Smooth Sailing?
The Switch has developed into an undeniably successful ecosystem. The sales are exponentially higher than the wildest pre-launch predictions, already surpassing the Wii U's lifetime sales after a mere eleven months on the market. A myriad of fantastic exclusives have already been released for the console, winning high praise and awards from critics and fans alike. All appears to be well, and for the most part, it is. However, there are some issues that still plague the console almost a year after its launch. I had the pleasure of speaking with William, a fellow Nintendo blogger who writes for his own site, Willtendo.com, to discuss all things Nintendo Switch, from its successes, to its shortcomings, and what we'd like to see in the future, we touched on it all.
Taking a step back and examining the Switch on the whole paints an optimistic picture. In fact, William is even more optimistic than I am, expressing that "once all is said and done, we very well may look back on the Switch as the greatest Nintendo console". In my eyes, it is just to soon to make that kind of assertion, especially with the problems that still plague the system. However, the hardware is great, third party developers are returning to Nintendo, and we've already gotten a few excellent exclusives. The pieces of an amazing console cycle are here, but it is a question of whether or not Nintendo can put them together. As William says, "we might have to suffer through a weak 2018 to get to that point". That is a sentiment I totally agree with. At the end of the day, regardless of how good the Switch is, it's just a vehicle to play games, and frankly, from a first-party perspective, that is looking weak right now, especially for those of us who owned a Wii U. The recent overview trailer for Nintendo Labo showed me that gameplay depth I needed to see, and I can't wait to get my hands on that product. Mario Tennis Aces is exactly the Mario sports game I've been waiting for, and as soon as it has a release date I'll pre-order it. But, past that, we're looking at a very derivative Kirby game and a handful of Wii U ports. However, it is important to remember that we're only looking at the first half of 2018.
Animal Crossing Switch and Pikmin 4 are two games that William and I discussed as potential heavy-hitters for the second half of the year. Yet, we are somewhat at odds as to which of these titles will actually be released in 2018. As I've talked about before, Pikmin 4 seems to be a shoe-in. The game has been in development for many years, and seemingly got transferred from Wii U to the Switch, as suggested by comments from Mr. Miyamoto himself. It would make sense that Nintendo would put this project out earlier in the console's life cycle, before the library gets too crowded and Pikmin gets overshadowed. However, William isn't sold quite yet. He believes that Nintendo simply isn't in a hurry to release Pikmin 4, so it is possible for the game to slip into 2019 or beyond. On the other hand, he is fairly sure about Animal Crossing be released late this year. "It's been six years since New Leaf, and all we've seen them doing in the meantime is Happy Home Designer, and Pocket Camp. There are a lot of reasons to be hopeful for a 2018 release, especially since Animal Crossing is one of their biggest franchises now and Nintendo is going to want to get that out early." William makes a compelling case, especially since Animal Crossing is one of the best-selling Nintendo franchises. However, while I do think that Animal Crossing is in development, I believe we are looking at a 2018 announcement and a 2019 release. The development team has been split between so many projects, from spin-offs like Pocket Camp, to other franchises entirely like Splatoon, that I just don't believe this game is ready yet. But, even if these two titles and more come out later this year, as William says, "by the time E3 rolls around, we'll only have half a year left." That's totally true, and perhaps the most frustrating part of 2018. Until E3 in June, we have to contend with an ocean of ports, a topic upon which William and I spent the majority of our conversation.
Neither of us are pleased by the port situation. From my personal perspective, the biggest issue with the ports is the ratio of new to repackaged content. Nintendo is currently struggling to reach a 1:1 ratio, which is problematic, especially when many of these ports do very little to warrant a second purchase. If Nintendo was focusing on new content and supplementing that with ports, it wouldn't be a problem. But, Nintendo is treating these re-releases as full-blown, tent pole events: releases that take the place of brand new games. For as much as people like to say ports don't take the place of new games, they do. If Nintendo didn't have the luxury of slapping Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Switch, they'd have two options. Either, Nintendo would have to skip releasing a game that month, or, more likely, Nintendo would increase efficiency, harness all its development assets, and establish a consistent release schedule. It certainly has the resources to make this happen, but right now it is just relying on ports.
Consequently, when Nintendo releases ports we run the risk of never getting proper sequels. Of course, this is partially conjecture, but there is some historical evidence to support this. On the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo released four 2D Mario platformers under the Super Mario Advance line. These were enhanced ports of Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. While these were great versions of their respective games, the Advance series did take the place of a brand-new GBA Mario game. So, I can't help but feel a bit nervous about some of these franchises that have received ports. Mario Kart in particular is in jeopardy, due to both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, and Mario Kart Tour on mobile. William tends to agree. " I think we should definitely be afraid of [ports] 'overtaking sequels' like you said. You'll hear 'we always get a new Mario Kart for each system, Switch will get another' but it's not like we've had a Mario Kart port before. It's up in the air as to whether we'll get Mario Kart 9 or Hyrule Warriors 2 on the Switch, and personally I doubt it." It's a valid fear, and one that isn't being helped by the all too defensive community.
One of the biggest issues with the port problem is the community response. William put it best when he said, "I'm also repulsed that so many people seem to be happy to settle for a Smash port instead of getting a sequel at all on the Switch. It strikes me as impatient. I'm sure John Doe, who's clamoring for Smash on the Switch as soon as possible would regret it later when it's ten years since Super Smash Bros 4 came out and we still haven't gotten a new game". I agree with this completely. It seems that the community has become so complacent that they are no longer interested in expecting more from Nintendo. When we lower the bar to the point where people are wishing for more ports, Nintendo does not have to work nearly as hard to please the community. Of course, I'd never tell someone they are having fun wrong, and if these ports appeal to people, that is totally fine. However, in my eyes, what isn't fine is when people not only defend these ports, but also demean others for daring to say anything even quasi-negative about Nintendo or its practices. Far too often I'm called selfish, ignorant, or just flat out gotten insulted for not seeing the "benefits" of Wii U ports. This problem extends beyond just me, as all over the internet you can find the Nintendo defense force patrolling. There are YouTube comments, Twitter posts, and message boards, just waiting to stifle any suggestion that these ports aren't anything short of breathtaking. This mentality needs to be changed; too often people want to simply bury their heads in the sand and accept whatever Nintendo hands them instead of really taking a step back and being critical. If all Nintendo gets are false complements, how can we honestly expect them to improve? We really can't.
Yet, the high quantity of ports does not take away from the genuinely new and fun games already on the Switch. Sharing our top three first-party Switch titles, there was a significant amount of overlap between William and myself. As expected, we both had Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on our lists. However, whereas my third game was Splatoon 2, his was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. William isn't into Splatoon, and I can't get into Xenoblade. But, that's alright. One of the strengths that the Switch library already has is a diversity in genre. From platformers, to shooters, to open-world adventures, to JRPGs, there is a little something for everyone. However, that doesn't mean that every exclusive is a slam dunk, as titles like ARMS failed to connect with many people, including myself and William. I really don't like ARMS, or think it is a particularly good game. William doesn't feel as strongly as I do, but the game really didn't click with him either, stating that "it definitely wasn't my cup of tea. I got six or seven hours out of it. Probably won't ever play it again." But, just because there is a miss here or there, looking back on the first year of the Switch, there was a great cadence of releases. Coming off of a two-year period in which Nintendo released, generously, four great games, 2017 really turned things around. And, when the wide selection of indie and AAA third-party titles are considered alongside the first-party titles, it is undeniable that there is plenty of great content already on the Switch.
To cap off our conversation, William and I allowed ourselves a moment to predict what Nintendo has in store for 2018 and beyond. William started things off right. His realistic hope is the announcement of Super Smash Bros. 5 at E3 this year. I would totally lose my mind over that announcement, but I'm of two minds when it comes to Smash Bros. If we're getting a port (which I have finally come to my senses on, and hope never happens) then it will be announced at E3. If we're getting Smash 5, I think we'll see it next year. As of late, Nintendo has been far more interested in revealing a game before its imminent release, than allowing a game to build hype over several years. In my opinion, if Super Mario Odyssey, the first true 3D Mario since 2002, only got ten months of buildup, I doubt that Smash would get any more than that. However, William made a strong case for an announcement this E3, and a release in 2019 or 2020. If Nintendo has a light second half of 2018 planned, they could fall back on Smash hype to keep the fanbase excited. "It's an absolute hype train that's kept going for the span of at least two years, with newcomer reveal trailers given out now and then. I don't think there's any way that Nintendo doesn't follow Super Smash Bros. 4's pre-release model again. Way too much of a hype machine." It's a reasonable line of thinking, and one that has at least partially made me a believer of a Smash 5 reveal at E3.
My realistic hope for Nintendo in 2018 is Animal Crossing on the Switch. As I've spoken about before, I am still a bit skeptical that it will release this year, but William's confidence is making me hopeful. It has been so long since New Leaf that it just makes sense for a new Animal Crossing to be released. It is also the perfect game to have during a first-party drought: Animal Crossing is the epitome of replayability. I've put over 150 hours into New Leaf, and I could easily see myself putting that kind of time into a brand-new Switch version as well. It seems possible, and I hope it happens. Fingers crossed that we'll see Tom Nook & Co. make their way onto Nintendo's hybrid very soon.
The Nintendo Switch has issues, that much is undeniable. Its library relies a bit too heavily on ports, and has a few first-party misses sprinkled in. The user interface is bare bones and lacking core features. However, those problems do not mitigate the fact that the Switch has already brought us some of the best first-party Nintendo games on one of the most exciting and versatile pieces of hardware Nintendo has ever created. William and I are still concerned that 2018 will be a down year for Nintendo, but with any luck, E3 will set up an exciting end to the year. Things could be going better, but the Switch is proving to be a remarkable about face after a lacking Wii U generation. I can only hope that Nintendo continues to bring the creative, exciting games in the future.
A special thanks to William of Willtendo.com for talking with me! It was a fantastic discussion, and I hope to produce more content with him in the future. Be sure to check out his website for some fantastic Nintendo ranking and opinion pieces.
Great piece, and I can't help but nod my head along in agreement the whole way through. Especially with what that Willtendo guy was saying.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to future collabs!
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DeleteLol good one. Though I do think this is a good article, and I agree too many ports is too much. I didn't even think about Tripical freeze meaning no new Donkey Kong on the Switch, at first I thought that it was (and I still hope) a way to get people excited about Donkey Kong and introduce him to people who didnt get to try out DK on the WiiU so that way they would all want to buy DK when it came out on the Switch but when you talked about how there was no mainline Mario for gba I realized you were totally right (the gba was my second gaming system so I was too young to think about stuff like that) so while ports are nice for stuff like what I was thinking of or just to make an enhanced remake like the gba games, hopefully we dont get a ton more ports and get potential main line releases completely cut out. So we definitely shouldn't be satisfied with a ton of ports. As for the Switch itself, I think they are planning on releasing an update to add more stuff to the console especially if you consider how there is a web browser hidden in the Switch's system. They might even announce a big update at the next E3.
DeleteP.S. I think think this site would look better with a black and white scheme like the optional one Game Informer has (though I've gotten used to your sites color scheme now) it would look less like my phone screen is stuck with a darskish loading screen and the black amd white scheme is more penguin like. Also you guys should make a way to comment as a guest because making a whole new profile for one comment is a bit of a hastle.