Thursday, October 20, 2016

Switch it up

You know looking back at all the rumors, leaks, guesses and predictions... I don't really miss the mystery Nintendo made out of the NX.
So now we have the Nintendo Switch and I think that's a pretty good name for the console. Anyways here is the trailer.


From the get go the message is clear. It's much better done than the Wii-U, which confused the people when it was announced. Not only do we have a clear distinction by name, but also the console and the whole concept behind it is clearly shown and explained. It is clear from the get go what Nintendos intention was with this. Under this light I would call this first glimpse at the switch a success from a marketing point of view. Of course things like the Price, Battery life and games remain to be seen, but for now I'm optimistic.


So let us talk about what we saw in the trailer. The Nintendo Switch is indeed the Hybrid concept that was rumored. And it exceeded my expectations. Seeing the gameplay seamlessly switch from big screen to handheld was quite impressive. Of course this also means that the docking station doesn't have any GPU or CPU build in, because then it would have never worked so easily. So the Docking Station is probably exclusively for upscaling the games for a bigger screen. All the processing and rendering is done by the handheld. This also means that means that the Switch probably won't be as powerful as the PS4. There is honestly no way to achieve that and keep a competitive price tag. Don't forget that the Switch comes with an expensive HD screen.

And for anyone worried that this will be a Wii-U 2.0. I can at least squelch your worries. The Switch is not build on the foundation of two Screens, but rather you can switch (see what I did there) the gameplay seamlessly from one screen to another. And for anyone complaining about a clunky controller Nintendo has found a solution in detachable parts. Judging from the trailer there are countless ways to enjoy games on the Switch. From using it like a handheld, to using the small screen as a tablet and holding only the control elements in your hands, to playing on the big screen.
Honestly it got me quite excited.

But we didn't just get a look at the console, but also some games. And although it was only a brief glimpse the newest Mario game looks quite promising. It seems to return to the freedom of Mario 64 and Sunshine, but mixing it up with a pinch of 3D World.


Apart from that we got some new Breath of the Wild Footage, which showed mounted combat and a new overworld Boss enemy and it seem the Skyrim HD Remaster is also heading to the Switch.


And that's not all. Here is a list of confirmed developers, who announced their support for the Nintendo Switch. And yes I know the Wii-U also had developer support at first, but it seems Nintendo has learned from their mistakes and there are some promising names on it.


It's an impressive List and it shows that Nintendo truly tries to get third parties on board this time. All big western publishers are on board and even Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), Take Two (GTA) and Warner Bros (Batman, Shadows of Mordor) are listed. Let's hope that Nintendo can ceep this support going this time. Because together with the excellent games from in house studios the Switch could become the ultimate gaming experience. Also From Software is on there, so maybe we'll get a Dark Souls on the Switch. 

Nintendo Switch promises games anywhere and anytime. It promises countless ways to enjoy games. If they can hold that promise I'm pretty sure the console will be a huge success. But of course this first trailer is not enough information. We still need a price and specifics on how powerful the Switch is going to be. But all in all I'm pleasantly surprised by the Swith and I think Nintendo has satisfied the Hype they build. At least for now.

So what are your thoughts on this new console? Do you like it? Are you disappointed? What are your expectations now that we have seen the idea behind the Switch? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

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