Massive Nintendo Direct Hits on Wednesday, Switch and 3DS Reveals Incoming

Big System Update with Achievements and eShop Overhaul

We're long overdue for a big, OS-level update for the Nintendo Switch. One of the best things about ths Switch is its simplicity. Games snap back to the home screen in an instant, and putting the Switch in and out of sleep mode is an instantaneous flick of the Switch. It's what makes this console so portable and so convenient. Some might say that it's a little too simple, though. Barren, even.

We're ready for an OS overhaul. Let's get some themes and backgrounds up there for our home screens, Nintendo! Even the 3DS has themes with unique music, sound affects, and icons! We also wouldn't mind the option to turn on some gentle background music, esepcially in the eShop. The 3DS and Wii U (and Wii) eShops always had great shopping tunes, and we miss them very much. We also need a little more organization in the Switch eShop; it's damn near impossible to find older game listings.

Achievements!

This probably isn't likely, but we do have some evidence pointing to the possibility of a system-wide achievement or trophy system for the Nintendo Switch. An indie developer divulged more information than it was supposed to during a Reddit AMA, and we're hoping that his comments (which you can see here) indicate an imminent reveal.

Major Release Dates

There are some huge games on the way that we still don't have release dates for. This is getting fixed on Wednesday, hopefully. Remember that Skyrim announcement the day the Nintendo Switch was revealed? Yeah, we'd like to know when we can actually get our hands on that one, please.

And there are so many Nindies that we've been waiting for since March. When can we finally get some Stardew Valley love on the Nintendo Switch, and when can we expect some old-school fighting game goodness with Pocket Rumble? There were many notable titles missing from Nintendo's recent Nindies Direct, so we're hoping this presentation will be a kind of catch-all for those titles.

Don't forget that we don't have a release date for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, either. That's a huge RPG that so many fans have been waiting a long time for, and it's still slated to hit some time during the holiday season.

Virtual Console

Alright, guys: the virtual console is long overdue now. With the Super NES Classic Edition just a couple of weeks away from launch, now would be a good time to reveal that the Virtual Console will arrive this holiday. Let everyone spend their money on that little SNES, and then let the rest of us have access to Nintendo's legendary library of retro games on the Nintendo Switch!

No doubt we'll see a little bit of the SNES Classic Edition during this Direct presentation -- this is Nintendo's last chance to promote it before it goes on sale -- and we can think of no better segue for the Virtual Console announcement we've been waiting so long for.

Animal Crossing

Where the heck is Animal Crossing?! We've known for months that an Animal Crossing game is headed to mobile, but we haven't heard a peep about it since it was announced. We still don't even know what kind of game this will be! Will it be a true Animal Crossing title with all of the bells and whistles (did you catch that pun)? Will it be a stripped down clicker with gacha trappings and real-world money unlocks? Will it be free to play or a premium one-time purchase game? We have questions, Nintendo!

And I know this is a fool's hope, but I can't help but wish for an Animal Crossing Switch announcement as well. Even a very subtle tease will do. I don't care if I have to wait until 2019 to play it, I just want to know that it's on the way! Give us something, Nintendo, anything!