Cult classic series Shenmue has seen something of a revival in the last few years, with the upcoming Shenmue 3 being a successful crowdfunding project and now having an official release date, while the first two games have been recently released on PS4, Xbox One and PC. However, the series' lack of presence on the Nintendo Switch has unexpectedly generated something of a demand to see Ryo Hazaki's adventures be made available on the home console/handheld hybrid. While the possibility of the remasters releasing on the console was originally shot down, Sega localization team members have since suggested otherwise.

In an interview with 4Gamer, Hiroji Noguchi stated, "The fans have really shown their love for Shenmue – and for that, I really am grateful. Personally, I think it’d be great if you could play Shenmue on the Switch anywhere." Fellow team member Eigo Kasahara followed that up with, "Whether or not we can do something like that in reality, we’re taking the fan’s opinions into consideration. Following up on that might take some time, but it’s definitely something I want to consider." While this is by no means an official confirmation, the prospect is nonetheless exciting.

Ryo Hazuki in fighting stance

The first two Shenmue games may be considered dated by some, but they're clearly still beloved by long-time fans. And should those games get Switch releases, maybe Shenmue 3 will arrive on it too so Nintendo players can experience the whole trilogy themselves.

Shenmue 3 was first announced at E3 2015, and after a few delays,is seemingly well on its way to release next year. But while this will no doubt wrap up this trilogy and see Ryo's story come to an end, this doesn't necessarily make it the last Shenmue game, with series creator Yu Suzuki confirming that Shenmue 3's ending will leave things open for a potential sequel.

Shenmueis currently set to be released in August 27th 2019 on PS4 and PC. Shenmue I + II are both currently available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Source: 4Gamer (via Destructoid)