Nintendo Switch: What You Need to Know About New Game Console
Nintendo’s Switch event in Tokyo – where the company revealed everything from the launch date (March 3) to the games for its hybrid handheld/TV console – has come and gone. You’re probably doing OK if you’re a Zelda fan, and if you’re a wrist strap manufacturer, you’re likely beside yourself. Everyone else might be a little bit surprised about just vague Nintendo was when it came to the Switch’s lineup of launch games. One the bright side, at least the new Joy-Con controllers have sophisticated enough haptic technology to replicate the feeling of ice-cubes falling into a glass.
If you didn’t catch the event or fell asleep because it was streaming so late at night, here’s the breakdown, complete with all the need to know details.
Price and Release Date
Nintendo swiftly answered the two biggest questions we had about the Switch: its price and release date. The Nintendo Switch will be available on March 3rd in North America, Europe, and Japan, and it’ll retail for $299.99. It’ll include two Joy-Con controllers, the Joy-Con Grip (the thing that joins the Joy-Cons into a conventional gamepad configuration), a pair of Joy-Con wrist straps and the dock for plugging the system into your TV. Unlike all previous Nintendo consoles, it won’t be region locked, so games bought anywhere in the world will play on any Switch console.
The Games
Despite announcing that 50 companies were working on 80 games, only two that were shown during the presentation were actually confirmed to release at the system’s March 3rd launch. At least one of them was a potential system-seller – the much anticipated open-world RPG The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (a third confirmed launch game, a Nintendo eShop exclusive Snipperclips – has also been confirmed by Nintendo following the event). Highlights include:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They made us wait until the final seconds for a glimpse, and it was excruciating, but at least the presentation ended on a high note. Yes, it looks gorgeous, and yes, it’s out on March 3rd. If you’re buying the Switch, this is why. Watch the trailer, and bask in its beauty.
Super Mario Odyssey is basically the Mario you know and love, this time in what appears to be the real world, and with a magic hat that he throws. Nintendo promised a sandbox-style game in the spirit of the beloved Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. If you were wondering why “New Donk City” was trending on Twitter, this is why. We don’t know much, but there are planes, rideable dogs, and that sentient red cap that “plays an important role in Mario’s journey.” It’s not a launch game, unfortunately – you’ll have to wait until Holiday 2017.
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