The Nintendo Switch 2 already boasts a lot of improvements and impressive features that players can take advantage of, yet there are many oft-remembered concepts from the company’s history that would be perfect to have added to this new system. From the very start, Nintendo has always been a pioneer in trying out unique peripherals and designs for their consoles, with both positive and negative results. While this innovation is impressive, it is equally surprising just how many successful or useful ideas have been discarded along the way as new consoles come to the market.
Of course, there are still numerous features from other systems which would be nice to see on the Nintendo Switch 2, including my personal request for an achievement system. However, even simply looking within the company, Nintendo has plenty of inspiration to take from its history of consoles. Many of the fan-favorite features of the current Nintendo Switch are being carried over, and new innovations are taking place for the system, but that doesn’t mean that some of these other ideas couldn’t be added back to Nintendo’s repertoire as well.
8
Colored A B X Y Buttons To Aid In Accessibility
A Simple Change That Would Help Many
Perhaps the most basic of ideas, yet one that would be extremely helpful for many players, would be simply returning to the idea of using color-coded A B X Y buttons on the controller. This would not replace the letter system, and perhaps may not look quite as sleek and flashy as the current design of a mostly-monotone black system and joy-cons, but even having it as an optional feature would be appreciated. Or, similar to the joysticks, having a colored ring around the button could work.
The benefit of this would be both in helping players to memorize buttons quickly, and as an accessibility feature. Those who have visual impairments may need to have distinct colors to make it easier to identify buttons, and though there are ways to modify controllers with colors, it would be helpful to return to the SNES days and simply have this built in.
7
The Analog Triggers That Were Perfected With The GameCube
The Switch 2 Has Instant Input Digital Triggers
The shoulder buttons on a game controller may not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking of a new system, but they can matter a lot to how well playing a game feels to a person, particularly in certain games. Over the years, many game companies have worked to create better tactile experiences through their controllers, such as the PS5’s DualSense controllers with adaptive triggers. However, Nintendo seems to be taking a step backwards in that regard.
It is often said that the Nintendo GameCube perfected the feeling of analog triggers. This means that the GameCube controller triggers were pressure-sensitive and would register how much or how little they are pressed, which is especially nice in racing games but could be used for many immersive experiences. Unfortunately, as reported by GameRant, Nintendo Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto explained that Nintendo preferred the instant input from digital triggers over having a brief lag that comes with analog.
6
An Activity Log Like The 3DS
Telling Stats About Game History And Even Step Counts
The Activity Log of the Nintendo 3DS was something that I checked a lot more than I probably needed to, but it was fascinating to be able to see the data it provided. Most notably, it would track gameplay activity, showing which games were played recently, how many total hours have been played, and average play time. Seeing a record of games played and charts that could be organized in a variety of ways showed interesting trends, and it seems like something that should be included for every system.
Additionally, the Nintendo 3DS handheld was designed to be taken everywhere, and many of its features helped make that idea more enticing. Among these is the pedometer included in the Activity Log, which would count steps and award players with Play Coins for compatible games for the steps they took. Although many people now have constant step counters on their watches and phones, it was still a fun extra in the system.
5
Music In A Variety Of Ways, The Switch Was Too Quiet
Wii Shop Channel Music, Previews When Hovering Over Game Icons, And More
Nintendo systems have often made use of music in ways that heighten the experience of using the systems, but for some reason the Nintendo Switch has been notably quiet in nearly all areas. The Wii Shop Channel, and eventually the Nintendo eShop until the Nintendo Switch came along, had beautiful theme music for each system, which are still remembered to the point that there are YouTube videos and Spotify songs devoted to the Wii Shop Channel’s calming music.
Related
The Switch 2 eShop Won’t Have Any Background Music, And Here’s Why
Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2’s eShop won’t have a theme song, like the Switch before it – but there may be a good reason for that.
Additionally, on systems like the Nintendo Wii and 3DS, there would be previews of music playing whenever someone hovered over different games or icons. These little audio details made it more fun, and could easily be muted if someone didn’t appreciate hearing the sounds.
4
Fully Illustrated Game Manuals And Posters With Physical Games
Bring Back The Joy Of Opening The Game Box
Physical media seems to be disappearing from all gaming, with a heavy emphasis on digital downloads. Many of the games for the Switch 2 will have Game-Key Cards rather than Game Cards for physical purchases, which require the game to be downloaded and do not contain the actual game data. This alone can be upsetting for many, but even before that, physical purchases have been made much less exciting in recent years.
Related
Nintendo Switch 2 Has Me Worried For The Future Of Physical Games
With Switch 2 games becoming more expensive in multiple regions, one concerning change paints a bleak future for physical releases in general.
In the days of the NES and SNES, and many other game systems, purchasing a physical game not only meant getting a cartridge with the game, but often there was a fully illustrated game manual and even posters for the game included. Having these types of things included with a game purchase would make it much more pleasing to buy a game. Even simply returning to the idea of having artwork on the inside of the case would be a good step.
3
Miiverse’s Social Networking From Wii U And 3DS
Miiverse was a social network designed by Nintendo for the Wii U and 3DS systems connected to the internet. Using this app, users could communicate with others by drawing or typing messages and putting them in game communities where they would socialize with their Mii avatars. Some YouTube videos could even be shared through Mario Kart 8 features. Often, players would share screenshots of a game and give hints to others, or share silly drawings and artwork.
Of course, many took advantage of the system by trying to include some more adult words and imagery, which would result in bans from Nintendo and the system was designed to not allow anything resembling certain body parts. These behaviors were likely the main reason for the Miiverse being shut down in 2017, but if it could be moderated better, it would be wonderful to see it return.
2
StreetPass Encouraged People To Bring Their 3DS With Them
The Joy Of Seeing The Button Light Up Made It A New Experience
As mentioned above with the Activity Log, the Nintendo 3DS was designed to be carried around with people when they went to work, school, or simply out and about. This gave Nintendo the chance to create the StreetPass system, which would allow a 3DS to automatically search for and exchange data with other 3DS systems when it came into range.
The data could be used to play unique StreetPass games, see other players Mii characters and basic profiles, see what others are playing, and more. Even simply having the little notification light turn green to show there has been a StreetPass connection could spark joy, and give a feeling of being connected even when never speaking to those other players. With the Nintendo Switch 2 also being able to be portable, it would be wonderful to see a StreetPass service brought back, although the Switch 2’s battery life may not make this feasible.
1
Themes For The UI, Like The 3DS Gave Us
Backgrounds And Custom Icons To Personalize The Experience
Ultimately, the most missed feature of Nintendo’s past may simply come down to cosmetics. The Nintendo 3DS and 2DS gave users the chance to personalize their systems with a plethora of themes that included background images, icons, music, and sound effects. Some themes would be based off of specific games or many featured iconic Nintendo characters, such as the classic Mario or Link.
The Nintendo Switch took this away, despite being something that is seemingly fairly simple and could be profitable by providing different themes for users to purchase. Instead, the Nintendo Switch only provides a basic black or basic white theme, which was considerably more boring than the 3DS. Hopefully, the Nintendo Switch 2 will go back to providing more personalized expressions through themes, and even some of the other ideas in this list.
Source: GameRant
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Operating System
-
Proprietary
- Storage
-
256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
-
1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
-
Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
-
Yes
