Update 2 (1/6): This is now up on GameStop.
Update: Here’s something that you may not realize. In Europe and Japan (as well as the Splatoon 2 bundle), the pink Joy-Con is on the right, and the green controller is on the left. Nintendo is flipping the colors for the standalone release in the states. Not sure why, but there you go.
Original (1/5): Nintendo has confirmed that the Neon Pink and Neon Green Joy-Con will begin to be offered as a standalone product in North America this month. Previously, the controllers were limited to the Splatoon 2 Switch bundle.
Nintendo shared today’s news on Twitter:
Keep your #NintendoSwitch looking fresh when you play #Splatoon2 with these new Neon Pink and Neon Green Joy-Con controllers! Look for them in stores later this month. pic.twitter.com/NWZlMIG2q0
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 5, 2018
The Neon Pink / Neon Green Joy-Con could begin to appear in stores as early as today. They were listed in EB Games Canada’s internal inventory system for January 5.
New characters should be joining Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp soon. Nintendo tweeted out the image above yesterday, teasing the arrival of more villagers. Nintendo hasn’t said when the characters will be added in, but they should be popping up in the very near future.
We found out a few months ago that Immortal Redneck, a first-person shooter set in Egypt with rogue-lite elements, had been rated for Switch in Taiwan. It was a strong sign that the game would eventually end up on the console.
Confirmation has now come in, and Immoral Redneck will indeed be coming to Switch. It will be out sometime in Q1 2018.
For those who missed our original coverage, we’ve included an overview of Immortal Redneck below, plus a trailer.
Following the holiday break, Nintendo has a bunch of maintenance scheduled for next week. Switch, Wii U, and 3DS will all be impacted during several periods. Also, maintenance for Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo and Pokemon Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon is still planned.
Here’s the full maintenance schedule for next week:
Fire Emblem Heroes has kicked off the latest Bound Hero Battle with Ephraim and Eirika. These two characters originally appeared in The Sacred Stones. In Fire Emblem Heroes, they can be encountered in Special Maps.
Players can challenge their skills on Hard to Infernal difficulties. Limited-time special quests have also been activated.
This week’s Switch eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Rocket League
2. Super Mario Odyssey
3. Vs. Super Mario Bros.
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
5. Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition
6. Stardew Valley
7. Zelda: Breath of the Wild
8. Oxenfree
9. Overcooked: Special Edition
10. Enter the Gungeon
11. Splatoon 2
12. Human: Fall Flat
13. Brawlout
14. Sonic Mania
15. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
16. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
17. Snipperclips
18. SteamWorld Dig 2
19. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
20. Riptide GP: Renegade
Source: Switch eShop
According to the latest data from Famitsu, Switch has overtaken Wii U’s lifetime sales in Japan.
Through December 31, Nintendo’s new console stands at 3,407,158 units sold. Wii U managed to sell 3,301,555 units in its lifetime. Switch sold 115,255 units during the week of December 25, whereas Wii U was at 69 units.
Some reports had previously highlighted that Switch’s sales had surpassed Wii U, but these were premature as the newer platform was still several thousand units behind based on information from all sales trackers. It wasn’t until the latest data was published – finally made available tonight from Famitsu – that the milestone was confirmed.
In Japan, a brand new art book for Zelda: Breath of the Wild recently debuted. It’s packed full of concept art across more than 300 pages. Below, you’ll find new images from the book.
We’ll likely be getting the Zelda: Breath of the Wild art book eventually, but since we’re still waiting on the Zelda Encyclopedia (which finally arrives in April), it could be quite awhile before it heads west. For now, Play-Asia has the Japanese version in stock here.
A new Splatfest in Splatoon 2 will kick off next weekend, Nintendo has announced. This one is particularly special since the theme and results are global. It’s action vs. comedy this time around.
The Splatfest begins at the following times:
– 8 PM PT (January 12)
– 11 PM ET (January 12)
– 4 AM in the UK (January 13)
– 5 AM in Europe (January 5)
As usual, the Splatfest will last for a full day. It’s not entirely clear when the results will be posted, but it could be a couple of hours after the event concludes.
A few new games out came out this week on the various eShops. If you’re interested in checking out what’s new in screenshot form, take a look at the gallery below.
