As many of you know, Nintendo is set to tell us much more about the Nintendo Switch on January 12, 2017. At this point, they have only released minimal details, and they have only shown it in action one time.
We here at NintendoFuse are, of course, incredibly excited to learn more next week, which got us thinking about our expectations. So, just for fun, we put together our expectations for the Nintendo Switch. Some are certainly pipe dreams (pun intended) and others are more based in reality. While we would love to tell you we have connections to know exactly what will be revealed, we do not. So, take all of this with less than a grain of salt.
And without further delay, here’s what Greg, Barry, and I are expecting to see from the Nintendo Switch (or at least hope to see) when it’s further revealed next week…
There are many things I expect to see from the Switch. These are mainly based on the variety of rumors as it is mostly hard to determine truth from fiction. First I would like to see a portable mode battery life that is longer than three hours. My preference would be at least six hours. Some of the launch titles I would like see are Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild, 3D Mario, and Skyrim. I was a little way too excited when I saw this rumor for an upcoming game and would love to see it true for Super Mario Maker (Deluxe?). I think the launch date will be March 17. I have a feeling there will be two bundles. The first bundle would cost $299.99 (which includes a game, more hard drive space). The other bundle may cost $199.99. Finally, I would definitely love to see compatibly with Wii U (system transfer, digital games, etc).
-Greg
While I think Nintendo will play it safe with their Switch presentation, I think we’ll see some surprises. In terms of playing it safe, we’ll get the price ($249-$299), most likely 2 bundles like the Wii U launch, a release date (March 2017), and more Zelda info. I think we’ll get at least 3 Wii U enhanced ports (Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, and Smash) but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn about more coming during the launch window or at the very least, 2017. I can see Hyrule Warriors, Mario 3D World, New Super Mario U/Luigi U, Xenoblade X, Donkey Kong Country Returns/Trop Freeze, and Star Fox Zero all being possible. I also feel we’ll get some original titles. A new 3D Mario, Pikmin 4, whatever Retro’s been working on for years now, and hopefully a new entry in some of Nintendo’s forgotten franchises (Metroid, F-Zero, Wave Race, 1080, Kid Icarus, Mach Rider, Startropics, etc). I’m sure we’ll see some eShop only titles (most likely Mother 3, which should also come on a physical card with Earthbound beginnings and Earthbound on it, or that’s just my wishful thinking), as well as Virtual Console titles, and last but not least, showing us what third party titles are coming. Hopefully that last part is impressive. Guess we’ll all find out next Thursday!
-Barry
One of the biggest things that I’m expecting is what we’ve already been promised — an all-in-one system. While I love my Wii U and 3DS, it would be so much easier on my wallet to just have one system. Also, I love bringing all my games with me. Another thing I’m expecting is the ability to use high capacity SD or microSD cards to store all your downloaded games and saves. I really hope we can have access to all previous downloads too, at least Virtual Console, from Wii and Wii U. In addition, let’s expand the VC to include everything through GameCube. I’d also love to see more third-party support this time around, even with some surprises in developers who have not shown their face on Nintendo consoles in a while. Because we have to keep this short, I’ll end with just one more — the ability to take the main console to any dock, which would mean I could have a dock connected to any TV and only have to travel with the screen and controllers instead of everything.
-Steve
So, there you go! That’s what we’re expecting from the Nintendo Switch, specifically the event next Thursday. Like we said, some of these are safe bets, and others are shots in the dark.
What do you think of our expectations? And what do you expect to see from the Nintendo Switch? Let us know in the comments!
For those looking for a place to watch the event and chat about it live, be sure to join us here on NintendoFuse! We’ll be live-streaming it on our site and providing commentary on our social channels (Twitter & Facebook), as well as giving you an opportunity to chat about it in our comments.
Steve is the Senior Editor of NintendoFuse and co-host of the NintendoFuse Podcast. He’s been a Nintendo gamer since age 6 and has been on staff with NintendoFuse since 2008.