Xenoblade Chronicles X On Switch Is A Bigger Deal Than You Might Realize

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The franchise has been one of Nintendo's tent pole series, despite living in relative obscurity until recently. Despite successful sales with the original, the series only really found great commercial success with the launch of and on the Nintendo Switch and the re-release of the first game under the name .

However, while fans have been enjoying the Switch releases of all three games, there are many who haven't had the chance to play the all-important spin-off, one of the best open-world JRPGs. That's because, until recently, it was trapped on Nintendo's relatively unsuccessful Wii U. However, Nintendo surprisingly announced that is coming to the Nintendo Switch. While it is seemingly not that big of a deal for the publisher — it didn't even get mentioned in a Direct — for fans, this is a huge deal.

coming to the Nintendo Switch means that the entire series is finally available on the same platform, giving Switch players access to the best JRPGs of all time. This is important not just as it means that dedicated fans don't have to splash out on a still surprisingly expensive Wii U, but also because, despite being a spin-off, has ties to the main trilogy. It is referenced a number of times, with characters appearing as cameos and allusions being made, especially at the end of .

However, the fact that the entire series is available on the same platform across the world speaks to the enormous success of what was once intended to be a Japan and Europe exclusive. In an alternative future — perhaps one in which humanity lives on the backs of giant titans — faded into cult classic status like and before it. However, thanks somewhat to the efforts of the Operation Rainfall movement, was brought over to North America and the rest is history.

Reggie Fils-Aime mentioned in an interview with that Operation Rainfall didn't directly affect Nintendo's decision to bring to North America. However, it was certainly noticed, and likely had an effect, especially considering that prior