Hello everyone! Mark here with some exciting (or at least exciting to me) new! My good friend Taylor of Scrapt Productions, makers of dope sh*t, asked me if I was interested in doing a podcast with him and I agreed to it. Thus, Popcorn & Nerds was born!
Basically, the podcast combines my love of junk food and entertainment, as well as Taylor’s background as a television/digital producer and all-around media junkie also feeds into this setup. We start the show by sharing a random (sometimes weird) snack, then talk about games, movies, TV shows, what have you. The fact that we’ve known each other for many years and are still friends even after all our arguments (and a broken PSP which he never replaced), and we thought we could be at least mildly interesting/entertaining/argumentative. Part news, part reviews, some excitement, and junk food. If you’ve got some time to kill and/or are a podcast consumer, please check us out! We’re available on Apple Podcasts as well as streaming directly on the Scrapt Productions site. Please also subscribe, rate us, and leave comments/feedback, it’ll help us as we navigate this process and we want to get better for you. Yes, you.
Our first podcast covers the announcements of the mini Nintendo Direct that was released on January 11th, as well as the announcement of Nintendo Labo (which is kinda nuts) on the gaming end of the spectrum. The main focus is then the Netflix series THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD. So if any of that sounds interesting, give us a listen.
Outside of the podcast, I have been streaming a bit more regularly as of late. Wednesdays are still my normal streaming nights, but you can normally catch me on at other random times as well. Notifications of when I go live can be found on my Twitter or my Facebook page.
As always, thanks for stopping by. If you like the content you’re getting here (or if you don’t, I’m not here to make up your mind for you), feel free to leave comments on any of my pages and I will try to respond and take suggestions under consideration!
Now that I’ve had nearly a month with the Nintendo Switch, I wanted to put down some of my thoughts about Nintendo’s new home console hybrid. For the reading impaired/averse, I’ve prepared an abridged, video version of the write-up:
The Launch
Looking through the list of physical releases for launch day, it was easy to feel a bit uneasy. For most gamers, the only title of interest was Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but seeing as it was being released on the Wii U as well, it’s hard to think of it as a system seller. 1-2 Switch will be fun for a party game but most of the other titles didn’t do much for me or would be relegated to purchases simply to feed my need to have things for my new toy. The eShop has had similarly bleak start. I am Setsuna and Snippeclips being the shining stars of the digital lineup and even here, I am Setsuna is already available on PS4/Vita and Steam. With the thin launch day release, it begs the question, “What was Nintendo thinking?” The answer is they had full faith in Breath of the Wild and it was not misplaced, though my thoughts on that are still forthcoming. So, while the launch day lineup was weak in quantity, the quality was solid and I am still playing Breath of the Wild, Snipperclips is a great puzzle game to play in co-op (up to four players), and there are more titles on the way that would fall into the Switch’s launch window (roughly 6 months or so after release).
The Interface
The interface for the Switch is pretty straight forward. You have a line of user accounts in the top-left of the screen, a line of game titles that you’ve played from cartridges or downloaded from the eShop, and a row of various options and settings below that. The two of note from the bottom row are the News and eShop buttons. News presents a feed of tiles curated by Nintendo, displaying new releases, eShop promotions, videos, and more. It’s a great place to check out the latest updates and you’ll have a little notification bubble when there are new items to check out. The eShop is very bland at the moment. You’re only given the options to check out Upcoming Releases, Recent Releases, or to Redeem Codes. As the shop’s offerings grow, I assume this area will become more robust as well, with breakouts for Virtual Console, demos, eShop exclusives, etc. The whole interface may potentially change as time moves on. The Xbox 360’s interface changed drastically from its original look back in 2005, so anything is possible as Nintendo gets feedback and lets the system get more exposure. Overall, nothing particularly thrilling about the current interface, but its minimalism serves functionality.
The Hardware
The Switch hardware itself, while not perfect, is pretty sweet. With multiple ways to play, I wanted to sit down and give them all their fair shake before passing judgement on them. By far, I’ve spent the most time playing on the TV, with a variety of controller configurations. The Pro Controller feels the best and most natural for traditional gaming. The controller is a solid size, the buttons are larger for people whining about the size of the JoyCons, and it has all the features of its smaller brethren as well. Rumble, NFC, accelerometer/gyroscopic motion sensors, and around 40 hours of battery life on a single charge. Nintendo also hid a neat little Easter egg behind the right joystick. If you look through the clear portion to the circuit board inside, printed there you will see, “THX2ALLGAMEFANS.” A cool little note that anyone would appreciate. The Pro Controller can be a bit of a challenge to find, but if you can get your hands on one, I absolutely would.
Moving down the configuration line, my next preference is with the JoyCons in one of the JoyCon Grip shells. Mimicking a standard controller pretty deftly, the JoyCon Grip configuration works reasonably well for those seeking a more standard gaming experience. Adjusting to button configuration/layout takes a few moments, but I was able to play comfortably, without incident, for a good while. I also tried using the JoyCon in separate hands, similar to how you would have held the Wiimote and Nunchuk. While not normal, this setup also worked pretty well and allowed me to sit back on the couch with my hands at my sides (optimal laziness achieved!) to play my games. I don’t necessarily see myself playing like this often, but it was a bit more comfortable than sitting with hands front-and-center holding a traditional controller. I did experience a bit of the JoyCon sync issue with my left JoyCon, but honestly, incidents were few and far between so it ended up being a pretty minor inconvenience.
The above configurations worked well in both TV and Tabletop modes, which brings me to Handheld mode. The Handheld mode is a mixed bag for me. I love the portability and the screen on the Switch presents a very nice image, but due to the weight of the system and me being me (that is, terrified of dropping electronics I paid good money for because I don’t have extra just lying around), the adjusted grip necessary to play in the mode is the least comfortable for me. That’s not to say it’s bad or unplayable by any means. I’ve enjoyed my time taking the system of the dock to lie in bed and play just a bit longer before going to sleep (and the occasional bathroom break, as well). My hands just naturally sit lower on the JoyCons in this configuration to add more support for the console. This makes reaching for the +/- buttons a bit more of a stretch than they would be normally and also contributes to some hand cramping after long play sessions. Obviously, not everyone will have this issue. I’ve had friends mention the Handheld mode has been their most played format. Since portability is a huge draw for the Switch and the console functions admirably in this mode, I’m sure I’ll be playing my fair share this way, hand cramps be damned!
The best part about all of these controller options is that switching (ha!) is a snap! Any time the system detects a new controller, you’re given the option of which controller you’d like to use. Additionally, from the Home menu, you can change configurations and sync/player order with equal ease. With so many options, it’s great that jumping from one to the other is so simple. Playing on the TV with a Pro controller but need to go take care of something? Remove your Switch from the dock and if you have JoyCons attached already, just click the triggers and you’re on your way. Settling back in after you’ve addressed your other responsibilities? Dock the Switch, press any button on your preferred controller, and you’re back in the game. Nintendo really nailed the functionality here and it will be especially appreciated once some more couch multiplayer titles are released. Drop-in/drop-out functionality just got much easier.
Jumping from docked/TV mode to Handheld mode and vice versa is really as easy as it looks. Lift the console off of the dock and the image appears on the screen split seconds later. Drop (read: gently place) the console back into the dock, and you’re up and running on the TV with comparable speed and ease. The ability to take my console-quality experiences on the go has been fantastic. It’s such a compact device when compared to the likes of the PS4 or Xbox One when travel is concerned, especially since all you really need is a USB-C charging cable/AC adapter and the console. I even tested it a bit using my backup battery (previously purchased for Pokemon Go!) and was able to slowly charge the system even while playing. I’m sure it will put a heavier strain on my backup battery but knowing I can extend the relatively short battery life of the system should I need to is great for peace of mind. Granted, if I’m out and about, the short battery life isn’t really an issue since I’m not generally going to play for an extended amount of time away from an AC adapter/dock, but you can always find extenuating circumstances for such needs.
The Conclusion
While not perfect, the Switch has managed to successfully marry portability with home console-quality experiences. Nintendo is not interested in going toe-to-toe with the power of the likes of the PS4 or Xbox One, but the Switch is a very capable machine that showcases Nintendo’s drive to try new things and be an innovator in the gaming industry. Don’t let the smaller issues like the JoyCon sync or thin launch lineup, dissuade you from this new offering. The Switch is still fantastic after a month of hands-on time and we’re just getting started! Stick with me for more as Nintendo continues to switch up the way we play!
