Nintendo has revealed the file sizes for a few of their upcoming Nintendo Switch first party titles.
As shared by Nintendeal on Twitter, this information was revealed on the Japanese eShop for the store listings for these individual games. As of this writing, these games are not yet listed on the US eShop.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be 6.0GB. The first game made by Nintendo where Zelda herself is the main playable character is, funnily enough, between the 3rd or 9th game where Zelda is playable. It all depends on whether you count the Philips CD-I games, the Hyrule Warriors games made by Team Ninja, and the Super Smash Bros. games.
In any case, Nintendo chose a retro modern art style where the characters look like toys, reminiscent of the The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake also on the Nintendo Switch. That game also clocks in at 5.9 GB, so it certainly sounds like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom could also have a similar size. If this game is received well, it may lead to Nintendo producing another The Legend of Zelda game where Zelda is a playable character in a realistic style in the future.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will be 9.0GB. This will be the 3rd release of this illustrious title, following the Wii original and 3DS port. Now, the original Wii release was 3.34 GB, and made in such a way that it would fit in a Wii disc. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on the 3DS was even smaller at 2.16 GB, and was available as both a digital download and a cartridge.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, to be produced by Shiny Entertainment, has the benefit of not only Switch’s more powerful hardware, but the bigger sizes available on Switch cartridges. Switch cartridges are known to be able to carry as much as 32GB, so this port is safely within a reasonable size to fit in full.
Lastly, Mario & Luigi: Brothership will be 10.0 GB. This will be the first game made in the Mario & Luigi since the closure of AlphaDream, the studio that was dedicated to making these games. The last game in that series, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey, was released for the 3DS in 2018.
As a fresh start for the franchise, Mario & Luigi: Brothership will have the benefit of being made for the ground up for the Switch, and the switch to full 3D also tells us it won’t be using assets from prior games in the series. That allows its developers, who Nintendo says includes people who made the prior games, the freedom to expand the game concept figuratively and digitally. It’s an exciting time for its older fans, but also a huge opportunity to make new ones.
We don’t anticipate any regional differences for file sizes for these games, but we will of course also wait to see if the US eShop listings for these games also emerge soon.
