Nintendo recap: Switch sales are down but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s new additions have us fired up
- Apple
- August 6, 2022
- No Comment
- 10
- 25 minutes read
Hello Nintendo fans and welcome to the latest recap. This was a pretty busy week for Nintendo. First, we had a Pokemon Presents that explained upcoming events for various Pokemon games and also gave us a bigger look at Scarlet and Violet. In other news, Nintendo’s latest financial report revealed some surprising information. We also finally found out when the long-awaited Minecraft amiibo will be released. There’s more to discuss, so let’s dive in.
Pokemon Presents showcases new Pokemon, mountable legendaries and more
The latest Pokémon Presents took place on Wednesday morning and announced several updates for various Pokémon titles on different platforms. After talking about Pokémon Unite’s one-year anniversary and Mewtwo’s return in Pokémon Cafe Remix, the presentation ended up focusing on what everyone wanted to know about: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
We finally got to see the legendary Pokemon — Koraidon (Scarlet) and Moraidon (Violet) — function as vehicles that can carry you across land, climb cliffs, swim in water, or fly through the air. The presentation even showed that players can ride side-by-side in multiplayer and explore the world while defeating gyms in any order they want.
Two new Pokemon were also revealed, as well as a new regional variant, with one of them stealing the hearts of the online community. There’s Paldean Wooper, a Poison/Ground-Type variant; Cetitan, an ice-type land whale; and Fidough, the best witty donut dog you could ask for. It only took a few minutes for Twitter to explode in a shower of Fidough fan art.
While it was nice to see some new faces, we don’t have an official number on how many Pokémon will be in the Gen 9 Pokédex. However, many known Pokémon were shown in the video, doubling the number of all confirmed Pokémon that we know will appear in the game.
Also revealed was the main gimmick for Gen 9. The Terastal Phenomenon allows Pokemon to shine like jewels with ridiculously large glowing crowns on their heads. As @Olivart_ illustrated on Twitter in his meme, imagine a Ring Pop on a Pokémon’s dome and you basically get the idea.
Yaaaas queen #Persian #PokemonScarletViolet pic.twitter.com/VJdaOIhkWmAugust 3, 2022
When transformed, Teratalizing makes a Pokemon’s moves stronger and sometimes even changes its type. Pokemon with rare Tera types are more likely to appear in Tera Raid Battles, which are like an upgraded version of Sword and Shield’s Max Raid Battles. You can still battle Tera’s special Pokemon with other players, but you don’t have to wait your turn to attack or heal, which was a frustration many players felt with Max Raid Battles. Once the Tera Pokemon is defeated, you will have a chance to catch it.
Nintendo’s official site claims that Scarlet and Violet have a file size of 10GB, which is larger than Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ 6.1GB, but less than Sword and Shield’s 12.4GB. It’s hard to say why it’s significantly smaller than Gen 8 at this point, but it could have something to do with the more open nature of the game rather than needing to encode specific linear data. In any case, make sure you have enough space on your microSD card before the game launches.
Nintendo’s financial report shows more players going digital
As NPD recently reported, sales are down in the video game industry now that the influx of the pandemic has subsided, and not even Nintendo could help it.
According to data from Nintendo’s latest financial report, which was released on Wednesday, Switch hardware is down 22.9% over the past year, while software is down 8.6%. This is to be expected, as the past two years were unprecedented as people sought out forms of entertainment in their homes, leading them to buy more consoles and games than usual. Also, the shortage of semiconductors has made it more difficult for companies to produce consoles.
Despite all these lower sales figures from last year, the Switch remains the best-selling console this year in terms of units sold and is now Nintendo’s best-selling home console with over 111.08 million units sold.
| platform | course | units sold |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 | 2000 | 155 million |
| Nintendo DS | 2004 | 154.02 million |
| Game Boy and Game Boy Color | 1989, 1998 | 118.69 million |
| PlayStation 4 | 2013 | 117.2 million |
| Nintendo Switch | 2017 | 111.08 million |
The report also showed which Switch games sold more than one million units this past quarter. Nintendo Switch Sports takes the lead with 4.84 million units sold, followed by Mario Strikers: Battle League with 1.91 million units, Kirby and the Forgotten Land with 1.88 million units and the undefeated cow of money Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with 1.48 million units. The latter of which remains the best-selling Switch title with over 46.82 million units sold in its lifetime.
We also saw an interesting change with the last report. There has long been a debate about buying physical and digital versions of games. Nintendo reported that there were more digital sales this past quarter than physical, with digital downloads making up 53% of the total. As we move into the future, we will likely see digital numbers continue to rise.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 2 available to play
On Friday, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass Wave 2 was released for anyone with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription or who had purchased the DLC separately. This second wave brings with it eight new courses divided into two Cups.
Arguably the most exciting new theme is Waluigi Pinball, a fan favorite originally from Mario Kart DS. However, Wave 2 also brought us a never-before-seen track called Sky-High Sundae, which will eventually make its way into Mario Kart Tour. Until now, we weren’t sure if Nintendo would make new themes for the DLC. That means we could have more surprises along the way.
Steve and Alex Minecraft amiibo finally gave the release date
After a long delay, Nintendo finally announced that the Steve and Alex Super Smash Bros. amiibo. they will be released on September 9, 2022. Only one month to go! If you like to train your Super Smash Bros. amiibo. Ultimate, this will be a good buy for you.
Even if you don’t particularly like playing fighting games but are a fan of Minecraft, these figures look really nice and will look great on a shelf. They are currently available for pre-order.
Steve and Alex amiibo – 2 Pack
Block heroes ready to fight
Train your own amiibo Steve and Alex in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with this two pack. They also make great collectibles for any Minecraft fan.
Which Switch games are playing this week?
As we discussed earlier, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Booster Course Pass Wave 2 launched on Friday, bringing two new cups with four courses each to the game. Have fun racing around these new tracks and check out the new dessert themed one.
If you’re looking for something meatier, I highly recommend Xenoblade Chronicles 3. In my review, I talked about how vast the world is and how touching the characters’ personal journeys are. Also, it’s a huge bonus as many people say it takes over 100 hours to beat.
See you next time.
– Rebecca Spear
An amazing hands-on experience
The latest iteration of the Nintendo Switch features a 7-inch OLED display that makes game visuals appear more vibrant and sharp for a better handheld experience.
