Even thoughPokemonfans finally saw the reveal of thePokemon DiamondandPearlremakesthey have been waiting for, a new surprise came today in what seems to be a new direction forPokemongames inPokemon Legends: Arceus. The game takes an open-world action RPG approach, and is a prequel to theDiamondandPearlgames taking place in a feudal Sinnoh region of old, many years in the past.
Upon the game’s reveal this morning, fans marveled at the vast open-world setting, immediately drawing comparisons to games like the open-worldThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While thePokemon Legends:Arceusgame certainly looks impressive running on the Nintendo Switch, many also noticed that the frame rate seemed to dip significantly in certain shots, for certain wild Pokemon individually. Now, this has sparked even more speculation about a long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro system.
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Over on Twitter, “Switch Pro” began to trend, as fans expressed how they thinkPokemon Legends: Arceuscould be like the perfect game to tie-in with the release ofa revised Nintendo Switch model. Many have noted that the newly announced game seems to fall in line with more impressive upcoming Switch games such asMetroid Prime 4,Splatoon 3, and the sequel toBreath of the Wild.
For the past few months, talk of a Nintendo Switch Pro has been swirling with supposed leaks and rumors being spread by fans, journalists, and Nintendo insiders alike. Such rumors have ranged from a new OLED screen on the tablet itself, to 4k visuals, to even being named the “Super Switch.” Amore recent industry insider rumordetailed that the revised Switch model will utilize NVIDIA DLSS technology to use machine learning in order to enhance game rendering on the fly. For example,Pokemon Legends: Arceusmay run on current Nintendo Switch platforms the way it appears in its reveal trailers, but releasing alongside a Nintendo Switch Pro model with this technology could allow Switch Pro owners to play the game with enhanced visuals exclusive to the system.
Fans have made it clear that even though they’re more than excited toplayPokemon Legends: Arceusnext year,they aren’t exactly looking forward to playing the game at 20 or 30 fps. It goes without saying that the gameplay footage shown off by Game Freak today is not final, and with the game releasing in early 2022, aspects like the framerate have a decent amount of time to improve.
Of course, while Nintendo has gone on record saying thatfans shouldn’t expect a new Nintendo Switch modelany time soon, it seems that when it comes to the Japanese video company, anything is possible. For the time being,Pokemonfans can rest easy knowing that plenty of familiar and new adventures await them in the coming months.
