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Why The Japanese Word ‘Niji’ Has Nintendo Fans Hopeful About The NX Today
Not since there was a double rainbow “all the way across the sky,” has the internet been so fascinated with the colorful phenomenon as it is today. Nintendo fans are fascinated with the Japanese word for rainbow, “niji,” and what it may mean for the company’s next console.
The story begins on NeoGAF on February 22, when a poster calling himself Trevelyan9999 dropped some information about Nintendo’s upcoming plans. Included in the data drop was a note that this holiday would include a “Pokémon 20th Anniversary game” codenamed “Niji.”
We now know there will be Pokémon games this fall, Sun and Moon. However, when the logo files were first posted on Nintendo’s website this morning, they apparently carried the name “Niji” and not Sun or Moon. Kotaku has a screenshot that displays this before the name was changed.
The reason this has caught fire, is that Trevelyan9999’s post also includes indication that the company’s next console, the NX, will release this year. Additionally, the post claims that The Legend of Zelda will release on both Wii U and NX, similar to Twilight Princess’ dual release on Gamecube and Wii.
Kotaku also indicates in its report that some of Trevelyan9999’s videos on YouTube have been removed. We are unable to confirm this, or the contents of said videos.
Nintendo has indicated that it will reveal more information about the NX this year. With E3 likely to play some role in that, whether as the introduction or the second beat of a multipronged announcement plan, we won’t have long to wait before we finally learn what this console is.
Our Take
As with any rumor, we are approaching this cautiously. However, the link between the Niji codename attributed to a Pokémon game and the file name distributed today made us raise an eyebrow.
That doesn’t mean we’re convinced about the rest of the details. But if you do hear the word “niji” over the next few days, you’ll understand why.
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