If you count those investor mentions, then sure, the Switch was announced quite a long time before. In my mind, those were so vague, that calling it an announcement was a stretch.

I guess in my mind, I look at the fact that nearly every tech and media company has been moving toward announcing products closer and closer to the release. You go all in on a big marketing plan, rather than a drawn out one for over a year. I am expecting a similar schedule for Nintendo with this new system.

Of course, Nintendo is still so successful with the Switch as is, I can see them feeling significant freedom in making an announcement whenever they want. As you mentioned, there aren’t antsy investors to please right now.

Historically, Nintendo has announced things with that kind of lead time, but as of late, Nintendo has kept announcements much closer to the launch date. The Switch from announcement to launch ( Oct 20-March 3) is 134 days. Today, January 11th, we are 137 days away from Memorial Day (May 27), which is the unofficial start to Summer. The real start, June 21st, is a month after that.

My point is, things are way more open. Nintendo can announce and release the thing very quickly if they want to, and I find that much more likely than the drawn out reveals over 18 months that the Wii and Wii U got.

I would love a portable that fits in my pocket again. I know people argue the Switch is pocketable, but it comes with a bunch of compromises. Sure it can fit in a pocket, but it isn’t comfortable. Plus the screen is exposed makes me hesitant to put it in there (Give us GameBoy Micro style faceplates, and I’m fine with the exposed screen). The worst part though is the vents on the system. Those are begging to eat lint up. A potential Switch Micro would need to address all of these. It might need a significantly more power efficient chip, which would reduce batter size constraints, and allow it to run cooler, removing the need for a fan and vents.

Games like this are so sad to me. A developer has funding from Nintendo, and makes a series that fans like. After a decade, the partnership ends. The developer continues to make the next game, but without the proper funding, the game looks like a step down. The developer can’t even use the same name, so the game feels very uncanny valley.

I don’t see this one doing well, and it may end up being the last in the “series”

What do you want in Mario Kart 9? Is it just a new title, or is there something mechanically that you want iterated on?

Just to make clear, it is $20 a year. If you get a family plan, it is $35 a year for up to 8 accounts. Even if you get 3 other people, you are looking at $9 a year. Yes, free would be better, but it is far from a scam as others have been saying.

In the Switch generation, Nintendo has moved away from the “single and doubles,” toward “home runs.” In the previous generation, we had a bunch of smaller games that were smaller in scope, with a smaller budget, smaller price tag, and download only. The Switch has had very few of these from first party developers (The picross games, a few Kirby spinoffs, and Good Job are the only ones coming to mind right now.).

With a new console on the horizon, Nintendo is looking at development cycles increasing. My hope is that to counteract this, we see a return of the singles and doubles. If it happened, my most wanted single game, would be Star Fox 64 2.

No, I don’t mean a modern game that continues the story of SF64, I want the game that would have been made in 1997 in Nintendo immediately started a sequel after the first one launched. Low poly, low texture quality, fast and tight gameplay, and excellent level design. The game can run at 1080P and 60FPS, but keep everything else barebones. Incorporate new music using an N64 quality soundscape, and tons of chatter between the copilots. Keep each “run” to 30 minutes. Budget it at a modest $20-25, and get a nice single. The idea might not work, but I think it works better than making a really detailed rail shooter that takes years to make and has to sell for $60.