Nintendo Switch: 5 things I’d like to see
The Nintendo Switch has finally been announced and discussed ad-nauseum, and if going by anecdotal evidence is any indication, it will have a much better reception than the underselling and underrated Wii U had. The following are things I want to personally see on the next console.
Monster Hunter
This has been CAPCOM’s cash-cow in Japan for years now with good reason; it’s a stellar series with superb art direction, music, imaginative monsters, well-designed weapons and armor. It’s also a game that can be played for thousands of hours. I really like the series on portable consoles, and as the Switch has been revealed to be a hybrid console I believe it is a matter of time before we see the celebrated series make the leap. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate’s Wii U version proved that this series would shine on powerful hardware.
Ports of Wii U games that deserved more spotlight
There are many games on the Wii U that did not receive the kind of attention they should have simply because of under-performing sales. There are several titles that have been ported to the 3DS because of this, some I disagreed with like Hyrule Warriors Legends. However, there are others that could not receive a down-port.
Examples include:
1. Xenoblade Chronicles X
2. Bayonetta 2
3. Tokyo Mirage Sessions # FE
4. The Wonderful 101
Battery expansion for the handheld
This is more speculative than anything, but if the Wii U Gamepad is anything to go by, the battery life for the Switch’s portable screen will have a vary short battery life. The switch is something I’d want to take on long flights, and unless the plane is a non-regional jet, there likely won’t be plugs for electricity. This needs to be remedied through a battery peripheral, which I’ll gladly purchase if it extends battery life considerably.
Final Fantasy VI
This is something fans have been waiting for since the original DS. SquareEnix made stellar remakes of Final Fantasy III and IV for the DS, but ended it there citing the performance of the DS console. Many fans expected Final Fantasy V and VI to be released for the 3DS, but those never materialized, though an “enhanced” port of FF VI’s sprite-based original has been released with mostly negative impressions of the re-imagined sprites. It remains to be seen what SquareEnix will do given they are deep in production of Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy VII Remake episodes, and an HD port of Final Fantasy XII. Final Fantasy XV was recently released.
Gamecube on the Virtual Console
The Gamecube has been Nintendo’s most neglected console. We have not seen games like Super Mario Sunshine, Metal Gear: The Twin Snakes, and Eternal Darkness. It’s been said that the lack of the console is due mainly to the analog shoulder buttons of the original controllers, but there has to be a workaround. I’m looking forward to the day when I can play Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance again.
