The Switch 2 was almost called the 'Super Nintendo Switch'

Following its big Switch 2 presentation, Nintendo revealed in an interview with the team behind the console that one of the (arguably better) names the company was considering before it landed on Switch 2 was "Super Nintendo Switch."

"There were a lot of ideas for the name, and we really struggled to find the right one," Kouichi Kawamato, the producer on the Switch 2, says. "We even considered ideas like 'Super Nintendo Switch.'" The issue with the name was that even though drawing a parallel to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was fun, it was also potentially confusing. The SNES was the successor to the NES, but it couldn't play NES games. "Since Switch 2 can play Switch games, it didn't feel right to use the same naming convention as Super NES."

Adding a number to the end of the original console's name (the general strategy Nintendo's competitor Sony has taken with the PlayStation) just made things a lot simpler and easier to understand. Nintendo's caution isn't totally unfounded. The Wii U was more powerful than the Wii and featured a unique controller in the Wii U GamePad. Because it's name was so similar to Nintendo's older console, it was backwards compatible with the Wii and it supported pre-existing accessories like Wii Remotes, though, it was viewed as an add-on rather than a new device worth upgrading to.

There were other problems that helped do the Wii U in, like a steep decline in support from third-party game developers and a failure on Nintendo's part to explain what made the console distinct, but the name certainly didn't help. The Switch 2 is much better set up for success than the Wii U, but "sticking to what works" seems like the defining idea of the new console, so the name is following suit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-was-almost-called-the-super-nintendo-switch-184243089.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-was-almost-called-the-super-nintendo-switch-184243089.html?src=rss
Vytvořeno 22d | 2. 4. 2025 20:50:37


Chcete-li přidat komentář, přihlaste se

Ostatní příspěvky v této skupině

Subset Games co-founder Jay Ma went through hell to make Fulcrum Defender

Every video game is a miracle. Long hours, extraordinary technical and artistic requirements and cross-disciplinary collaboration: the very act of making games is difficult, and leaves room for cat

24. 4. 2025 16:40:23 | Engadget
MasterClass subscriptions are 40 percent off right now

If you're interested in expanding your knowledge in different areas and learning new skills with the help of experts in their respective fields, this might be the deal for you.

24. 4. 2025 16:40:20 | Engadget
Motorola introduces the no-frills Moto Watch Fit

Motorola has introduced a new smartwatch to its Moto Things branded lifestyle collection. The Moto Watch Fit is due to become available in North America in the coming months, but the company has no

24. 4. 2025 16:40:19 | Engadget
Motorola is blowing out the Razr line with three new models starting at just $700

The Razr is almost certainly the most beloved flip phone of all time. But for 2025, Motorola is expanding its iconic flexible phone line to a total of three devices starting at just $699 while lean

24. 4. 2025 16:40:18 | Engadget
The Moto Buds Loop are open-ear earbuds you wear like jewelry

As part of the launch of its new "Moto Things" line of accessories, Motorola is introducing the Moto Buds Loop, the company's first take on wireless open-ear earbuds. Rather than completely cover y

24. 4. 2025 16:40:17 | Engadget
Google launches a battery replacement program for swollen Pixel 7a handsets

Google is offering free repairs and (in some countries) payments to remedy

24. 4. 2025 16:40:16 | Engadget