Give the Switch a Stronger Launch Than the Wii U
Video game consoles are generally notorious for not having exceptional lineups of launch titles, and Nintendo is no exception. Particularly with the release of their last two systems, the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, the selection has definitely left some fans wanting.
The Wii U had only two Nintendo games available at launch, Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros U., with most of the other titles being made up of ports from other systems. It’s more important than ever for the company to give consumers a reason to hop on board with their new system, and pave the way for a host of new developers. The landscape of the industry is certainly busy at the moment, with both Sony and Microsoft providing enticing exclusives for each of their systems.
While Nintendo has boasted some newfound third party support for the Switch, it truly is up to them to provide the essential experiences for the system. They need to give gamers something they can’t experience anywhere else. This means multiple Nintendo titles on day one of the Switch releases. We’ve heard rumors of ported titles from the Wii U like Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8, featuring new content on the Switch. It’d be a huge step if Nintendo could provide these, as well as a new Mario game and maybe one other first party title at launch. The big question, of course, is whether The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will make launch or not. Regardless, the new Zelda will need to be out at least close to launch.
It may be equally important, however, that Nintendo shows us a strong first party lineup throughout the year. After the disappointing failures of the Wii U it’s absolutely vital that we see how different the Switch is, why we should want it, and what kind of experiences we should be excited for.
