Nintendo has now finally announced what the Switch fans were dying to hear – Super Smash Bros franchise is arriving on Nintendo Switch this year. The revelation came at the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, which, apart from the Super Smash Bros announcement wasn’t a real exciting affair.
Super Smash Bros. is the biggest Nintendo franchise, an incredible arcade fighting experience with characters from the Super Mario series, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Animal Crossing, Final Fantasy and various other classic games. All these characters are pitted against each other, making it one of the most awaited Nintendo Switch games ever.
Fans are expecting the Switch version to be a port of Wii U and 3DS. However, there could be a possibility of a new version arriving on the Switch. Nintendo did not reveal the official name, but referred to it as “Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros.”
At the presentation, the game maker also showcased over a dozen upcoming titles for both the Switch and the Nintendo 3DS with some third-party games including from SQUARE ENIX, Capcom, Grasshopper Manufacture, From Software and Ubisoft.
Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said: “Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS are being propelled through 2018 with an energized lineup of games of all kinds.” Further, the executive said that these games come with a good combination of first-party franchises with some of Nintendo’s most sought-after characters along with the third-party titles and promising indies.
During the event, Nintendo also talked about Mario Tennis Aces revealing details of different gameplay modes and features players can look forward to. The presentation showcased the types of shots that players would be able to play in the court including a powerful Zone shot. The technique allows players to focus on certain areas on the court using the motion controls and target their opponents to damage their tennis racket. The game would be launched for the Nintendo Switch on June 22.
The addition of new games to the Switch reflects the phenomenal success that the console has had so far. Back in January, the Japanese company stated that the Switch is the fastest selling home game console in the US with 4.8 million units sold in 10 months. In Japan, the console sold over 3,800,000 units in its debut year. In comparison, about 1.1 million PS4 consoles were sold in its first twelve months.
Nintendo Switch has already sold more than 14 million units across the globe since its March 2017 debut. The console has already outpaced Wii U’s lifetime sales of 13.5 million. Further, the Switch has become the fastest-selling home console ever in the US and Japan, selling 7.23 million units in the previous quarter alone, notes IGN. The Switch sales have been fueled in part by the strong lineup of games, which continues to expand.
To boost sales numbers further, Nintendo has come up with huge discounts on both Switch and 3DS titles on its eShop. Many Switch and 3DS games are now available for less than $10, such as Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and Blaster Master Zero and more. Further, the eShop added a new game – Trail: Frontier Challenge – for Nintendo Switch. The game will appeal to those looking for fun challenges.
According to IHS Markit, spending on Nintendo products and services would swell to $11 billion in 2018, compared to a drop for Microsoft to about $9 billion. Further, IHS believes that PlayStation would continue to hold its position as the market leader. Spending on PlayStation products and services were over $20 billion in 2017. Though the spending on PS products is expected to drop slightly this year, it would still be ahead of others.
With the raging success that the Switch has seen, one obvious question is – what’s next in terms of hardware? A report from the WSJ – citing sources – reveals there would be no significant changes to the Switch this year, rather the company would rely on the peripheral sales to boost revenue.
However, there are talks of a mini version of Switch that would be a standalone handheld without a dock. Similarly, there are reports of the Switch XL with high system power. Nintendo meanwhile seems to be focusing on the accessories such as Nintendo LABO innovative cardboard kits that connect with the Switch and its Joy-Cons to build a number of kids’ toys for interactive games and concepts like building cardboard pianos or remote control robots.
