Nintendo’s news app revealed that the Switch 2 will have 258 default profile icons, which is an increase from the 147 icons available on original Switch. Here’s a repost of the video from the app showing all of the icons.
It’s almost as exciting as the last Nintendo Today bombshell, IMO.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has already been announced for the Nintendo Switch 2, but based on a new Nintendo video featuring the series’ director, it sounds like the entire FFVII remake series is coming to the console, too.
See you in Midgar... and all of the other iconic FFVII locations.
The retailer lists its Mario Kart World bundle as available to buy on the console’s June 5th launch day and including a 12-month subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack — with the caveat that it’s “for NEW members; cannot add to existing membership,” as deal-hunter Wario64 spotted.
Whether that’s as a free bonus or added onto the price of the system isn’t clear, since Costco hasn’t posted pricing yet.
Nintendo has started inviting customers in Japan to preorder the Switch 2 from its online store, but it seems scammers are trying to ruin the fun. In a machine-translated post on X, Nintendo confirmed “phishing emails disguised as the results” of the Switch preorder lottery.
“If there is a URL for reservations or purchases, it was not sent by our company,” Nintendo writes. “Please be careful.”
We’re already big fans of the company’s Analogue Pocket and original Switch cases that swap zippers and annoying velcro for quick access magnetic closures. WaterField’s Magnetic Case for Switch 2 is now available for preorder for $89 to $119 depending on the material you choose, as is its $129 CitySlicker for Switch 2 which can be paired with an optional strap turning it into a bag. Both are expected to ship in late June 2025.
They kick off at Best Buy, Target, and Walmart at 12AM ET. Here’s our guide on how to increase your chances of getting one. I’ll be on the hunt, too. Good luck, everyone!
A push notification I got kind of reads like Best Buy’s Switch 2 preorders are only for in-store pickup. Language on Best Buy’s website when I first wrote this post could also be read that way.
But Best Buy’s Julia Benda tells me that “shipping and pickup will both be available for preorders.” And Best Buy’s website now says you can choose in-store pickup or “shipping for delivery at a later date.”
Preorders start at 12AM ET.
Update: Best Buy clarified its website.
But:
First released alongside 8BitDo’s Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard - Xbox Edition last November with a matching transparent green shell, the Retro R8 Mouse is now available in an N Edition with colors inspired by the NES.
Functionally it’s the same as the Xbox version with an included charging dock, four programmable side buttons, and Bluetooth, 2.4GHz and USB connectivity. It also uses Kailh Sword GM X Micro Switches for its primary buttons, and a PAW 3395 optical sensor.
Happy Fire Emblem Tuesday! To celebrate, Nintendo has added the GBA’s Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones to the Switch Online Expansion Pack’s catalog. And over on the Nintendo Music app, the sprawling soundtrack to the Switch’s Fire Emblem Engage is now available, but it’s a long one. There’s a total of 182 tracks which will take you 7 hours and 24 minutes to listen to.
The internet has lots of videos walking you through the process of restoring and upgrading an original Game Boy. Elliot Coll, of YouTube’s The Retro Future channel, instead dives deep into the process of restoring an original Game Boy demo kiosk used to promote the handheld in stores.
The kiosks only work with a custom version of the Game Boy that are just as rare, but Coll already had one in their personal collection.
Rudd and Nintendo made a new commercial for the Switch 2. In it, he’s quick to explain why he’s got a “long black duster, indie rock hair, and a beaded necklace” — it’s a reference to a Super Nintendo commercial he filmed in the 1990s.
If you’re still not following, don’t worry, Nintendo also made sure to post that commercial to jog your memory.
Another day, another Nintendo livestream, and yet we’re still in limbo about when we can pay for a Switch 2 and what it will cost in the US. Viewers chanted “DROP THE PRICE” in the YouTube chat!
But how unfair is that price, really? The Verge’s awesome video team asked me to explain it on camera. I can’t say I love the price or want to pay it, but I do feel a tad better after this!
Nintendo is about to show off its big Switch 2 launch exclusive Mario Kart World. The event is expected to last around 15 minutes, and you can watch it right here.
From a big Variety interview published yesterday: “I’m really a big believer in what Nintendo means for this industry and us continuing to support them,” Spencer said. “And getting the support from them for our franchises, I think, is an important part of our future.”
Time Extension writes about Stephen Peringer, the freelance artist who made 12 pieces of video game available for bidding at Heritage Auctions, starting on May 5th:
Throughout both the 80s and ‘90s, Peringer contributed a frankly stunning amount of iconic art for some of the biggest video game companies around...
You don’t need childhood memory of poring over video game box art at the rental store seared into your head as much as I do to appreciate the work, but it doesn’t hurt.
Nintendo has let us know that tomorrow is all about Mario Kart World. The Mario Kart World direct takes place April 17th at 9 A.M ET and will last for 15 minutes. You can watch the livestream on mobile devices via the new Nintendo Today! app or...on YouTube like everyone else. See you there.
Emphasis on “might.” Leaker billbil-kun, who previously tipped April 23rd preorders for Canada, says US retailers could begin taking orders from either April 21st or April 30th.
Nintendo delayed preorders in both countries in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, and despite recent speculation still hasn’t confirmed when it will be ready to take your money.
