Nintendo Switch Reveal Impressions

Oh, Nintendo. You've done it again! And not the good "You've done it again!" This presentation was of typical Nintendo fashion: Confused the audience, show some really awesome games, then show the audience you don't understand the audience, and then end.

Nintendo, you spent quite a bit of time telling me and millions of others about the Joy-Con controllers but you failed to sell me on why I need them. I mean understand that those little itsy, bitsy dongles that have all sorts of bells and whistles are important, but I'm still more confused than ever as to what it means to games.  I mean, what is "HD Rumble" and what does it have to do with ice cubes? Why did you show the Joy-Cons detecting different amounts of ice cubes? On another note  they look too tiny to hold in my hands. Plus they are freaking expensive. I know they have a lot of technology in them, I just didn't see much application during the presentation. Nothing about these controllers got me excited. Not only that, but I feel like the design of the controllers will give me carpal tunnel if I play for too long. But never to worry because...

The battery life of this thing is 2.5-6 hours. This isn't abysmal, but it isn't the greatest and definitely has me wishing it has a longer life. I know that my New 3DS XL has at least a four to five hour battery life, but it can be extended when the brightness and sound is turned down. The thing with the Switch, is that it is going to play some graphically intense games and I don't if I'd sacrifice brightness and sound. I also don't expect many games to allow the battery life to achieve the upper range of the Switch's battery. It's a shame too, because some car and plane rides can last longer than that. I'd hate to always be on the look out for a plug so I could continue my gaming session. Or worse, forgetting to charge your Switch and forgetting to bring the charger.

The price is also a bit on the high end but it's nothing to really be mad amount. At $300 USD, it sounds like a normal price point for a high end mobile tablet. It's clear that Nintendo is trying to distance itself even further from the other console juggernauts to prevent price/power comparisons. And it's a bit unfair to hold the Switch up to the PS4 and XboxOne.

I've also heard that Nintendo will be charging for their online service. This is a disappointing surprise because Nintendo's online services were never that great to begin with. They also restricted online voice chat to...a smart phone app? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it just be easier to call someone on Skype? My cell phone signal isn't that great anywhere (even at home), I doubt I would ever use it.

But what about the games? Somehow, I felt like Nintendo still fell short in this department for the third time in a row. They had a chance to show the industry that they could muster up a decent amount of third party support, but they failed to execute. Maybe they are still holding their cards close to their chest, but the presentation didn't give me any confidence.

Let's check out the games that were shown during the Switch Reveal Presentation.

One, Two, Switch - This is basically the WarioWare game of the Switch generation. It's a mini-game collection to show off the features of the Joy Con controller and the Switch system. It's essentially a fun system demo. But this time, it's not even bundled with the system at launch. I don't think I'll be forking over fifty dollars for something I feel should be included with the system. One of the main appeals of the Wii was that it came with Wii Sports. It made it so that someone could pick the system up and play without having to buy an additional game. One, Two, Switch should have been like this.

ARMS - Once again, it's Wii Boxing with a better combat system. It looks like quite a bit of fun, but I am unsure of how much depth there really is in the combat.

Splatoon 2 - I never got on the whole Splatoon craze when it came out for the Wii U. But I heard what a great game it was. I don't think I'll be getting this but I guess it's nice to see Nintendo support a franchise for a change... (I'm looking at you, Metroid!!)

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - I mostly enjoyed the original Xenoblade Chronicles back when it was released on the Wii. There were a few things I didn't like, like how being overleveled ruined a sense of challenge and  I also didn't like the armor. But the trailer for the sequel seemed a bit wonky. It looks like the frame rate couldn't stay consistent like the other trailers during the presentation. I hope that is not the case when it is released because I feel like having a nice, long jRPG out near launch will help the Switch in the long run. If the game gets good reviews, it will definitely me having considering a Switch purchase.

Super Mario Odyssey - This trailer just had me scratching my head. It looks like a great 3D Mario game like Mario 64 but has some interesting locales. The biggest issue I have is the first area shown in the trailer, what is the deal with New Donk City? Just seems so out of place then the rest of areas that they showcased. And second of all, what is the deal with Bowser? He looks like a straight up pimp now. Other than level choices and the main villain aesthetics, this game looks amazing. I feel like if I don't get a Switch at launch, I will get it when this game comes out in...December 2017!!? Come on, Nintendo...

Fire Emblem Warriors (?) - Looks like a teaser trailer for a Fire Emblem style Hyrule Warriors. I sort of dislike the style of these games, but I know of many people who love these tie-in games. Nothing much to see here.

Shin Megami Tensei - Another teaser trailer for an RPG that I adore. I can't wait til this game comes out because I had a lot of fun with Shin Megami Tensei 4 for the 3DS. I also am a big fan of the spin off series, Persona as well. I can't wait until Persona 5 launches in the Americas in April.

Project Octopath Traveler - A really cool jRPG taken straight from the days of the SNES. Sprite characters aren't my favorite graphic style, but I'm all for them when they are done well. And Square Enix does not disappoint. However, there is still much I don't know about the game and while I'm curious about the game, I don't think it has me hyped just yet.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - It's kinda sad that the best and final trailer of the presentation is for a game we already know is coming out. But this one had more story elements and revealed that there is going to be full voiced characters! No more grunts and screams from NPCs (of course Link will still be the strong, silent type we've all grown to love)! I get chills every time I watch the trailer. If this was only for the Nintendo Switch, I would be force to fork over the money. Thankfully, Nintendo is releasing it for the Wii U on the same day.  After Metroid, LoZ is probably my favorite series that Nintendo puts out. Very few games really come close to getting the feeling of adventure like Legend of Zelda does.

I believe those were all the trailers that were shown in the presentation, but I also found out that there were full on trailers for games in the final sizzle real. It makes no sense why Nintendo didn't show them in full. Here are the games missed:

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Sadly the game looks like a port of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U with some added maps, characters, and battle mode slapped on. And while I personally love me some battle mode, Nintendo has really botched MK battle modes in the past. But it seems like the made some added graphical improvement. The trailer I watched makes me feel like the frame rate is even more buttery smooth than before.

Sonic Mania - I never had a Sega Genesis growing up. I used to love Sonic but hated his games because I got caught up in the console wars of the 90s. I kept thinking Mario were the best and all other gaming companies sucked. I don't enjoy Sonic as much as I used to before. The whole trailer is preying on my nostalgia, but I just don't have the same love for Sonic as I did when I was a kid.

Super Bomberman R - I played a lot of Bomberman back in the day when we installed games on our TI-83. I have to admit that this game looks pretty fun. 8 player action sounds like a lot of fun with friends.

Puyo Puyo Tetris - I...uh...I don't know...

Ultra Street Fighter 2 - Yawn...Street Fighter 2 is a classic, I know. But it has been out since I was born. Plus, this is a port from the days of the Xbox 360. This is a such a weird move from Nintendo.


Fourteen games and only one that I for sure want. The problem is, that game also comes out for the Wii U on the same day. This pains me to say it, but I doubt I am getting a Nintendo Switch on launch day. There just isn't anything super interesting to play on launch. The whole party game atmosphere isn't my thing either. Of course, my mind can easily be swayed with announcements of better games. We'll just have to wait and see.