What’s Next for the Big N?
It’s finally time to speculate in earnest. The newest Nintendo console is slowly starting to peek its head out of the shadows, and I’ve got some some things to ask for. With the recent news of developer kits finding their way into the hands of Nintendo partners, I thought it would be a great time to speak on five things I hope to see from the new console.
1. A Return to the Virtual Console
The Wii era was great, not just for Nintendo business-wise, but for us. The virtual console felt like backwards compatibility hopped up on caffeine, and it gave gamers of all ages a chance to experience someone of the greatest titles Nintendo ever released.
The offerings on the Nintendo Switch Online service are of a similar caliber, but packaged in a service that drip feeds games and sometimes feels like it doesn’t justify the price given Nintendo’s stubbornness when it comes to some of the more basic aspects of online play. Bringing back the Virtual Console would go a long way towards building hype and excitement for the new hardware.
2. Larger Joy-Cons
I don’t have the biggest hands, but they’re big enough to make playing with a solo Joy-Con a nightmare. The idea that we can disconnect the controllers and immediately have a two-player local session is great, but the controllers need to match that capability. Playing a game like Mario Kart is a drastically different experience with one Joy-Con turned to the side.
It takes some skill to pull off a competitive win with a single Joy-Con, and that skill should come with stick work, not contortion of hands.
3. More On-System Memory
There’s always a moment in this increasingly digital era of gaming where a brand new game comes out and it becomes decision time. “What am I gonna delete to make space for this?” With the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, those decisions can happen occasionally, but with the Nintendo Switch, those decisions are mandatory.
The Switch has only 32 GB which is not enough to do anything without buying an SD Card. People shouldn’t have to feel like they HAVE to spend extra money on storage space just to have a few games installed.
4. A Robust Launch Lineup
I’ve long believed that the best launch lineup Nintendo has had came with the GameCube: Luigi’s Mansion, Super Monkey Ball, Wave Race: Blue Storm, and Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader. These games weren’t all considered heavy hitters at the time, but they were certainly high quality.
The new console needs to have a better lineup than its predecessor. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the only big game on the Switch that came at launch, and even that was shared with the Wii U.
5. Better Graphics
I’m personally not a graphics hound, but what I can acknowledge is that they do play a role in what comes to the system. The Switch not being able to run certain games kept those games off the console despite its considerable install base. A bump in graphical fidelity is the shot in the arm Nintendo needs to take this new hardware to the next level.
Nintendo often offers new ways to experience and control games, and a console that can bring power to the equation can create a significant wave of reignited popularity to a lot of new and existing franchises.
That’s my shortlist for the new Nintendo console, and hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for some information on it. If there’s one thing we can all bank on, it’s Nintendo bringing its best foot forward in terms of innovation and experience. That being said, in gaming sometimes being straightforward is the best path to success. The Big N has some work to do in finding that balance between being mavericks and delivering the goods.
