Nintendo has finally revived Metroid, but that doesn’t mean fan demands for other Nintendo properties on their hot new console have subsided. There is, of course, F-Zero, which we haven’t seen a new game from in over a decade- but undoubtedly, the two most requested franchises for the Switch by fans are Animal Crossing, and Mother– specifically, Mother 3, the superlative final installment in the RPG which launched in Japan on the GBA in 2005, but never came over to the west.
Responding to fan concerns regarding these two games in particular, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said to IGN, “When we have something to announce, we will. Fill in the blank of your favorite franchise. Our mentality will be we’ll announce information close to its launch date versus teasing people for years on end.”
Speaking specifically about Mother 3, Reggie said, “Again, we know, I know there’s a fan base for that title. It’s something that we always think about in terms of where there are opportunities to reintroduce IP to fans, to do it in a way that builds new fans, we’re certainly aware. No promises, no commitments one way or the other, but we’re aware.”
He also talked about Animal Crossing, which we haven’t seen a proper new game in since New Leaf launched on the Nintendo 3DS all the way back in 2012 (though admittedly the localized release followed in 2013), noting that the success of Pocket Camp on smartphones bodes well for the future of the franchise either way.
“I did see a lot of internet memes with sad faces from the Animal Crossing group,” Fils-Aime admitted. “We see tremendous opportunity in using the mobile platform to introduce IP to consumers who may not be as familiar. Animal Crossing is a great example. Tremendous interaction with Pocket Camp. Fans are really enjoying that experience. We’re introducing it to new consumers. That bodes well for whenever the next Animal Crossing might come.”
In the end, at least with Animal Crossing, we should see a major Switch game eventually- New Leaf is one of the most successful games on the 3DS, and it is a tentpole franchise for Nintendo. Presumably, it is being saved up for next year, or the year after. Mother 3 might be a bit dicier, but there is some hope that Nintendo might finally choose to respond to the fan outcry, and bring that game over at last.