game that was supposedly in the works for the original DK's 40th anniversary that we never saw.

@Bolt_Strike Oh yeah!. It seems that the Big N does have games for this year. I mean a new Endless Ocean shows that they haven't fallen asleep at the wheel. Anything we've had rumblings of I'm assuming are for Switch - until we get an announcement saying otherwise. Metroid Prime 4 included (oh yeah, we could still see Metroid Prime Echoes too!)

@SwitchForce
You have this vendetta against anyone talking about rumours/leaks as well as a vendetta against outlets that report on them. Which makes you opposed to anything that's being said. Nintendo's release schedule doesn't care about your feelings about leaks and rumours. If these reports are accurate, and at this time they're the best we have to go on, then that's what will happen

I for one would love to see Switch 2 release within a month or two. Certainly a release this year. The current reports seem to be suggesting early 2025. I don't like this, I'd rather it be earlier. But that's what we're hearing. So I tend to believe that it's early 2025 in spite of my "feelings"

@skywake If the delay is to help maintain a game a month style momentum (and third parties will help here too I suppose) then I don't mind a delay at all. I mean, this was my biggest concern for a release this year (and I did say on this forum before these rumours.) So I'm ok with it.

@GrailUK Whatever 3D action game Bandai Namco is remastering for Nintendo, commonly speculated to be Kid Icarus Uprising

I'm getting this feeling... just hear me out.

Switch 2 IS delayed until 2025. That's true, and it's a good call. They announce it this summer, cut Switch 1 prices for the holiday, blahblahblah.

And Metroid Prime 4 comes out for the holiday as their big game, and it's NOT a cross-gen game, it's just a straight-up swansong for the Switch 1.

The reality is that the Metroid series has never and will never sell anywhere near as much as we think it does, and Metroid has never been popular in Japan. What did Prime 1 sell, like around 3 million? Tears of the Kingdom sold 1.5 million in its first WEEK. I think when Dread surpassed 3 million, it became the best-selling Metroid game of all time. Woof.

I say this only because people seem to think Nintendo's gonna save Prime 4 as this massive, console-pushing release for Switch 2. To me, that's just so detached from reality. The Link's Awakening REMASTER sold over twice as much as the best-selling Metroid game of all time. Just chew on that.

@rallydefault it's all speculation at this point. My view for a while has been that Prime 4 will be a launch/early release on the Switch 2, as I think it's the best way to to shine as big a light as possible on the franchise, but would I be surprised if the release happens exactly as you have laid out? No, I wouldn't.

My 2025 gaming predictions for Switch 2:-

1. 3D Mario (Launch Title)
2. Metroid Prime 4 (Launch Title)
3. 3D Zelda (launch window title - within 6 months - Windwaker or Twilight Princess complete graphical remaster, think Metroid Prime Remastered on steroids with DLSS, Ray Tracing etc - whatever the Switch 2 supports)
4. Mario Kart 9(?) - Christmas 2025
5. Arms 2 - second half of 2025
6. EA support - I think we'll get all the major EA sports titles in 2025
7. COD - full game with cross platform play etc
8. Ports of GTA5 or Red Dead Redemption 2 with the other in 2026
9. Resident Evil - some of the recent remakes
10. Alan Wake 2

Prime 4 will surely be a launch title for Switch 2?

At this stage, with the Switch installed base being as huge as it is, I suppose Nintendo needs to now focus on how it 'sells the new system'.

A more mature/challenging title like Prime4 would be a great accompaniment to an assumed 3D Mario title.

Unless Nintendo do a PS4/5 mirroring, and release Prime4 across both systems, with Switch 2 offering upgraded visuals? Honestly though the Switch is now 7 years old, I'd prefer Nintendo to lean into new hardware and show us what it can do.

@CJD87 I agree with you, I think Metroid Prime 4 compliments 3D Mario really well as a launch title.

I think the number of PS4/5 cross gen titles was a mistake, maybe necessary for Sony at the time, but I don't think Nintendo will follow that path. I think they will still support the Switch 1 into 2026, but I think it will be minor titles only.

I don't think that Prime 4 being on the original Switch is a bad thing. After all, Sony managed launching The Last of Us, twice, mere months before their new shiny consoles.

@rallydefault
The obvious counter-point to your theory is that they need a solid launch lineup, not just one killer app. A large part of the success of the Switch launch wasn't just that it came out of the gate with BotW. It's that it came out of the gate with BotW, then Mario Kart the next month, then Arms, Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids, Pokken Tournament, Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey. All that, 8 months

Is Metroid Prime 4 a Zelda or Mario? No. In terms of sales definitely not. But it would most definitely be another strong title to come out in that would fill out the library. Also, I think we can fairly safely say that Metroid Prime 4 will be a technically impressive title. Given the increase in power of this new hardware is likely going to be one of the key selling points of it over the Switch? I think it makes sense for Prime 4 to be part of that pitch

@skywake You're saying Metroid is not a Zelda or Mario, which is true, but before the Switch only three Zelda games had sold more than 5m copies; The Legend of Zelda - NES, Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.

So, if Metroid Prime 4 is an incredible game that looks amazing on Switch 2, then would it be a huge shock if it ended up selling 10m copies? Maybe not.