My Time at Evershine on Switch 2 Begs For One Obvious Answer From Nintendo

The Switch 2 could be kicked off withMy Time at Evershine, alongside a number of proprietary Nintendo titles, presumably. But while developers arealready revealing which games will come to Switch successor, Nintendo itself remains tight-lipped about the console, likely saving the juiciest bits of information for an official, flashy reveal.

Aspects of hardware, including performance and portability, are front-of-mind for many prospective Switch 2 owners, but they come second place to a more existential issue: the games themselves. Nintendo’s suite of first-party IP has regularly provided the most value on its flagship consoles, and most Switch owners bought the system to play games likeBreath of the WildandSuper Mario Odyssey, rather than the third-party games that usually play better elsewhere. Thus, withMy Time at Evershineconfirmed for a Switch 2 release, Nintendo should be a bit more bullish with respect to one key franchise.

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Games Like My Time at Evershine Shouldn’t Monopolize the Switch 2’s Cozy Game Market

The Next Animal Crossing Should Probably Come Sooner Rather Than Later

It’s no surprise that the Switch has been the home for countless so-called “cozy” games, being the preferred platform for many players when it comes to titles likeStardew Valley,Disney Dreamlight Valley, and, of course,Animal Crossing.WhateverNintendo chooses to do with the nextAnimal Crossinggame, it should be sure to put the series front-and-center on the Switch 2, especially when the spotlight seems to be shining on the likes ofEvershineas the console gets closer to release.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the nextAnimal Crossingneeds to be a Switch launch title—New Horizonscertainly wasn’t—but giving it priority in Nintendo’s first-party lineup may be a good strategic move. The cozy genre ispicking up steam thanks to developers like ConcernedApewho innovate within the space, and while Nintendo played a major role in popularizing low-stakes, slice-of-life gameplay with the likes ofAnimal Crossing, it’s no longer at the top of the pack. It may never be again, especially as indie studios push forward in this specific market, but theAnimal Crossingfranchise should remain competitive, not letting players forget why it garnered so much attention in the first place.

Animal Crossing Should Take Full Advantage of the Switch 2’s Hardware

Based on theMy Time at Evershinereveal, it looks like developer Pathea is making some noticeable strides in terms of visual fidelity and scope, even if it’s still a far cry from the lifelike graphics of many AAA games. Beyond pure graphical prowess,Evershinecould make the most of new hardware by getting more ambitious with its settlement-building mechanics and environment design, for instance, letting players engage with more in-game elements at once thanks to increased processing power.Animal Crossingshould be similarly ambitious on the new system.

Though it’s still shrouded in mystery, rumors have emerged about the nextAnimal Crossingtaking place in an urban setting, which could mean leveraging the Switch 2’s power to great effect. Simple, cartoonish graphics will, and probably should, be here to stay, but a more capable console could mean denser environments, packed with more NPCs, buildings, and random events befitting of a game taking place in a city. The franchise may be best known for its quaint world-building, and maybe an urban setting would undermine this, but this change in approach coupled with a new console could lead to a much more dynamic and multifaceted gaming experience, which Nintendo hopefully won’t shy away from.

Animal Crossingis one of Nintendo’s most influentialand unique franchises, and it has a real chance to shine on the Switch 2. There’s virtually no chance of it being usurped by something likeMy Time at Evershine, but with these early days of Switch 2 anticipation being characterized byEvershine’s recent reveal, Nintendo should be swift in responding with its own cozy contender.