Since the Nintendo Switch was first revealed, the console has offered up the unique selling point of acting as both a portable and home console at the same time. As such, many Nintendo fans have been wondering if handheld-focused franchises such as Monster Hunter and Pokemon could make it to the system, and Capcom’s Shintaro Kojima has offered up hope to those after the former. The producer has refused to rule out Monster Hunter one day coming to the Switch.

Speaking with Takashi Mochizuki, the Tokyo-based technology reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Kojima did not deny that the Monster Hunter franchise would come to the Switch. Mochizuki asked the Capcom producer if the series is coming to the Switch, and Kojima replied with “hope you enjoy it on 3DS first.”

Although this is far from a confirmation that Monster Hunter will be released on Switch in the future, it certainly gives hope to fans of the franchise hoping to see further releases for the home console market. After all, the main series has exclusively been on portable devices since Monster Hunter 4, with only a few spin-offs coming to systems other than the 3DS.

Exactly which games could make it to the Switch remain to be seen, but fans could be hoping that Monster Hunter XX could be the one to come to both Switch and 3DS. Capcom has just released this updated version of Monster Hunter Generations in Japan, so US fans are no doubt hoping that a western port is on the cards, as with Monster Hunter Generations itself. If a release across both 3DS and Switch could also be agreed, then that would be all the better for the game.

Capcom has shown some interest in the Switch so far, of course. The company is releasing an updated version of Street Fighter 2, called Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers. This version of the beloved fighting game offers up a wealth of new features, including a first-person mode, and it could act as a way to test the waters for future Switch releases.

Of course, it still may be that the Monster Hunter series remains tied to the realm of the 3DS for now, but with Nintendo currently not working on a successor to the 3DS, Capcom may need to think of ways to move the franchise to a new audience. The Switch may well act as the best way to keep Monster Hunter successful – at least until Nintendo decides where it wants to go with the portable gaming business.

Source: Takashi Mochizuki (Twitter)