Priya Patel
TLDR:
- Two former Xbox exclusive games, Pentiment and Grounded, are coming to the Nintendo Switch.
- The announcement was made during a Nintendo Direct, and several other upcoming titles for the platform were also revealed.
During a recent Nintendo Direct, it was announced that two games previously exclusive to Xbox, Pentiment and Grounded, will soon be available on the Nintendo Switch. Pentiment, a narrative adventure game, is set to release on Thursday, while the co-op game Grounded will come out in April. This move marks a significant shift in the industry, as Microsoft had announced earlier that four Xbox exclusives would be appearing on rival platforms, with the other two titles yet to be revealed.
Alongside these announcements, several other upcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch were also unveiled during the Nintendo Direct. This includes a new Endless Ocean game, Monster Hunter Stories, and a remake of the 2010 Disney hit Epic Mickey. Attendees were surprised by the reveal of Penny’s Big Breakaway, a platform game with a 1990s aesthetic, developed by Evening Star. Christian Whitehead, the director of Evening Star, expressed that the 3D platformer genre is currently experiencing a renaissance with a variety of choices available on platforms like Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Evening Star, the developer behind Penny’s Big Breakaway, was formed by individuals who previously worked on Sonic Mania as independent contractors. Sonic Mania, released in 2017, garnered critical acclaim and a nomination at the 2017 Game Awards. While fans anticipated a sequel to Sonic Mania, it never materialized, and Sega released Sonic Superstars in 2023 instead. This move reflects the changing landscape of the gaming industry, where mascots like Sonic and Mario now appear on various consoles.
