Nintendo Switch (Nintendo NX = Portable Console)

[Myk JL 1,731]

If portable Skyrim didn't give me enough reason, Nintendo quickly hit my nostalgia nerve with what should be everyone's' favorite Japanese creator showing what should be everyone's' favorite Red & Blue wearing character.... Suda 51 showing Travis Touchdown!

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Overall it was a very lackluster event which spent most of the time talking about features that will be used for shovelware much like the Wii. There will be an indy market for motion control games, but Nintendo knew it needed a traditional controller set up for 3rd party AAA devs to make games for them. Xenoblade 2 looked good... but that RPG from square has me like "really?" All you could come up with was some 8bit graphics game? Hope you don't want $50 for it.

The Legend of Zelda trailer at the end blew me away, it looks incredible. Mario Odyssey looks good too, but its not a launch title. I mean, c'mon? Really? 2 big first party games at launch isn't going to really hurt each other considering it will be the only things worth playing for the first 6 months of its life.

I'll probably pick one up anyways. Zelda and Mario I want... and I know there will be a Super Smash Bros game down the road. I could only hope for a new Donkey Kong Country. I doubt I'll subscribe to their online service as I'd only buy single player games. Smash Bros would be one reason, but they'd have to have a lot more than that to get me on board.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

When square enix showed a game I looked over briefly, saw the 8 bit graphics and quickly ignored their entire game presentation. It could be a fun game but thats no better than an indie mobile game at this point. My guess is that its meant to take advantage of the mobile part of the switch. Being 8-bit graphics I bet it'll hardly touch the battery life compared to playing skyrim outside.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Now that I think about the mobile aspect. I'd probably use it to watch Netflix or Funi in bed.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Everyone knows we'll all take it into the bathroom so we don't have to pause any game from now on. I'm just glad there isn't a built in camera.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Reminds me of this meme.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I don't see a huge difference. It looks a bit crisper and smoother on the switch. If I was to guess, I bet the game was initially made for the Wii U and then ported to the switch with some upgrades to it. Nintendo did the same thing with twilight princess. It was the best looking game on the gamecube, but looked almost identical on the Wii, except for that on the Wii version the entire game was mirrored because Link is left handed but with the majority of players being right handed they mirrored it so everyone could flail their arms around like they're really sword fighting. The fact that Link is again right handed in this game means theres going to be more arm flailing with wii and switch controls. That crap better be completely optional. x_x

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

It looks a lot better on the switch to me. I was surprised how bad the Wii U looked. The colors are worse and some of the textures don't pop up until you get close enough. I have a friend had has a Wii U and all I ever played on it was Mario Kart which looked pretty good. I'm curious who is a port to who tbh because the E3 Wii U BoTW was plagued with frame rate drops. 

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Looking at this again on a good monitor and I can see the differences much easier now. The switch version does have much better textures and Link's shadow actually changes based on the grass its being cast on, while on the wii u the shadows look blocky and have no depth. Its a nice improvement but nothing as significant as an increase in graphic quality like the PS4 was to the PS3. Once the system gets released I'd like to see a comparison video of Skyrim on PS4 compared to the Switch. I like what Nintendo is doing with the Switch, but I get this feeling that they should have put more power into it. The PS4 has been out for years now and is probably more powerful than the switch and costs the same price at $299.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

While I have no real opinion on the differences of the two versions of the new Zelda game I thought I'd throw my two cents into the PS4 comparison. Nintendo has never been about making a powerful console, we all know this (the only reason they did so well was the games on the original NES and SNES). Compare the Gamecube (Nintendo's last good console imo) to the PS2 and the XBox, it was way under-powered compared to the other two systems and yet it was probably the best console out of the three (yea, I say this having been one of the biggest PS2 fanboys on the planet but the Gamecube had some of the most fun games I've ever laid my hands on and by far one of the most tense games ever as well (Eternal Darkness, this game was amazing for its time people. I still remember the time it made my friend think it was deleting his save file)). Nintendo has been about solid games that are fun to play for both adults and kids, sadly they lost sight of that with the Wii-U which is why it sold so badly (well besides it being a re-skin of the much more successful Wii with slightly different hardware). The Switch is a nice change because it's going back to what Nintendo does right while still trying to innovate (something we've not yet seen from Sony of Microsoft, try as you might upgrading the hardware every 4-8 years isn't innovation (or should I say 2-3 now with this stupid shift to 4k consoles now). All Sony and Microsoft do is copy what works for other companies (motion control which, lets face it, was a lot better and better optimized with the Wii. VR is another, something PC does so much better but god forbid its not on console) and tries to re-skin it as their idea). Yea it's gimmicky as hell (I'm sorry that 3 hour battery life is somewhat of a downer. I was hoping more for 5-6, Nintendo has got to have the ability for this since they've been pioneering handheld tech for decades now), graphics are really no better then Wii/360 graphics, and yet again it's another console screwing the consumer on hd space but I honestly think this will work out for Nintendo. The only major problems they're going to have is the lack of launch titles. Zelda is only going to get them so far (if it doesn't get delayed).

At best Skyrim will probably look like it would on a PC running it on low settings (maybe medium) based on the specs of the system. I'm happy to see the Switch is getting some big name games but Skyrim is probably not the best title to be running on this system. Plus a fall release is pretty retarded, the game has been out for years now and while the Special Edition did garner it some more life I really don't see many people running out their doors to pick up a Switch to play Skyrim (where you know the thing will have a 1 hour battery life if you try to play it un-docked with this game).

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

As someone that is more than willing (than the stereotypical casual gamer) to spend money on gaming when it suits my interests. I think Nintendo tried too hard to keep the price at $300 and not lose money. They never sell at a loss, and at this point, they can no longer afford to with how bad their relationship had degraded with 3rd party support. Hopefully they can rebuild that. I can see a new switch coming out next year with better battery life similar to how they do their handhelds these days... when they get their manufacturing costs down more I can see better bundles coming out for the old Switch like the controller dock that charges both joycons at once and a Pro Controller. But right now I see a lot of people that don't really read up on the Switch being disappointed or feeling tricked when they realize they'll need to spend another $150 to fill in those cost cutting decisions Nintendo made. The more interesting thing that no one really ever talks about is battery degeneration. How long will the battery hold that 3-6hr charge? Honestly, for heavy users, it will only be good for 1-2 years much like a cellphone. Battery tech has yet to break through its current peak. When the battery becomes as useless as AA's in a gamegear, can it be replaced? Probably not for the causal user.

I only put down my preorder for Zelda, I must play it... and then my Switch will collect dust until Mario. Its been 11 years since I've owned a Nintendo console, and I miss those games. I'm not big on innovation... I'm old, and I just like to play games with a controller XD. I'll have bought 3-5 more PS4 games between BoTW and Mario. My Switch will never leave its dock unless i want to watch netflix or funi in bed like I've said. I expect a metroid prime because dammit, 1 and 2 were some of the most amazing games I've ever played. Playing Prime at a Babbage's made me instantly need to have a gamecube that day. Without gimmicks, hopefully we can get back to the games I love, on one screen with a controller in hand.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

10 hours ago, Strider Hiryu said:

Compare the Gamecube (Nintendo's last good console imo) to the PS2 and the XBox, it was way under-powered compared to the other two systems and yet it was probably the best console out of the three

I hear that. I loved my gamecube at the time. All the first party games sucked me in, especially mario kart. I swear I put more time into Mario Kart than any other RPG at the time. A new Mario Kart is one of the reasons I'd want to buy a switch but theres been no mention of it yet. I won't rush out to buy the switch mostly because of the current price. Like what DX was saying, Nintendo cut costs to keep that $300 price tag. If you want a joycon grip that charges them while you play, thats an extra purchase because the one that comes with it doesn't charge them. They'll only charge when connected to the switch. Want a pro controller to play on instead, thats an extra $75. Want actual storage for the Switch? It only comes with 13 gb and the system only uses expensive micro sd cards. wtf. Theres another expense. Aside from Zelda theres no other game I want to play on it at launch. I'll wait on buying it. I bought the PS4 at launch for BF4 and aside from that game my PS4 collected far too much dust until another game I wanted came out. I don't think I'll buy another console at launch again.

On a side note, my younger brother is exited about the switch coming out because it'll drop the price on the Wii U quite a bit. Hes planning on buying one of those and a collection of games for his kids to play. Makes sense to me.. I always wanted another Mario Kart but I haven't looked into the Wii U in years. I might pick up one of them at some point if a bundle price drops substantially and it comes with a non nunchuck controller.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

The Wii U version will be available with all the DLC. So it's like a game of the year edition with even more tracks and characters from splatoon. 

[Sledgstone 8,672]

lmao. I must not have paid attention to this trailer when it was shown on the stream.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

They didn't show it for some reason. It was an after announcement. I guess they didn't want to highlight any Wii U ports that are already out.  

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

Meh, I read about it on VG247 the day after the whole event (didn't really care, Mario Kart brings out the worst in me so I tend to avoid it).

Honestly I'm so used to spending extra money on shit that doesn't come with consoles anymore it's not funny (like my charging dock for my PS4 controller since the fucking cable that comes with it is so god damn short). I kinda figured the grip that came with the console didn't charge the controllers and I'm honestly okay with that, just means I have to hook the controllers up to the Switch when I'm done using it (exactly what I did with my PS4 controller until I bought the dock). Fuck if I care less about pro-controllers, I've always thought they were overpriced pieces of crap that people only buy because they think they make you better (I'm all about the original controllers baby, they only exception I ever made was for the S controllers for the original Xbox. Those damn dinner plates it originally came with were atrocious). The on-board memory still pisses me off and why companies feel they can get away with giving us less hd space every year baffles me (I'm still trying to figure out what fucking egghead at Sony though 500 gigs was enough space for gamers on the PS4. Fuck sake guys you fill up that space with 3-4 AAA titles now-a-days and with the requirement to installing the disc to the hd that just fucks us from being able to play anything beyond whatever 3-4 games we currently have installed).

On the battery thing I'm going to go with roughly the same amount of time it takes to kill a laptop battery so roughly a year to a year and a half (a year for those hardcore casual gamers who take the Switch everywhere with them. The year and a half for those of use who will only use the gimmick for things like you mentioned (watching Netflix in bed (though I already do that with my PS4) and what not).

I'll get the Switch when something other then Zelda interests me (most likely Smash Brothers when they make one for it, I've been a big fan of the series since the original released). Until then I'll hold off (especially considering just how many games I have to buy this year (Horizon, ME: Andromeda, FFXIV: Stormblood (and I'll get the CE for it as well so that's going to probably be $150), For Honor, and Halo Wars 2 (since it's actually coming to PC this time around and I loved the original)).

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

But the Pro Controller is a regular controller. They just call it that. I bet you only get 1 cord to charge the joycons, so it will take 6 hours to charge them all unless you get a second cord. The joycons will only last 20 hours while the pro will last 70 hours. I'd say its worth the purchase.

That PS4 charge cord is really small. I bought a 9ft cord that i use for my phone and the controller just so I can use them both while they charge from anywhere in my room.

[Myk JL 1,731]

I didn't try to pre-order a Nintendo Switch due to the fact I haven't seen Pro Regular Controller for Pre-Order.

I'm use to the small cord that came with my PS4 because I have a small TV for it & other HD only consoles.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Knowing how Nintendo is with their (intentional, imo) limited hardware supply issues I bet preordering a switch at this point will be very difficult since a large majority of them will be getting flipped for resale on ebay like NES classic.

That pro controller looks overpriced to me. I was wondering if there was some special feature about it that makes it more advanced than the standard xbox 360 controller it looks like to justify the price and the only big difference I've seen is that it has built in amiibo functionality. wtf. Amiibo is the shittiest thing to me. Watch the next Mario Kart (not the port of mario kart 8) have all their characters locked behind amiibo purchases. As if I didn't hate DLC as it is, you have to buy the physical toys for a minimum of $3 a piece to unlock the digital characters.

So I looked up to see if the new zelda has amiibo and yes it does:

While having the wolf link join as an ally is cool, I hate the idea of having dlc tied behind physical shit that is always in limited supply and resold on ebay. wtf. Sell that crap digitally Nintendo.

Oh.. and it looks like all the skins for the mario kart 8 port will also use amiibo:

Nintendo is king of piece mealing out their products.

I looked at this page and it looks like the individual charging cables for the joycons give them 2 extra buttons a piece. I don't see the individual cables for sale on this page so I'm assuming the switch will come with 2 cables for charging them. Or none at all and they'll have to be charged via the docking station.

http://www.nintendo.com/switch/buy-now/

 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Meh sadly its a big hit with the target audience. I see the younger people on my feed go crazy trying to find certain ones. I'll never get into them. I guarantee that Wolf will only be able to help in open world. I bet it can't be used in dungeons, shrines, or temples.

The Pro Controller is $10 more than a PS4 controller, but the battery life is almost triple. Its not that big of a deal to me. I didn't preorder one yet, and now it seems they're all sold out. Honestly I wish they'd make an Gamecube controller instead like they did for Smash Bros on the Wii U. If you made a GC controller with the refinement of a PS4 controller, it would probably be my favorite ever.

[Myk JL 1,731]

6 hours ago, Sledgstone said:

So I looked up to see if the new zelda has amiibo and yes it does:

I just ended up buying a Wolf Link Amiibo (intended for the Wii U) from a 3rd Party seller on Amazon for the Nintendo Switch. Hopefully its new. Also would've preferred if Nintendo made Wolf Link without Midna.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I'm assuming the switch will use the same Amiibo as the Wii U, but then again it might not. The Switch is going to be region free but all the current amiibo are region locked (at least I think they are). If so they might not be compatible and it'll give Nintendo the excuse to make a brand new line of them that will force people to buy the same amiibos all over again. I looked at that Wolf Link amiibo again and it looks like it has to be synced up with the twilight princess game first before it'll do anything for breath of the wild. Nintendo technically locked a dlc item behind a physical purchase and the purchase of a second game. wtf.

[Myk JL 1,731]

1 hour ago, Sledgstone said:

I'm assuming the switch will use the same Amiibo as the Wii U, but then again it might not. The Switch is going to be region free but all the current amiibo are region locked (at least I think they are). If so they might not be compatible and it'll give Nintendo the excuse to make a brand new line of them that will force people to buy the same amiibos all over again. I looked at that Wolf Link amiibo again and it looks like it has to be synced up with the twilight princess game first before it'll do anything for breath of the wild. Nintendo technically locked a dlc item behind a physical purchase and the purchase of a second game. wtf.

According to IGN, Amiibos aren't region locked.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/11/11/nintendo-amiibos-are-not-region-locked

Beyond that I have my doubts that Nintendo would make BotW Amiibos that'll probably work for both Wii U & Switch then cause people to buy a Switch exclusive TP Wolf Link. If the Switch version of BotW required TP in order to activate Wolf Link I could hopefully look forward to TP on the Switch.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MOCBCY/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Ehhhh. Like I said, it probably wont matter much to me. I can play all of Zelda without a wolf, honestly I'd prefer it because that character doesn't belong in that timeline (Muh Immersion). Amiibo's wouldn't sell without those perks. I'm not sure how far it will go on the Switch though because they are getting rid of the Miiverse altogether. Miis will stay on Wii U, but they wont be on Switch. That throws Amiibo into question to me.

If it unlocked characters for Smash Bros, I'd be kinda pissed, but a skin for Mario Kart looks pretty garbage too me. I rather just be Bowser or Mario that my crappy Mii with a junky looking skin. Plus I'd never play Mario Kart online, so no one would see the skins and it would make them pointless for me. 99.9% of the games I buy for switch will be single player. While the Wolf is neat, I bet its as useful as the Spirit Wolf elite skill in GW2. Once you get geared up and face tougher opponents, it will be garbage.