The Nintendo 3DS may be dead, but the Nintendo Switch Lite sales numbers prove that many gamers are still interested in playing handheld games.
The Nintendo Switch has always been sort of an enigma. Was it meant to be the followup to the 3DS? The Wii/Wii U? Or is it of its own breed?
Those questions were answered today when Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki tweeted the following:
The result is encouraging for Pokemon games coming next month. Nintendo chief Furukawa said company would make more 3DS franchises available on Switch to convey appeal of Lite.
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) October 31, 2019
Nintendo seems to be interested in bringing some now-defunct 3DS franchises over to the Nintendo Switch, now that the Switch Lite, a system that cannot be plugged into a TV, has seen a successful launch (it sold 1.85 million units in Q3, while the regular switch sold 2.85 million in the same period). With the high demand for a portable gaming console now falling solely into Nintendo’s hands, bringing more of the 3DS series over to the Switch may just satisfy handheld gamers.
Some handheld series that fans want to see sequels of on the Nintendo Switch are Kid Icarus, Wario Ware, Bravely Default, and Professor Layton. Without a place to call home, getting these series on the Switch would surely excite players that have been looking forward to new entries.
Mochizuki also reports that Nintendo is still planning on introducing multiplayer races into the popular Mario Kart Tour mobile game.
Nintendo reported strong 2Q results, with Lite selling 1.95 million in 10 days since launch. Serkan (@serkantoto) says Lite will be "a super hit in the long run."https://t.co/WDCpdKGre7
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) October 31, 2019
With the success of mobile games like Mario Kart Tour and the Nintendo Switch Lite console, the power of handheld games proves to be just as strong as ever. The Nintendo Switch Lite released on September 20, 2019 while Mario Kart Tour hit on September 25.