Nintendo’s new console has been revealed to the world, and it turns out that some of the rumors were true. It’s called the Nintendo Switch, and is a hybrid between a home gaming console and a tablet you can take on the go. We were treated to a short three-minute video showing people using the Switch at home, on planes, out in public, and just about everywhere else. After waiting this long though, was Nintendo’s reveal satisfying?
For the most part, the Nintendo Switch reveal was pulled off well, even if it was light on some information. The trailer we were shown definitely had style, flipping between multiple people playing the system while showing us different features of the Switch each time. We were given a good look at the different uses for the system, games that might be coming to it, and some hints of other important information.
First, we see someone playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, using the system as a home console. This helps assuage any fears someone might have of it being a hybrid, showing that you can use the Switch as a home console perfectly fine. Then comes the really cool part though, when the person playing clicks two small controllers into the side of the tablet-like console, picks it up, and heads outside. It appears that playing the tablet version of the system results in little to no drop in the game quality, of course, it’s hard to say with just this trailer. The tablet controller also has a couple little touches to make things better, with a headphone jack and kickstand. If you use the kickstand you can even pop the controllers out, and play whatever game you have going without having to physically hold the tablet.
After Zelda, we got a hint at one of the most important pieces of information for the new system, third party support. Nintendo showed someone using the Switch, both on the go and at home, to play Skyrim. Getting Bethesda on board and releasing Skyrim for the system is an important piece for Nintendo, especially being able to show it in the reveal trailer. However, what remains unclear is whether or not this was the Skyrim: Special Edition due to release on the PS4 and Xbox One later this month, or a port of the original title.
Having a beloved third party title like Skyrim shows that Nintendo might not be in the same situation they were with the Wii U. Third party support sharply declined after the Wii U’s release, with multiple companies dropping support for the system like Ubisoft. Straight after the announcement video, Nintendo also released an image showing their third party partners.
This list included a huge part of the gaming industry with companies like EA, Activision, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Capcom, Sega, Bethesda, and many more. Immediately with this reveal, Nintendo helped get one of the biggest questions out of the way. If Nintendo has gotten the support of Bethesda to bring Skyrim to the Switch, then realistically it seems like there’s a ton of other third party titles both new and old that could make their way as well.
Of course, what would a Nintendo console be without Nintendo games? During the final minute, we also saw people playing Mario Kart, a gorgeous looking new Mario game, and Splatoon. It’s clear that Nintendo has big plans for the Switch, and are going to bringing a wealth of their own support to it.
If you’re really paying attention to the video, it’s amazing to see how much Nintendo crammed into three minutes. We get to see that the Switch uses cartridges, tablets have wireless connectivity so they can play with each other, and there’s going to be a Pro controller in addition to the tiny ones that connect to the system. Again, Nintendo kept things short, but they gave us a clear understanding of what the Switch is and what it can do.
To top everything off, we were given a release window to start saving up all of our money. The Nintendo Switch launches in March 2017, a date that isn’t all that far away. The new console has a sleek design, and the reveal video certainly gave us a lot to wonder and think about. Undoubtedly, people will be talking about the Switch all day, and just like that Nintendo has brought us back in.
What do you think about the Nintendo Switch reveal? Do you think Nintendo did a good job, or would you have liked to see a bit more? Leave a comment below and let us know.
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