Player 2 vs The Nintendo Switch Presentation
Nintendo fans had been teased by this elusive codename, NX, for quite some time. First teased back in 2015, event after event would pass by without a reveal of the elusive system. It wasn’t until October 20th before the console was officially revealed to be titled the Nintendo Switch, would be a console/handheld hybrid system and looked really cool! In December we saw Jimmy Fallon play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on it but now, today, January 13th 2017, Nintendo are finally pulling the curtain back on everything that we need to know about Nintendo’s next gaming system. Player2 writers Matt Hewson and Paul James go head to head with the Switch announcement with their thoughts being contained below.
The Console
Paul – We’d already seen the console, and it looked cool. I like being able to take the Switch with me when I go out, and I like that when I do I’ll be able to extract anywhere between 2.5-6 hours of playtime from each charge. No region locking is a plus, though it’s not been an issue for anything I’ve wanted to buy on a Nintendo system for quite some time. Also, thanks to the wonderful HD Rumble, we can experience what it will be like to drop ice cubes into a glass… WITHOUT HAVING TO ACTUALLY DO IT!
Matt – Finally, No region locking. Amen. I do like the look of the console itself. It is sleek and will fit in among my billion other bits of tech. The concept of Switch with gaming on the go is super appealing to me. As a parent, my biggest worry about the system is the Joy-con controllers. How well are they made? Are they cheap to replace? As for being used for two players. I think this is great, however the size will likely make this difficult for people with gigantor hands like myself. Having different colours is cool, I always love the ability to customise my stuff. These are things that the mums and dads out there are going to want to know. The battery life is also a worry, with 2.5 hours for intensive games. It is nice that it can be charged on the go with a USB charger though. There is basic screen capture included as well but video capture will come in the future. In all, I am pretty impressed with the design of the console and controllers. It seems to be that perfect combo of Nintendo weird with what gamers are used to. It may be a little underpowered compared to other gaming options but that won’t stop Nintendo making great games for it and delivering unique experiences.
The Price
Paul – As of the time of writing, we only know about the $299USD price, which in terms of a direct conversion equates to $400AUD. Of course, we won’t get it for $400 so expect the price to land somewhere in the $430-450 ballpark. Even at that price though I’m quite happy. I already had Switch on order and was just hoping that I didn’t have to break the bank to get it… turns out I won’t have to break the bank… that’s good!
Matt – Price is a worry as it is $300 US dollars so it will be at least $400 in Australia, probably more. I am expecting $450 to be honest, which is a little high I think.
*Turns out we were both wrong $469 is the AUD price.
The Release Date
Paul – We knew it was going to be March, and I’d hoped like hell that it would be mid-march, as it is I’m going to need to now Smash through Horizon: Zero Dawn at blistering pace so I can get to Zelda and co as soon as possible. My game juggling aside, March 3rd is a fantastic date; the sooner we get the system and the games in our hands the better.
Matt – March 3rd release date, well that is sooner than I thought. But honestly it seems to me that the system needs another six months if only to give developers time to finish some games and flesh out the launch lineup
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Paul – Good grief! How incredible did the game look! Nintendo dropped a meaty story trailer on us that unveiled the look of the Zoran race, Gorons, and much more, gave us voices for Zelda as well as a range of other characters. We hear of Calamity Ganon and much more. Best of all, despite all rumours that suggested the contrary, we get Zelda on launch day!!!
Matt – Thank christ it is a launch title because without it the Switch launch is looking barren. That being said, the fact it is also coming to the Wii U on the same day will only hurt sales of the Switch. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo used a classic dirty move of theirs and delayed the Wii U version so the Switch gets a few more sales from eager Zelda fans. Dodgy business aside the game looks fantastic and this is from someone who always felt that Zelda was a little (only a little) overrated.
Super Mario Odyssey
Paul – My very first thought when I saw Mario walking through a bustling city was of that Simpsons episode where Homer is walking through our own real life world. What was revealed to me was that this 3D Mario was going back to the roots of Super Mario 64 and Sunshine where there are standalone worlds versus the more interconnected Universe of Galaxy
Matt – Oh my yes. This looks like the Mario game I wanted from the Wii U. I mean Super Mario 3D world was fun and all but it never matched the great heights of Galaxy. This looks to include more open world elements and exploration which should keep my playing for yonks. This has me really really excited. It is a shame that the game won’t be coming at launch though. That would have really sold some units for Nintendo.
1, 2, Switch
Paul – So this infuriated me. After a lengthy ramble about the joycons they then threw to 1, 2, Switch as the game that demoed the use of them, and while it made sense, a bunch of gimmicky twitch based motion games aren’t selling me at all.
Matt – Well here is the traditional mini-games collection from Nintendo. Hard to get excited about this one but hey I could be wrong. Wii Sports, after all, was a phenomenon like no other. The concept of playing against other people without a screen being the main focus is interesting but I am not sure it will have much in the way of staying power. I think this one would be better if it was included with the console.
ARMS
Paul – This is actually really cool! I was initially skeptical when they had the Japanese businessman and Japanese schoolgirl punching one another with strange hype-extended, stringy arms, but then they showed the game and it looks really, really neat. It seems like the modern Punchout in some ways, and I’m all for cool new ideas that build on that base
Matt – A motion controlled fighting game that actually looks interesting. Well, colour me surprised. I am not sure it will be awesome in reality but it certainly appears to be better than any previous attempt at making a motion controlled fighter. It will include online play too which I find interesting. Can you imagine a new eSports craze with people standing around “punching” each other?
Splatoon 2
Paul – Both myself and Angelica perked up when SplaTWOon was announced. We were both big fans of the original Splatoon released on Wii U, both committing a number of hours to it, so to learn that the rumours of us getting a remaster of the original were false and we’re getting Splatoon 2 was a great surprise. I’m excited to see what new features are coming our way and a full release when it comes out this Winter!
Matt – I missed the first Splatoon, simply because I just never got around to digging my Wii U out of the cupboard to play it. So Splatoon 2 is a super exciting title for me. The fact that it is coming in the Australian winter is great too. It might fill up that traditionally quiet period quite nicely.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Paul – Given that Xenoblade Chronicles X came out in late 2015, don’t expect to see Xenoblade 2 until the end of 2018 at the earliest I suspect. The actions of both Nintendo and Monolith Soft do seem to indicate though that they wish to make the Xenoblade franchise into their Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest or Elders Scrolls. I admire what they’re both doing with this series and look forward to the future of Xenoblade 2… when it eventually arrives on Western Shores
Matt – Xenoblade is another one of those games that I never got around too so once again I am keen to check it out. I heard lots of good things about it. A big RPG would be great in the early days of the switch so hopefully, it is out not long after launch. Chances are we will be waiting a while for this one.
Fire Emblem Warriors.
Paul – Hyrule Warriors was okay, Dragon Quest Heroes is sweet and I’m anticipating its sequel but I’m concerned a little about Fire Emblem Warriors. One of the big pulls about these Musou games set in other Universes is that they draw upon iconic characters to pull people into a new type of experience. Unfortunately, for as much as I like Fire Emblem, I’m not sure that this game will have the pull that Zelda or Dragon Quest do and that consigns the game to minimal sales, regardless of how good it may end up being. I’d love to be wrong though! Make me wrong please Fire Emblem Warriors!
Matt – Another Warriors game…. Another yawn from me I am afraid. I know these type of games have their fans but sadly they are not for me.
Project Octopath Traveller
Paul – Well, I guess with a name like that you can be sure we won’t ever be forgetting about this new Square-Enix IP. The game evokes tones of 3D Dot Game Heroes X Old School Final Fantasy X Bravely Default, and I’m more than happy about that. Thank you Square-Enix for looking to the past to influence your future, the name is atrocious but hopefully, Octopath Traveller turns out to be a gem
Matt – Looks like Chrono Trigger, I hope it plays that well. The name is surely just a placeholder so they can surprise everyone at E3 with “Hey it’s a Chrono Trigger game”. But even if the name sticks it could be a good bit of fun, as long as they leave archaic game design elements like save points out of the final title.
Skyrim
Paul – Look, I like Skyrim just as much as the next person, but I’ve bought the game on my PS3 and then just 2 months ago on my PS4. I’m not buying it again so I can take it on the road with me, as tempting as that may be. With the quality of the First Party games Nintendo can churn out and a range of other New IP on the way, I’m not taking this six-year-old game out on the road when I could be trying something new.
Matt – Every system need a big old RPG but I am not sure Skyrim is the right fit for Switch. I mean if you wanted to play Skyrim, surely you have played it by now. Frankly, Skyrim seems a little out of touch anyway considering the world we live in is a post-Witcher 3 world. Now if the Witcher 3 was announced…. Well, that would have been more exciting.
No More Heroes
Paul – Yeaaaaahhhhhh, nah. If you’ve ever listened to me talk about SUDA51 games you’ll know that I’m reallyyyyy not a fan of them, and that’s understating it somewhat. No More Heroes was about the closest I’ve come to enjoying a Suda game, but even that didn’t grab me. It’s cool that fans of the series (and I do know a few) get to return to Travis Touchdown’s crazy world, but sorry guys, count me out.
Matt – The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that Suda 51 makes great games….. I am sorry but no amount of “quirky weird” can make up for the fact that his games are a mess of half-formed ideas and horrible controls. Look I would be happy to be proven wrong with this one, I really would. I just can’t see it happening.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Paul – Revealed after the presentation itself was over Mario Kart 8 Deluxe adds new tracks, characters and drastically improves the Battle Mode. It’s not a whole new Mario Kart and that would have been great, but there are not many games that shift gaming hardware like Mario Kart, so it’s understandable that they went to the well and brought this Wii U gem back. Nintendo, you’ve scored another sale from me
Matt – How is this, a frigging remake, not ready for launch….. It is criminal. Apart from that, it is Mario Kart. I love it, you love it, we all love it.
Closing Thoughts
Paul – Nintendo did some really cool things, showed some really awesome games (seriously, watch the Zelda and Mario trailers!) and unveiled some cool initiatives such as free Snes and NES games for online subscribers, but the presentation itself was abysmal. Awkward, stuttering Japanese executives, shaking ice in a glass, and deep dives into the joycons, a concept we understood fairly well going into today, made it feel more like an old school Konami E3 Press Conference than the unveiling of what is potentially a massive revolution in gaming hardware.
Nintendo secured my preorder several months ago with the premise and then the promise of Mario, Zelda and more to come, throw Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, Octopath Traveller and ARMS in there and I’m even happier, but seriously, cut the stupidity, you’re not going to sell more consoles with that rubbish.
Matt – I have to say I am super down after this presentation. Being the editor of a games site I feel the obligation to get the Nintendo Switch but honestly I am not happy about it. I love the idea of the console itself. Portability, multiplayer potential, and the traditional Nintendo games lineup all appeals to me but it seems that every decision surrounding the system is a big ole middle finger to Nintendo’s long suffering fans. An anemic launch lineup of four titles (with only one being exciting), lack of basic functionality like gameplay recording, minuscule internal memory (32gig I mean come on) and details of a required paid online service that offers one game free per month then takes it away from you (unlike GwG and PS+).
Add to this the stupidly high price which will set Aussie gamers back over $600 for the system, a game and pro controller and it would seem that Nintendo has simply stopped caring about selling their system. If things don’t change and change soon, the Switch has every chance of being a bigger failure than the Wii U and that is saying something. I don’t want a world where Nintendo consoles are no more so I am praying they get it right, but at this stage, things aren’t looking good.
