Nintendo Switch games news in 2018 has so far been dominated by a small selection of titles.
Metroid Prime 4 is one game a lot of fans are looking forward to seeing more of, even if it is just a trailer.
There’s also other top titles announced, including Bayonetta 3, Dark Souls Remastered and Kirby Star Allies.
However, none of these will be able to measure up to a Pokemon Switch release later this year.
Recent reports suggest that Generation 8 could be launching in 2018, although this could be pushed back to 2019 if things are delayed.
There’s even rumours that Nintendo might be ready to play with the winning formula when the latest Pocket Monsters do finally hit the Switch.
According to PokeJungle, a new real-time action combat system could be introduced with Generation 8.
Sources told the Pokemon site that the battle system for the Switch game would be similar to that adopted by the Digimon World games.
In those games, battles occur in real-time in a 3D space and moves are selected via a menu, with options to attack or block an opponent.
Sources speaking to the site also compared the battle system to that seen in Pokken Tournament, which was released on the Nintendo Switch this year.
If these rumours turn out to be true, it would mean the Pokemon Company are planning on introducing a much faster-paced battle system.
Combat changes aside, the launch of Pokemon on Nintendo Switch has been backed to create a lot of success for the Japanese games giant.
In fact, it seems a new Pokemon game could be the perfect title to help push Nintendo sales even further, and toward those hefty targets set by the company.
NPD Analyst Mat Piscatella provided an update on just what kind of impact a game like Pokemon could have for Switch market share, which is currently on course to do pretty well without it.
“If Pokemon comes next year I can easily see Switch outpacing Wii and taking 40+ share of the hardware market, he added.
“But it does depend on if Pokemon is next year or not.”
It’s a big questions for both Nintendo Switch gamers and company investors, who will be hopeful that the maximum amount of consoles can be shipped in 2018.
A recent earnings report listed Pokemon for Nintendo Switch launching in 2018 or later, meaning that it hasn’t been ruled out yet.
But if Pocket Monsters are set to burst onto the Switch scene this year, it won’t be until much later.
And that would likely fit in well with Nintendo’s existing sales plan, which sees major game releases spaced out over a few months.
Pokemon Sun and Moon launched in November, and a holiday release for the franchise on Switch could mean a huge sales boon for the console.
