Unites is a new publishing label by Sony Music Publishing that will publish games for the Nintendo Switch and PC.

While a flood of indies have hit the market recently, Unties looks to highlight games that might be getting overlooked and bring them to the Switch and PC.  Both platforms extremely popular for smaller indie titles, and you just need to look at either the eShop or Steam to see this trend.

Along with the announcement of the new publishing label, Sony has also announced a slew of titles that will be released under the new label. The first title is Tiny Metal and it’s releasing next month.  Developed by Area35, Tiny Metal is a tactical simulation game and is set to be released on the Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC on November 21st. Check out the Tiny Metal trailer from Pax West 2017 below.

Unties will also release Last Standard. So far it has only been announced for the PC with other platforms TBA. Last Standard is a 3D action game from developer I From Japan. The developer has uploaded the following video to their YouTube channel.

Unties is also publishing Deemo Reborn for the PS4. Developed by Rayark, Deemo Reborn includes PlayStation VR support and is described as a rhythm action game. Rayark has released a short teaser video for the game, which you can check out below.

The final game from Unties starting lineup is Merkava Avalanche. It will be released for the PC with other platforms TBA. Merkava Avalanche is a survival action game from developer WinterCrownWorks. Check out an early teaser for the game below.

EA has just announced via press release that they have decided to shut down Visceral Games. Visceral Games is known for developing the Dead Space series as well as Battlefield Hardline. And although the writing may have been on the wall for some time, the announcement still comes as a bit of a surprise as the studio was hard at work on an upcoming, untitled Star Wars game.

The press release states that the Star Wars game was “shaping up to be a story-based, linear adventure game.” However, it seems the company has decided to pivot on some of the design choices. After conducting extensive testing of the current form of the game, EA is making changes based on the feedback they have received. “We will maintain the stunning visuals, authenticity in the Star Wars universe, and focus on bringing a Star Wars story to life. Importantly, we are shifting the game to be a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency,” the press release states. The Star Wars title was set to launch towards the end of EA’s 2019 fiscal year, however a new release date will be announced at a later time.

It is not surprising that EA wants a game using the Star Wars license to appeal to as many people as possible. What is surprising is that the entire studio is being shuttered. Several employees from Visceral Games will be transferred to various other EA Studios to work on other projects, and some, presumably, will be looking for a new job.

EA says “a development team from across EA Worldwide Studios” will assume control over the development of the new Star Wars game.

Visceral Games had a pretty solid run over the years. The company was responsible for quality entries in several popular franchises going all the way back to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000, 007: Agent Under Fire and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Nintendo has announced that Monopoly will be available for the Nintendo Switch on October 31st.

The following is the official description of the game: Experience three unique 3D boards at home or on-the-go with up to six players in total, or take your game online and challenge players in quick matches. Customize your game by selecting from six official House Rules chosen by MONOPOLY® fans around the world. Don’t have time for a full game? Speed it up with Special Goals that shorten play sessions, and Actions Cards to move you around the board and penalize your opponents. Build your empire and trade your way to victory!

Ubisoft originally announced Monopoly for the Nintendo Switch back in April with a Fall 2017 launch window. It looks like they’re going to hit that release window. The game will make good use of the Switch’s HD Rumble feature, which will allow players to actually feel the roll of the dice in their hands.

Monopoly will cost $39.99 when it launches for the Switch on Halloween. Will you be picking up this version of the classic board game? Or is the nearly $40 price tag a bit too spooky for you? Let us know in the comments below.

The Nindie Spotlight YouTube channel has just published a new video showcasing over 50 minutes of Wulverblade footage. Announced for the Nintendo Switch back in August, Wulverblade has been generating a bit of buzz ahead of its release on the eShop later this week.

Wulverblade takes inspiration from classic side-scrolling hack-n-slashers of the 90s such as Golden Axe. The game is set in 120AD, a time when the south of Britannia had been seized by the Roman army. Naturally, Britannia did not like that very much – so they chose to fight back. Wulverblade combines real ancient British history with tales of lore to create a powerful story that promises to be engrossing. The developers have conducted extensive research in order to make sure the historical aspects of the game are accurate. Wulverblade will not only allow you to explore real locations, but also interact with real people from the time period.

The artwork looks downright beautiful and is complete with cell animated characters. It also features an intense score and quality voice acting, both of which add heavily to the cinematic experience.  And it’s bloody. Oh, is it bloody. One look at the video and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. It looks like Wulverblade has the potential to really stand out amongst the other Nindies available on the eShop.

After five long years of development, Wulverblade will finally be released digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop on Thursday, October 12th. The game is also slated to be released on Steam, Xbox One, PS4 and the Windows 10 Store shortly after, though no official release date for those platforms has been confirmed just yet.

A little game called Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds has really shaken things up on the PC gaming front. People love this game. However, it is currently a PC exclusive. It is reportedly in the works for Xbox One, but a firm release date has yet to be announced. That’s okay though. Because Fortnite Battle Royale is here. And it’s completely free.

We all know Fortnite Battle Royale is a “fast follow” game. It’s been accused of completely ripping off PUBG. It’s fine. It’s still a free game that’s available on Xbox One and PS4 right now.

I’ve had an absolute blast with Fortnite Battle Royale over the past couple of weeks. I can’t believe this game is free to play. I’ve had several 6+ hour binges with this game and it still hasn’t worn thin, which is somewhat surprising considering the simplicity of the concept. This is a “last man standing” game. That’s it. You have the option to play in a squad of four, duo or solo. It’s not a bad solo game, but the best version of this game exists when you are playing with three buddies.

Every match is the same thing. You are assigned a character (but you cannot currently choose who you want to be), you jump out of a floating bus, land on the ground, pick up as much loot as possible and then try not to die. A deadly storm causes the playing field to gradually shrink, which brings enemies closer together and ramps up the action. And weapons are not that easy to come by. For real, if you don’t scoop up a couple of quality firearms quickly after landing, you’re pretty much screwed.

What really intrigues me about this game though is the pickaxe. It can be used to collect resources and build forts. You can also use said pickaxe to bash through any wall on the map. A perfect addition for anyone who has wanted to reenact a certain scene from The Shining. Building forts is really my favorite aspect of this game though. My team had two builders and two people looking out for enemies. We built a magnificent fort, a fort we thought we could last 1,000 winters in, a fort that we thought for sure would help us be the last team standing. Then, out of nowhere, we hear the sound of multiple rockets being launched in our direction. BOOM. Half of our fort had been obliterated and we were left exposed to heavy gunfire. We had to go face the enemy head on. We all died.

That’s the other thing. You aren’t really required to go for kills in this game. In fact, you can be the last man standing without ever killing anyone. I really enjoyed this aspect of the game because it allows people to play however they see fit. Sure, most people are going to go for kills. But many people are also opting for the “hide the whole damn time” strategy. And it works! Seriously, you can hide in a bush and become completely invisible to enemies who are directly in front of you. If you are good at stealthily navigating the map, you never have to fire a single shot. It’s exhilarating as hell and extremely satisfying to be the last man standing.

If you’re looking for something new to play on the Xbox One or PS4, I really can’t recommend Fortnite Battle Royale enough. It’s fast, fun and never gets old.

Upon first glance of the recently released Cuphead, the 1930’s style of animation is sure to be what catches your eye. And rightfully so. The completely hand drawn animation is absolutely stunning. And let’s face it, when was the last time you played a game that pays homage to the cartoons of the 1930’s? The answer, I believe, is never. Studio MDHR really went the extra mile to make sure their game oozes 1930’s style. Not just the animation, but the sound effects and music as well. From the first time I saw the opening menu and heard that theme music, it became clear that the developers did not cut any corners.

But the 30’s is not the only era that Cuphead reminds me of. Cuphead’s gameplay lends itself extremely well to the classic run n’ gun games of the late 80’s and 90’s. Games like Contra and Sunset Riders. There are currently no online modes for Cuphead; the only multiplayer available is local. This alone gives it the feel of a game like Contra. But it doesn’t stop there, as soon as you jump into one of Cuphead’s several “Run N’ Gun” levels, you are attacked from all angles. The first thing I thought of was the beginning of Contra 3, when the bullets immediately start flying and you have to start blasting or get blasted. It’s the same thing here; if you blink you might get hit by an enemy. It’s pure insanity.

As you’ve no doubt been told countless times already, Cuphead is TOUGH. Several times I found myself trying to coordinate no less than three different actions at the same time just to stay alive. It felt like I was trying to rub my stomach, pat my head and scratch my back at the same time. Keep in mind I do not have three arms. But the level of difficulty found in Cuphead is a breath of fresh air from 20 years ago. I personally loved Sunset Riders (SNES) back in the day. My brother and I would pop that cartridge in the SNES and go at it for hours and sometimes not even make it very far. It didn’t matter because the game was so fun. And that’s exactly how I feel about Cuphead.

Every time I start a new level in Cuphead, my thought process is as follows:

Attempts 1-3: “There is no f*ckin’ way any human can do this.”

Attempts 4-7: “Alright I made it about 30% of the way through the level before I died. I guess that’s progress.”

Attempts 8-12: “There is a pattern here. I can figure this out.”

Attempt 13: “Screw the pattern I’m just gonna run and shoot.”

Attempt 14-20: “Bad idea. Let’s Learn that pattern.”

Attempt 21: I’ve just beaten the level. “NOTHING CAN STOP MEEEE!!!!”

Then the whole thing starts over again. And again. And again. It’s a cycle; just like the classic run n’ gun games. You dodge bullets, you shoot bullets, you kill the boss and then you do it again. Simple concept? Sure. But it has stood the test of time and I am so happy Cuphead has brought this concept back with a fresh spin on it.

After spending many, many hours with the SNES Classic Edition I feel it’s the right time to rank the included games. It’s important to note that there are very few weak links in the bunch. Nintendo did an amazing job of compiling many of the best games of the 16-bit era for the release of its new old console. And with the Virtual Console nowhere to be found on the Switch, this is currently the best way to get your classic Nintendo gaming fix. Undoubtedly, some people will not agree with me, and that’s great (except you’re wrong!!!). I would love to hear what you would change and why. Feel free to let me know in the comments below. Anything else? No? Great. Here we go.

1. Super Mario World

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

3. Super Metroid

These three games are impossible to rank because they are three of the best games of all time. They complete an incomparable trifecta. If Super Mario World is a 100, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a 99.9 and Super Metroid is a 99.8. It’s that close. I originally had Metroid at 2 and Zelda at 3, but I just couldn’t live with myself. There is no way A Link to the Past is the 3^rd best game. It’s just too good.

Super Mario World is platforming perfection. To me, it’s the best entry in the mainline Mario series of all time. The amount of secrets to discover is astounding. And the music. The music! The ghost houses used to scare the hell out of me when I was 4 years old because of that creepy music.

Super Metroid is one of the most satisfying games to complete. I love the ending of this game. It’s easily the best Metroid game of all time and it holds up so, so well.

If you were lucky enough to snag a Super NES Classic and you have never played any of these three games, you need to stop what you’re doing and play through them NOW.

4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Alright, I might catch a little flack for ranking this game ahead of some of the other straight up classics on the SNES…uhhh…Classic, but let me make a case. This is my favorite RPG of all time. It was developed by Square, the company behind Final Fantasy, and it was released towards the end of the Super Nintendo’s lifespan. It was a legitimately hard game to track down so not a ton of people had the opportunity to play it. But man does it hold up. This is the first game that allowed Mario and Bowser to team up together!  It also features a cast of truly memorable supporting characters – fans of the game still hold out hope that Geno will eventually become a playable character in Super Smash Bros.

5. Donkey Kong Country

6. Mega Man X

Donkey Kong Country is nothing short of groundbreaking. It completely reimagined the Donkey Kong brand and kicked off a series of games that have stood the test of time. It’s a real shame that DKC 2 & 3 weren’t included on the SNES Classic. DKC 2 is even better than the original and DKC 3 is right there with it.

Mega Man X is my favorite Mega Man game of all time. I couldn’t even guess how many times I’ve plowed through this game. It provided a breath of fresh air in the aging Mega Man franchise. What kind of fresh air you ask? For starters, instead of naming every robot boss _______ Man, Capcom decided to name the bosses things like Chill Penguin and Storm Eagle. Oh, and Boomer Kuwanger. I still have no freakin’ idea what a Kuwanger is. Mega Man X also featured armor upgrades and a supercharged arm cannon shot. The old arm cannon shot could simply be charged, but the supercharged shot is where it’s at.

7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

While I completely disagree with labeling this game as a sequel to Super Mario World, that does not take away from how great it is. That cry though, Baby Mario. Someone needs to shut that kid up.

8. Final Fantasy III

Damn. Nintendo seriously went above and beyond making sure the RPG quota was met on the SNES Classic.

9.  Contra III: The Alien Wars

10. Super Castlevania IV

Contra III: The Alien Wars is easily the best Contra game ever made. Super Castlevania IV took what made the first three Castlevania games great and improved every aspect of them. It’s challenging as hell, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

11. Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting

The best version of the best 2D fighter of all time.

12. Secret of Mana

Another incredible RPG that easily takes over 30 hours to complete. I still can’t believe this made the cut. Good job, Nintendo.

13. Super Mario Kart

I feel like no one will be happy with me putting the original Mario Kart at #13. But look, it was a really amazing game at the time. It has not aged well though. It is SO FAST, but I happen to enjoy that aspect of it. Many people would argue it should be lower on this list, few would argue it should be higher. I’m sticking it at 13. It feels right. Moving on.

14. Super Punch-Out!!

15. F-Zero

16. Earthbound

Don’t hate me for putting Earthbound under a boxing game and a racing game. But seriously, Super Punch-Out!! And F-Zero were a ton of fun to play back when they were originally released and still are today. I might be in the minority here (who am I kidding? I’m definitely in the minority on this), but I’m not the biggest Earthbound fan. It just doesn’t do it for me. I understand why some people like it, but it’s not for me.

17. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts

This is one of the hardest games I’ve ever played. You think Cuphead is hard? Go back to Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. It will crush your soul. Warning: You might end up smashing your brand new SNES Classic to bits trying to beat the first level of this game. I’m serious. It’s the hardest game I’ve ever played. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

18. Star Fox

19. Kirby Super Star

20. Star Fox 2

21. Kirby’s Dream Course

So it’s come to this. A couple of Star Fox games and a couple of Kirby games down at the bottom. Look, I thought I loved the original Star Fox, but after playing it again I can confidently say I am not a fan of this game. Ditto Kirby Super Star. I feel like the Kirby games are made for a certain audience and it’s not me. However, I really hope I don’t feel this way when the N64 Classic eventually comes out and I fire up Kirby 64, because that game bangs.

Star Fox 2 is a cool thing to include on the SNES Classic, but there is a reason it was never released in the first place. I’m glad it finally saw the light of day, that being said, it’s not that great. The controls are horrendous and that brings the whole experience down. Bummer.

I have no idea why anyone would want to play Kirby’s Dream Course. I just don’t get it. It’s such an odd inclusion on the system when games like Donkey Kong Country 2 & 3 and U.N. Squadron were left off. Someone please explain to me how this happened.

There you have it! All 21 games included on the SNES Classic ranked from best to worst. Now excuse me while I get back to Super Mario RPG.

The Super NES Classic Edition has finally been released and people everywhere are still standing in line hoping to get their hands on one. The NES Classic was a massive success for Nintendo, so it makes perfect sense that the company has doubled down on these nostalgic consoles and followed it up with the SNES Classic.

Currently, these classic systems are the best way to enjoy Nintendo’s legacy content, and it might be the only way for the foreseeable future. Outside of “[recognizing] there is an appetite for all [their] great legacy content,” Nintendo has been completely silent when it comes to putting the Virtual Console on the Switch. Recognizing there’s an appetite? Oh you mean like releasing a new version of the NES back in November 2016 and seeing it fly off store shelves at light speed? Oh yeah, there’s an appetite. And it’s one of those “hangry” appetites.

More than any other feature, the Virtual Console gets brought up as the one thing sorely missing from the Switch. Yes, there are other features people want, but nothing compares to the VC. But with one classic system already proven to be a smash hit and another one set to launch that will likely outsell the original, how concerned is Nintendo with making their classic games library available on the Switch? Personally, if all of the games that are available on the SNES Classic were also available on the Switch, I would have no reason to pick up the former. I know there are die hard collectors out there who would seriously give their left foot for the classic system, but most gamers would probably be fine with just downloading each game individually on their Switch.

Why would Nintendo rush to put out classic games on the new system when they can sell the classic system?

It’s likely that we will be seeing a new classic system every year for the few years. I think it will play out like this:

2018 – NES Classic rerelease and Game Boy Classic

2019 – Nintendo 64 Classic

2020 – Game Boy Advance Classic

2021 – Nintendo Gamecube Classic

Think about that. In the next few years you could have an entertainment center full of miniature versions of classic Nintendo game systems. Those same systems you owned once upon a time. Tapping into nostalgia like that is a brilliant move on Nintendo’s part.

We already know that some NES games will be available on the Switch once the full version of their online service launches sometime in 2018. However, that is believed to be different than the actual Virtual Console. More of a perk of the online service rather than the definitive way to play classic Nintendo games on the Switch.

I would absolutely love the opportunity to buy classic Nintendo games piecemeal on my Switch, but I’m not sure it’s coming anytime soon. As long as these classic systems are selling like hot cakes, there is no rush to make the digital content available. It’s a great problem to have. I can just see the Nintendo top brass sitting around a conference table (shaped like a 1up mushroom) asking each other “how many different ways can we sell these games we made over two decades ago?” There is no real answer because Nintendo is having a renaissance year and everyone wants in on the action.

It’s possible that we will get a Virtual Console announcement at the same time Nintendo decides to share more information about the upcoming Nintendo Switch Online service. But with the NES Classic set to rerelease next summer, Nintendo might just be riding that classic console gravy train for the foreseeable future.

All the way back in April 2016, Nintendo announced that they would be releasing two new mobile games; Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem Heroes. Fire Emblem Heroes has been available for months. Animal Crossing is nowhere to be seen. No one who is a fan of Animal Crossing is happy right now.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf was released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS, and that’s the last proper release we’ve seen from the series. Sure, to everyone’s surprise, Nintendo provided an update to New Leaf last year that added amiibo support, but that hardly counts as a new installment. Instead we were given Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for 3DS and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival for Wii U. Boy, what a couple of stinkers. I understand why some people like Happy Home Designer, but I have yet to talk to literally anyone who feels that Amiibo Festival did the Animal Crossing brand any favors. Nintendo currently has 16 Animal Crossing amiibo on the market. If you wanted every one of them when Amiibo Festival came out, you were going to be paying around $200. It’s hard to argue that Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival was anything but a cash grab. It felt thrown together, it lacked depth, it just wasn’t fun.

We aren’t even sure if the Animal Crossing mobile app that’s been promised is a proper full featured release. In fact, it probably isn’t. I think it’s likely that whatever the mobile app ends up being, it will interact with the inevitable Nintendo Switch installment of Animal Crossing. Could Nintendo be delaying the release of the Animal Crossing mobile app to coincide with a new Animal Crossing Switch title? Maybe. It’s 50/50. For all of its faults, the Nintendo Switch Online app does a nice job of syncing up certain aspects of Splatoon 2 with the actual game. The same could be done with Animal Crossing.

Being able to control certain aspects of my town on the go would be incredible. Yeah, I know you can take the Switch on the go. But I don’t always have the Switch on me. I do, however, always have my iPhone on me. And if I could sell turnips at a high markup while I’m at dinner with my girlfriend (I swear I have one), I would lose my mind. What if I could start a new town ordinance (that requires townspeople to pay me all of their bells) from the mobile app? Or better yet, what if I could rearrange my house on my phone? I have no idea how it’s going to work because there are so many suitable directions in which Nintendo could go with this.

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime stated in an interview that they are committed to having Animal Crossing release this year. But what exactly did he mean by “this year?” Is he talking about the end of the calendar year or the fiscal year? It’s anybody’s guess as to which year he was referring to. The fiscal year ends March 31^st, so it’s not like it would be a huge delay if Nintendo were to let the title slip into early 2018, and the possibility exists that the game could come out before December 31^st of this year. Although, Nintendo has a seriously packed release schedule over the next few months.

Look at this. It’s absolutely insane.

09/29 – Nintendo Entertainment System: SNES Classic Edition

10/06 – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions (3DS)

10/20 – Fire Emblem Warriors (3DS and Switch)

10/27 – Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

11/10 – Mario Party: The Top 100 (3DS)

11/10 – Snipperclips Plus (Switch)

11/17 – Pokémon Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon (3DS)

12/01 – Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)

Where would Nintendo even schedule the release? Mid-December? I don’t think it’s that far-fetched. Here’s how I’m thinking this will play out; after the Super Mario Odyssey dust settles, we’ll get an announcement that a Nintendo Direct is coming in mid-November. Reggie appears on screen wearing a Tom Nook mask and says everyone has to pay 100,000,000,000 bells before we can see the new Animal Crossing app and announces that the Animal Crossing app will be released in mid-December. He also announces that a new Animal Crossing game for the Switch will be released in 2018. This is what everyone wants.

There is another way this might play out. We get to December without hearing a thing about the new app and then right before the year ends Nintendo quietly announces that the Animal Crossing mobile app has been postponed indefinitely. Ouch. It hurts to even think about.

Animal Crossing is a hugely popular series for Nintendo and undoubtedly deserves a new release. I want it, you want it, everybody wants it. If and when it finally releases, I’ll be catching fish, digging for fossils and paying Tom Nook the cost of a small island to upgrade my home so I can fit one more chair in it. It’s all about that sweet, sweet Animal Crossing life.

Digital Foundry has posted a video of their time with Super Mario Odyssey. It appears the game will run at 900p 60fps in docked mode. This is a nice upgrade from the E3 build of Super Mario Odyssey, which saw the game running at 720p in docked mode. 900p makes Super Mario Odyssey the highest resolution 3D Mario game to date. The game still runs at 720p in handheld mode.

Digital Foundry was able to explore three new kingdoms; the Cappy Kingdom, the Luncheon Kingdom and the Seaside Kingdom. The video goes on to show graphical differences in docked and handheld modes. It appears that shadows and draw distance are two of the biggest differences when running in handheld compared to docked mode.

They noted that there were rarely any dips in frame rate while the game was running at 900fps in docked mode. Any frame rate dips seem to occur during tutorial modes, but it is extremely hard to notice. They went on to note that there is a bit of pop-in when it comes to enemies, but it appears so far away that it isn’t a huge distraction.

Super Mario Odyssey appears to feel like a game that was built from the ground up for the Nintendo Switch. This isn’t a game that started on the Wii U and was ported over to the new console, as was the case with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Curiously, while using the in-game snapshot mode, the game switches from 60fps to 30fps. The difference is surprisingly noticeable, but 30fps appears to work just fine. The shift down to 30fps allows the texture quality to improve, which lends itself well to something like snapshot mode.

It looks as though Super Mario Odyssey will be running quite smoothly when it finally gets released on October 27, 2017.

Mario Odyssey Switch Specs

Nintendo has a great problem; they have two successful consoles that require their support. At this point everyone is very aware that the Nintendo Switch is a huge success. It’s still difficult to find on store shelves and it has an impressive software lineup. The Nintendo 3DS family of systems, as it is so lovingly referred to by Nintendo Corporate, has an outrageous install base of more than 66 million units with 7 million coming in 2016 alone. Seriously, Nintendo sold 7 million 3DS systems in 2016. They recently released the New 2DS XL along with a few New 3DS XL systems that have a fresh coat of paint. One of which is Metroid themed.

Nintendo has gone all-in on the marketing push to make Metroid: Samus Returns a success. The aforementioned Metroid-themed New 3DS XL, a new set of Metroid amiibo and a deluxe edition of the game round out the product line for Metroid: Samus Returns. Metroid is a beloved video game franchise that dates back to the 1980’s. You can easily make a case for it being the best space-themed video game franchise of all time. Fans have been clamoring for a real installment for years (Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Metroid: Other M do not count and I’m 98% sure they don’t even exist). And what has Nintendo done? They have released the first new Metroid game in over a decade on its aging 3DS platform. Ugh. Nintendo has said they plan to support the 3DS family of systems (they have to be tired of typing that, right?) through 2018, and possibly beyond. This isn’t helping.

It feels like they are delaying the inevitable.

Look, we’ve been here before. Nintendo had a huge success on their hands with the Gameboy Advance (RIP). It was a great system with a quality software lineup. Then Nintendo released the Nintendo DS in 2004 and it was all over for the GBA. Despite Nintendo insisting that the DS would act as a “third pillar” alongside the GBA and Gamecube, the writing was already on the wall. The DS was an instant success and the GBA withered and died. They were done with it.

It has become clear though that this is a new Nintendo. A very different Nintendo from 10+ years ago. They’re taking chances. They’re playing it fast and loose. They’re refusing to let the Nintendo 3DS family of systems (seriously, I hope that is the last time I ever have to type that) suffer the same fate as the GBA. But why? We all know the Switch will eventually become the only Nintendo console on the market. Why release Metroid for it?

The Nintendo Switch is nothing short of groundbreaking. People love it. We all know what it does; Nintendo has done a brilliant job of marketing its new console. And yet here we are, getting a new installment to a beloved franchise on the old hardware. The 3DS will eventually be phased out; but old habits die hard. It would behoove Nintendo to put all of their efforts into developing games for the Switch and letting the Nintendo 3DS family of systems (seriously, I’m done) ride out into the sunset. Or better yet, taking it out back and shooting it. Just put it down! It has served its purpose and now there is a new sheriff in town.

Not to mention that Nintendo has also decided to develop games for smartphones. So if you’re keeping track, that is 3 portable platforms that Nintendo are currently developing for. Uhh…what? Or two portable platforms and one home console that you happen to be able to play on the go. However you want to word it.

The 3DS has had an amazing run, but it’s time to pass the torch to the Nintendo Switch. The Switch is the future. No one has said “I love that Nintendo decided to release the first new Metroid game in a decade on the 3DS instead of the Switch.” And, to be honest, it probably will come out for the Switch in 3 years; with a shiny HD update and a new amiibo. And I’ll buy it. Again. Because I can’t help myself. And Nintendo knows that. And that is why the 3DS is going to hang around for as long as it possibly can.