(All images from Nintendo’s Switch Homepage)
Oh man. So many details over the past few days, some more exciting than others Strap yourselves in for a long post (and sorry for the lame title)! I’ll try to divide it up so you can skim to whichever headers interest you most. I wouldn’t even know where to begin for a tl;dr… Anyway, first things first, we all know the conference was very awkward watching it outside of Japan. The translators were very monotone and some of the presenters were a bit cringeworthy. It happens. With that out of the way, let’s get down to business!
Nintendo Switch Pricing/Configurations/Accessories
Nintendo started out immediately with a price point and release date, which everyone was clamoring to know. The system launches on March 3rd, 2017 for a suggested retail price of $299.99. This price point offers two options for consumers, a version with matching gray JoyCons and one with mismatched neon blue and neon red JoyCons.
Either option contains the Switch console, a left and right JoyCon, wrist strap grips that cover the rails when detached from the system, a JoyCon controller grip shell, a Switch docking station, an HDMI cable, a USB-C charging cable, and an AC adapter.
Outside of the main console, there a plenty of first-party accessories announced for this thing.
AC Adapter – $29.99
Should you need a spare AC adapter or a replacement, it’ll set you back $30.
JoyCon (Left & Right) – $79.99
Some people are already crying foul about the price here, but when you think about it, you’re getting 2 controllers, so it boils down to about $40 a piece. Pretty standard for controllers nowadays. This package is offered in many varieties. You can get 2 of the same color for gray, neon red, neon blue or you can choose mismatched colors for the set as well. Judging by the packaging, these sets with come with the wrist strap grips for each controller as well.
JoyCon (Single Left or Right) – $49.99
You can buy an individual JoyCon to fit your needs for $50 with the various color options available to you as well. This makes the bundle of the two controllers a little more appealing, since you’re saving $10 per controller by getting them together, should you need that many JoyCons.
JoyCon Wrist Straps – $7.99
As far as I can tell, these are replacements and/or vanity purchases to have colors matching your controller rather than the standard gray. Offered in neon red and neon blue.
JoyCon Charging Grip – $29.99
In a slightly confusing move, this JoyCon controller shell is different from the one bundled with the system in that it actually charges the JoyCons while they’re attached as opposed to the holding them. Apparently, you can charge the JoyCons with this shell or while attached to the Switch while it is charging (through the dock or simply plugged in with USB-C). Seems like this may be a worthwhile investment to avoid needing to pull the system off the dock to charge the JoyCons and keep playing.
Carrying Case with Screen Protector – $19.99
Pretty standard and self-explanatory here. Since the system is meant to be easily picked up and taken on the go, a carrying case makes perfect sense.
Switch Docking Station Bundle – $89.99
This price seems a bit high, but it does come with a replacement dock, an HDMI cable, and an AC adapter. If you are frequently between two locations, I guess it makes sense to buy this bundle rather than constantly disconnecting and reconnecting the set that comes with the console. Or maybe as a bulk replacement should tragedy strike these accessories.
Pro Controller – $69.99
I have not been able to find a price or listing for the Switch Pro controller as of this writing. I’m not sure if I missed them and they’re sold out/listings taken down or what. I would assume the price for this would fall in line with standard market prices for current console controllers around $50-$60. UPDATE: According to Polygon, the Switch Pro Controller is coming at the steep price of $70. Hopefully, these prices will come down.
That covers most of the accessories I believe, so let’s switch over to what the system can do! (Sorry, I had to. They kept doing it during the presentation).
The Switch! Features & Such
Nintendo’s president Tatsumi Kimishima gave us a look into more of what the Switch can do and how it will do it. He spoke of the online capabilities of the system with online multiplayer, lobbies, and chat. Interestingly though, Nintendo has opted to use a mobile app for the chat/social portions of their online. Reggie Fils-Aime stated that it makes for a more portable offering, since you don’t have to worry about taking a headset or other bulky items like that with you, since you almost always have your phone on you. I had initially thought that the app would just be a way to interact with your friends’ list outside of the Switch itself, but it sounds like it may be the ONLY way to do so. Time will tell on this front. Additionally, Nintendo is moving to a paid online structure, a la PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold. Initially, the online component will be free for consumers to test, likely for Nintendo to stress test and correct issues as well, but in Fall 2017, the service will move to its paid model. No pricing was offered for the online component. It was mentioned that the paid offering will allow people discounts to certain products as well as a free NES/SNES monthly game. This free game is more of a rental, since it changes month-to-month and you will not retain access to the games between months without purchasing, but the titles have been said to potentially offer updates/new features such as online play for old classics. It’s a different take on the PS+ Free Games/Games with Gold, but seems fitting with Nintendo’s stranglehold on our nostalgia. Give the free taste but pay for the hit.
This was mentioned kind of casually but THE SWITCH WILL NOT BE REGION LOCKED! Finally! Thank you, Nintendo. There have been times over the years that I’ve wanted to import games that were potentially not going to make their way over here (Project Rainfall comes to mind) but I was not able to do so. This was especially frustrating with handheld titles. It’s nice to see them finally remove this restriction.
The Switch itself, outside of docking mode, apparently has a battery life of somewhere between 2.5 hours and 6.5 hours, depending on the games you are playing. This isn’t surprising and seems to be in line with the battery life of the GamePad for the Wii U when the system launched. This doesn’t concern me for few reasons. First, I don’t envision myself taking this thing to a park and playing it for more than 2 hours while I’m out and about. Second, I’m rarely anywhere for an extended amount of time where I don’t have access to an outlet to charge the Switch, should the need arise. Lastly, there will almost certainly be extended life batteries/cases for the console down the road for people who do need more that a couple of hours of battery life on the road. Since it charges through USB-C, you may even be able use your existing backup batteries (maybe those that you purchased for Pokemon Go excursions. Was that just me? Ok, nevermind…) They did note that you can play the console while it is charging.
To help with the battery life, the Switch is returning to cartridge-based media. Not only will it help with battery life, it will also help shorten load times and help prevent the need for lots of extra storage as games will likely be able to be written/saved directly to the cartridges.
Speaking of memory/saving, the Switch is only offering 32gb of storage space. While this is expandable through a microSD slot housed behind the console’s kickstand. With games like Breath of the Wild clocking in at a reported 13gb+, if you plan to go digital, you should plan to buy a large microSD card.
During the presentation, it was noted that up to 8 Switch consoles can be connected for local multiplayer. This is pretty cool as it would give each player his or her own screen to use while playing games together and avoid the ever-present issue in couch multiplayer games of screen-looking (Ah, Goldeneye. We remember those days…)
The screen of the Switch was noted to be a capacitive touchscreen, similar to what you’d find in most smartphones these days. It’s a welcome addition to the traditional use of the resistive touchscreens Nintendo has used for their devices up to this point. Since the console is primarily a home console, I’m not sure how heavily touchscreen features will be implemented, but the option is there for developers that choose to utilize it. Maybe some of the Art Academy games will make their way to the Switch?
JoyCons!
The little controllers with the silly name! We’ve known what the controllers were since the unveiling a few months ago, but not everything they could do until yesterday. It was announced that the right JoyCon will have NFC built-in, bringing amiibo functionality to the Switch. We knew this would be the case but it wasn’t confirmed where in the unit it would be. The left JoyCon features a Share button, which will take screenshots or videos eventually to be shared. It was noted how the images/videos would be shared, specifically, just that they could be. As mentioned above, there will be color variations of the JoyCons, starting with gray, neon red, and neon blue. Each JoyCon also features a plethora of buttons to be used. They house a joystick that can be clicked, 4 primary face buttons, an L or R button (depending on which JoyCon you’re holding), a ZL or ZR button (also JoyCon dependent), and then SL and SR buttons located in the slide rail (JoyCon agnostic). Additionally, the right JoyCon (which seems to house the most tech) has an IR camera that can register distance between itself and objects, as well as object shapes. It was noted that it could register things like rock, paper, scissors. The JoyCons will also be motion controls, much like the current Wiimotes. And finally, HD rumble. The new HD rumble is apparently so accurate, you can tell the difference between the number of objects clinking around inside. The example given was that the JoyCon was a simulated glass and ice cubes were being added to the controller. When shaken, a distinct difference could be felt between the number of cubes and then a further difference noted when water was added to the “glass.” It’s an interesting feature that could a bit of tension to situations in horror games. I’m sure it will be used in many interesting and/or gimmicky ways!
Games!
A number of games were confirmed for the Switch during this presentation and further details were given on games we knew were in the works. I’m only going to cover games that were interesting to me in some way (i.e. – you won’t find anything about the sports games here. Sorry, not sorry.) It’s my blog, deal with it!
1, 2 Switch
1, 2 Switch appears to be the launch title akin to Wii Sports or Nintendo Land. It’s a collection of mini-games set to be a sort of proof-of-concept. The option to not include the title as a pack-in with the system is an odd one though. From the looks of the games, it’ll be a fun little party game and a great way to show off some of the things the Switch can do, but ultimately, I think this one will be short-lived. Nintendo Land suffered a similar fate. While I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-games in Nintendo Land, it didn’t have a huge draw to bring my friend and me back into the fold. Wii Sports was fun because each time felt slightly new and different and had the right balance of fun and competition to it, especially bowling, which brought us back many times over. I think the games included in 1, 2 Switch will be fun during the launch window while we wait for new titles but will then get shelved in favor of other offerings. Some of the mini-games included are a quickdraw competition (wild west style), Samurai training (swinging and catching swords), an eating competition (very weird using the IR camera to “eat” the most), and a ping pong game (based on sound and feel from the controllers, no visuals to speak of). 1, 2 Switch is currently slated as a launch title.
Arms
Arms looks interesting. Anyone who played a bit of Wii Boxing knows that it could be a bit tiring to flail around and win your matches. Arms looks to take that to the next level. With the precision of the new motion controls in the JoyCons, you’re dropped into a 1 versus 1 arena match between fighters with extendable arms. Thrown punches can be tweaked by twisting the JoyCons, blocks can be initiated, and you can dodge by turning both JoyCons in the same direction for a quick sidestep. Many different fighters were shown and are sure to offer a variety of styles and speeds. I’m hoping this game will have some depth and keep people coming back to the arena for further bouts but it does seem like this one may be another proof-of-concept dust collector shortly after launch. I hope Nintendo proves me wrong here because it looks to have a ton of style and promise. Arms was given a release frame of spring 2017.
Splatoon 2
Nintendo’s competitive 3rd person shooter returns with new stages, new weapons, and more customization. Splatoon was a title I wanted to spend more time with but the controls always felt a little off to me. Hopefully, they’ve been tightened up a bit and we can enjoy a return to this paint-powered battleground. Not much else to say here since it seems to be a simple iterative approach to the series. Splatoon 2 is currently slated for a summer 2017 release.
Super Mario Odyssey
A new 3D Super Mario game set outside of the Mushroom Kingdom this time! While interviewing Miyamoto about this game, it was revealed that this should be a more challenging iteration in the series. Miyamoto stated that with each entry in the series, they tend to fluctuate between accessibility and challenging action and that this title will be more geared towards the latter. Many diverse environments were shown in the trailer for this title, including a thriving NYC-like metropolis (complete with pedestrians and traffic), a quaint desert town, a lush forest, and some sort of trippy, colorful geometric wonderland. Hats appear to play a large role in this new title as well. Mario’s hat will be alive in some way this time around, similar to Link’s iconic hat in Minish Cap. Bowser is also shown to be wearing a snazzy top hat (for his wedding to Princess Peach, according to a billboard in-game) that he throws like a weapon, and Mario’s ship that he uses to traverse the game world is also hat-shaped. The game looks pretty fantastic and I’m always excited for a new 3D Mario title! This one is set to release in the holiday season of 2017.
Xenoblade 2
Most places online are calling this Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but the trailer simply says Xenoblade 2. It looks to be more of a direct successor to the Chronicles series than X was, which I am completely ok with because X did not engage me the way the original Chronicles did. Monolithsoft has been fantastic at creating large worlds and it was truly impressive the scale they managed on the Wii hardware. I’m excited to see how this title turns out! No release date or window was given.
Fire Emblem Warriors
A new Warriors game mash-up with Nintendo from Koei Tecmo! I enjoyed Hyrule Warriors a lot even though I don’t particularly care for the Warriors games, typically. The Fire Emblem series is definitely one that I need to spend more time with, especially given the fantastic entries we’ve seen recently on the 3DS. No release date/window was given for this title.
Dragon Quest X & XI
Dragon Quest X has been out in Japan for a few years now, across multiple Nintendo consoles and even PC, I believe. Square Enix has not brought the title stateside yet and still may not. The conference only specifically mentioned the titles (both X & XI) coming to Japan. The newest entries of the Dragon Quest series, they follow in the footsteps of Final Fantasy with testing the waters in the MMORPG realm while claiming spots as main series’ entries. The series has always been more popular in Japan than elsewhere but hopefully they will rectify the situation and bring them to their fans in other countries. No release window or date was shown at the presentation.
Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2
While Dragon Quest X and XI will be separate titles, the borrowed Warriors-style Heroes games will apparently release as a single compilation on the Switch. Square has done a solid job of borrowing game styles from other developers and making them their own (Dragon Quest Builders = MineCraft, World of Final Fantasy = Pokemon), so the Heroes series is no exception. This title was also not given a release date/window.
Shin Megami Tensei
No specifics were offered other than some art shots of dilapidated buildings and some familiar characters (Jack Frost!). A new, full SMT title on a home console is surely a welcome addition to any game library though. No further details or release date were offered.
Project Octopath Traveler
Sounds odd, looks fantastic! A mix of retro and new RPG styles. Not much is known other than a few screens and a short trailer. It apparently comes from the team behind the excellent Bravely series, which already puts it up there on a list of games you’ll want to play (or should, at least).
Skyrim
We knew it was coming from the Switch unveiling but now it’s confirmed. Todd Howard had lovely things to say about Nintendo and hopefully, this will be the start of Bethesda bringing more titles to Nintendo platforms. However, they’re charging the full $59.99 for a game that is now nearly 6 years old. It’s unclear whether this is the remastered edition or not, but if it’s the entirely same game, the price point is a bit steep at this point in its life regardless of how amazing the game is. The game is currently set for a fall 2017 release.
No More Heroes
No real specifics were given about this title other than Travis Touchdown was making his way back to Nintendo’s consoles. Suda 51 remarked about the indie scene on the Switch and how it appears to be very friendly to smaller developers, and that interested him (since he’s kind of indie/weird). If you’re not familiar with the series, check it out. The premise was, what if a Johnny Knoxville-esque character was interested in martial arts, sci-fi, and things of that nature, ordered a lightsaber-like weapon from the internet only to find himself thrust into a global competition of ranked assassins. It was a very weird game but hilarious and pretty enjoyable. The first game was released on the Wii and then rereleased later for the PS3. The sequel was only released on the Wii, as far as I know. No release details were shared during the conference.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
OMGOMGOMGOMG, new Zelda trailer and official confirmation that the game will be a launch title for the Switch! There’s so much going on in this trailer. Our first look a Zelda, a better look at some of the villages, more views of the Master Sword in its pitiable state, many of the races from the series (Koroks, Gorons, Zoras, Gerudo, and Rito), new abilities (shield surfacing while tethered to wild animals), and so much more! Every trailer gets me more and more excited for this game and it’s only like a month an a half away! The line of Breath of the Wild amiibo was also expanded during the announcements. In addition to the Archer Link, Rider Link, and Guardian amiibo we knew about, Nintendo has added Zelda and Bokoblin amiibo as well. If the trailer, amiibo, and release date weren’t enough, two collector’s editions were announced: The Special Edition and Master Edition exclusively for the Switch. As of writing this, the Master Edition is sold out everywhere. Nintendo commented that it was meant to be a very limited edition and so it was. The Master Edition includes the game for the Nintendo Switch, a map of Hyrule with the reverse side depicting the “Calamity Ganon,” a soundtrack, a collectible coin, a carrying case for the Switch modeled after the Sheikah Slate, and a statue of the Master Sword.
The Special Edition comes with all of the same contents with the exception of the Master Sword statue. Additionally, details were shared around the differences between the Wii U and the Switch versions of the game. The main difference I’ve read is that the Wii U version will be capped at 720p and the Switch version will be 900p (when docked) and 720p (when not). Load times will also be slightly faster on the Switch due to the difference between cartridges and discs. Other than that, it has been stated that the controls, contents, and frame rate will be the same between editions. Regardless of which system you play on, the title continues to impress with its gorgeous open world and endless amounts of adventure you can have! I may need to take some time off around release day…
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Shown in the official unveiling of the Switch, we have more details around the Mario Kart title we now know as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The game includes all of the DLC from the Wii U version, in addition to some new characters and an updated Battle Mode (with the return of some classic items, as well). Mario Kart is always a fun time and being able to play a full console-quality Mario Kart on the go is going to be great as well. The only downside is I assume this will be a full-priced title for a slightly updated port.
Other Games
A few other games of note (in my opinion) have been announced recently as well. Tokyo RPG Factory’s I am Setsuna was announced for the Switch during the information dump over the past few days. An RPG I’ve been needing to spend more time with, I am Setsuna borrows from the golden era of RPGs but brings a modern feel to it. Taking much of its heritage from Chrono Trigger, the game was decently received but kind of ignored because of its steep entry price ($40 for a digital-only title).
Sega’s Sonic Mania is also slated for release on the Switch. This looks to be a return to form for the Blue Blur. Very old school look and feel to this one, which hopefully focuses on speed and level design more than new characters or weird gameplay tweaks. Sega, we just want to go fast and do some light platforming. This looks to satisfy that itch, with any luck.
Rime. This game looked fantastic when announced as a Playstation exclusive a couple of years ago and then it disappeared off the face of the Earth. Well, it has recently resurfaced, rebranded for multiple platforms including the Switch! Boasting an art style similar to Breath of the Wild, the game appears to be an action puzzler with vibes of Shadow of the Colossus meets the Witness. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one for sure!
With many other titles announced, I’m going to stop here or I may go on forever. This gives you a good look into some of the games coming to the Switch this year and a bit beyond. Nintendo has stated that over 50 companies are currently developing over 80 titles for the Switch, and that’s just the beginning. If the system is well received, that number will only continue to grow.
Parting Thoughts
While the launch day lineup is very thin, I still think Zelda and a few of the other titles will hold most fans over until more content arrives. The pricey accessories are a bit worrying as well, but for most titles, you are set with what comes out of the box. More new games need to be shown and fewer older titles/ports. Regardless, I am looking forward to the release and Switching (*snap*) the way I play!
Too much? Yeah, that was too much. Sorry. I like the little snap sound…