Nintendo Switch 2 Leak Reveals New Super Smash Bros. Game and Return of Nintendogs
A new Nintendo Switch 2 leak has revealed a new Super Smash Bros. game and the return of Nintendogs. With a new Nintendo Direct set to go down on September 9, there is a decent chance one or both of these new Switch 2 games will be announced at this Nintendo Direct, but the leak in question does not indicate this one way or another; all it does is leak the existence of the games, assuming it’s true in the first place.
The new leak comes the way of Nintendo leaker Malo932, who, unfortunately for Nintendo fans, does not have the most robust track record. They’ve had leaks — they were the first to leak the two new Nintendo Directs — but they certainly aren’t known as an s-tier source. That said, according to the leaker, there is both a new Nintendogs game in development at Nintendo, and a new Super Smash Bros. game. The leaker doesn’t provide much in terms of detail on either project, but does note that the new Super Smash Bros. game is not just Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch 2, which some previous rumors have suggested. Meanwhile, there’s nothing in terms of salient details on the return of Nintendogs.
Nintendogs
Nintendogs is a pet sim series that got its start on the Nintendo DS in 2005, and it was absolutely massive. To this end, it sold over 23 million copies, making it the second best-selling Nintendo DS game of all time. Second only to New Super Mario Bros. Despite this, it only ever got one sequel, Nintendogs + Cats, which came out in 2011 for the Nintendo 3DS. And it may be the only ever sequel because it failed to replicate the massive success. It sold four million copies, which is respectable, but way down from the first game. It was also worse received by critics. To this end, it got a 71 on Metacritic, where the first game got an 83.
It’s been 15 years since we last saw the series. When the Nintendo Switch was revealed to be a handheld hybrid, many assumed it might return, but it didn’t. The DS is officially nostalgic, and it’s been long enough since the last game that bringing back the series, which is no doubt cheap to make as well, is a no-brainer.
New Super Smash Bros.
A new Super Smash Bros game being in development isn’t surprising. While some thought Nintendo may just port Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s been eight years already. It’s time for a new game. The question is: how do you follow up a game like Ultimate without just making Ultimate again, which creator Masahiro Sakurai has expressed no interest in doing, considering how great the effort was to make the game?
Whatever Nintendo is cooking up for the series, it’s still a few years away. Sakurai and his team just shipped Kirby Air Riders last year, so development of a new Super Smash Bros game would have only begun this year. Based on previous releases and current industry trends, it will likely take four years to make. That said, if insiders are already hearing about it, perhaps it is further along in development than we anticipate.