Key’s Romance Adventure Kanon Switch Edition on the Way

Legendary romance game Kanon could soon enter the Nintendo Switch canon. A report from tipster Ryokutya2089 suggests that the Key-developed adventure title will come to Switch in early 2023, according to alleged details from Famitsu. Kanon could also be in line to get a few upgrades to suit the many years that have passed since it released in 1999.

According to the report, the Switch edition of Kanon will run at HD resolution (720p). It’ll also have enhanced coloring on the art to take advantage of the Switch’s better screen. One compromise is the fact that the game’s art is all rendered in 4:3 aspect ratio. This is because 16:9 screens (like the Switch’s) were much less common in 1999. To compensate, players will be able scroll the screen using touch controls or the analog stick. Additionally, the game will have full voice acting for the main cast (with the exception of the protagonist, who is partially voiced).

Kanon stars Yuichi Aizawa, a high school student who comes to live in a town that he barely remembers, seeing as he last visited seven years prior. In fact, he’s forgotten seemingly everything about the place, despite the best efforts of his cousin Nayuki. One day he collides with Ayu Tsukimiya, a curious girl that loves Taiyaki pastries and makes strange noises. Before long, he begins to recover his memories of seven years ago, as well as find out more about the city, its supernatural phenomena, and his connection to five young women he left behind.

Kanon was first released on PC in 1999 as an adult game, but received an all-ages version on consoles and PC in 2000. The all-ages edition became the basis for most subsequent Kanon rereleases, which included ports to Dreamcast, PS2, PSP, mobile phones, Android, and iOS.

To date Kanon has never received an officially sanctioned overseas release, with foreign fans reliant on unofficial translations into various languages. It was, however, adapted into manga and anime twice. The 2006 series by Kyoto Animation made it overseas, and is available to view on Crunchyroll in some regions.

Kanon arrives on Nintendo Switch in Japan in Spring 2023.