Square Enix / Deck NineThe Square Enix Direct A few hours ago, the stream of Presents went up, and although we know we would remain disappointed, a few of us joined Nintendo Life in hopes of hearing how games would come to Switch. Balan Wonderworld was on display, but we already knew it, and the only other Switch game was Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, which appeared on the console in 2019, but will eventually be released on PC as well.
All in all, a bit of a disappointment for our Nintendo kids, but … well, we already knew it would be. You can not always get what you want, as The Rolling Stones would say. But of all the omissions, we ask again: Why is life not strange on the Nintendo Switch?
There has not been much news on that front since DONTNOD, the French studio that made Life is Strange 1 and 2 (but not the prequel Before the Storm, and not the new game, Life Is Strange: True Colors), GameSpot in 2019 that they ‘would like to see Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2 on this console’, but that it was Square Enix’s decision to make. Now that American studio Deck Nine is taking over the reins for the series, it’s even less clear what’s going to happen.
At the end of last month, however, a poster on the video game forum ResetEra leaked a lot of information about the games that were true following today’s presentation of Square Enix. They knew the title, and they correctly identified the lead in Asia America, as well as the game’s most important mechanic. So it is safe to say that they got their information from a good source.
As for Switch versions, the leak – known only as “Bing” – had the following to say:
“Life is Strange 1 is being transferred to the Switch. I’m not sure if the second and BtS will be transferred as well, but I would think they would do that. The ports should be announced when LiS 3 is announced.”
But unfortunately this does not seem to be the case so far. In all likelihood, they is probably working on it – but due to COVID, it might take a little longer. There is even a chance that they will announce it shortly after I publish this article, and that I will have to eat my hat.
But why did it take so long to get Life Is Strange on the switch? Here I’m not ungrateful – there are already many fantastic indies available on the console, and believe me, I do not need another game to add to my ever-growing pile of shame – it just seems like an obvious home for a game that’s a storytelling small town story about strange teenagers.
After all, Nintendo has long been the place to find small-town stories in Harvest Moon, narrative heavy games like Ace Attorney, and heart-pounding LGBTQ-friendly games like Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, Night in the Woods, and Monster Prom. Of course, some of the games did not originate on the Switch, but they fit in nicely.
The lack of life is weird on the switch feels so weird that I have to remind myself regularly that I can not write about it on Nintendo Life. Apparently we only treat Nintendo news, although that did not stop me from talking about Valheim in “What Are You Playing” every week as if I was being paid by Big Viking.
In the meantime, I just have to be content with my real life as a bisexual woman with superpowers lives in a small town on the coast. I do think I need to learn guitar.