First things first. The release date is March 3 and the retail price is $300.00.
This news is absolutely incredible to hear. From presentation to release will be less than two months and that is some seriously impressive secrecy that Nintendo has kept this system in. As for the retail price, that's pretty good and very competitive with XBOX One and PS4. Although, given that the Switch does not come with any games bundled with it, this price seems a little less fair.
The Nintendo Switch online service will become a paid online service. Starting in March, Nintendo Account owners can enlist in a trial for the new service, but come Fall 2017, that service will be paid. No news on price, but a few incentives are listed. Firstly, Nintendo will offer exclusive discounts and deals on digital games. Secondly, Nintendo will have one free NES and SNES game every month, although this is literally just for that one month. A companion app will be used for chat/setting up lobbies.
A gargantuan loss for Nintendo here, giving up on their free online service that they have held over Microsoft and Sony for years now, but oh well, I guess we have to move on. As for Nintendo's "incentives", also extremely weak. One NES and SNES game for that month. No playing it after the month ends. Ridiculous.
The Nintendo Switch will not be region locked.
This literally effects me zero, but I realize this is really cool of Nintendo to do.
Battery life for the tablet outside of the dock is 3.5-6.5 hours and the dock uses a USB Type-C charger. The tablet has a capacitive touch panel and supports up to eight player local multiplayer.
All good news. Obviously the Switch was not going to outlast a 3DS battery, so the announced life seems reasonable for playing Skyrim or Legend of Zelda for three hours outside the dock. The USB Type-C is incredible, amazing, fantastic news, as is the news that the touch screen will not be a stylus touch screen, but rather a capacitive touch screen, the kind most phones nowadays have. Local multiplayer could be pretty neat if the Switch market gets big enough. Especially for Mario Kart and Splatoon 2 games.
The Joy-Con controllers are packed to the absolute brim with neat little functions and features. The details are shown below in a handy little picture.
Most notable new features are the HD rumble feature, which the presenter compared to holding a cup with one, two, or three ice cubes in it. Additionally, the IR Motion Camera allows the sensor to see how far away something is and what shape it detects.
The Joy-Con controller could honestly be one of my favorite controllers of all time. I always liked the feel of the Wii remote with the nunchuk, hanging my arms down the sides of my body, fully relaxing while I played, but there was always the cord there impairing me. These Joy-Cons are incredibly versatile in addition to their functionality, which is what I think makes them so damn impressive.
1-2 Switch is the first game that Nintendo announced for the Switch during their presentation. 1-2 Switch is a party game with the main premise that to play the game, players do not even need to look at the screen, just each other. There will be a variety of games within. 1-2 Switch is a launch title and will be $50.00.
1-2 Switch looks decent. I think it looks like a great introduction to the new features of the Joy-Con. My biggest complaint about this game is that it will not be bundled with the Nintendo Switch. I think it was huge for the Wii having Wii Sports, and for the Wii U having Nintendo Land. Nintendo has come out and said that they settled on the $300 price point and would let players decide what games they wanted, but I still can't help but feel like the new console would have benefited from some kind of game support in a starter bundle.
Arms was the second game announced in the presentation. Arms is a new fighting game for the Nintendo Switch. Both local and online multiplayer will be supported in the game and Nintendo described the game as having lots of replay value. Arms comes out in the spring and will be $60.00.
Arms looks incredibly intriguing and frankly, a lot of fun. What gets me about Arms is the price point. I haven't seen enough of Arms yet to really make an informed decision, but as of now I for sure would not purchase this game for a full $60.00. Nonetheless, the game looks like a lot of fun and I really liked the description "Arms is to fighting games what Splatoon is to shooters". Now to the big boys.
Splatoon 2 is the sequel to the Wii U's Splatoon that will feature new weapons, maps, hair styles, and special weapons. The trailer did not go into any detail about the game's single player adventures, but Nintendo confirmed that Splatoon 2 will have periodic updates after release, similar to the updates given to the original Splatoon after its launch. Splatoon 2 will come out this summer for $60.00.
For absolutely sure Splatoon 2 is one of my three top games for the Nintendo Switch as of now. The new additions to the game look really, really good, and the gameplay shown was very impressive and left me with very few questions regarding how the game will play. I will absolutely be buying Splatoon 2 upon its summer release.
Super Mario Odyssey is the new, previously unannounced, 3D Mario title that Nintendo had been working on for the Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Odyssey is set up like Super Mario Sunshine, in that it has a hub world and from there, you depart to various other worlds for levels. Super Mario Odyssey has new abilities for Mario, from rolling to clambering and shimmying, to his newest signature move for the game, throwing his sentient hat. The game also has loads of new characters and a new style for Bowser. Super Mario Odyssey will be released this holiday season for $60.00.
Jesus Christ, Super Mario Odyssey looks beautiful. From the Sunshine vibes to the new abilities and characters, this game looks extremely promising. The hub world of New Donk City (or whatever its called) looks a little off, with Mario running alongside regular human beings, but this is quickly washed away by the stunning views of the different worlds. From running along a forest path to wall jumping between two city buildings, Super Mario Odyssey is an absolute treat and I cannot wait for its release.
Several projects were given updated news, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Skyrim, and 80 other games are in development for the Switch. EA also announced that FIFA is coming to the Switch.
I figuratively fell asleep during this part, because I literally. Literally. L i t e r a l l y. Could not care less about these announcements. If you like these games, good for you.
What comes in the box?
These things. The Nintendo Switch has a grey pack and a red/blue pack.
Neat.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild received another trailer. Zelda was shown for the first time and it was revealed that most of the major characters would be voiced. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch for $60.00.
WOw. And yes, that was on purpose, because holy goddamn crap. Legend of Zelda continues to impress me more and more every time I see it. This trailer was pretty much nonstop goosebumps, and I simply cannot wait to get my hands on this masterpiece, come March 3rd.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was officially announced after the presentation on the Nintendo YouTube channel. The game is virtually the same as Mario Kart 8 for Wii U, with a few roster changes, (King Boo, Dry Bones, Bowser Jr., and the Inklings) kart additions, (two new Splatoon-themed cars and Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car) the ability to carry two items, and a completely revamped battle mode, featuring new and returning battle maps and some new items, the return of the Boo item and the brand new Feather. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes out in April for $60.00.
This is coming from the guy who loved Mario Kart 8 dearly, holds Mario Kart as his favorite franchise of all time, and believes Mario Kart 8 was the best game for Wii U. I am not excited for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Why?
- The main addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is Battle Mode (I never was a fan of battle mode)
- The roster additions are too little, too late
- There are zero new tracks for grand prix or online racing
And 60 dollars for battle mode and some characters who should have been in the game in the first place just doesn't sit well with me. And, seriously, still no Diddy? What the hell does Nintendo have against Diddy Kong? C'mon man.
Will I get the game eventually? Maybe. Will I be proud of that purchase. Almost certainly not. But, if you did not own a Wii U and Mario Kart 8 and are now getting the Nintendo Switch, I can tell you that this game is one of the most fun games you will ever play. And you absolutely should not pass up on it.
Well, there you have it. The complete Switch Presentation condensed into some brief sentences. I'll include a few more resources down here at the bottom of this post for you to keep up to date on Nintendo Switch news. And, until next time, kcduckling out.
