Many game studios are playing coy when it comes to Nintendo Switch 2, and that includes both Capcom and Clovers as they collaborate on the as-yet-untitled Okami sequel. But director Hideki Kamiya does have one big wish for the platform: Nintendo should bring back Virtual Console.
In a new interview with the developers of the Okami sequel, IGN asked if they had any opinions about Switch 2. Naturally, Capcom producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi was pretty quick to deflect the inquiry. “This is something that we really can’t comment on from Capcom side at all, because yeah, it’s about the Nintendo Switch 2,” he said. “Anything that comes out would come out from Nintendo.”
“As a personal comment, I personally would love to see the Virtual Console rebooted,” Kamiya chimed in. “That’s something that I would really want to ask Nintendo for.”
The Virtual Console was, of course, a line of downloadable retro games that kicked off with the launch of the Wii in 2006. The Virtual Console lineup continued on 3DS and Wii U, but now that all three platforms have had their digital storefronts shut down, the branding is effectively dead. The digital retro libraries that are included with Nintendo Switch Online technically fulfill a similar purpose, but they require you to pay for an ongoing subscription rather than just buy the games outright.
While there’s no shortage of ways to rebuy retro classics these days, Kamiya certainly isn’t alone in hoping for the return of Virtual Console, as fans have been missing the platform ever since the launch of the Switch. Personally, I’m confident Nintendo will find a way to make us pay for Super Mario Bros. all over again on Switch 2, whether or not that method is called Virtual Console.