BrewsterTea

Such an exciting year to be a Nintendo fan! Lots of AAA promise hiding just over the horizon, plenty of quirky or niche AA games getting proper love, a big new movie, a great new console receiving proper third party support, and a huge new Pokemon generation about to be revealed.

Would be really cool if the end of the movie teased a character, or a game mechanic, or environment, or something, that basically gave massive hints toward a Mario Galaxy 3. Then right after the movie launches, Nintendo announces a Mario Direct, and reveals Galaxy 3, launching this holiday season! Would have been nice if Nintendo planned far enough ahead to do something like that. I mean when you think about it, hardly any other media franchise could coordinate something so multifaceted (and lucrative).

• Final Fantasy Explorers is so underrated. A new one could add as many classes as Tactics, flesh out the hub towns you can visit, a storyline along the lines of MH4, and you've got yourself an excellent hunting game with Final Fantasy flavor. Bonus points if they make the UX extra crunchy and cozy like Kingdom Hearts.
• Wii graphics have the coziest art styles of all the games listed. It's the perfect meeting point between clean, fully-proportioned 3D and that nostalgic pixelated appearance.

Movie looks like another fun time at the very least. Seems like they're still saving the Galaxy parts of the movie for a later trailer. Not really hyped; more just pleasantly looking forward to seeing it in theaters.

Finally!! I've been following the developer on their X page for over a year now, and I've made lots of little comments over time hoping for a Switch 2 port. I'm happy to see it's finally official!

Glad I've ignored all the outrage influencers trying to dissuade people from Nintendo's momentum! I have my socials trained to discourage a front page glut of engagement merchants, and my life is all the better for it! Nothing but ambience playlists on my front page 😌

As others have said, as a Nintendo fan I don't need the best graphics in the business! I love pretty lighting, but otherwise, the only expectations I have for Switch 2 ports is to eradicate motion sickness from technical faults. It's all about engaging gameplay and compelling characterization for me.

@AmplifyMJ You're right, and I agree; I'm still interested in the game as a Nintendo fan who's neutral about DK. I just have too many other things to prioritize right now, so maybe the game will look more tempting a couple years down the road. It's a nice game to get during a quiet month when you don't have anything else to buy... if not for that pesky backlog always gnawing at you of course!

Nintendo is really trying their hardest to ruin physical media, aren't they? The red plastic ruins the inside cover art; the front art is ruined with too much text no matter what version you buy; willingly launching a whole console generation with cripplingly expensive proprietary cartridges; game key cards handicapping hardcore enthusiast support... I mean what else?

I'm crying in Witchbrook. Really looking forward to that game!!

I'm really hoping this gets a Switch 2 port! The action RPG mechanics look like a perfect crossover between FF7R and Legends Arceus, with some Nier/Okami styled boss fights mixed in! People forget to compare games like this to Okami, which itself had a nice Zelda/Metroid mix of puzzle-styled boss fights.

The content is just not worth $20 in my opinion, and it's more annoying that the basic Switch 2 performance patch is gated behind the larger paywall. I feel pretty comfortable playing Mario Wonder on my Switch Lite.

@Skunkfish That's all I can think about! It would have been perfect if they planned the Galaxy movie and a Mario Galaxy 3 game to be announced and launched around the same period. Makes me frustrated that the Mario devs wasted all those years on the Donkey Kong tech demo instead of working on Galaxy 3.

@AmplifyMJ I can't help but feel like Nintendo did have higher hopes for Donkey Kong to exhibit more explosive sales figures. I think they will once again be disappointed that Donkey Kong just does not have the same draw or attach rate as Mario despite their continued efforts to strengthen the association.

Microsoft feels like one of those toxic friends, who is all chummy to Nintendo's face, but behind their back is conniving and antagonistic. I'm really hoping it's just a case of delayed optimization due to the ridiculous dev kit drip feed. I have lots of nostalgia playing my friend's Fable 1 and Elder Scrolls when I was young, so I'm dying to see those games get proper ports!

I love the lighthearted tone of the Fable series, and the trailer looks like it does a good job of recreating that old magic. Not many medieval franchises offer that unique light-hearted tone that the first Fable game did so well.

Congratulations on becoming a mom! What an exciting new era you can look forward to.

I agree on New Horizons following along with major life beats; More than any other individual game, ACNH has served as a wonderful companion to my busier life, playing just as much or as little as I need over the past few years. But no matter how little I can play, it has become the number one game that I boot up for that quick dose of comfort and decompression.

The only other video games that I can compare it to is the Pokemon franchise in general, where I have fond memories of faithfully playing each Pokemon game across the years as I grew up. In that way, I can associate all the generations of Pokemon reflecting different times in my life.

@NinjaWaddleDee What I really want to see from the Metroid Prime series is more dynamic first-person platforming. A lot of franchises like Mirror's Edge have shown that you can still have really interesting acrobatics in a first-person game. More dodging, using the Screw Attack ability in first-person, wall-jumping, and etc., are all things that they can more directly integrate into Metroid Prime while still maintaining a first-person perspective.

@canaryfarmer Not just Tanabe! I played Metroid Prime Hunters to death back in the day, and I was a huge fan of Sylux. I'm so pumped that Tanabe-san felt the same way and tried his best to create a bonafide Sylux saga before retiring. I just hope Retro Studios continue the saga even if they do it in their own way apart from Tanabe.

@Buizel Thank Tetsuya Nomura for the combat in FF7Remake. He receives way too much unwarranted, me-too hate on the internet, when he's been one of the most prolific forces within Square Enix over the past 20 years.

@SillyG At this point I'm so desperate to play them again in their original form that I will be first in line for a series of Game Boy / GBA / DS / 3DS collections of Pokemon games. I just want to play them again without emulating or spending hundreds of dollars!

@Shiiva I have to agree. Many games, especially Pokemon-likes, try too hard to reinvent the wheel, when all I want is a familiar experience in a new coat of paint.

I want to buy Assassin's Creed Shadows, but I want a version of the game where:

• the gratuitous combat is toned down. I don't need edgelord, Mortal Kombat-esque death blows every time I fight an NPC. I prefer quick, simple, efficient combat.
• the game can be played with just the ninja. I have no interest in the samurai character, and I would prefer to play the whole game as just a sneaky ninja. Per Assassin's Creed original paradigm, in fact.

Just my two cents. After AC2, I noticed the franchise grow excessive and wanton with its combat. Call me old-fashioned, but mainstream games' revelry in bloody, gory violence is one big reason why I prefer Nintendo's overall sensibility.

One big thing that has opened my eyes to the benefit of 120fps is panning the camera left and right. After playing Metroid Prime 4 in 120fps mode, it felt like I was looking around with my own two eyes within the world. Everything else, even 60fps, blurs the screen as you pan the camera, and it's become much more noticeable to me after playing Switch 2 games. Switch OLED's camera panning really bothered my eyes, and now that I've experienced a game in 120fps, I am eagerly anticipating the era where Nintendo's games are 120fps standard. Hopefully within 10 years, but who knows when.

Honestly, whatever hardware can be accommodated with a $399 price point, I wish Nintendo would stick with, and just rely on efficiency gains to improve performance at a slower pace over time.

I would be willing to make that concession in power, because as I've said before, Tears of the Kingdom is the greatest game I need for the foreseeable future, and it's quite nearly functional on the Switch 1.

The biggest problem is this graphics arms race that has spiraled the game industry, and has pressured even Nintendo to opt in with the Switch 2's specs. But as others have said, now that Nintendo has written themselves into this corner, offering a relatively affordable game console is going to be tough.

Definitely sucks that bigger games like Animal Crossing and Zelda charge for the resolution patch, whereas a smaller game like Donkey Kong gets it for free.

@kmtrain83 Combine this with evolutions in software that allow huge power efficiencies, like the latest gains in Unreal Engine showcased in the Witcher tech demo, and the paradigm of the hardware arms race will be a thing of the past very soon.

I don't want the same Switch Lite design. I want a clamshell Switch 2 Mini! I would love another clamshell handheld from Nintendo, and a Switch 2 Mini would be a perfect way to offer a smaller, more affordable SKU to price-conscious buyers, while offering something totally unique from the standard Switch form factor.

The summary should have crammed in your top 3 most played games somehow.

How do you upload pictures on a NintendoLife comment anyhow?

@SillyG Agreed; I also love the Kanto trio set, but the highest I would have been willing to spend is $400. Definitely not spending $650 for three decent models of Pokemon.

Perhaps if they sold them a la carte, I would have been willing to splurge $200 on each over the next two years. But what amounts to nearly $700 upfront, after taxes in my region, is a massive dealbreaker. I should just spend that on a PS5 Pro!

Even Pikachu should have been a $100 model without the trumped up buildable display stand. The Pokeball should have been standalone for $45. Ah well. The LEGO Pokeball and Pikachu will sit nicely next to the LEGO GameBoy. Now I just have to recollect a genuine copy of Pokemon Yellow (my first Pokemon game) and a GBC (my first handheld).

@AussieMcBucket Okay... Your roast made me laugh so hard that it sent me straight to hell.

Not really excited to see "+ New Content Name" next to the Switch 2 Edition, because that usually means the price will be $19.99. Wasn't worth it for Mario Party; Kirby's new game+ mode wasn't worth it; and I doubt Bellabell Park will be worth it. Just IMO.

Nier Automata could have charged 3 times over for all the new game+ modes that continued the story.

@MathByThePixel That game you described sounds closest to Mass Effect. You should try playing the first game if you haven't already, which is still my favorite out of the three. If we ever get a Mass Effect Trilogy port to Switch 2, I would recommend trying that once it's available!

Just put that money toward the Switch 2 Welcome Tour instead 😏

Great to hear these Pokemon games received an update! I can finally feel comfortable playing them on Switch 2.

Speaking of audio issues, Skyrim's audio issues were so bad on Switch 2 that I had to put it down. Every time I loaded into a new area I'd hear a loud, disconcerting scratch over the speakers. It was one of the games that made me realize I needed to buy a Switch console to play my Switch 1 backlog natively. Very happy with my new, yellow Switch Lite. Perfect way to pick up and play Switch 1 games and Indies.

How exciting!! I'm going to download this as soon as I get home. Starting a new play through is also tempting, but I have so many of my favorite villagers on my island already that I think I'll just revamp my current island.

Preordered both Eevee and Pikachu!! Pikachu looks better at different angles, and that Pokeball in LEGO form is a must collect for me. Plus it's a nice display model showing Pikachu hovering over the stand. Instant buy!

Only big bummer is that the Kanto badge collection is locked behind the starter trio set. No way I'm getting that anytime soon 🥲

Game is great as it is; just focus on pushing forward with more Tactics games! FFTAdvance and A2 would love ports, and a brand new Tactics game would be especially nice!

Man, if the special edition consoles are still mostly black, then I'm gonna. . . . continue being a Nintendo consumer I guess.

It just has to hit the right niche, or nostalgia, for adults. As a Pokemon fan, I know I would enjoy future Pokemon models to include their own Pokemon cry with smart bricks.

For kids? I mean come on, knight and Jedi mini figures making clashing sounds whenever you put swords or lightsabers in their hands? Kids will love that.

Wow! Highly interested in this game. Like others have said, it's a great mix of earthy colors and GBA-like pixel art. Pokemon gameplay is a great hook, and the yokai theme is a good staple for monster design. Definitely am going to wishlist/preorder this on my eShop right away!

Hopefully this year we get to see what DQXII will actually look like and how it will play! I would also love a DQ11 physical reprint with new anniversary embroidery on the box art.

Super hyped for Pokemon's 30th anniversary! I'll be spending a lot of money on Pokemon this year. Very excited for Gen 10, as well as hopelessly hopeful for retro Pokemon games on NSO finally! The merchandise will be insane, and I'm here for it.

@Glassneedles That's great to hear! I've waited years to play FFXIV on a Nintendo console, and the wait will definitely be worth it! I love online games enjoyed on a traditional console. Growing up with Monster Hunter Tri's online multiplayer on Wii really primed me to look forward to going on that next quest/hunt with a group of people online. Even grinding has so much more purpose in my eyes, when you're putting time in to prepare your characters for online play.

I jumped onto the Switch bandwagon a couple years after launch, in 2019. My first Switch game was Mario Odyssey, and what an introduction to the new era of Nintendo! A splendid memory.

However, no need to say goodbye to the Switch just yet! I just bought myself a yellow Switch Lite in order to play my large Switch 1 backlog natively. I'm surprisingly disappointed with the current handling of backwards compatibility, not to mention the revelation that Switch 2 Editions are far and few between for the vast majority of third party titles (and all the little Indies). I've finally realized the value of being able to play games with their original hardware. So even though I'm happy with the Switch 2 while playing Switch 2 software, I'm very much going to continue playing my backlog of Switch 1 games (and Indies) on my Switch Lite.

The only thing I care about regarding timelines and various retcons is that Metroid still contains Metroids. It's an iconic part of the franchise, and Metroid would no longer be Metroid without fighting Metroids in some form or fashion.

Edit: Ah, the duality of humanity, after seeing the comment above mine. Quite ironic!

The most frustrating part is hearing Capcom go on record refusing to remaster/remake older titles. So many old gems that I would pay lots of money to revisit in the REngine. MHTri, MH4U, Portable 3rd, Freedom Unite, not to mention the OG Monster Hunter G, all begging to be ported, remastered or remade! But no! Capcom must press forward with only new titles apparently.

@JaxonH Where did you hear this? And do you think NPC's include both villagers and smaller monsters?

Just my opinion, I think Nintendo shot themselves in the foot dedicating the 3D Mario team to Donkey Kong Bananza all this time. They should have created an additional dev team to handle DKB. Sorry to the DK fans out there, but Donkey Kong is not an adequate replacement for 3D Mario, and the sales prove it. Now we'll have to wait 2-4 more years to get a proper 3D Mario game.

A major highlight for 2026 will be Pokemon, what with the 40th anniversary and Gen 10. I'm interested in the new Yoshi, as well as the other smaller games, but I'm excited to find out what the biggest 2026 games will be from Nintendo.

Sounds like Dragon Quest XII could be unveiled in 2026! I'm excited for Switch 2 ports of Kingdom Hearts, the latest Mana game, more Final Fantasy like XVI, XV, and XIV, Nier Replicant, etc. Also looking forward to Adventures of Elliott and whatever other smaller budget RPG's they cook up.

Wishlist that doesn't necessarily feel realistic for 2026 would include FFTAdvance + A2 remasters, Nier Automata Switch 2 Edition, a new Crystal Chronicles installment, FFXIIOnline, a proper trailer for KH4, and more spinoffs utilizing FF/Nier/Mana/KH franchises! I miss the old days with small budget spinoffs leveraging big name IP's.

Really not a fan of the art style or character design, unfortunately. But the mechanics do sound interesting, so kudos to them.

Sheesh, missed the last wave by one day! Was just so busy that last week of Christmas. Oh bother. Couldn't have hurt to extend the availability by one extra day, huh Nintendo? 😠

Okay, but still, the one I want the most right now is Oblivion. Where is the Oblivion Switch 2 port??