by Meghan Duffy
Miss out on the Nintendo Switch presentation? Don’t worry because we’re here to give the rundown for everything announced.
The Switch is looking at a March 3rd release date at a $299.99 retail price. Most people had speculated that the price for the console would be around $250, so hopefully the extra $50 will be well spent. The console and games will not be the only things you’re putting money down for. If you want online play for the Switch, starting in the fall you will have to pay for the online service. The final detail about the system is that finally, Nintendo's longstanding habit of region locking their systems will be ended with the Switch.
As seen in the Switch’s reveal video back in October, the Nintendo Switch will have several different playstyles. When docked, the Switch will be able to be used with your TV for wired play. For those on the go, it can be held like the Wii U gamepad for handheld gameplay as well as a tabletop version using the kickstand and detached joy-cons. While not charging with the standard usb-c, the battery life for the Switch will last from 2.6-6.5 hours, however it can be used while charging.
Two joy-cons will come with the Switch. Additional colors, like neon red and blue, will be sold along with straps. The controllers will be able to sense objects and motions as well as including “hd rumble” which will allow for a greater sense of held objects, like a glass of water with ice cubes, as shown in the presentation.
Two new games were revealed that utilize the joy-cons. The first of which is 1, 2 Switch which is meant to showcase the expressiveness of the joy-con rumble while being a new type of gaming experience, that doesn’t need to use a screen at all. Instead, you’re meant to gauge the reaction of the people you’re playing with. The second title, Arms, is a sports game where you use extendable arms to battle, a mixture of boxing and shooting. The game is played by holding the joy-cons in an upright position in each hand. Movement and attacks are controlled by tilting and turning the joy-con. It can be played single player, split screen with a friend, or using two Switch consoles.
Splatoon was predicted to get a port to the Switch, however those predictions were proven wrong. Splatoon is instead getting a surprise sequel in Splatoon 2. This sequel will add new weapons, like the splat dualies, brand new special weapons, new battle stages, and new hairstyles. The game can be played with the joy-cons in tabletop mode, in handheld mode, on the tv, and with the pro controller. The game can be played using network play and local multiplayer. It has a summer 2017 planned launch with stage and weapon updates after launch with ongoing ingame events.
Mario will take a trip to New Donk City and many other locations, such as a desert town, a lush jungle, and a polygonal pastel food planet in a new 3D Mario platformer, Super Mario Odyssey. There he will face off with old foes like Bower, and new ones like a big mechanical centipede monster. This will be the first large sandbox Mario world game since Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Mario will have a new cap that will play a large role in the adventure he will have in Odyssey. Its release is currently planned for Holiday 2017.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Fire Emblem Warriors will be coming to the Switch as well. Over 80 games are currently in development for the system. Dragon Quest X and XI are being prepared for release in Japan, as well as Dragon Quest Heroes I & II. A new Shin Megami Tensei is in production for the console. No release date has been announced,as it is still in development. A new Square Enix RPG, Project Octopath Traveler, is also in development. Skyrim has finally been officially announced for the Switch with no release date given. Other games in development for the Switch include a currently unnamed No More Heroes game and EA Sports FIFA. FIFA will be custom built for the Switch and more will be shown in the coming months.
The Switch system will include the Switch console, left and right joy-cons, joy-con wrist straps, joy-con grips, the dock, a HDMI cord and an AC adapter. The pro controller will be sold separately. Two models will be sold, one with gray joy-cons and one with the neon red and blue joy-cons.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be launching with the Nintendo Switch on March 3rd. With the release date, we were given a trailer showcasing much more of the Hyrule that players will explore in the game. Previously, we had only seen a small area of the game. The trailer changes that, showing towns, dungeons, boss battles, and giving us our first real peek at the story, which takes place 100 years after a calamity by Ganon felled Hyrule.
The lack of launch titles is worrying for the Switch, as Nintendo is going to need a strong launch for this system. Many strong games are coming to the console, but most will come out at least several months after the launch. This will likely lead to an abysmal launch with a surge in the holiday season when Splatoon 2 has been out for a few months and Super Mario Odyssey is released. With any luck, several of the third party titles that are currently in the works will release at launch. Hopefully for Nintendo, Breath of the Wild will be a big enough pull for customers to pick up the Switch at launch.
