The Nintendo Switch is here! For those of you who have been waiting rather patiently, maybe even impatiently, can finally take rest because the Nintendo Switch launch begins this Friday, March 3rd.
If you did not pre-order your Switch, don’t fret… don’t give up! Walmart has come to the rescue for late comers and plans to sell Nintendo Switch’s to walk-in shoppers at its launch beginning at midnight (Word to the wise: Make sure you go to a Walmart with 24/7 hours).
First peek
Based on the initial reviews, the Switch is not really a home console that happened to have some portability. The reverse seems to be true: reviews seem to be much more positive towards the portable console (with the exception of battery life) and much harder on the TV console aspect.
However, this makes sense: with Sony and Microsoft jumping more into 4k gaming, the Switch struggling with frame drops on its marquee launch title running 900p seems pedestrian.
Conversely, a 720p handheld running home console quality game with multiplayer and controller customization is a revelation and has essentially no direct competitor (apart from Shield and its ilk).
Framed in the manner of a portable console, that also happens to be able to connect to a TV, the Switch has positioned itself well in the market. The 3DS was $250 at launch, with an extremely weak launch lineup, and was not nearly the step up in technology from the DS that the Switch is compared to the 3DS (or N3DS).
General Consensus
If you’re going to buy the console, regardless of what anyone tells you, you should go ahead and do so. You’re pretty much guaranteed to like it. If you have any kind of reservations whatsoever, you should hold off and wait to see how Nintendo irons out all of the unknowns and launch issues.
Either way, it’s still better than the Wii U. Whether or not the Switch is a good console, just depends on how well Nintendo updates and maintains the device.
Upcoming games
By the end of the year it’ll have Zelda, Yooka-Laylee, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Arms, Mario Kart 8 (if you’ve never owned a Wii U this game is a must buy), Disgaea 5, Stardew Valley, Skyrim, Fire Emblem Warriors, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight, Dragon Quest Heroes.
Supposedly Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a 2017 release worldwide. We’ll see if that happens. And Dragon Quest XI is due out. But I think that’s Japan only and we’ll end up seeing a 2018 release for the rest of the world.
And this is all before E3. E3 will mostly flesh out the 2018 lineup. We already know about a new Fire Emblem game, a Tales game, a Story of Seasons game, and a new Shin Megami Tensei game, as well as, whatever Square is going to do with their Project Octopath Traveler.
Future releases
Close your mouth – you’re drooling. Seems like Nintendo is setting up for one big release each season for this first year: BotW at launch, Mario Kart 8 for April, Splatoon for summer, and Mario for winter.
We’ll see where they go beyond that initial year. Between Wii U Sports and Nintendo franchises that still deserve sequels (Metroid, Animal Crossing), it seems as though they can hold up their first party release schedule pretty well, but then again, it’s Nintendo.
For now its Switch and gamers can rejoice!
