Opinion: Our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch and its first showing

Some time has passed since the NX Switch reveal and now we’ve got the team together to see what we all think of it. Enjoy.

We’ve finally seen Nintendo’s new console! The reveal video was definitely a stylish way of showing it off, and did a much better job than I was expecting of establishing what the console actually is. It clearly showed that the Switch is a hybrid and an all-new console rather than some sort of add-on or improved version of an existing console. I’m still not sold though, because even though the idea sounds good and a bunch of third parties are supposedly supporting the console, the same could have been said for the Wii U. If I could look into a crystal ball and see that Nintendo and third parties were both releasing games regularly for the Switch (that aren’t terrible ports, at that) then yeah, I’d be signed up. I love the concept but I’m just really wary of diving in on another home console from Nintendo because I don’t want it to become another ghost town.

It doesn’t sound like it’s going to be incredibly powerful in terms of home consoles, so I hope it doesn’t end up quickly outdated by whatever Sony and Microsoft are moving onto. Because while it’s nuts that it’ll be able to pull of things like Breath of the Wild and Skyrim as a portable device, I imagine a lot of big name developers will be approaching it as a home console first and foremost, that can also play things on the go. So if it can’t handle their visions of home console games then you can expect them to drop support rather than create a totally different game just for a Nintendo platform.

I’m a bit iffy about how portable it actually is, too. I love my 3DS because I can easily fit it into my pocket and walk around without needing to bring along anything to carry it in. If I do need to bring a bag along, it’s a nice size and fits into smaller compartments in the bag. The 3DS also doesn’t have any exposed screens or protruding bits I have to worry about. I hate taking my Vita around because it feels like something will break off the analogue sticks. The Switch looks big for a handheld, and has proper analogue sticks, which means that it’s not as easy to take places and will always worry me if I put it in a bag. I guess I can snap off the controller segments and keep them in a smaller/safer compartment of a bag, but not being able to carry a portable in my pocket is a bummer. I can’t just whip it out of my pocket when waiting in line somewhere, and I’ll need to shuffle things around in my bag to get it out like I do with my iPad. It’s not ridiculously big, but it doesn’t appear to be as convenient as Nintendo’s past handhelds, which is a bummer.

If Nintendo can just give us confidence that the platform will actually be supported then sure, I’ll be on board. It’s a bit annoying that I have to buy a new console for Nintendo games a few years after the Wii U launched but I can suck it up if it’ll provide enough value. Nintendo’s games themselves don’t have me worried, but I hope third parties will provide enough quality support to fill the gaps in between Nintendo’s releases. I’m cautiously optimistic, but if I’m going to be spending hundreds of dollars on another console I just hope it’s more satisfying than the Wii U.

When the NX was revealed to be the Nintendo Switch I was neither surprised nor was I jumping out of my seat, hooting and hollering like and prospector who just found gold. This doesn’t mean I hate the thing. I was the same when the Wii U was announced, yet I love that damn thing.

I wasn’t surprised because Nintendo had already let it known that the console was going to redefine or change the view on home console and portable gaming. We knew it would do both. It was heavily rumoured, and rightly assumed, that the machine would have detachable controller pieces. It was also widely reported, without confirmation, that the system would be cartridge based instead of disc. We knew Breath of the Wild is coming. It was easy to assume titles like Mario, Mario Kart and Splatoon would be in the works also.

I wasn’t jumping for joy because… I dunno. It doesn’t seem “Nintendo” enough. I’m glad that they have done away with the Wii remotes and touchscreens. I’m glad that the console has the potential to be a better received console thanks to the third-party support. I’m glad that the console has a nice looking, large screen… With a kickstand no less! First it was handles on the GameCube and now this!

What worries me however, is the unknown. As far as I can tell the screen is the actual console. My concern is that this means the machine probably won’t be a graphics powerhouse. Why do you think the PS4 and XBOX ONE are so big? To fit in all the crap that makes games look pretty. I mean, I wouldn’t want to play AAA titles on a standard tablet for fear of performance and looks.

But this is Nintendo. They must know what they are doing, at least on the hardware front. Also Nintendo doesn’t need to have a powerhouse graphics machine. They have quality games to back it up. It would just be nice to see them have a stronger hold against the competition on all fronts.

So, I wasn’t jumping out of my skin at the announcement of the Switch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. It also doesn’t mean I won’t stop blindly following Nintendo into the blue ocean. Does that mean I’m in a cult?

This is Wii U, in it’s final form. The GamePad’s Off-TV Play capabilities were a great first step, freeing you to continue playing while sharing a TV, but always felt compromised. The screen wasn’t horrible, but it was clear that the resolution was reduced in an effort to make the GamePad less expensive and likely to ensure the reliability of the wireless streaming technology. When opened to the possibility of playing console quality games on a controller that felt portable, many felt disappointed that it would only work when in close proximity to the main console likely under their television.

Switch solves all of these problems, and more that have been plaguing Nintendo for the last generation. The controller *is* the system, it’s a handheld system that can be docked to become a home system. It looks like you can get up from your seat in front of the TV, pick up the Switch, throw it in a bag (hopefully with a protective cover, that giant screen isn’t exactly pocket friendly!) and continue where you left off wherever you happen to be going.

Nintendo’s development efforts will no longer be split across two different platforms, and third parties won’t need to make the decision whether to support two separate consoles for their releases since they can develop for one and reach both portable and home console players. More games from third parties, and more games from Nintendo.

Nintendo have finally dropped the Wii branding too. They leave behind the initial success of the Wii name, but this has been tainted by shallow experiences and a confusing ‘upgrade’ in the minds of the general public, so I see this as a positive move.

Switch matures the aesthetic of Nintendo’s devices. With bulbous rounded edges, the Wii U looked more like a toy than a console on first glance. Switch looks less like a toy and more like a modern device. We don’t know how it feels, but there’s not a piece of piano black plastic in sight so I’m optimistic the system will feel as robust and premium as it looks.

We lose a few things in the transition, dual screen gaming being the chief casualty in the move to a new platform, but I’m 100% okay with that. Switch unifies Nintendo’s console lineup, modernises it for the expectations of a mobile audience while not compromising on the options traditional players demand. With Switch, Nintendo wants you to play however you want to play.

After finally learning about the Switch, my heart and my head were relieved. Nintendo finally put on a decent trailer of a new product and it hasn’t confused everyone and it doesn’t have a stupid name.

The Switch to me is my perfect Nintendo system, I can play a Nintendo games, third party games (right) at home or outside and continue where I left off either way. It appears to be well built and a little more ‘high end’ than we’ve seen from Nintendo do in the past. The Switch could also bring focus back to local multiplayer, it seems Nintendo are the only company still willing to pursue this past the new millennium.

The other part of the system that excites me is that publishers appear to be back on board, the Switch supports a wide range of development frameworks, ticks all the right boxes in form of control and power – people are excited about it and could we finally have the dream of a Nintendo console that plays all the games the others get?

The traditional console market and the portable console market has shrunk since the introduction of smartphones, the App Store and the iPad. Nintendo doesn’t seem to going for those people, nor is it going for the powerhouses of Xbox and PlayStation. It’s going sideways once again and doing its own thing – where it does best. The Switch will hopefully play third parties, they might not be as graphically blessed but it will be the only way to play them on the train, in a car or on a plane.  Many people are happy with playing 5 minutes of their favourite match-3 puzzle game on the train, but some people want more – the Switch is that.

For everything Nintendo revealed about the Switch and that was positive, there’s a whole bunch of things to worry about and to be cautious about as well. Nintendo won’t pull off this miracle console, it won’t be perfect and it’s not going to be capable of playing every game that’s released – but it will have Nintendo’s stuff and that’s huge. Just thinking about once portable series’ making the jump to the TV and games that have only been home console releases being able to be played portable is exciting.

The next two months are going to fly by, you didn’t think the rumours are going to stop now?