Sequel to Nintendo Switch Launch Game Reportedly in Limbo Over Quality Concerns
When the Nintendo Switch debuted, it was accompanied by a small handful of games, including 1-2 Switch. The party game was designed as a showpiece for the system's Joy-Con controllers, offering several different activities for players to participate in. The game's critical reception was mixed, but it sold fairly well for Nintendo, which apparently led to development on a sequel titled Everybody's 1-2 Switch. The game's existence has yet to be officially revealed, but according to sources for Fanbyte's Imran Khan, the game might never actually see release.
In the Switch era, Nintendo has shown a hesitation to interrupt sales of strong selling games. While fans have been clamoring for a sequel to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the game's long-term success has apparently made Nintendo hesitant to release a new game that might interfere with those sales. According to Khan's sources, Everybody's 1-2 Switch was developed with the intention of creating a sequel that could stand alongside the original without usurping sales. As a result, the sequel drew inspiration from the titles of Jackbox Games, with a game show-inspired take. Like its predecessor, it apparently would have still featured a bunch of weird minigames, but lobbies of up to 100 people would have been supported through online play, and players would use their mobile devices, as well.
However, Khan's sources say that testers hated Everybody's 1-2 Switch, and there were internal concerns that "the game released as-is would damage the company's reputation as a great software developer." Nintendo has apparently printed out box art for the game, yet there are no current plans to release it. Apparently, there has been a lot of debate whether to cancel it altogether, or release it as a freebie to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
Khan's sources do not believe that Nintendo will totally shelve the project, but it wouldn't be the first time Nintendo has quietly cancelled a finished game. In 2020, a number of finished, unreleased Game Boy Color games were discovered through a leak, which have never even been acknowledged by Nintendo. It's possible the same thing could happen with Everybody's 1-2 Switch, but there's simply no way of knowing until Nintendo makes some kind of announcement.
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