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
Établi 26d | 2 avr. 2025, 20:50:37


Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire

Autres messages de ce groupe

Nothing sub-brand CMF just announced a new smartphone and earbuds

Nothing sub-brand CMF just announced several new products, including a refresh of its flagship smartphone. The Phone Pro 2 looks to be an improvement

28 avr. 2025, 15:50:06 | Engadget
Apple's M4 MacBook Air drops to a new record-low price of $849

If you've been waiting for a good deal on

28 avr. 2025, 15:50:04 | Engadget
Apple's AirPods 4 fall back to a record low of $100

Apple’s AirPods 4 earbuds are on sale

28 avr. 2025, 15:50:03 | Engadget
UK regulator wants to ban apps that can make deepfake nude images of children

The UK's Children's Commissioner is calling for a ban on AI deepfake apps that create nude or sexual images of children, according to a new

28 avr. 2025, 13:30:17 | Engadget
The best rice cooker for 2025

By all accounts, I am a good cook. Yet in all my years, I don't think I've ever made a wonderful batch of rice on the stovetop. Overcooking, undercooking, scorching; you name it, I’ve done it. Thos

28 avr. 2025, 13:30:16 | Engadget
The Last of Us season two 'The Path' recap: The calm after the storm before the storm

There’s an understandable and undeniable pall hanging over The Last of Us after last week’s shocker. And it’s the calm before the storm that’ll make up the rest of the season: Ellie and Di

28 avr. 2025, 13:30:15 | Engadget
Forza Horizon 5 is on the PS5, so I no longer need an Xbox

Forza Horizon 5 is the entire reason I have an Xbox Series S. I’m not really a car guy in real life — if money, practicality and burning through fossil fuels were less of a concern, I’d ge

28 avr. 2025, 11:10:13 | Engadget