Let’s speculate about Nintendo’s mysterious online playtest
Nintendo’s next move has never been so difficult to predict. Just when you think all it has in store is the impending reveal of the Switch 2, this week it has bamboozled fans with new hardware… in the form of a surprisingly innovative alarm clock called Alarmo. The same day, Nintendo followed suit with one vague statement that makes the internet wild. A mystery playtest will be held at the end of October, exclusively for 10,000 lucky Nintendo Switch Online subscribers who subscribe to the Expansion Pack service level. They may test a new feature for the service, which requires a download.
All playtest spots have already been reserved in the US. X user @OatmealDome said in a tweet that the software download is 2.2 GB in size and that Nintendo recommends using TV mode and a wired internet connection. We don’t know much else.
We now have to wait until October 21st – when the playtest goes live – to see what exactly these players will be tackling for the first time. So, what better way to pass the time than for the Polygon staff to throw some ideas at the wall? We welcome your theories in the comments.
I think it will be Nintendo’s first major Battle Royale game (outside of the games we play). Tetris 99 And F-zero 99) and it will be entirely Toad focused. Just you and 99 other mushroom heads bumping into each other in a giant toilet bowl arena. —Ana Diaz
The fact that Nintendo states that it recommends using a wired internet connection means that this is something where latency matters. With that in mind, it could be some kind of software related to cloud gaming or perhaps a multiplayer experience. Cloud gaming feels less likely, given the 2.2GB of space required. My ideal scenario (aside from Ana’s Toad Battle Royale idea) is for Nintendo to bring back Miiverse. —Nicole Timmerman
The greatest troll of all time
Participants will be the first to test the upcoming Switch update, which, in accordance with previous release notes, will “provide general system stability improvements to improve the user experience.” —Cameron Faulkner
Gamecube is finally coming to NSO
The Expansion Pack level already offers a slew of retro games for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and more consoles. The introduction of Gamecube titles would make it even better. This console’s titles have not yet appeared on current Nintendo hardware, presumably because the consoles are not powerful enough to emulate them (and because Nintendo likes to polish them up every now and then to sell them again, i.e. Metroid Prime: Remastered). —C.F
Just when people thought the Switch was going to launch a windowed game Poor would never get a sequel, Nintendo will give players early access to Arms 2’s online multiplayer, similar to Valve’s Impasseit will politely ask players not to discuss the existence of Arms 2.C.F