'Yooka Laylee' release date, speculations, news: Will the game be playable on the Nintendo Switch?

A promotional scheenshot for "Yooka Laylee"Playtonic Games official website

With almost all games in the market trying to be realistic and life-like, sometimes going back to the basics of a fun and stress-free environment is what a player needs. "Yooka Laylee" is a new game set for 2017 that aims to do just that.

For those who do not know, "Yooka Laylee" is an exciting 3D platformer game developed by the newly created Playtonic Games. The game is funded by Kickstarter, so by definition, it is a new game for the people funded by the people. The appeal of reviving a simple yet colorful 3D platformer helped raise close to £2.1 million with nearly 80,000 backers.

The concept is very much similar to "Spyro," except that in this game the player controls two characters simultaneously. Yooka, the green chameleon-like creature, is the main character that the player uses to navigate through the environment. Laylee is the purple bat that acts as support, allowing the gamer to glide and get to hard-to-reach areas. New abilities are unlocked with the help of a non-playable character, serpent salesman Trowzer.

One of the more recent trailers teased appearances from well-known characters in other games. One of which is the Shovel Knight, where a hilarious dialogue is exchanged between Yooka, Laylee, and the lost knight. It is possible that there will be more once the game is released, or if DLC's will be available by then.

YouTube/ Playtonic Games

The game is originally slated to be supported by PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac OSX, Linux, and Wii U platforms, but given the controls, fans are clamoring that it be introduced to the new Nintendo Switch. In a forum, players discussed the possibilities and the reasons why it would make more sense to port the game on the new hybrid model, given the fact that the Wii U may be phased out soon enough, Kotaku reports.

According to the last statement gathered by My Nintendo News, it seems hopes for getting it on the hybrid may be a bit bleak, at least for now. "At this stage we're aiming to just release on what we promised on Kickstarter – which is a lot for us as a team of twenty people," Playtonic Games said.

Still, players can still hope that it will eventually be introduced to the Switch. If it has backward compatibility and can play Wii U games, then it would be a huge treat, as was discussed by some avid followers.

"Yooka Laylee" is expected to arrive in stores in March 2017.