There have been some recent rumors and reports that the Nintendo Switch 2, which has been hotly anticipated for years, is soon on the way – and that will put Nintendo back at the front of everyone’s mind.
But it has been a long journey from where Nintendo used to be to where it is now.
The History of Nintendo
Nintendo is one of the longest-running brands in gaming and is, without a doubt, a household name. And while there have been hills and valleys to that success – Nintendo has consistently produced some of the world’s most loved games.
What many gaming fans might not know, though, is that Nintendo started as a hand-drawn card game. It wasn’t until 100 years later that the first Game Boy landed in the hands of eager gamers, and from there, the way we played games was completely revolutionized.
Nintendo has been responsible for some of the biggest games in history, including:
- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- 007 Goldeneye
- Spyro
- Mario Kart
- Animal Crossing
- Tetris
- Pokémon
And while they are better known for their fun, family-friendly characters, and games, Nintendo has dabbled in a few other genres, including some casino games like Vega Party and Lots of Slots – the only downfall of these games is that they don’t have the poker bonus or the opportunity to win real money that you might get when you play online!
There are a few big moments in Nintendo’s history that handed gamers the jets to an unlimited world. Including a huge deal that they signed with Disney which meant all our favorite characters could be brought to life from 1959 onwards in the form of cards. By 1972 Nintendo were selling fun programmable drum machines, and later in the same year, they released Magnavox – a video console that came with its own gun.
Jump forward a few years, and in 1983, the NES first hit the stores, and Nintendo became one of the most important gaming brands to exist – and it still is.
What Nintendo has done so brilliantly is offered up some of the coolest and most lightweight gaming consoles around. The Nintendo DS was followed by the DS lite, DSi and DSi XL, the incredible 3DS, the Wii and WiiU, and now we have the Nintendo Switch with the Switch 2 rumored to be on the way.
What does the future hold for Nintendo?
In a Corporate Management Policy Briefing in 2021, company president Shuntaro Furukawa shared some insight into what was coming up for the company and doubled down on what the company had previously spoken about.
In the past, Nintendo had hinted at releasing a next-gen system, which is in line with what many other game consoles manufacturers have been doing. What they specifically meant, even in the vague terms that they used most often, was that they were taking an integrated hardware-software approach. While at this time, the date given was 20XX, the recent news – along with some information about the console, suggests that it could be here within the next 12 months.
While the success of the Nintendo Switch was incredible, leading it to be the second best-selling hardware of all time, second only to the Nintendo DS. It is expected that people who have played with and enjoyed the Nintendo will want to own the new device.
Here are some of the things that we are expecting to see or have been rumored in the new device:
- Transferring Nintendo accounts to the Switch 2 could mean that the device will be backward compatible – so people can continue to play their favorite games.
- A 512GB onboard storage
- An LCD screen.
- The same Nvidia system-on-a-chip that Nintendo has used previously.
- AMD advancements
While the Nintendo Switch 2 is in the works, there are a few titles that are worth getting excited for. A list of new titles was recently confirmed in June via Nintendo Direct.
Sea of Stars
A lovely nod to the original RPGs that many people enjoyed for the first time on the NEW, and true to form, it is a turn-based game. The artwork and color palette are reminiscent of the early games from Nintendo, and what makes it a must-play is the joy of the world interaction.
Mineko’s Night Market
For lovers of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, this is the perfect game for you; among other things, you’ll be breeding cute little kitties and crafting. The items you craft can be sold on the market; it is packed with mini-games and more kittens than you can shake a stick at.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Of course, a year of release to look forward to wouldn’t be complete without something from the Mario franchise. Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks to be exactly what you want from a 2D Mario game – with a fun new twist that means whenever you touch the world, it changes.
If you’re still working through all of the fun you can have with a Nintendo Switch, here is one you might not have tried yet: How To Connect Pro Controller To Switch [Updated 2023].