Nintendo Switch Games, Specs and Rumors: Increased horsepower, 'Dark Souls' and more

We're only a few short weeks from the blowout reveal event for Nintendo's new Switch console in early January, but rumors are still flying in at a rapid pace.

We've already heard rumblings about the possible price and potential games lineup. We've even seen what Pokémon might look like on Switch.

Now, thanks to the ever vigilant Laura Kate Dale of Let's Play Video Games, there are some new and fascinating tidbits about Nintendo's upcoming handheld/console hybrid machine.

Nintendo Switch games: Dark Souls on the go?

If you've never played the Dark Souls games, you're missing out. They combine feelings of dread and mystery with the immense satisfaction of discovery. Oh yeah, you also die a lot because they're incredibly difficult, yet rewarding.

They've also never appeared on a Nintendo console, meaning a portion of the gaming audience hasn't gotten to experience their greatness. According to Dale, however, that may change:

According to one of our sources, From Software has Dark Souls 3 running on the Nintendo Switch with a level of performance they are happy with. They have not committed to releasing it yet, but discussions internally at the company have discussed the financial viability of re releasing the main three Dark Souls titles on the Switch with their DLC bundled in.

Keep in mind that, according to Dale's sources, developer From Software hasn't even committed to fully porting the Dark Souls trilogy to Switch. It has only gotten Dark Souls III running in a way that satisfies the developer enough to do so if it's financially viable. 

Still, it'd be a seriously great value to get the Dark Souls games (with all of the downloadable add-ons) on Switch. Who doesn't want to get killed repeatedly by horrifying beasts on a cross-country flight?

Nintendo Switch games: An unexpected Mario crossover adventure

Mario has gone to the Olympics with Sonic the Hedgehog and played street hoops with Final Fantasy characters, but according to Dale's sources, the iconic Italian plumber has some powerful new foes to deal with: the Rabbids.

According to both of our sources at Ubisoft and Nintendo, on the day the Switch launches, it'll launch alongside a new Ubisoft-developed turn based RPG, with the name suggesting it will be a crossover of the Raving Rabbids and Mario series.

In case you aren't familiar, the Rabbids are maniacal, chaotic cartoon rabbits that have appeared in a series of family-friendly games by Ubisoft. They're basically Minions who existed before the actual Minions did. They love to scream and make a mess of things.

If Dale's sources are accurate, it sounds like Mario and friends will take on armies of Rabbids in turn-based RPG style combat, a la Super Mario RPG or Paper Mario. Sweet!

Super Mario Run specs: More power at home

The last major scoop from Dale concerns the Switch's graphical horsepower, which is a matter of great speculation right now. According to Let's Play Video Games, the console will get some kind of boost to power when it's docked to the television:

When the system is connected to the dock by USB-C, the system's components will run at a higher clock speed to facilitate 1080p resolutions on the TV. Both video and power will be transferred over USB-C when docked. Plugging the system into the dock will also activate a small additional fan to help with cooling when run at that higher clock speed. This fan is in the rear of the dock, and there is a gap in the back of the dock to allow the system's inbuilt fans to vent when docked.

Basically, the hardware lives in the tablet portion of the console, not in the box that connects it to the TV. When you're playing on the go, it has to reduce horsepower in order to preserve battery life and minimize heat levels. If this is true, connecting it to the TV will unlock the rest of the power, allowing games to run at higher resolutions and theoretically look better or run smoother without requiring additional hardware.