Everything You Can Expect to See at the Nintendo Switch Event This Week

Third-Party Announcements

It’s no secret that Nintendo could really do with third-party support to deliver on the Nintendo Switch. Despite the likes of EA, Warner Brothers, and Ubisoft vowing support for the Wii U, it didn’t take long before they gave up and sought more fruitful profits from their biggest properties on the more powerful Xbox One and PS4. Nintendo looks set to ensure that doesn’t happen again, dropping a couple of hints in the Switch’s reveal trailer.

Fans can clearly see some sort of NBA basketball game being played on the Switch in the trailer, as well as Bethesda’s Skyrim. The latter garnered a lot of attention, partly due to the Switch being the first Nintendo system to benefit from Bethesda’s support.

You can bet your bottom dollar, then, that Nintendo will be making waves with third-party announcements in its Switch event with the biggest and best studios around. There’s been a rumored Mario and Raving Rabbids crossover, the aforementioned Skyrim, and a ton of third-parties signed up that could all have some exciting projects coming for the Switch.

The Final Zelda Details

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been kicking around for quite some time, yet, fans are still waiting for Nintendo to give us an official release date. While the game has long been considered to be a Switch launch title, recent rumors have suggested that, at least in European territories, the game could be coming way after the system’s release.

The Switch event is definitely shaping up to be where Nintendo finally gives us a set release date for the game, and probably another quick trailer showcasing its performance on the Switch. Hopefully, Nintendo will be able to bring the game to all regions at the same time, but at least we don’t have much longer to wait until we find out.

Regardless of when Breath of the Wild releases for the Switch, we could see a special Breath of the Wild hardware bundle making its way into the announcements, too. A Sheikah Slate-designed Switch, perhaps. It’d look great, that’s for sure.

Remasters

This current generation has brought with it an absolute ton of remasters. From games that released at the end of last generation, like GTA V and Saints Row IV, to the more distant remasters and remakes of Gears of War and Ratchet and Clank respectively. Remasters and remakes are a great way for players to experience games they may have missed out on, without having to go back to games that feel outdated. With the Wii U having a bunch of great games that only a small install base got to enjoy, it’s likely Nintendo may remaster some of these for quick, major titles.

After all, the likes of Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Splatoon were all well-received and would be staple purchases for those picking up the new system. You can expect to see gameplay trailers for any remasters or remakes shown to really drive home why Wii U owners should go ahead and pick these games up again. Considering Splatoon and Mario Kart could both be spotted in the Switch’s preview trailer, you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll at least hear more about these during the event on Thursday evening.

My Nintendo Integration

Nintendo has been seriously lagging behind the competition in recent years in one area. A trophy or achievement system has been absent from its consoles for quite a while, despite Xbox and PlayStation both incorporating this feature years ago. Well, if you cast your mind back into March 2016, Nintendo launched its My Nintendo program. The replacement for Club Nintendo rewards players with different points depending on the criteria they complete. Platinum points and Gold points which are earned can then be spent on digital content and discounts on Nintendo titles.

Checking out the My Nintendo ‘Earn Points’ page, it’s clear that Nintendo is already testing the water of incorporating these rewards into games with Super Mario Run. Completing World One in the mobile game rewards players with 50 Platinum My Nintendo points, meanwhile logging in on a daily basis nets players 10 each time.

It’d certainly be a different style of the tried and true systems of Microsoft and Sony, but one that would bring far more value to players. Considering My Nintendo’s relative quietness since its release almost a year ago, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find it’s a big part of the Switch.

Accessories, accessories, and more accessories

The Nintendo Switch itself is an interesting system, but one that definitely seems like it could have a ton of different accessories to enhance your experience or keep yours safe. While accessories from Hori have apparently been leaked, Snakebyte revealed its Switch carry case and starter kits at CES last week. While fans will likely be interested in picking up some third-party accessories and are bound to find out more about them come Thursday evening, its first-party accessories that will be a real focal point.

Will that Pro controller in the image above be an additional purchase? What about replacement controller parts to attach to the side of the screen in case you lose the originals? Headsets, charging cables, cases, sleeves, and much more will likely be on show. More importantly, though, Nintendo will likely explain exactly what it meant when it said the Switch would be the “core” of a “wider array” of accessories back in October. It’s unclear what Kimishima was inferring by this, so hopefully, we’ll get a bit of clarity at the event.

Planning for the Future

Nintendo’s Switch event on Thursday is incredibly important. Not only does it need to make the Switch look like a serious competitor to the PS4 and Xbox One from day one, but that it’s not throwing all of its eggs into the launch window basket. Nintendo isn’t stupid, though, and it’s likely already factored in the need for a substantial year-long lineup to really make the system look appealing.

With Zelda and a new Super Mario title rumored to be giving the Switch substantial impact in its launch lineup, you can expect Nintendo to give us a quick overview of other major first and third-party titles coming to the Switch over the year ahead. Exactly how this will pan out is a little less clear, but with Metroid due an entry in its main series, Pikmin 4 in development, and a ton of other series to choose from there should be enough to have prospective Switch owners excited all year-round. A few quick teaser trailers to surprise fans are a solid bet.

Price and Release Date

It’s pretty much a given at this point that Nintendo will finally reveal the price and release date for the Switch during the event. After all, not doing so would strongly suggest the system won’t make it in time for its expected March release date.

Based on past release dates and prices, we here at Twinfinite could see a March 10 release date, with the Switch coming in at $299. This price perfectly straddles the line between being cheap and affordable, as well as coming across as a premium product in a competitive market. I can’t see the Switch getting a bunch of SKUs for differing storage sizes, instead utilizing expandable memory through the common Micro SD card.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see how our predictions turned out on Friday. Got your own predictions? Share them in the comments below.