Switch Weekly - Are Nintendo ready to shift focus?

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Issue #‍324 | March 19, 2023 · Bayonetta's origin story is here

Hello, it's Sunday again, which can only mean one thing — it's time for another round-up of the week in all things Nintendo. Here's issue #324 of Switch Weekly.

The State of Switch survey for 2023 has now closed to responses. I'll now be spending the next week or two diving into all of the data, and writing up my extensive report. As ever, you'll be first to hear about it when the results goes live, right here in the newsletter. This year saw a notable decrease in the number of responses, with around 2,500 folks filling it out — which is still a great number, but it's interesting to see the drop and how that may align with the interest in the system starting to wane? This is pure conjecture from me, but a gut feeling all the same. Thank you so much to all those who did take the time to fill it out this year — I'm looking forward to sharing my findings with you.

The Kit and Krysta podcast (linked below) discussed briefly how with the Mario movie now just weeks away, Nintendo may find themselves at something of a crossroad, sharing some reflection on how the company's focus may shift as a result of its success. It's an interesting thought that, in reality, we've seen play out slowly over the past decade — with mobile games, the theme park, and now the movie. I think with the Switch also reaching a certain stage in its life too, the current moment is making for plenty of reflection and introspection on all things N.

Next week has around 30 games hitting the Switch, and the full list is below for you.

Cheers,
Chris ✌️

🎮 Currently Playing: Metroid Prime Remastered

REVIEW Bayonetta Origins — "while you may feel sceptical about her going from heavy action to puzzles, Platinum Games nailed the transition flawlessly.". GameSpot call it an "achievement in artistry, innovation, and tenderness". Polygon's review however, claims this spinoff can't decide on what it wants to be.

Kayleigh Partleton // Pocket Tactics

Bayonetta Origins developers want you to remember what it feels like to be a kid--and to prepare for more Bayonetta

Jessica Howard // GameSpot

Why game archivists are dreading this month’s 3DS/Wii U eShop shutdown — The upcoming move will cut off access to hundreds of games that can't legally be accessed any other way.

Kyle Orland // Ars Technica

▶ "I bought every Nintendo Wii U & 3DS game before the Nintendo eShop closes" — Related to the above this YouTuber, in a noble effort, has bought it all — spending twenty two thousand dollars in the process. It took a huge amount of effort, and a long time...

The Completionist // YouTube

Insider Q&A-Nintendo’s Bowser — A chat with Nintendo's Doug Bowser. He says the company "feel very confident that the Switch can have a strong performance over the next few years".

Greg Keller // AP

Nintendo’s next console doesn’t have to try so hard

Derek Garcia // ScreenRant

Pre-release version of Switch’s OS suggests console was to include theme colors, eShop music

Amelia Fruzzetti // Nintendo Wire

Super Meat Boy’s spinoff is one giant reference to an old Sega game

Ana Diaz // Polygon

REVIEW Fur Squadron

John Rairdin // Nintendo World Report

REVIEW Backbeat

Roland Ingram // Nintendo Life

REVIEW Intruders: Hide and Seek

Shane Boyle // Hey Poor Player

▶ REVIEW Across the Grooves — This is an old review of a musical visual interactive novel from a couple of years ago that I've recently stumbled across. I'm sharing it here as I really appreciated the style and considered approach the review takes.

Get Indie Gaming // YouTube

▶ History N' Games: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild — A really neat video diving into the Japanese history influences (such as the Jōmon period) seen in Breath of the Wild.

History N' Games // YouTube

Hitman studio IO opens up a little about its James Bond 007 game — Ok, so this ain't Switch related, but I figure Nintendo 64 fans have plenty of interest in Bond games in general.

Robert Purchese // Eurogamer

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening committed a narrative sin — and got away with it

Grayson Morley // Polygon

40 years of weird and wonderful (and just plain wrong) Super Mario TV commercials

Ollie Reynolds // Nintendo Life

🎮 Upcoming Releases

All releases are digital, Europe & U.S. unless otherwise stated.
Release data sourced in collaboration with Switch Scores.

⭐️ = Ones to Watch · 📦 = Physical release · 🎮 = Demo available

Mon

20

Animals Names — Budget edutainment for small children.
FurryFury: Smash & Roll — Tactical PvP arena 'critter' brawler with online.

Tue

21

📦 Remnant: From the Ashes — Third-person survival shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monstrous creatures. M for mature. (Physical release)
Unheard: Voices of Crime Edition — Investigate crimes as an acoustic detective in this puzzle adventure.

Wed

22

Have a Nice Death — 2D action roguelike where you play as an overworked Death.
Saint Maker — Religious horror visual novel.

Thu

23

Anyaroth: The Queen's Tyranny — 2D pixel-art platformer adventure.
Birds and Blocks 2 — Just as well these birds aren't angry, or you'd have a lawsuit on your hands.
Fishing: North Atlantic — Fishing/ship sim set in Nova Scotia.
Gekisou! Benza Race - Toilet Shooting Star — Sit on the toilet in this racing game. (EU release.)
Mighty Mage — A magic-themed top-down arena shooter rogue-lite.
Monorail Stories — A narrative experience with online asynchronous play that focuses on "extraordinary things happening to ordinary people". Like, say, the ring falling off your pudding can.
Numolition — A demolition/explosive themed puzzle game.
Omen of Sorrow — Brings monsters of horror, literature and mythology together for a fighting game.
⭐️ Rakuen — An award-winning 2017 adventure game "about a hospitalized Boy who travels with his Mom to a beautiful fantasy world".
Sakura Neko Calculator — It's a calculator app with anime window-dressing.
Scramballed! — Throw eggs in this chicken arcade party game.
Song of Memories — Visual novel.
Split — Kinda neat looking first-person puzzler with copy mechanics and time manipulation.
Steel Defier — Low poly arcade puzzle game set on a spaceship.
⭐️ Storyteller — Award-winning reactive puzzle game that lets you build the story.
Sushi Bar Express — Time-management cooking adventure.

Fri

24

📦 Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key — The latest RPG in the long-running Atelier series.
Flashout 3 — Fast electro sci-fi racing.
Isle of Jura Fishing Trip — A pretty chill looking fishing sim with a biology report to complete.
Lila's Tale and the Hidden Forest — Magical/mythical 2D adventure.
Nefasto's Misadventure: Meeting Noeroze — You play as a 'corrupted piece of game data' in this point and click adventure set in your console's main processor.
⭐️ Overloop — Create clones of yourself to solve the puzzles in this 2D platformer.
Uzzuzzu My Pet — A very cute looking South Korean drawing app.

⚡️ Quick Links

Kit and Krysta discuss how Nintendo may not be ready for how fast a shift in company priorities the upcoming movie may bring about.
Nintendo expands Switch Online library with more Game Boy classics and Kirby.
Here's ten JRPGs to play if you like Octopath Traveler 2.
Nintendo survey asks if folks bought Metroid Prime Remastered to “pass the time” until Prime 4 releases.
Warside is turn-based tactics game that looks...more than a touch inspired by Advance Wars.
Here's 11 Zelda-likes to play while you wait for Tears of the Kingdom.
Weird Tears of the Kingdom preorder bonus: A spoon...
Following the release of Bayonetta Origins, this piece looks back at how Bayonetta has changed over the years.

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Switch Weekly - Are Nintendo ready to shift focus?

🎮 Upcoming Releases

⚡️ Quick Links

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I'm loving Metroid Prime

We're six years in

The State of Switch Survey 2023

Your Nintendo briefing

That Direct was GREAT

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