Nintendo NX: Pokemon Games, Hybrid Design Confirmed

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Was it a slip of the tongue, or has The Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara spilled the beans? And what’s going on with the Nintendo NX? Will it be a hybrid mobile/console? It looks as if the Pokemon CEO has let things slip about this too.

Pokemon on the Nintendo NX

It’s not a secret that Nintendo is developing another gaming system; the Japanese company confirmed it this year. There’s little else officially known about the device, so when one high-ranking official attends a meeting and lets things slip, it’s understandable that Nintendo‘s adoring public goes crazy. So if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here it is.

To many, the presence of Pokemon games on a Nintendo handheld device and not on a console has been a source of frustration. However, in a recent interview, Ishihara, confirmed that his company would be producing Pokemon games for Nintendo’s machine.

In the interview with The Wall Street Journal Ishihara said, “The NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a handheld device. We will make games for the NX.”

Nintendo remains tight-lipped on this statement, and if this is a spill-the-beans moment, maybe Ishihara has some saving face to do!

Nintendo NX
Image Source: Twitter/@guythefighter

What about the Nintendo NX?

Having read the Pokemon CEO’s comments, what can you take from them? Yes, his company intends to support what he calls the “NX” with games. Additionally, you can infer that the device itself will be a mobile/console hybrid, given his direct reference to its form factor.

So have Nintendo fans now got what they have long been waiting for? I’d say no; Ishihara’s comments; while exciting and possibly eye-opening; mean nothing without Nintendo’s backing. However, what this has done is send the internet into a frenzy of wild speculation, with many now believing that a mobile/console hybrid Nintendo NX is what we’re going to get.

What do we want from the Nintendo NX?

Personally, I don’t think Nintendo can rest on its laurels, hoping that those who used the Wii and Wii U will cross over. For example, some years ago, I purchased a Wii to play with my children. Now a few years later, they prefer to games in private and prefer the one-on-one experience provided by the Xbox One S and PS4 Pro.

So concerning power, the talk of a NVIDIA Tegra X2 chip is great. But if it does not enable the Nintendo NX to compete, what is the point? Shouldn’t Nintendo be looking to take on its competitors and pick up some market share? Surely market share would amount to more support from game developers, and then more sales.

As for the mobile/hybrid form factor, this is a good idea, but everything comes down to power and support. However, now is the time for Nintendo to get its hardware right and repair the damage done by the Wii U.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, whatever Pokemon Co. CEO Ishihara said, we still haven’t heard anything from Nintendo. And with rumors about VR going around, you only have to look at the PS4 Pro for guidance. Sony replaced/upgraded its PS4 to cope better with VR, so maybe the Tegra X2 won’t offer enough power for VR on the Nintendo NX.

Share your thoughts on this with me in the comments section below.

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