Xenoblade Chronicles X May Remain On The Wii U
Nintendo has been exemplary at making Switch ports for all the great games people without a Wii U may have missed out on (i.e. everyone). Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker and Pokken Tournament have all been transferred to the Switch, and soon New Super Mario Bros. U will join the list. There are now more exclusives that have been ported vs. those that haven’t, but the Wii U still holds a few titles yet to make the jump.
Super Mario Maker is, currently, the biggest hole in the Switch-port lineup. Other games still left behind include Pikmin 3, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and NES Remix Pack (which I personally enjoyed a lot). It’s unknown why most of these games are still waiting around on a dead and neglected system, but we got answers for one Wii U exclusive today.
Between Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the Switch, there was the interim game Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. That machine is where it’s remained so far, and according to director Tetsuya Takahashi, it may remain there for years to come. USGamer published the interview where this exchamge took place:
As the sun set on our conversation, I ask Takahashi a question that’s admittedly predictable, but burns my soul nevertheless: “Is there a chance we’ll see a port of the Wii U’s Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Switch?”
“Well, the future at present is unclear,” Takahashi says, which is the same answer I received when I ask about the possibility of a Xenoblade Chronicles 3. “Personally speaking, I’d love to play the game on the Switch, but it would be really difficult to make it.”
Of the three Xenoblade games released so far, X is ranked lowest among critics and fans, mainly for its slow pace and nearly nonexistent plot. Difficulties in porting could be overcome if there was immense fan demand, but there currently isn’t. For the foreseeable future, if you want to own every Xenoblade game, you’ll need a Wii U.