[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ikkei Trendy had an interview with CEO of Level-5 Games, Akihiro Hino. During this conversation, Hino praised the Nintendo Switch and said that Level-5 is working on games for the Switch. We’ve included the excerpt for anyone that wants to have a read.

Hino:“I think Switch is good. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is extremely fun. It’s almost dangerous. (Laughs.) Actually, playing with Switch myself, my impression [of the system] has changed a lot from when it was still in development. I was hesitant about its ‘play both inside and outside’ style, but I feel like there is a considerable potential there.

“Anyway, Zelda is a lot of fun, so I personally carry it around and play it as much as I can, even on airplanes. The model that Nintendo gave me is the one with the red- and blue-colored controllers, so when I carried it around a lot, the looks I got made me self-conscious. I bought the black controller that they released myself and attached it. (Laughs.)

“I think the Style of Switch is a wonderful fit for competitive games. You can play if you’re gathered in real life, as well as online. For example, I think the fact that the game lovers within a company can get together and play Mario Kart is really fascinating and interesting. And while I can’t say the content quite yet, we’re working on game(s)* that support [Switch].”

To quickly summarize, Akihiro Hino was hesitant about the Switch, at first. However, after playing Zelda on the finished product, he’s very enthusiastic about the new system. He chose not to give us details on the content but says that Level-5 is working on new games for the Switch after all.

Speculation

Of course, if you know us, you know that’s not where we’re gonna leave the subject. Akihiro said two important things in his praise of the Switch that may help us better understand where he’s going with this. First, he says there is considerable potential in the play-inside-and-outside style of the Switch. Second, he claims that he thinks the Switch works well for competitive games.

This likely means that Level-5 wants to take advantage of the way you can bring console titles with you on the Switch. As well as using it for competitive titles, as Hino seems fond of the Switch’s capabilities for that.

We’re sure you’ve noticed these two traits are almost at odds with each other. How do you develop a competitive game that you can just pick up and play anytime? Well, you usually don’t. More likely, this refers to separate games. Not just one. Here are a few ideas that spring to mind:

• Inazuma Eleven – Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin has been announced but has no launch window or selected platform. It could be on the Switch. Alternatively, we could see a new Inazuma Eleven Strikers title, as those were Wii titles and would exemplify that competitive style they suggested.
• 
• Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – So far, this title is only announced for PS4 and Windows PC. We think it could be ported to the Nintendo Switch. Level-5 Games might be reconsidering. Hino did say that he was hesitant about the Switch, at first. Maybe he’s changed his mind?
• Fantasy Life – Perhaps we’ll see a new iteration of this on the Switch, as it has been out for a while on the 3DS. Not to mention, Hino did say that he thought the inside-outside play style of the Switch had potential. Fantasy Life could take advantage of that.
• 
• Yo-Kai Watch – With rumors still hot that Pokemon will be putting a main series title on the Switch, there’s no reason Yo-Kai Watch won’t follow suit.
• Dragon Quest – While Dragon Quest isn’t Level-5’s game, they HAVE worked on it, in the past. This includes Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IX, which is already confirmed for Switch! It’s very likely that Level-5 Games is somehow involved.
• Snack World – With the game being made in Unity, it wouldn’t be too hard to see it on the Switch. Perhaps a port might be in the works.

These are, of course, just suggestions. We’re going off of just a few things that line up. We’d love to hear your suggestions, below. If you want to know more about Level-5 Games, we have an article about The Snack World for 3DS. Or you could read about Fantasy Life Online’s Japanese Beta.