WhiteWaterM00se
Member
After seeing today’s Nintendo Direct combined with the recent Ubisoft comments on Mario Rabbids 2, I am FULLY CONVINCED Nintendo Switch 2 release is near…how near? Read on.
First though, today’s Direct.
Today’s Nintendo’s Direct had some really good games announced. 2D Mario looks more inspired than 2d Mario on Wii U. Batman, Metal Gear, Star Ocean, Fae Farm, Saturday Morning Cartoon game all look good. Pikmin, Lugi Mansion 2, Super Princess Peach 2 all look good. The standout was Super Mario RPG, because I am old enough to remember how special that game was. Yet, everything announced seemed mostly smaller in scope and had a sense of finality to it.
You think Nintendo would not be crazy enough to release a new 2d Mario and Mario RPG that close to new hardware. It could eat into software cycle sales. They have done it before. Albeit a while ago. Super Mario RPG SNES released in Japan, March 1996. N64 released in Japan in June 1996. A mere 3 months apart.
The most interesting announcement in the Direct though was…Pokemon DLC. Why? Because there was a post last year on 4chan that was 100% correct about predicting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet And spoke about performance patches for the “New Switch”. Which launches around the release of the second Pokemon DLC.
The first Pokemon DLC releases in Fall 2023. With the second likely releasing in Winter 2023/ early 2024. Technically “Winter” by northern hemisphere calendar standards. Which would be 2 or 3 months likely after Pokemon DLC 1 releases for Scarlet and Violet. If Scarlet and Violet releases in November, the 2nd DLC will likely release in February 2024.
I firmly believe after today the rumors of Fzero, and Paper Mario TTYD are for NEXT GEN. Nintendo has a belief in releasing one iteration of a particular title per generation. One Paper Mario, one Mario Kart, one Smash Bros, one Animal Crossing, etc. I see no reason why Paper Mario TTYD would come to Switch if new hardware is imminent, unless it is a cross generation release. F-zero, I see as a coin flip. But Switch 2 could allow F-zero to shine with fancy graphics, a more mature game and hopefully better online in the launch window for Switch 2 to entice early adopters and order gamers. F-zero would like on SNES probably sell better as a launch window game as well.
I firmly believe Nintendo has learned to use it back catalog of games to create HD remakes to fill and pad out a release schedule now. Next gen has N64, GameCube, Wii, 3ds, and Wii U to all choose from. Easily enough content to fill up a release schedule for several generations and build around their own unique new first party titles.
Where was Metroid today? If Prime 2-3 release in September, then it would be a perfect gateway for Switch 2 to launch with Metroid Prime 4. At this point, I can only conclude either Metroid Prime 4 is in serious developmental hell (as one rumor suggested) or it is a launch game for Switch 2.
Finally is Nintendo returning to Gamescom and holding it’s first ever Nintendo Live event in he United States in September. I believe the future will be teased in this time frame. I suspect Nintendo goes “Full Wizard” in September and lets certain participants play some next gen game in a controlled environment. It would not surprise me to see Bloomberg or WSJ start reporting about Switch successor in the coming months.
Based on everything above and a few other things I am not able to share, in my opinion. Switch 2 (Next Gen) is launching between November 2023 and April 2024. I think February is the likely date though. Don’t let everyone sell you on bull crap. Nintendo has NOT specifically said Switch 2 will not launch before April. All Nintendo actually said publicly was they will only comment on Switch sales thru March 31, 2024.
Switch 2 is imminent.
Interesting times ahead!
First though, today’s Direct.
Today’s Nintendo’s Direct had some really good games announced. 2D Mario looks more inspired than 2d Mario on Wii U. Batman, Metal Gear, Star Ocean, Fae Farm, Saturday Morning Cartoon game all look good. Pikmin, Lugi Mansion 2, Super Princess Peach 2 all look good. The standout was Super Mario RPG, because I am old enough to remember how special that game was. Yet, everything announced seemed mostly smaller in scope and had a sense of finality to it.
You think Nintendo would not be crazy enough to release a new 2d Mario and Mario RPG that close to new hardware. It could eat into software cycle sales. They have done it before. Albeit a while ago. Super Mario RPG SNES released in Japan, March 1996. N64 released in Japan in June 1996. A mere 3 months apart.
The most interesting announcement in the Direct though was…Pokemon DLC. Why? Because there was a post last year on 4chan that was 100% correct about predicting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet And spoke about performance patches for the “New Switch”. Which launches around the release of the second Pokemon DLC.
The first Pokemon DLC releases in Fall 2023. With the second likely releasing in Winter 2023/ early 2024. Technically “Winter” by northern hemisphere calendar standards. Which would be 2 or 3 months likely after Pokemon DLC 1 releases for Scarlet and Violet. If Scarlet and Violet releases in November, the 2nd DLC will likely release in February 2024.
I firmly believe after today the rumors of Fzero, and Paper Mario TTYD are for NEXT GEN. Nintendo has a belief in releasing one iteration of a particular title per generation. One Paper Mario, one Mario Kart, one Smash Bros, one Animal Crossing, etc. I see no reason why Paper Mario TTYD would come to Switch if new hardware is imminent, unless it is a cross generation release. F-zero, I see as a coin flip. But Switch 2 could allow F-zero to shine with fancy graphics, a more mature game and hopefully better online in the launch window for Switch 2 to entice early adopters and order gamers. F-zero would like on SNES probably sell better as a launch window game as well.
I firmly believe Nintendo has learned to use it back catalog of games to create HD remakes to fill and pad out a release schedule now. Next gen has N64, GameCube, Wii, 3ds, and Wii U to all choose from. Easily enough content to fill up a release schedule for several generations and build around their own unique new first party titles.
Where was Metroid today? If Prime 2-3 release in September, then it would be a perfect gateway for Switch 2 to launch with Metroid Prime 4. At this point, I can only conclude either Metroid Prime 4 is in serious developmental hell (as one rumor suggested) or it is a launch game for Switch 2.
Finally is Nintendo returning to Gamescom and holding it’s first ever Nintendo Live event in he United States in September. I believe the future will be teased in this time frame. I suspect Nintendo goes “Full Wizard” in September and lets certain participants play some next gen game in a controlled environment. It would not surprise me to see Bloomberg or WSJ start reporting about Switch successor in the coming months.
Based on everything above and a few other things I am not able to share, in my opinion. Switch 2 (Next Gen) is launching between November 2023 and April 2024. I think February is the likely date though. Don’t let everyone sell you on bull crap. Nintendo has NOT specifically said Switch 2 will not launch before April. All Nintendo actually said publicly was they will only comment on Switch sales thru March 31, 2024.
Switch 2 is imminent.
Interesting times ahead!
