Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - March 20, 2025

[Diesel]

Heavily rumored for a while, finally confirmed.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch - YouTube

The year is 2054. Earth has been destroyed by an intergalactic war between two alien races, and humanity is on the brink of annihilation. A small number of survivors, aboard the USS White Whale, crash land on the vast and untamed planet Mira—and now it falls to you, as a member of BLADE, to help bring humanity back from the edge of extinction…with the aid of powerful giant robots called Skells!

The visually enhanced edition of this open-world RPG contains newly added story elements and more.

The Xenoblade Chronicles™ X: Definitive Edition game is coming to the Nintendo Switch™ system on March 20, 2025!

Take on tough foes in a robust combat system, and pilot powerful giant robots called Skells
Choose from a huge variety of special attacks, skills, and classes in a combat system that’s as deep as you want it to be. Once you’ve proven yourself to BLADE, you’ll earn the right to pilot and personalize your very own Skell—a powerful machine that can fly, transform into a vehicle for fast overland travel, and wield immense strength in combat with customizable weapons and armor.

Gather resources and take on missions to build the community of New Los Angeles
As you go about the reconstruction effort, getting to know the people of New Los Angeles (NLA), you’ll build affinity with your party members and unlock quests for gear and other rewards. Join your choice of military organization within BLADE to take on even more missions—or even team up with up to 32 players from near and far online* in Squad Tasks, Online Missions, and extra-challenging Global Nemesis Battles!

[RevolverOcelScott]

I can't seem to find info on if this is Nintendo Store Exclusive. It's up on there, but nowhere else (yet?)

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

I can't seem to find info on if this is Nintendo Store Exclusive. It's up on there, but nowhere else (yet?)

It’ll be up at other retailers in the next few days most likely since it was just now announced.

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by Diesel

It’ll be up at other retailers in the next few days most likely since it was just now announced.

I figured, it just was kinda stealth announced and launched on their website shortly after. Figured it might be like the XB3 LE where it was only on their site or something.

[dyne]

Oh shit. I have this on Wii U but never got into it very much. It's extremely MMO ish in its setup and presentation. I'll have to see if they tweak it at all.

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

I figured, it just was kinda stealth announced and launched on their website shortly after. Figured it might be like the XB3 LE where it was only on their site or something.

Really hoping they don't do the Nintendo Shop exclusivity for an LE. That's never a good time.

[Diesel]

Is this the last major Wii U exclusive left on the console besides maybe Color Splash?

I hope there will be a Switch 2 SKU of this, but I doubt it. I’ll likely wait until Switch 2 drops to play it through (assumed) backwards compatibility at least. Unless Nintendo goes mad and really does wait until November 2025 to release the thing.

[dyne]

Starfox Zero is the only one I can think of.

[CWCprime]

I know a lot of people were hankering for The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD to get Switch ports. Not sure I'd call them "exclusives" necessarily, but they are arguably the definitive versions of those games.

[Talal86]

Splatoon is still Wii U exclusive, although the sequel is similar

[ChadFL]

The most productive developer in video games strikes again. Said it before, but Nintendo struck gold when they acquired Monolith Soft.

As a longtime Wii U fan, I absolutely loved this game and think it's one of the best in the Xenoblade series. It was a shame it languished so many years on a console next to nobody owned, so I'm glad it's getting a new lease on life on the Switch. This kind of remaster is a good idea for the last year the Switch sees solid support.

[ChadFL]

Cover art same as the Wii U version. Always loved the look.

[Diesel]

Wonder if we’ll see some retcons and the “additional story content” tying this in to the universe of the trilogy instead of remaining entirely standalone.

Edit: Guess not.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition features your character at the center of the action in a standalone sci-fi story.

https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew...h-on-march-20/

[RevolverOcelScott]

It's up on Gamestop now too, so it's not Nintendo shop exclusive like I feared.

[Hatter]

Hopefully they don’t cheap out on the cartridge size. It’ll need a 16GB card to fit it and run reasonably. I have the disc on Wii U but it was highly recommended to download the 10GB data packs for better performance and to save your optical disk drive. One of those cases where buying it digitally back on Wii U would have made way more sense.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by RevolverOcelScott

It's up on Gamestop now too, so it's not Nintendo shop exclusive like I feared.

Why were you fearing that? Every Xenoblade game has received a Switch physical release. Hell, I think every game has even had a collector's edition - including the original, which was a remaster. Apparently, the game is only around 15 GB in size.

Can't really see a scenario where a first party Nintendo title doesn't get a North American physical release. Fairly sure every one of their first party titles received a NA physical edition except weird cases like the first 2 Famicom Detective Club titles, which were Japanese only.

[jimidini]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Is this the last major Wii U exclusive left on the console besides maybe Color Splash?

No, there are quite a few left, and some Switch ports are downgrades.

This for example will surely be censored worldwide, similar to Project Zero 5 as well as Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.

There is for example ZombiU, which isn't really possible anywhere else, sure the PS4 got a digital port, which removed basically everything that made the game great, including online.
And there's Devil's Third, which had very very good online multiplayer, anyone who played it on Wii U will confirm that. Of course it's not likely that these will get ported, and in case of ZombiU it would be pointless anyway, unless Switch 2 has 2 screens once again.

Wii U also had a Japanese only digital download called Tiny Thief, which was such a great game. I think it's also available on certain smartphones. For some reason that never left Japan, despite there being almost no work needed for localization.

Then there is the classic Affordable Space Adventures, which for some silly reason never got a physical release on Wii U, and that's also one of these games that's impossible to port to anything except a console with 2 screens and one has to be a touchscreen. Sure, maybe you can rip its heart out, similar to ZombiU, but that would destroy the game itself.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse required the gamepad for drawing. Sure, theoretically possible on the Switch, but it would be undocked only, which would be just stupid.

Then there's Star Fox Zero, that one would be possible, but you would have to change the controls and game play completely.

Then Pushmo World.
The 2 Zelda remasters, especially Wind Waker, but I'm sure Nintendo will port at least that one over, of course that one will then lose the gamepad features, which will suck and make it a downgrade.

Game & Wario - also impossible anywhere else

And finally Nintendo Land - also impossible anywhere else, unless Switch 2 is a Wii U 2.

And there are also special cases, like I think the Angry Video Game Nerd game, which was changed on other consoles, so if you want the original release, and there are reasons to do so, Wii U was one way to get it. It's not the same game, some say they botched the changes.

[jimidini]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Apparently, the game is only around 15 GB in size.

The original Wii U release was 23 GB. Wii U discs were 25 GB.

Hope that they didn't cut content, like they did with Super Mario Bros U, and made these online video streams, because when servers go down, Bros U will lose all of that content on the Switch, while it's on disc on the Wii U.

I have a bad feeling about that, because Xenoblade X is an insanely large game and it was already insanely well compressed on the Wii U.
Cutting 8 GBs of a 23 GB sounds impossible to me. It's obvious that it got so small so that they don't have to use a 32 GB cart, which of course is their own damn problem.

Originally Posted by Hatter

it was highly recommended to download the 10GB data packs for better performance and to save your optical disk drive

That was basically an installation on the Wii U, and the Wii U had no installations (similar to the Switch, or well any other Nintendo console lol), and thus they made it optional download packs.

[RevolverOcelScott]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Why were you fearing that? Every Xenoblade game has received a Switch physical release. Hell, I think every game has even had a collector's edition - including the original, which was a remaster. Apparently, the game is only around 15 GB in size.

Because there have been retailer exclusive games. While I said previously it was doubtful, they announced it and for a bit it was only available for order via Nintendo Store. The XB3 LE was Nintendo Exclusive and since X is essentially the black sheep of the franchise, I figured it might be possible.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Is this the last major Wii U exclusive left on the console besides maybe Color Splash?

Still quite a few.

Super Mario Maker - Mario Maker 2 on Switch always felt like an improved version of the original, so little to no reason to ever port this.

Splatoon - Similar to Mario Maker. Splatoon 2 seems like an improved version of the original Wii U game, so can't see this getting a port.

Yoshi's Woolly World - Guess this could be remastered ported at some point, but not exactly a beloved game and can't see a big push to remaster it.

Nintendoland - It was pretty mediocre and more or less an attempt by Nintendo to be a demo for the Wii U in the way Wii Sports was for the Wii. Never worked out that way and probably stuck forever as a Wii U game.

Star Fox Zero/Star Fox Guard - This game was a steaming pile of crap and is widely hated, for good reason. Would take a full on remake to even make this game not suck and even then, many would pass due to the game's prior reputation. Can't see Nintendo ever touching this one, and this game might have killed the series altogether.

Devil's Third - LOL

Game & Wario - One of the worst Wario games they've made.

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival - EVERYONE would prefer this never existed.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water - Now THIS is one I'd love to see remastered/remade. Really good game, which unfortunately never even received a physical release on Wii U.

[Talal86]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water - Now THIS is one I'd love to see remastered/remade. Really good game, which unfortunately never even received a physical release on Wii U.

there's a physical switch/ps4 release