Summary
Nintendo has had a relaxed 2024 so far, and rumor has it that this is because the company is preparing its launch lineup for the Nintendo Switch successor. TheNintendo Switch 2has seen enough insider reports that its existence is likely, but what innovations it will bring and when are less clear. Performance comparable to the PS4 and backwards compatibility seem like its main draws, though the limited resolution and unstable framerates of many Switch exclusives, likeHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, still make that sound appealing.
Whether Nintendo chooses to reveal its hand around Summer Game Fest or closer to the Switch 2’s likely 2025 launch window, it probably intends for the console to be worth the wait. That points to a launch window full of big names likeMetroid Prime 4, as well as some high-profile Switch remasters. ASuper Smash Bros. Ultimate Deluxehas been theorized as a parallel toMario Kart 8 Deluxe’s port from the Wii U, but the aforementionedHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityhas its own history of ports to uphold, and every reason to do so.
Age of Calamity On The Switch 2 Would Follow Series Tradition
LikeMario Kart 8, the firstHyrule Warriorsbegan its life as a Wii U exclusive, shipping over one million copies in its first six months after a mid-2014 release.
Sales data is murky after that, but it was one ofthe Wii U’s best-selling gamesand has become known as one of the best licensedMusougames byDynasty Warriorsdeveloper Omega Force. It was also a successful early example of prominent DLC in a Nintendo game, which was compiled in the Nintendo 3DS portHyrule Warriors Legendsin early 2016. 2018’sHyrule Warriors: Definitive Editionclosed out its journey by collectingLegends’ own DLC waves.
The Switch 2 Has Much To Offer Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis in prime position to repeat its predecessor’s pattern and has ample reasons to do so. The DLC and post-launch updates forAge of Calamitycan be bundled in with aSwitch 2-exclusiveHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Definitive Editionrelease, which should benefit from boosted sales if it’s within the new system’s launch year.
No newLegend of Zeldatitles are expected for a while thanks toTears of the Kingdom’s 2023 release, so anAoC Definitive Editionshould help tide fans over between mainline games.Age of Calamityis also in desperate need of a stable framerate, which the Switch 2 will hopefully provide.
A Definitive Age of Calamity Could Become The Definitive Hyrule Warriors
The logistics of a basicAge of Calamityre-release are sound enough, but there is so much more that it could include.Age of Calamityonly had two waves of DLC, a massive step back from the amount thatHyrule WarriorsandHyrule Warriors Legendssaw, and didn’t incorporate anyTears of the Kingdomcontent.IncludingTotKcharacters inAge of Calamity: Definitive Editionlike Rauru, Mineru, and Ganondorf would be a big incentive for returning players, and could make way for another campaign like Cia, Linkle, and theWind Wakercharacters gained in the originalHyrule Warriors.
Other Areas A Switch 2 Age of Calamity Could Improve
Playing anyHyrule Warriorscontent at 60fps sounds great, butAge of Calamity’sDefinitive Editioncould fill in some specific gaps from the base game. Expanding the roster should come naturally, but adding more varied side missions, as well as working extra objectives back into the main campaign’s levels, shouldn’t be ignored.
Fans ofHyrule WarriorsandFire Emblem Warriorsmight also appreciateAge of Calamitygaining its own strategy-focused game type. Plenty of improvements could be made toHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityon the Switch 2, so Nintendo and Omega Force shouldn’t miss the chance to turn it into a true must-have title.
