Nintendo is sure to win 2018, and while it may seem like their year has been so-so they have two of the largest franchises in gaming left: Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There was a Smash Nintendo Direct this morning which revealed the final roster in the monolith brawler for the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon, regardless of how casual this iteration may appear to be, will draw in new and old fans alike. The return to Kanto will be beautiful.
This week it was revealed that the Nintendo Switch has sold just under 23 million units worldwide, outselling the GameCube, already. This is an astounding feat. The GameCube was a classic and had some miraculous games on it. The Nintendo Switch has had a so-so year (after an incredible first year), but with Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on their way, the console is set to dominate the holiday season again. There has never been a better version of Smash and while this isn’t the true next-gen Pokemon, Switch owners and prospective buyers will eat it up. Many have waited to get a Switch until one of these two games come out, and now that they are (with merely a month in-between releases), Switch sales will explode.
Super Smash Bros. has an enormous competitive play community. The release of a new game will, for many of them, signal their investment into the system. The Switch has had some wonderful games so far, but Smash is unparalleled in its multiplayer experience. The Switch doesn’t have much multiplayer to be frank. Super Mario Party was a great release, but there haven’t been any true “party” games. Smash Bros. Ultimate counts as one of these.
While some fans, even casual, may have moved away from the series, this is the definitive version of Smash and will push sales. Pokemon will have a similar effect. While it’s not necessarily the Pokemon game people want right now (though probably the one we need), it’s very impressive, especially its integration with Pokemon GO and return to the beloved Kanto region; this could return old-time players to the series. It appeals to a more casual fanbase and while not a system seller will push units regardless, especially given the holidays.
This year hasn’t been incredibly strong for consoles. Sony came out with God of War and Spider-Man, Microsoft released Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Forza Horizon 4. (Most) of these are excellent games, but they’re not console-defining (not even Spider-Man, regardless of sales and reviews.) Red Dead Redemption will probably win Game of the Year, although I haven’t played it, but multi-platform games don’t define a console. Neither do some of the other incredible titles to come out this year, regardless of how good they may be.
Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. are two defining franchises coming out a month apart, right before Christmas. Fans have been waiting for a console version of Pokemon forever and Smash fans for a Switch release, which is coming much earlier than we imagined, with smash receiving its own exclusive console bundle no less. The Switch could easily get up to 30 million units by the end of the holidays due to these two titles pushing unit sales and Nintendo will be heralded as the winner of 2018, especially with all the other exclusive games that have come out for the system as of late.