Nintendo Refuses To Answer Whether DS Or 3DS Games Are Coming To Switch 2

3DS machines are the actual machines to play both 3DS and NDS games, even though the 3DS games are region lock.
I don't think I need 3DS & NDS game subscription to be played on Switch 2 since I already have four 3DS XL machines with 3 different regions and the actual 3DS game cartridges.
No BS game key card
No BS Code in box
No BS subscription for renting games

Given FireRed & LeafGreen were released on the eShop, I'm wondering if they would give Diamond/Pearl and Black/White the same treatment (and of course Ruby/Sapphire).

Then they could all be transferred via Pokemon Home.

Also, some DS games like Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon & Infinite Space are really expensive now second hand.

@ParrakerriRush The Wii U Virtual Console releases of DS games allowed you to put both screens side by side or with one screen bigger than the other.

Also, I think one of the Castlevania collections on the Switch has DS games handled in the same manner.

…I’ll take that as a yes.

@SneakyLink @ParrakerriRush When they don’t allow Virtual Boy games to be played without the lenses, I don’t have a lot of faith in a DS/3DS NSO interface.

However, I would love to be surprised. 🙂

A lot of DS/3DS emulators handle two screens by having an option to make one screen larger and the second screen smaller in the corner. You could simulate touch with a pointer controlled by gyro or mouse mode. You don't need a second screen for emulation, so I hope Nintendo does this eventually. I'd even re-sub to NSO expansion pass if they did lol

"Metroid: Samus Returns" on my 4K TV would be awesome, so yes please!!!

I wouldn't get it right away due to being busy with some other games at the moment, but I would definitely at some point buy a Switch 1 / 2 physical copy of A Link Between Worlds.

I hope they rely on actually releasing games separately instead of locking them behind the online subscription for DS / Wii and beyond. Especially since I'm honestly getting more closer to canceling my subscription as time goes on, and I am honestly expecting myself to no longer be a part of that by the end of the Switch 2 generation.

"They're not not coming to Switch 2..."

@solarwolf07 @SneakyLink @ParrakerriRush

There are over 155m Switch 1 consoles out there, and all can be coupled as a second screen for Switch 2 via GameShare.

My brain when I read the tagline:

Another classic example of Business Non-Answer 101 in action.

@CaptainQuo Unsure about D/P due to the existence of the remakes on switch (though it would be nice to have platinum since the content sadly wasnt in BD/SP) and im curious regarding B/W whether they are waiting for a gen V remake or not.

I could see Ruby/Saphire or even emerald potentially getting a release like FR/LG, and would love some kind of gen 2 release on switch which i would like, though for me even with my issues with the price i felt happy that the games were made available for purchase instead of being subscription exclusive.

Im still hoping for that eventual planet robobot remaster (regarless of whether its a real leak or not it does feel like a safe bet given how often kirby games get "deluxe" re-releases like that, especially after how good the RTDL one was)

@Anti-Matter The region lock is definitely something i dont miss from gaming in the past (especially with how many classic games initially missed europe) and while it was one thing to have it on a console despite other systems moving away from region lock, it was another to region lock a handheld, something which rarely if ever happens.

in terms of the "subscription for renting games" for me i would be okay with something like what gamepass or PS+ do and at least have the games available to purchase as an option (next to no chance of this happening but would still be cool)

Pokemon Gen 4-7 please!

"Anyway, shareholders need to come up with some better questions."
There's no risk asking such questions so why not giving a try ? It's like playing "yes, no, black, white" with Furakawa: his tongue could slip.
And their question has given birth to your article...

Did he tap his nose and do a big exaggerated wink into the camera when he said it?

It's not as if DS games were capable and offered two generations ago. Oh, wait..

I love how that answer is both yes and no.

A non-answer and a non-story

@Mgalens
I bought the games to be owned, not by renting so I will not spent my money for renting games that I cannot even owned forever.
Also, I prefer legit physical games.

The Nintendo DS gave me some of the best moments of my life. It was almost like having a portable PSX because of all the RPGs it had (imagine if more survival horror games had been released). If they could release Super Mario 64 with improvements, then they should have released Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The same goes for when Capcom released Resident Evil: Deadly Silence. I impatiently awaited Resident Evil 2 and 3, and they never delivered, but at least they gave us Okami and Viewtiful Joe.

Kojima could have easily released a Metal Gear Solid game, and he was just another arrogant guy who snubbed us with a stealth game, but in return, he gave us the third installment of Boktai, Lunar Knights (although many argue that Metal Gear Acid! was a better fit for the Nintendo DS than the PSP). Konami, for its part, gave us three excellent Castlevania games, and after so many years, they've given us Contra 4. I couldn't have been happier (although in Japan they released over 134 games for this console, and not even half of them made it here).

You couldn't ask for much from Tecmo, but at least they gave us an exclusive Ninja Gaiden game to play on the touchscreen.

Excuse the rambling; it's just that when you mention the Nintendo DS, I start daydreaming.

What was the topic again?
No, I don't think it's necessary to release it on Nintendo Switch Online, at least not for me, because I have almost the entire DS library in my collection, but for the new generations, it seems perfect.

Probably easier to just buy a 3DS... also way more portable.

@Tyranexx I thought that man only knew how to say dafuq

@Johnny_Arthur Turns out he has some other great lines too.

@Anti-Matter I absolutely love having access to a rental service in the UK where I rent games to try them out without fussing around with whether I'd find it fun enough to be worth the money or whether it would be better to play it digitally.

Thanks to a rental service, I can make better purchasing decisions that fit my lifestyle. Like I now know that short pick up and play games are those that I'd prefer to play in digital format - especially beat em ups and 1 v 1 fighting games

They need to work out a tate mode on Switch 2 first. So many games you wouldn't expect were built like they were for an arcade cabinet, but in your hands. Sonic Rush is the first to come to mind, but others may fit the bill too.

@jsty3105 I mean, that's where demos come in I suppose. But you do you!

Maybe Mouse Support for the second screen? Like some kind of setup like that?

@Samalik that's true! Not every release has a demo but that's another key way to try out a game prior to making a firm purchasing decision

Kid Icarus Uprising, please

They had New Super Mario Bros on Nintendo Wii U along with Yoshi's Islands DS, Mario Kart DS, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Kirby Squeak Squad, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team and Explorers of Sky, Pokemon Ranger and the sequels, Shadows of Almia and Guardian Signs, Wario: Master of Disguise, Kirby Mass Attack, Super Mario 64 DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks to name the ones we got so it is disappointing they don't but there is still a bunch of classic Gameboy games they don't have on Nintendo Switch 1 or 2 including Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land and Wario Land 2.

@ParrakerriRush Better prepare for a high price tag, if that’s the case. No sense wanting a second screen and then complaining about the price if it happens (though it’d be nice if they gave us the option to use the Switch 1 as a second screen)

@Don It is weird they don't have far more of the older Pokemon games but I think the company are deliberately keeping them off NSO because they want to remake them like they have already done with some of the other classic games and one of the producers at Game Freak said it is likely we will get a remake of Gold/ Silver with the Johto Region in 3D.

@Anti-Matter Good for you. I sold my 3DS long ago, so this would be great for me

@sleepinglion My mini claim to fame is reaching the semi-finals of the UK tournament (qualified after a lucky shot during the qualifiers) - I was like double the age of all the competitors and around triple the age of the eventual champion.

I need to play Kid Icarus Uprising for my children without them peering over my shoulder at a tiny pair of screens.

@SneakyLink The Wii U Virtual Console was far better than a lot of people give it credit for now and had a lot of games that are still not available on Switch 1 or 2. We still play Wii U for the games we downloaded from that along with Yoshi's Woolly World.

If DS NSO ever comes, I'll probably play it out of convenience, but I'd still go back to original hardware. Of all the systems I own, my DS collection is as complete as it can be. Not to mention, I'm sure some of my favorite licensed games such as Jump Super/Ultimate Stars, the Ouendans and Elite Beat Agents won't be there.

With that said, I'd love to replay Kirby Super Star Ultra and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story on the TV, which were oddly missing on the Wii U Virtual Console when every other Kirby DS game and Partners in Time were there. Those and maybe some others that weren't on the Wii U VC such as Super Princess Peach, Diddy Kong Racing DS, The Magical Starfy, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and its sequel Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (unreleased in America, still salty about that).

If 3DS NSO ever comes, that's a different story. Since I was late adopter (July 2017), I haven't played that many 3DS games.

What about Wii? We all want Twilight Princess.

Though I am one of the dozens that enjoyed the control scheme of Kid Icarus Uprising, that game would certainly be worthwhile to retry with some form of traditional method. Plus, it's like the best game ever made, so I would say that more than any other 3ds game has the best justification for some sort of Switch 2 port.

@DollyrotsFan1 Do you have SiriusXM? Kelly Ogden DJs on the Little Stevie's station.

Right, thank you. Ridiculous question here. I'm sure Nintendo Life would ask much more productive questions, as you say.

I would say after VB being added, they will likely try to get all the previous systems available on the service eventually. 3DS would have the biggest question mark: will they incorporate the 3D functionality for it? And again, after VB, I suspect they will. I just hope we can get tons of games for it, since there are so many amazing ones there.

@DaftSkunk What do you mean? It's a GameCube game.

I think we will definitely get Wii at some point. That seems easier for them to replicate, in terms of controls. I suppose the question is - and not for me - how they manage the emulation of the more recent previous systems. Will that require a reconfiguring of the entire platform or something?

Or, release ds/3ds games on mobile officially, would make sense I think, so we can take them everywhere? I even have a stylus/pen for my phone.

I know many don’t agree, but I think DS/3ds games could use remakes for Switch2. Remove the forced touch screen stuff, second screen stuff can be put back in a menu, etc. but I imagine a remake of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks with updated graphics and controls could be a blast.

There are a load of DS and 3DS games I never got around to, so to have them on Nintendo Switch Online would be cool. However, you just know that Nintendo is going to sell us a second screen that clips onto the Switch 2 in order to play them 🤣

What a coincidence - yesterday I booted up New Super Mario Bros. (the DS game) on my Wii U, for the first time.

TBH, it looks hideous (to me) in the big TV screen. Maybe that's why they're not too keen on releasing it for Switch?

But the DS games look ok in the Gamepad screen! There are multiple options on how to display the screens, and the touch controls work well. I was glad for having DS in the Wii U VC library back then, and I'm still glad today... I just wish the Wii U had been more successful so they would have released a bigger catalog of DS games!

3DS without stereoscopic effect is not the 3DS for me. That’s what I miss the most with the Switch 1 & 2… even more than Streetpass and menus that actually look like something cool.

This is even crazier than the news that Switch 2 was once again the top selling console in the U.S. and is the second-fastest selling, only behind GBA!

Pushmo! or Pullbox!

Pushmo! or Pullbox!

Pushmo! or Pullbox!

Give me Pokémon X&Y on Switch 2. I know it's gonna get a remake in the future but if they ever decide to make 3DS/DS games work on Switch 2, I'd be happy with that.

@jsty3105
I do enjoy that weve been getting some decent demos over the past few years and theres even been a trend of rpg demos which let you carry your progress over, also am glad that the whole use limit thing from 3ds/wiiu demos is gone, especially since it even showed up on a couple of the aformentioned RPG demos around the time (like the etrian odyssey 4 one)

but yeah i ended up renting games quite a bit when i was younger since it was often months until the next full purchase (outside of finding some pre-owned) i remember making a good way into FFVII through rentals alone before i was finally able to get the game (thank goodness for memory cards so i didnt have to worry about whether the save data was overwritten by someone else)

While it doesnt quite have the certain "charm" which those older rentals had, it does feel like the closest thing nowadays is something like Gamepass or PS+ where you can play the games as long as you subscribe but also can purchase a game if you really like it (its one of the things i wish NSO let you do since theres many games on it i would buy the heck out of)

@jsty3105 Nice! Like all of us, I was a younger man when that title released, and even then I thought the stylus control aspect really punched up the difficulty, so props to you! Older me needs an updated port with dual stick controls like a proper shooter. Bare minimum: a Kid Icarus collection of the NES original with the backgrounds of the 3DS version, a colorized version of the Game Boy sequel and the 3DS entry with dual stick support. While I'm dreaming

His answer means that they are going to make the back catalogue available as basic emulation in subscription services drop by drop without a purchase option.

We already know it's possible since Wii U did it with DS. They could easily use the joycons motion sensors to to do the touch screen controls. Just give us more options on how we want the screens displayed.

Come on Nintendo. Just add ds to Nintendo online, sell an attachable 2nd screen accessory like you did for virtual boy.

I promise you it will make money.

.....and put Rhythm Heaven on here dammit...also put Rhythm Heaven GBA on here already, wtf? lol

Some DS games came to the Wii U. I would therefore be shocked if they don't come to the Switch 2

I feel like people are underestimating how difficult 3DS would be to work in - it's not only two screens, but a touch screen and gyro. There would have to be compromises to get it to work. Would still love to have it though!

@Robot99 My New Nintendo 3DS (not XL) is one of my most precious treasures and still works perfectly fine. I only had to replace the battery after a decade.

These games might not work as well as you'd want them to on a very different piece of hardware like Switch 2.

DS games could ask you to change how you hold the system while you're playing it, sometimes in a minute to minute basis, blow in the mic, draw things with a stylus that the Switch 2 doesn't come equipped with, etc...

Screen layout can be a big issue too, since the playfield being spread across two screens can sometimes demand that you view both one of top of the other cause things are happening across both at the same time (Sonic Rush on DS comes to mind, Yoshi's island DS as well, or Hey Pikmin! on 3DS). Have you ever tried playing those games on just a singular 16:9 screen? There's just no way to make it look presentable in that setup.

The Wii U could sort of get away with it cause you had two screens to work with but there are reasons you never saw games like Hotel Dusk or Nanashi no Game ported to that... Some things you just can never replicate on anything but the hardware those gimmick heavy games were made for. I'm not maligning the aforementioned 2 for being gimmicky, they were awesome at what they tried to achieve... but only on DS. on anything else, it just comes across as cumbersome to play.

I could sort of play Metroid Prime Hunters on MelonDS through a special build that lets you map a lot of things to mouse and keyboard, and it kind of works, but if you're ever going to play that on Switch 2, it'll take a dedicated build that is adapted to the new system.

@Mgalens I still don’t understand why pokemon insists on remaking the base versions and not the “definitive” rerelease.

I enjoyed the 3DS much more than the DS and in particular the 3D. Ill die on this hill, it wasn't a gimmick and it worked rather well. Im still impressed when I see it now. Obviously Im not expecting 3D in a virtual service without hardware!

Again, limited by hardware, I do miss the two screens of the DS line and the WiiU. Second screens for inventory and maps were really appreciated.

I still have a nervous twitch mind you from working at Gamestation seeing some of the poor DS screens that evidently didnt have a screen protector. Im worried for the Switch 2s out there 😃

I’d be up for this. I have the FE Fates special edition but I know a lot of people don’t, and would look forward to a more accessible version. Or they could just do remakes. If they remade Awakening they could even give everyone feet!

Next time ask a better question, like where is Smash 64 and Melee on NSO.

Nintendo will just put DS and 3DS games behind the expensive subscription tier, so it's a No to me even if Nintendo said Yes. Thankfully we have Konami releasing their Castlevania DS games for actual purchase. They managed it by segmenting the game screen and placing the map and other information available on the second screen in an area of its own. Alternatively, a simple toggle of the screens could work for many games.

@ParrakerriRush They put the two screens on one screen on the wiiu... I don't see why they can't do that on switch 2.

I’m always up for some DP or some light BDSP.

@Potimarron
Sure there's no risk in asking, but what a waste of an opportunity. As the article points out it's clear that they wouldn't get an answer to this, but there are.. so many... Other questions that could have been asked to get an idea into Nintendos mindset.
Ask about industry trends, or broad strategy, areas or markets of growth, sales figures or expectations.
Basically anything that won't be met with, no comment.

@solarwolf07 I know streamers will often do that for screen real estate purposes but it'd be really bad for the emulators themselves to do that. I don't see why I wouldn't want to play with both screens at a proper resolution. I mean, it's enough to have to deal with display issues with some games that took the physical distance between the screens on the original hardware into consideration when designing art that was meant to stretch both screens.

@Synecdoche I tried to preorder that maybe a few weeks after its announcement and the GameStop person told me they sold their preorder allotment within the first week.
IT'S A PREORDER! That I couldn't get it is some anti-consumer Nintendo behavior at its finest. I considered not buying their game at all, but I eventually bought one of the versions knowing that it'll undoubtedly become crazy expensive to change my mind later.

A USB-C DS/3DS card reader would be asking too much? 😬

I gather that it’s on the table, but nothing they want to comment on officially. I’d rather those teams have the freedom with time to make sure stuff works.

I'd rather they don't add any more systems to NSO for the time being, and instead focus on filling out the existing GB, GBA, and GameCube libraries, which are all rather lacking currently.

@jsty3105
I don't like renting since I want to own the games I bought even though some of them are not really good games.
Also, NSO service is lack of niche games that will never exist such as Imagine series & Petz series by Ubisoft, the Japanese only 3DS / NDS games, Jake Power games, etc.
I played those niche / unpopular games since I don't care popularity.

I need Zelda Lo k between worlds!

Add DS games you cowards!

@Anti-Matter That's a good thing, the last thing the Switch needs is DS shovelware games, it's got enough new shovelware as it is.

Say it with me everyone: "Kid Icarus Uprising for Nintendo Switch 2!'

I have a collection of unplayed 3/DS games that I really want to be able to play on the big screen!! I desperately need a 3/DS player device for the Switch 2!!!

.... though I'm sure they are talking about selling them digitally if anything -_-

Way more likely to see ports and remakes of select games when it comes to 3DS. Too much money on the table to NSO the Pokemon, Zelda, and Mario titles, when they can resell Wii games at a premium. If any third party developers want to get in on it they'll release it themselves as with Castlevania.

@Tyranexx careful, I think that's banned content

@Coalescence After rereading my gif post and double checking the site rules for good measure, I'm not sure I follow. Unless you're making a joke I'm missing (Fried work brain) or meant to respond to another user?

I miss the WiiU.

Still, I would personally like to see more 3rd party collections. If NSO is what freed up licenses/project management thought for this (given the number of 3rd party collections on switch) then I hope switch 2 sees devs like konami and sega move past the gba era for collections.

I still love my 3DS. It's way easier to carry around

I loved playing ds games on the wii u either on just the tv or with screens split between the tv + wii u gamepad. Just to experience my favorite tiny screen ds games in a whole new way as if it were a console game was my favorite thing about the wii u.

@Duncanballs Hell yeah for the 3d effect. I had a 3D phone at one point. It could convert games into 3D on the fly. It didn't work with everything but it did work with a N64 emulator so I was able to play Mario 64 in in 3D.

Tate mode grip and you're sorted.

@KingMike

Um, not all preorders are "collect preorders than determine quantity to manufacture". In fact, very few preorders are handled that way. The manufacturing run is determined first, preorders are just a way to get first in line. And no one is going to fire up the factory a second time to make one more copy.

Nintendo is acting up and it’s looking bad. Nintendo direct sucked. Nintendo switch online games have been releasing one game per month. No GameCube games in the last few months. We finally got a Nintendo 64 game after 6 months. Pathetic

Some of them already have, so its totally doable.

I've got both the entire DS and 3DS library on my AYN Thor. Thanks anyway, Nintendo!

It will be include in NSO New 3DXpansion pack LL

@metaphysician But when the game was like a year away from release anyways, it would have been consumer friendly for them to use that information to judge the number of copies to make.
Not "we already decided how many copies we're going to make, tough luck on those who didn't."
I really don't care about missing out on the other collectibles it came with, the collectors can keep those, but not selling the complete game as a premium physical option sounds like a bad move.

@Sindayl the 3D effect was cool at first, but honestly it’s a fad from the early 2010’s that just didn’t stick around. Towards the end of that gen I ended up just turning it off. Honestly, I kind of forgot about it. 😆

I’d prefer modern hardware HD ports and remakes for most 3/DS games.

Give me Metroid Prime Hunters, Fed Force, Samus Returns, Kid Icarus Uprising, Ever Oasis, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Between Worlds.

Even if only for Majora’s Mask 3D, yes please 🙏 I know it’s sacrilege, but I just can’t enjoy OOT or MM in their N64 form (emulated on NSO or otherwise). My eyes are very sensitive to frame rate, and both are a slide show. Plus, sans nostalgia, those graphics just aren’t nice anymore. 3DS versions were more like how we remember them looking. Please oh please Nintendo!

Wouldn’t bother me one bit!!!

And it’s kinda obvious they put Luigi’s mansion dark moon on switch

@sleepinglion 100% agree. We need Kid Icarus Uprising with twin stick analog controls.

@Satans_Therapist If there were awards for creative usernames, I'd give you one

POKEMON X and Y plz plz plz

the ds literally has been referenced in a patent they had. idk about 3ds but they had ds emulation down on the wii u already. most of these nso releases were updated versions of the wii u emulation.

I still play my 3DS XL quite regularly especially after hacking it. I really don’t have a reason to play DS and 3DS games on the Switch.

@sleepinglion Thanks, it was my partner who coined the phrase years ago when I was studying for a diploma in counselling and psychotherapy whilst also obtaining a copy of the black book.

Since we don't get the games but are only allowed to play them I don't even have NSW Online plus.

@Satans_Therapist It's creative. I never put any thought into my usernames, but always appreciate a unique one

I would rather have Gameboy Advance games on Switch 2. That would be amazing but will never happen

@StewdaMegaManNerd

Points to the MMZ/ZX and Castlevania Dominus Collections. No second screen needed.

We only have one switch 2 in our family right now... but if they announced this I might just get a second one alongside this

just got myself one of those lovely pico ds cards... don't really need them on the switch, maybe for online..

I think they really need to look at what they are doing before they start taking on a project like this. Allowing Grezzo (Or whatever they are called) to do a minimal effort Unity port with a really crappy upscaler really won't cut it. They need to actually work with Unity (Or Unreal) or somebody like Microsoft is to make sure that the bits that the platform holder or only the biggest teams are best placed to fix is fixed in the main product. (I think Unity on Wii U was fixed like this and there was a separate build only for registered dev's)

@romanista There are way's to patch in support for the modern reimplementation of Nintendo Wifi Connection (Open Source reimplementation I am not sure how many people use it beyond the obvious candidates like Mario Kart DS though. Same could be said for any new official implmentation.

@h3s yes i did that on my 3ds for that mario kart 7 expansion. Really nice. The DS was more my travel console into SE Asia in the 00s without any wifi nearby…

We could play 3DS games on Switch 2 by buying an extra, "cheap" €300 screen... which would be completely useless anyway if you don't subscribe to NSO.