Koei Tecmo has been one of the strongest third-party supporters of Switch thus far. Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII and Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence are already available – at least in Japan. Nights of Azure 2 and Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi were also recently announced. Of course, we also can’t forget that Fire Emblem Warriors (in partnership with Nintendo) is on the way. You can also sort of count Dragon Quest Heroes I-II, as it was made by Omega Force, a division within Koei Tecmo.
Koei Tecmo has even more plans for Switch in the future. At a financial results briefing this week, chairman Keiko Erikawa noted that the company’s multiplatform engine has Switch embedded, meaning it can generate PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch titles automatically from a single source. Erikawa also spoke positively about Switch’s “anytime anywhere” concept and believes it will be successful, so they’ll to continue support it.
Koei Tecmo is already working on Switch exclusive title(s) other than Fire Emblem Warriors. Also, they’ll deliver Switch games one after another.
Hamster kept up with its string of NeoGeo games on Switch this week. On Thursday, Arcade Archives hit the eShop. View an official trailer for it below.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia launched in Japan on April 20. During its first four days on the market, it sold about 132,000 copies. Media Create and Dengeki now have more information about the game’s performance.
Media Create points out that Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia sold less than half of Fates (304,000 from Birthright, Conquest, and the Special Edition combined), and sales are still not enough if compared to individual Fates SKUs. Therefore, Echoes is thought to be unable to include many of the new users coming from Fire Emblem Fates and Fire Emblem Heroes. However, when compared as a remake, New Mystery of the Emblem which came out for DS in July 2010 sold 136,000 copies in its first week, so it’s able to maintain the veteran fanbase.
As for Dengeki, the site says Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia sold through 80 percent of its initial shipment. The site says the title managed to cut through a favorable start.
Target has some interesting items up for sale relating to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The retailer is offering cups, keychains, and the puzzle cube we previously mentioned.
Perhaps the strangest one of all are the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe air fresheners. These are “Vanilla Scented Mario” and “Vanilla Scented Item Box”. What might those smell like?
You can look at all of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe merchandise on Target here.
Nintendo unexpectedly announced a new piece of hardware this week. Rather than being related to Switch, it was instead a new version of the 3DS – the new 2DS XL.
“We believe this is a key addition to the line,” Reggie said of the system while speaking with The Verge. He added that it’s “a very important platform. It’s something that we’re going to continue to drive this year [and] next year.”
Next, on the topic of 3DS’ future, Reggie noted:
Probably the biggest piece of Nintendo news this week was the reveal of the New 2DS XL. A new hardware announcement was definitely unexpected – especially another iteration of the 3DS.
But here we are. The 2DS XL exists. It’s like a combination of the New 3DS XL and 2DS, so it makes sense that the $150 price point also falls between the two.
Many of the New 3DS XL features are here. You’re getting the same large screen, power, and built-in NFC support. There’s no stereoscopic 3D support, but the system is lighter.
So what does everyone make of the New 2DS XL? Do you have any interest in it at all? Do you believe it’s smart for Nintendo to be introducing another model of the 3DS? Let us know in the comments below.
Highlights from last week’s topic: Potential SNES Mini games
Vblank Entertainment put out a new video today containing footage from one of the areas in Shakedown: Hawaii. Get a look at the Meat House Gym with the promo below.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is in development for Switch. That’s according to Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch, who revealed this information to Nintendo Everything in a recent interview.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn was originally funded on Indiegogo in 2014. At the time, it seemed like a Wii U version had been secured. We’re unsure if Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is still planned for Wii U, but now that Switch has arrived, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear about its cancellation.
