Nintendo NX Rumors So Far (My Thoughts)

For a long time now, the Internet has gone crazy with speculation about Nintendo’s newest console, currently codenamed the NX. Nintendo decided to skip E3 2016 and has said that they will be revealing the console in September. In the meantime, so many rumors and so much speculation has been circulating that people are getting sick of it all and just want Nintendo to reveal the thing and end it all. With September now being here and the Tokyo Game Show fast approaching, it stands to reason that Nintendo will finally reveal the console soon and answer everyone’s questions, of which there are plenty.

With the NX so close to its reveal, I would like to give my opinion on all the rumors we have heard so far about the console.

The Console

According to rumors from several different people across the web, the NX is supposed to be a console/handheld hybrid, that can be carried around and played anywhere, then potentially, placed into a console dock for on-TV play at home. The controller looks like a tablet with two controller pieces on both of its sides that can snap off of the tablet and snap into each other without the tablet to form a more standard-looking controller. The tablet also has a stand that can be used with the detached controller parts for away-from-home play. The console is also rumored to utilize SD card-like cartridges, like the kind used for the DS or 3DS, instead of discs to allow for more storage and faster game loads. While Amiibo support is likely to continue for the NX, with the NFC figurines being a high-selling item for Nintendo, it is unknown if the current Virtual Console system will continue to be supported or be replaced with a new system for the new console.

The NX is said to run on an Nvidia Tegra processor, likely to be either the X1 or X2 chips. The X1, which more people seem to believe is the one chosen, would put the console ahead of the PlayStation 3 in terms of power, but not the PlayStation 4, making it graphically underpowered compared to other current consoles. It also notably puts it ahead of current smartphones, which a lot of people are taking as a sign that Nintendo is moving away from making traditional consoles to compete more against the smartphone market. On the other hand, the X2 chip, if chosen, would put the console more on par with current generation systems like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, therefore, making it easier for third-party developers to port their games to the system.

The Games

Nintendo has stated that they have fused their console and handheld game development teams together to work on the NX. This has some wondering if the NX will serve not only as a replacement for the Wii U, but the 3DS as well, which is currently a big seller for Nintendo and still has various highly anticipated games being released for it in the future. It is also unknown if the system will have backwards compatibility with Wii U games. The simultaneous release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for both Wii U and NX would imply that backwards compatibility will not be included, which would be a break from Nintendo’s more recent systems which have it present.

As for the games themselves, six games have currently been completely confirmed for the system. Those games are:

• Dragon Quest IX
• Dragon Quest X
• Just Dance 2017
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Pikmin 4
• Project Sonic 2017 (not officially named yet)

Aside from that, rumored games for the system cover a wide range. The rumors have included ports of some of the Wii U’s most successful games like Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, and Super Smash Bros. 4. They have also included sequels to highly requested series like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, F-Zero, Kid Icarus, and again, Splatoon. There have also been mentions of revivals of classic Nintendo series, ports of AAA third-party games already announced for other platforms, updated re-releases of hit third-party games from the past few years, and many more. As far as new IPs from Nintendo or exclusive new third-party titles, no one can guess as to what those will be, so everyone is hoping for the best on that front.

My Thoughts

The past couple of console generations almost make it seem like Nintendo wants more to leave software alone and innovate in hardware, while a lot of gamers want them to leave hardware alone and innovate in software. As far as the handheld/console hybrid idea goes, I think Nintendo actually needs something like this to differentiate themselves from the other consoles, but they need to be careful with it. If done well, this concept could catch on to a lot of people and help make this console a success, but if handled poorly, Nintendo may have another Wii U situation on their hands, so they need to make sure that their marketing is on point and the console launches with, and continues to receive, good, attention grabbing games.

Most of the people that are asking for a simple, more traditional console with a standard controller, the highest-definition graphics, and a big roster of serious, mature games; most of those people, at this point, already have a PlayStation 4, an Xbox One, or a PC that doesn’t crash if you try to use much more than Microsoft Office or an Internet browser. So, if Nintendo were to make a more traditional console, there wouldn’t be much to make it stand out from the crowd and convince gamers to turn away from their current consoles and pay attention to this new one.

The only draw would be the games and Nintendo would have to have the most jaw-dropping, eye-catching, slam-dunk lineup of games to get everyone’s attention, which again, wouldn’t be easy when everyone else has their own amazing lineups. The GameCube was their last traditional console and while it sold decently, it had to compete with the original Xbox, especially after the Halo series became a big hit, and the juggernaut that was the PlayStation 2, and as a result, it felt like the third wheel of that console generation.

Can Nintendo get enough amazing games to get the kind of attention they need? Hard to say. Having the kind of console that is easy to develop for is only part of the solution. In the past, Nintendo's main concern is how their own games would look on their consoles and they haven't been the friendliest to work with for third-parties.

Speaking of the games, there isn’t much to go on with only six games revealed for the NX so far, but of those six, most of them look like things that hardcore gamers would enjoy. The rumored games all sound like great ideas, but at this point, they are only just that: rumors, hearsay, unconfirmed ideas. No one outside of Nintendo’s circle knows if these games are being produced or not, so the most anyone can do is hope for the best. Only time will tell if the rest of the lineup looks this good.

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So, what do you all think about this? Do you think the NX will be Nintendo’s next big success or their next big flop? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thanks for coming.

Custom Picks - Nintendo's New Traditional 2D Fighter

*DISCLAIMER* The following is purely an opinion piece. I do not claim to know what the real plans are that any video game companies mentioned in this article have planned for their franchises.

Welcome to Custom Picks, a series of speculation articles about different games for companies to release. Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Ubisoft, Square-Enix; if they have games everyone is waiting for, those games are up for discussion.

With Nintendo’s NX a little under a year away, everyone is speculating about what they are going to do next. Everyone has ideas about what their next console should be capable of and everyone says they need to have more third-party games, more first-party games, revivals of old franchises, and new IPs. But when it comes to exactly what games should be on there, fewer people are willing to say exactly what.

So, the first few articles in Custom Picks will be about Nintendo and what possible games they could release to get gamers excited about the NX, and maybe revive some old or obscure franchises along the way.

Although Nintendo has found success with the Super Smash Brothers series, several gamers overlook the sub-genre of platform fighters and are instead asking for a more traditional 2D fighting game, along the lines of Street Fighter or Tekken. While platform fighters allow characters to travel around a stage and use its platform layouts or sometimes stage effects to their advantage, in traditional fighters, both characters are on a flat plane, so there is nothing to factor into a strategy except the player's character and the opponent's character. Ideas for a 2D fighter from Nintendo have included reviving games like Joy Mech Fight or Urban Champion, acquiring the Bloody Roar franchise from Konami, teaming up with Capcom for a new game, and several other different ideas.

So, what first-party or third-party titles could fit this category?

First Party Titles – Pokken Tournament: NX Edition & Urban Champion

One of the most recent big releases for the Wii U has been something a lot of people have actually been asking for, a Pokemon fighting game. Developed by Namco Bandai, the developers of the Tekken and Soul Calibur series and co-developers of Super Smash Bros. 4, Pokken Tournament assembles a roster of about 15 Pokemon for a game that combines 2D and 3D fighting mechanics. The game was a good seller and did reasonably with critics, so hopefully, this becomes a continuing series for Nintendo. While it may be too soon to be talking about a sequel, with a new Nintendo console on the horizon, maybe an updated re-release is in order. After tweaking the balance in the roster, ramping up the difficulty a bit, and adding a few new characters with a bit more variety, they should have a good game to bring to the NX.

As far as games not currently in Nintendo’s rotation however, this genre would be a good place to see a revival of the NES game Urban Champion. In the original version of this game, two people would be boxing each other to push their opponent off the side of the block and into the next one. If you hit your opponent off the end of two city blocks, they fall down a manhole and you win the match. While this may not work with the idea of most fighting games today, a new Urban Champion game could work on a similar system to set it apart from other games. Since it’s been established that Nintendo likes to focus on new styles of gameplay, they may not be satisfied just making a Street Fighter clone with a new cast of characters.

Whether they decide to make it in the style of Street Fighter, the classic Urban Champion, or some new gameplay style we haven’t seen before, this game would probably make the most sense for a new traditional fighting game from Nintendo. With the game focusing on a cast of martial artist characters set in an urban environment, the actual gameplay could focus on running out the opponent’s health bar, like in traditional fighting games, or, like the Virtua Fighter series or the N64 game Fighters Destiny, it could feature different ways to end a match, like knockouts or ring outs, or even special conditions like stunning the opponent followed by a throw or hitting them with a special knockout move. They could go in any direction with this, but this would be one of the best old-school properties they could do it with.

Third Party Titles – Darkstalkers 4 & Nintendo vs. Capcom

With several fighting game IPs to their name and Street Fighter being the biggest among them, Capcom would seem like the best developer to approach to give Nintendo a traditional fighting game. They could come up with any number of ideas like a spin-off of Street Fighter or bringing back one of its older, more obscure series. The most notable of those series is Darkstalkers. This fighting game franchise with horror monster inspired characters is one of Capcom’s most beloved franchises, but aside from characters like Morrigan, Demitri, and Felicia appearing in crossover titles, it hasn’t seen an actual release in a very long time. There were talks about a Darkstalkers 4 possibly being made for systems like the 360 and PS3, but those plans were shelved when the Darkstalkers 3 remake they made didn’t sell the millions of downloads Capcom was hoping for.

If they are a bit more willing to take a chance Capcom could release Darkstalkers 4 as being available on Nintendo’s upcoming system, just to turn a few heads. They already made the latest Street Fighter a PlayStation exclusive; who’s to say they won’t give Nintendo and Microsoft the same treatment with their own exclusive fighting series and making it a revival of one of Capcom’s old fighters will give it a lot of attention. If the idea of Darkstalkers 4 being Nintendo exclusive doesn’t sit well with you, it could even be a multiplatform release, just as long as they make clear that it’s also available on the NX.

But if a partnership between Nintendo and Capcom is up for discussion, maybe a better option would be to take this idea all the way and bring out the game that both Nintendo and Capcom fans have been dreaming about for years. That game is Nintendo vs. Capcom. Both Nintendo and Capcom have a large number of IPs to make all-star character rosters from, ranging from mega-hit series to obscure niche titles, and both know to utilize characters from both mainstream and obscure games to hype up gamers for planned crossover titles. Just look at the pre-release hype for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Super Smash Bros. 4 for proof.

Just what characters each side would pick is a topic for another article, but with this title as an NX exclusive, and it has to be since literally half the content in this would be Nintendo’s, fans of both companies, and fighting games in general, would have a big reason to pay attention to Nintendo’s new console.

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What did you think of these Custom Picks? What traditional 2D fighting game do you want to see added to Nintendo’s lineup? Make your voice heard in the comments below and thanks for coming.

Custom Picks - Nintendo's New Open World Adventure

*DISCLAIMER* The following is purely an opinion piece. I do not claim to know what the real plans are that any video game companies mentioned in this article have planned for their franchises.

Welcome to Custom Picks, a series of speculation articles about different games for companies to release. Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Ubisoft, Square-Enix; if they have games everyone is waiting for, those games are up for discussion.

With Nintendo’s NX a little under a year away, everyone is speculating about what they are going to do next. Everyone has ideas about what their next console should be capable of and everyone says they need to have more third-party games, more first-party games, revivals of old franchises, and new IPs. But when it comes to exactly what games should be on there, fewer people are willing to say exactly what.

So, the first few articles in Custom Picks will be about Nintendo and what possible games they could release to get gamers excited about the NX, and maybe revive some old or obscure franchises along the way.

With the popularity of games like Grand Theft Auto, Just Cause, Skyrim, and many more, open world adventure games are very popular with today’s gamers. Having a wide open area to explore and being able to do just about anything in that world is very alluring to video game fans, especially if that open world has a lot of detailed and vibrant scenery to take in. These are one of the kinds of games that really showcase a console’s power and graphical capabilities. A game like this from Nintendo could not only fill in a void for a genre missing from their consoles but also prove how powerful the NX is compared not only to their previous systems, but also to the current Xbox and PlayStation.

So, what first-party or third-party titles could fit this category?

First Party Titles – Dillon’s Rolling Western: Open Frontier & Mach Rider

Suggestions for a Nintendo made open-world game include using franchises like F-Zero, The Legend of Zelda, Mach Rider, and Dillon’s Rolling Western. The Legend of Zelda can be set aside however, since the new game coming in 2017 for Wii U and the NX is supposed to be an open world game. Of those left, Dillon’s Rolling Western seems like it would make for the most unique experience.

For those not familiar with the series, Dillon’s Rolling Western is a small series of downloadable games for the 3DS. It focuses on Dillon, an anthro armadillo ranger in a Wild West environment charged with protecting the frontier towns from invading rock monsters called Grocks. 

With an open-world game set in this world, players can control Dillon as he goes from town to town defeating Grocks and helping the villagers with tasks both big and small. Dillon moves around and attacks by rolling into a ball and shooting forward, similar to Sonic the Hedgehog, so perhaps the game could give him upgradable abilities, like increased speed, homing attacks, or a spiked spin attack, and since this is a Wild West game, he could even be given different weapons to use, like revolvers, shotguns, hunting rifles, or sticks of dynamite, especially since other characters in the series use them.

For those who want a less eccentric look for their open-world game, perhaps a revival of the NES game Mach Rider would be a better pick. Players control the titular Mach Rider as he defends the Earth in the year 2112 from invading aliens with his weapon-loaded motorcycle. A premise like that is sure to catch a lot of attention with action-loving gamers. 

The game would either have a post-apocalyptic or cyberpunk setting, to either fit in with or stand out from other post-apocalyptic games like Fallout or Mad Max, and players would control Mach Rider as he drove from city to city to fight off the invaders. Players could even customize their bike with different weapons from machine guns to rifles to rocket launchers. The door could even be opened for some crazier kinds of firearms or defense equipment for the player's bike, like the cars in the recent Mad Max video game.

Third Party Title – Grand Theft Auto VI

 

Grand Theft Auto is probably the most standard pick for this genre, but as I explained with Call of Duty in an earlier article, that is exactly why this may be one of the best picks to add to the lineup. When gamers think of an open world game, one of the first things they think of is Grand Theft Auto, so it would do the some good to have the latest Grand Theft Auto game on the NX, to offer more of what gamers are getting on other systems. It doesn't even have to be an exclusive title; just having it present would do a lot of good for Nintendo's image with hardcore gamers.

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What did you think of these Custom Picks? What open world adventure do you want to see in Nintendo’s lineup? Make your voice heard in the comments below and thanks for coming.