Topic: Switch 2 Release Date Predictions

It seems more realistic and also works better in the long run than if they went with ditching it in favor of using the My Nintendo Store

Apparently the Switch 2’s codename is “Ounce” as seen in a Game Freak leak: https://mynintendonews.com/2024/10/12/massive-game-freak-hack...

Speaking of that, in the US, this year’s Switch holiday bundle has Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online. They have done this since 2017, but this year you now have the option to get the Switch OLED version.

I’m not even surprised at this point, but I don’t think I can blame them. It is one of their highest-selling titles after all, but they really could have also announced some different Switch bundles for this holiday season with different Switch games (maybe with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Peach: Showtime!, etc).

A few days ago, an idea for Switch holiday bundles came into my head: Switch and Switch OLED holiday bundles with 3 codes allowing you to get 3 games of your choice from Nintendo eShop (one game per code) and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online membership, saving you about $200 on digital content since you’re just paying $299 for the Switch ($349 if it’s the Switch OLED version) and getting $200 worth of games and Nintendo Switch Online included.

As for the list of what games you can choose from, it would probably be the same list of games are redeemable with Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers.

Even if giving away 3 of their own games digitally is arguably 'free' for Nintendo they won't do it for the same reasons they rarely put their games, even digitally, on better sales than 33% off, even years later.

As for why they are bundling with Mario Kart 8, besides the fact that it has sold 20 million games more than the second best seller on Switch, I think for extreme late-adopter holiday sales they are pretty much targeting families with small kids who don't already have a Switch. Sell them on a simple family multiplayer game almost everyone knows, then get them to buy an extra controller and maybe one or two extra games (at near full price) to go with the system. Then hope that new family that just bought into the Nintendo ecosystem will upgrade to Switch 2 a couple or few years down the line.

Makes sense

Let’s just see what Nintendo does in the coming months

Because the whole idea for other Switch holiday came after seeing the bundles they were gonna be doing in Europe

There could easily be more bundles incoming. Although I tend to think of Smash more as a virus where a child (or teenager) wants it because their friends have it rather than as a game parents buy to play with their children during holidays.

However, there may be a demographic change happening. Right now most parents of young kids probably played Mario Kart when they themselves were young kids but they may be a bit too old to have played Smash; but Smash as a series is getting old enough that soon more parents will think of it as their childhood game.

Europe is getting bundles with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Nintendo Switch Sports

I got my Switch back at the end of April 2021, and then I got Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for my 13th birthday in December 2021. It was not because one of my friends had it, but it was from personal choice.

I think Smash is easily old enough to be this game already. It's 25 years old now so someone who was 10 when they played Smash on the N64 and had a kid at 25 now has a kid who is 10. And you can fairly easily bend that eg someone who played Smash in their late teens or early 20s getting it for their kid under 10

I think the thing going against Smash here is more that it's just less smaller kid friendly and a fair bit more technical. You can give a 5 year old a controller and Mario Kart and they'll have fun. Even if they're using all the assists they'll think they're doing something. You can't really do that with Smash. Hell, with Smash you'll struggle to even get Adult non gamers into it

In fact, Mario Kart was the first game I got for the Switch

Although it was not bundled with the Switch

New Nintendo Holiday commercial recently dropped: https://x.com/stelliferarosie/status/1845934561471222247?s=46

I made a prediction form for people to stake their claim, but it hasn't gotten much traction. I'd love to get more responses. https://forms.gle/uTwrGVQsVQDie2zZA

For username, do we put our NintendoLife username?

yeah that's the best option

That’s what I used

I’m ready for Switch 2 reveal….

With the way things are going it will be a Switch 3.