Swap Fire was an intriguing 2016 arrival on the Wii U eShop - its clever hook to flip multiplayer shooter gameplay on its head was certainly worthy of note. We awarded a 6 in our review - we felt that it was a game that could have been great were it not for a few mis-steps and issues that can in theory be corrected.
Developer Midnight Status is still working towards a major update to improve the game, but is also plotting a route to bring Swap Fire 2 for the Switch eShop. The original is a title that's had a slightly unconventional short history to date; we know from exchanging emails with the developer that it's a passion project, yet arriving relatively late on the Wii U download store and as a newcomer to Nintendo gamers didn't help with its commercial prospects. As a result the potential path to Switch for the sequel isn't exactly the standard route, either.

Let's break down some key details shared with us in relation to the performance of the first game on Wii U, and plans for a Switch sequel.
- To date Swap Fire has managed less than 500 paid copies on Wii U.
- As a free download in March, however, it was downloaded over 20,000 times.
- The goal of that giveaway was to win over new fans, and the developer says a number have expressed interest in buying the game for Switch.
- Investors have been impressed but want market validation for Swap Fire 2, proof that it'll achieve solid sales on Switch. In other words, proof it can be a success when not given away for free.
- A 'short but sweet' Kickstarter project is therefore being planned that will provide proof of its potential market.
- The remainder of funds beyond those from the Kickstarter will then be sourced from investors.
In addition the original is currently 50% off on the Wii U eShop, as another drive to attract sales and prove the audience for the game.
It's a game with promise that's defied convention to date on Wii U, and it seems Midnight Status is keen to find any means it can to fund a full sequel for the Switch.
We'll keep an eye out for the Kickstarter going live - it'll be interesting to see how this campaign progresses.
Comments 13
Looking at those review pictures, it looks like it never made it out of beta.
@Nintendoforlife i played it and the game was good considering how it looked it had some rough patch's but altogether the game is solid if they can fix some of the small bump's. quite a bit of it looked like it was hand drawn though.
Wow, I was one of the 500 who initially bought it...it has its quirks, and it could definitely use some improvements, but it deserved way more sales than that. I would support a sequel.
I've never even heard of it. But then I guess not too many others had either with such low sales, even for a Wii U game.
Not sure if Kickstarter is way to go for funding the sequel, even if you have potentially 20,000 who've now downloaded it. That is still a minute number.
@edgedino Would you buy a sequel based on looks?
I'm one of the freeloaders of the original, and I haven't tried it out yet. Since I'm in the middle of Breath of the Wild, I probably won't for a while. But I'm all for another game to choose from on Switch.
@Nintendoforlife probably considering how the first has played but i am also a cheapskate so it would also have to depend on the price of the game as well.
Hadn't even bothered to download it for free, but I know that the potential for a great game is there. The Switch is the best possible platform for this, what with the multiple gyro controllers and portability. I'd still hope for online multiplayer though.
I got it for free. I haven't had a chance to play with others but I played the tutorial and I think it has potential to be a good time if played with friends.
If they add an online mode that would be cool too.
Not touching this at all.
Let's just hope it won't be overpriced on the Switch..
I'm dying for a GOOD shooter on the Switch. Not Splatoon, which is a good game, not COD, but something like a Conduit or Goldeneye or something I can burst fire on.
I got this for free and absolutely love it. While it's rough around the edges, it is a lot of fun once you (and some friends) master the mechanics. With a little polish, a sequel could be a massive success.
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