We’ve had some days to digest the newly announced Nintendo Switch, and I’d say my opinions are kinda all over the place. Let’s break it down.
The Name:
Switch is a name. Its not a terribly good name, but after Wii and WiiU, Switch might be the best name ever. Nintendo has been in a rut when it comes to naming things (submitting amiibo as more evidence of this), so to see something that conveys exactly what the console is and isn’t a new-wave non-sense word is comforting. Pair that with the adorable marketing sounds of the clicky controller snaps, and Nintendo has finally positioned a product that communicates EXACTLY what it is.
The Screen:
Trailers are never the best at showing off exactly what hardware looks and feels like, but a couple things about the screen have me thinking this console will feel a bit more substantial than its predecessors. Going as far back at the N64, nearly all Nintendo hardware has had an almost intangibly childish feel to it. Compare the WiiU’s tablet screen to any actual tablet on the market, and you see that it feels like a child’s toy. From the trailer, the Switch’s screen looks like an actual tablet, with actual glass. Nintendo has not announced specs, nor has it confirmed the table to be touch screen, but in today’s market I don’t think they can afford for it NOT to be touch.
The Graphics:
There’s literally no way to confirm what the specs for the games in the trailer were running at, but what we do know is that Nvidia has confirmed that it has a Tegra processor in it. That’s a tablet/mobile processor, so any pipe dreams that the Switch would run games as good looking as Xbox One and PS4 games can be squashed. Unless, there’s additional processing being done by the base in which the tablet plugs. Again, nothing spec-wise has been confirmed, but it’s obvious that this will not be graphics powerhouse, Nintendo platforms never are.
The Controllers:
Let’s all just admit that Joy-Con is a bad name for those things. It doubly bothers me that for a decade, Nintendo went out of its way to NEVER legitimize the name Wii-mote, and then they drop the even dumber name Joy-Cons as if it’s the cutest thing ever. Whatever, the Joy-Cons look flimsy, and the analog sticks look as acceptable as the stick on the 3DS, which isn’t saying much. I like the the little shell holder the Joy-Cons connect to, and the idea of having controllers for multiplayer on the go is clever. I however, know how plastics react being attached and detached repeatedly. If they are as fragile as they look, I will probably pick up a pro controller and just leave the joy-cons attached until they are needed for multiplayer.
The Physical Media:
As seen in the trailer, the Switch will use cards similar to 3DS and/or Vita. That’s not only expected but kinda required as spinning disc based media isn’t ideal for handheld devices. Outside of the base having a disc slot and all game data being temporarily stored in the tablet, the flash media based card is the right move. Because of this form of media, the Switch will be the first Nintendo platform in a long time that is not backwards compatible with the previous generation’s discs. That’s not much of a loss, as the WiiU doesn’t have a wealth of must-own titles.
Tablet Functionality:
Nothing has been announced, but a Nintendo patent application hints that the Switch does have a touch screen. If that’s the case, its a no brainer that the Nintendo mobile titles like Super Mario Run will come to the platform. With that in mind, Nintendo would probably benefit from marketing the device as also being a tablet with its own app store. This is probably a long shot, but they’ve really put together a product that could carry many different functions. Then again, my money is on the device not having a touch screen. Touch functionality is not a feature that needs to be “announced”. The screen never being touched in the trailer and Nintendo being mum on any of those details but forth coming on other details makes it look like it’s no touchy.
The Games:
The Skyrim port is a huge get for Nintendo. Yeah its an old game, but just the fact that Bethesda is releasing a title on their quaint little hardware shows big signs of 3rd Party support. Nintendo has never lived and died by their 3rd Party games, but it could give the device the legs that the WiiU never had. Also, with this effectively replacing both the WiiU and the 3DS, seeing almost all of Nintendo’s talented teams working on games for one device has me thinking that the Switch might end up having the most impressive line-up of exclusive titles, in the industry.
The Switch is exciting. Its concept is simple and easy to wrap your mind around, but can Nintendo get the touchdown they so deeply need? As always, it’s all in the games, pricing and marketing. How well they do in those areas has yet to be seen, but so far they are looking pretty good. In case you somehow missed it, here’s the reveal trailer.
