Nintendo’s decision to develop a sequel to their critically panned game, 1-2 Switch, has surprised many fans. Released in March 2017, 1-2 Switch received universal criticism and is considered one of Nintendo’s most underwhelming games, with a Metacritic score of just 58. Despite this, Nintendo announced the sequel, titled Everybody 1-2 Switch, which is set to release on June 30.
Everybody 1-2 Switch will be priced at $29.99, $20 lower than its predecessor’s day-one price. The game’s description on the Nintendo Store mentions party mini-games featuring various elements like balloons and aliens. Interestingly, the ESRB rating for the sequel includes alcohol references, unlike the original. Despite the negative reception of the first game, Nintendo seems to have chosen to release the sequel due to its relatively low development costs and the moderate success of the original, which sold around 3.5 million copies.
Rumors about a sequel to 1-2 Switch emerged in early 2022, suggesting that the game was disliked by playtesters and localization teams. This reportedly led to internal concerns within Nintendo, with employees fearing that releasing Everybody 1-2 Switch could harm the company’s reputation for producing high-quality games.
While it remains to be seen if Everybody 1-2 Switch will address the criticisms of its predecessor, its lower price tag suggests that it may have been a cost-effective project for Nintendo. Despite the initial poor reviews, the decision to release the sequel could be viewed as a low-risk, high-reward strategy, considering the sales numbers achieved by the original game.
