Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

May have to save for DBX2 then...gonna go with Pokken for now.

I'm here just hoping for DBZ Fighters.

@Hieronymus-E
Assuming DBX2 does reasonably well in the west now, I think DBFZ is on lockdown. It may come later than other versions (they're already beta testing) but I'm confident it'll come.

Remember that Pokémon is a franchise. A new generation will affect all parts, such as the trading cards and toys. I am quite sure they want to consolidate all the releases to get the most bang for their marketing.

@Therad This. Even if the game is ahead of schedule, the rest of the franchise isn't done with Gen 7, particularly the anime. The anime will need another year to finish out. Pokemon Gen 8 will launch Holiday 2019.

I straight up wouldn't want Pokemon next year. I want it to be as good as possible, I want the transition to HD to be done well, and there are other ways to keep people interested in Pokemon besides releasing a new main Pokemon game every year.

Yeah, Nintendo's been doing quick releases but those made sense. Splatoon 2 is following Splatoon 1's formula for post-release content (meaning they could release it way sooner), and Splatoon 2 probably was made by more people considering 1's massive success. Mario Odyssey is the first Mario from the 3D Mario guys since 3D World in 2013 (Captain Toad was made by a much smaller team). BOTW is a 2015/16 game that was delayed to debut on a new console. ...not sure I can explain Xenoblade 2, even after reading explanations. Monolith Soft are crazy.

But the transition to HD has been a problem for other Nintendo devs and even 3DS hasn't had the best performing Pokemon games already. If it's great by late 2018 somehow, great. But I really doubt it.

Two teams working in parallel. It is quite common in the industry, this is why they can release yearly releases. If you are just upping the head count, most productivity gains would be eaten up by the extra overhead.

I think that even Nintendo don't know for certain yet whether Pokémon will hit next year. They'll probably decide early next year and adjust their release schedule accordingly.

Whatever the case though they need a big hitter in that holiday slot. Pokémon is their biggest hitter so it makes sense for them to make sure it comes out.

The other option (which would attract criticism for Mario fatigue) would be a 2d Mario platformer. Mario Maker folded into an ambitious and fresh Mario game perhaps?

Wii Sports Switch? It'd sell if done well but it's not going to attract the crowd they really want.

Zelda Maker? That'd attract a lot of attention but I'm not sure it's a game I want.

@StuTwo I don't see Pokémon coming 2018, that's for sure but as for what that big holiday title is for next year? That's a big question. I think a lot of that depends on whatever Retro are working on. If it's a new IP then it may make more sense to release it earlier in the year, like Nintendo generally do. I don't think it will be a 2D Mario, it feels too soon after all those "New Super Mario Bros" games.

Smash? Animal crossing? AC is also getting a mobile game, so they should do something on the switch as well if they are smart.

2D mario is probably a good guess. It will have been 5 years since new super luigi, so it hasn't been that soon.

Otherwise they could revise something a bit more odd, for example Luigis mansion or kid Icarus. LM did well on the 3DS, kid Icarus was a bit hurt by not having two analogs.

@FragRed Retro could be working on anything. For all we know they're working on something very experimental or something lacking true mainstream appeal. Or another DKC game (although I don't see Nintendo releasing Kirby, Yoshi and DKC in the same year).

Like you I don't think they'd anchor the year on a new IP - that can be done if you have a great game to hang it on but it needs a lot of investment in advertising and raising awareness which I just don't think Nintendo is likely to do. I also don't think any of Nintendo's other IPs (that Retro would be allowed to work on) are strong enough to anchor the year on. Maybe a 3d Donkey Kong game but beyond that I don't think they can be making Nintendo's leading game for Christmas.

I think they're probably planning for Pokemon but will hold Smash Bros back and throw everything at advertising it if it's obvious it won't be ready.

To be honest the newer, fresher, things that we have no idea about yet are what's most exciting to me personally (and probably to most on this forum). Maybe there's another Splatoon or Mario Maker?

The only Wii U years that had a big holiday game were 2013 (3D World) and 2014 (Smash). What did 2015 have? I don't think they need a Zelda or Mario per se, provided they get decent third party support next year.

2D Mario is a safe bet though.

True. But surely the Wii U isn't the level of success that Nintendo want to emulate?

Also in terms of mitigating factors 2015 was clearly meant to be Zelda at one point (but it slipped... a lot) and by 2016 they would certainly have released Zelda if they'd not been holding it back for the Switch launch. In 2015 Nintendo made a big deal out of Mario Maker but - as great as it turned out to be - it wasn't really the best basket for them to have put all of their eggs in.

Yeah, Wii U was:
2012 - NSMBU
2013 - SM3DW
2014 - Smash
2015 - Super Mario Maker (released slightly before the holiday season to line up with SMB's 1985 release date)
2016 - Would've been BotW if not for Switch launching early 2017

@Tsurii Holiday first party games are those which Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft (if they ever have any) consider to be big system sellers. I don't know whether Fire Emblem or a 2D Yoshi can be considered to be in that category, despite how successful Fire Emblem has gotten since Awakening. Though I do admit Yoshi looks absolutely gorgeous from what I saw in the Treehouse live stream.

@Tsurii I thought it was slated for an early release, but you are right. This might very well be their bigger game under the year.

Another horror game coming to Switch.

Do we know that the Switch version will be the first game of a new generation? For all we know it's a full HD quality remake of Diamond and Pearl that's squarely within Gen VII by not adding anything beyond the Sun/Moon pokedex. Maybe it's a "next game in the same generation" sort of thing in the same way that Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon are. For all we know it's something entirely different that we won't really know how to categorise.

Who knows, maybe it's a Pokemon Ranger title.

3DS may stick around yet.

@skywake That would be quite disappointing...