There Is “No Clear Directive To Release Remakes”

Nintendo’s no stranger to regularly releasing remakes of beloved classic titles, and given how good (and successful) they usually are, it stands to reason that we’re always wondering what their next remake is going to be, and when it’s going to hit store shelves.

However, speaking during Nintendo’s recent Q&A with investors (via Siliconera), company president Shuntaro Furukawa said that there is no internal directive to work on remakes of past titles, with the focus for now being on creating new and exciting titles for the Switch.

According to Furukawa, thanks to the Switch, Nintendo is now looking to “bring back titles that have previously been developed for handheld consoles” – which, as per recent reports, might mean that the company is looking to revive recently called 3DS games (including a Fire Emblem remake) for the Switch.

“With the release of the Nintendo Switch Lite, there is a possibility to bring back titles that have previously been developed for handheld consoles,” said Furukawa. “However, within Nintendo, rather than rereleasing past handheld games because of the Nintendo Switch Lite’s release, we are discussing more what sorts of new games we can create for the entire Nintendo Switch family. Within that, we are also considering past titles, but regarding what sorts of discussions are being held in detail, there is nothing I can say at present.”

Furukawa did have more things to say on the matter though, and implied that this does not necessarily mean that there will be no more remakes, but instead signifies that even if Nintendo does release more remakes, they will still be looking to do new things, mentioning the recently released The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening as an example of that philosophy.

“Regarding the future, there is no clear directive to release remade titles,” he said. “On one hand, in our 30 years of game console business we have made many past games that have been played by a many people, which have left strong impressions on them, and this is a very valuable asset to our company. Nostalgia is one great appeal, but even in remake titles, what’s more important is to create new game experiences, fun, and more. More than anything, we believe that passion towards wanting to remake the game from the creator of the original game is very important. For a recent example, Link’s Awakening, which you previously mentioned, is a good example of a game that has been reviewed by customers as both ‘nostalgic’ and ‘new.'”

The 3DS saw plenty of remakes and re-releases at the end of its life cycle, including the likes of Luigi’s Mansion last year and Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr’s Journey earlier this year. If Nintendo is indeed looking to bring former handheld-centric titles the Switch, they may well be similar remakes and remasters.

There is also the possibility that more Pokemon remakes will be out on the Switch eventually. There may be no plans for more Let’s Go games right now, but those Diamond and Pearl remakes are long overdue.