Over the past few years, Microsoft and Nintendo have made it clear that they intend to work more closely with one another. The two corporations now have something akin to a friendship, which has resulted in a few Xbox titles finding their way to Switch. Furthermore, both corporations have been willing to let their mascots appear in each other’s games. The degree to which these two titans of industry have become tight-knit makes us wonder what other possibilities could come of their relationship.Given that Xbox has shown it is open to any ideas that come across its desk, it’s plausible that Nintendo and Microsoft will have some collaborative projects to share with gamers in the near future. Taking that into account, here are five particularly promising projects that could come of this corporate pairing.
Looking at the DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, it seems that Nintendo and Masahiro Sakurai have set out on a mission to populate this series with characters from all corners of gaming’s storied past. High profile characters such as Steve from Minecraft and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII now stand toe-to-toe with classic figures like Fatal Fury’s Terry Bogard. If this eclectic assortment of new fighters is any indication, there may cease to be a barrier to entry for certain long-rumored additions.
Historically, Xbox has resisted appealing to children to the same degree as its competitors. It’s clear just at a glance, for example, that most of Nintendo’s game catalogue is targeted towards players of a younger age. Meanwhile, though PlayStation publishes games of a higher rating, they have put out child friendly titles like the LittleBigPlanet games and Astro’s Playroom. The success that Xbox’s rivals have had in captivating younger gamers would suggest there’s merit to revisiting this idea, should Xbox be so inclined.To help Xbox achieve their goal of being the best place to play for all gamers, it may be time to bring back one of their most child friendly series to date: Viva Piñata. One of several properties developed by Rare, Viva Piñata made a name for itself as a colorful farming simulation franchise that anyone could enjoy. Much as we would want to see Viva Piñata return, though, the situation is complicated by Rare’s busy schedule as of late.
Since the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, the only Donkey Kong game to come to the console was a port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. This is a shame, because the Donkey Kong Country games are beloved by players and praised by critics. It’s unknown if a new entry is currently in development, but if the franchise is up in the air, Xbox might be able to lend a hand to make the next Donkey Kong Country game memorable.
There’s no question that Xbox has been a leading force in online play on consoles since Xbox Live first launched in 2002. Since then, they have continued to expand the capabilities of the platform, with many feeling that Xbox Live has the best online infrastructure in the gaming industry. Nintendo, on the other hand, hasn’t had the same success. Nintendo Switch had online play from the start, but the paid subscription service Nintendo Switch Online wasn’t made available until late 2018. Nintendo’s online service features older legacy titles that can now be played online, but when it comes to games that have a large online community, the service doesn’t hold up to the standards established by other companies.
Phil Spencer has stated time and again that he wants Game Pass to be on as many platforms as possible. In light of Microsoft and Nintendo’s cooperation having the potential to benefit gamers across platforms, we’re of the mind that the Nintendo Switch would be a perfect platform for the subscription service.
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Includes several titles.
Which was showcased at E3 2003.