Summary
TheNintendo Switch 2almost had a completely different name that called back to one of Nintendo’s classic consoles. Many had already guessed that the next Nintendo system would be called the Switch 2 long before that name was officially confirmed, based on rumors that it would be very similar to the current Nintendo Switch in both design and functionality. These rumors were eventually verified when theNintendo Switch 2was revealed back in January, as the new system is still a hybrid between a traditional console and a handheld tablet.
Even more information about the Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed earlier this week in a new Nintendo Direct livestream, finally answering longstanding questions about the system’s price and release date. Many upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games were also highlighted, frombrand-new titles likeMario Kart WorldandHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentto updated versions of original Switch gems likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomandKirby and the Forgotten Land.
Shortly after theApril 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, three of the new console’s top developers sat down for an interview on theofficial Nintendo website. One of the subjects discussed was how the team came up with the name “Nintendo Switch 2,” and the members said they had workshopped a “lot of ideas” before deciding on the final name. Producer Kouichi Kawamoto said that one of these suggestions was the “Super Nintendo Switch,” a call-back to the classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System of the early ’90s.
Nintendo Switch 2 Was Almost Named Super Nintendo Switch
However, the team eventually decided that this name wouldn’t be appropriate, since the Super NES couldn’t play original NES games like theSwitch 2 can with Switch games. Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development Department senior director Takuhiro Dohta added to this by saying that Nintendo’s goal with the Switch 2 is to make a system that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players, just like the original Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 reflected that, and Nintendo Technology Development division GM Tetsuya Sasaki notes that the name is simple and easy to understand as a successor to the original Switch.
The long wait for theNintendo Switch 2will finally end on June 5, thoughinitial pre-orders will begin on April 9. Some of the launch titles for the new console includeMario Kart World(which will be available as part of a special Switch 2 bundle),Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and new versions of existing third-party titles likeCyberpunk 2077,Street Fighter 6, andHogwarts Legacy.
