Gaming
Games
5 reasons 2019's looking good for the Nintendo Switch
Whether you’re a casual gamer or a proven Jigglypuff main, 2019 is shaping up to be another fantastic year for Nintendo Switch owners.
The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling video game system of this generation. That statement sounds like a hearty bowl of false advertising – especially when the data crunchers at the NPD Group are throwing around phrases such as ‘8.7m units’ and ‘top-selling US publisher’ – but Nintendo threw a blanket over the Wii U and used the Switch to reposition itself as the video game company we’ve come to know and love. They're still shamelessly Nintendo (remember Virtual Console?) but with the recent success of Super Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, it’s hard not to root for Reggie Fils-Aimé and his ability to obliterate the Twitch realm with a wink and a smile. The Switch has become ‘the place’ to play with friends and family and you have to wonder: what’s next for the Nintendo console?
1. Get ready for more first-party titles
The answer is pretty simple: more video games. Even though Nintendo shot themselves in the foot by releasing Breath Of The Wild and Super Mario Odyssey in the same calendar year, they’re still positioned to break the internet with their first-party titles. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Animal Crossing, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Yoshi’s Crafted World are all dated for 2019, and that’s excluding smaller titles such as Daemon X Machina and Game Freak’s Town. There’s also the new core Pokémon RPG for the Switch and whatever else Nintendo decide to tease via Directs and the E3 showcase, including proper sequels to F-Zero, Mario Golf and 2015’s Super Mario Maker.
Making digital monsters great again
© Bandai Namco Entertainment
2. There’s also a lot to love with third-parties
The Switch’s original list of partners felt like a pipe dream, but it’s evolved and helped Nintendo assemble the best third-party support it’s had in decades. The likes of DOOM and Dark Souls: Remastered paved the way for Sonic Mania Plus and Katamari Damacy Reroll. 2019 is already set to roll out titles such as Onimusha: Warlords (Jan 15), Trials Rising (Feb 12), and Mortal Kombat 11 (Apr 23). Throw in a couple of TBDs like Square Enix’s Dragon Quest XI and Bandai Namco’s Digimon Survive, and it’s clear that Nintendo’s gift for being ‘just good enough’ is helping them evolve into a powerhouse that’s more focused on niche gamers.
Bringing smaller dreams to life
© Nintendo
3. Indie games are here to stay
One of the biggest draws of the Nintendo Switch is it’s portable form factor, which has slowly but surely made it the platform for independent games. It’s still behind Steam and the Epic Games store to some degree, but with the recent success of Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight, it’s hard not to see the Switch as the unanimous go-to for everything indie in 2019. Especially with upcoming titles such as Wargroove (Chucklefish), Super Meat Boy Forever (Team Meat), and Mineko’s Night Market (Meowza Games), and the possibility of Nintendo investing in ports that are bound to the console wars or tethered to a mouse and keyboard (see Ooblets, Knights And Bikes).
The one NES design to rule them all
© iJustine
4. New year = new hardware
Perhaps the most exciting headline for 2019 is the folks at Nintendo are rumoured to be working on an updated version of the Switch’s current hardware. The console has its varying strengths, but the proposition of a new model with a larger edge-to-edge screen, more onboard storage, and significantly better WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity could be a gamechanger in the wake of Sony and Microsoft’s plans for 2020. Improved specs opens the door for better apps (ie Netflix, Spotify) and it also gives Nintendo the opportunity to expand on ideas like the Switch’s new NES controllers and the overwhelming amount of third-party customisation that’s come from creatives such as 8BitDo and ColorWare. New hardware also means new Joy-Con colours, new holiday bundles, and new accessories, and a chance for them to balance functionality with affordability.
5. It’s Nintendo; anything is possible
Let’s face it: Nintendo are here for the memes. In 2018 alone, they trolled Smash addicts, ripped Luigi’s soul from his own body, blessed us with cursed images of Peachette (and Bowsette), and used The Game Awards as a platform for Reggie Fils-Aimé to Thanos every single Persona fan within seconds. Their weird factor is Kojima-ing itself to new heights that didn’t seem physically possible and with a new Direct rumoured for January 2019, the sky is barely a limit for Nintendo.
