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According to Destructoid (This article and its images were originally posted on Destructoid September 14, 2018 at 04:05PM.)
Well it’s no Switch-exclusive Mario costume, but it’s hard data.
As part of a rapid fire packed Direct, Nintendo gave us a release date for Warframe‘s Switch port: November 20. Warframe launched all the way back in 2013 from Digital Extremes, who mostly worked on multiplayer modules for existing games and ports. Now they’re a powerhouse of studio with millions of Warframe users, many of which are buying into the game’s myriad microtransactions, which the developer touts as cosmetic in nature. It’s very similar to Grinding Gear Games’ success story with Path of Exile.
The Switch edition will of course include all five years of quality of life updates and new free DLC when it arrives close to its fifth anniversary of its PS4 launch.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Destructoid] September 14, 2018 at 04:05PM. Credit to the original author and Destructoid | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Destructoid (This article and its images were originally posted on Destructoid September 10, 2018 at 10:07AM.)
Many years ago, freshly merged Square-Enix made waves when it announced its flagship Final Fantasy series would be returning to a Nintendo console in the shape of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Released for the GameCube in North America in 2004, the game was one of the few to use the GBA link cables for up to four-player co-op. The entire game was playable in co-op and in my sophomore year of college, it was the game not even mid-terms could tear me away from.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Destructoid] September 10, 2018 at 10:07AM. Credit to Author CJ Andriessen and Destructoid | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to GameSpot (This article and its images were originally posted on GameSpot September 10, 2018 at 10:39AM.)
Nintendo has announced a new limited-edition version of its latest hardware. It’s the Nintendo Switch Pikachu & Eevee edition, and it decks out the entire Switch, from Joy-Cons to dock, in imagery from Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee. The new edition is coming to Europe on November 16. There’s no word yet on whether it will come to the rest of the gaming world as well.
The bundle comes with Joy-Cons in different shades of yellow, matching the colors of the title characters. The rear of the Switch’s screen is emblazoned with silhouettes of the characters as well as poke balls. Even the dock features color pictures of Pikachu and Eevee.
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This article and images were originally posted on [GameSpot] September 10, 2018 at 10:39AM. Credit to Author Chris Reed and GameSpot | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to destructoid (This article and its images were originally posted on destructoid September 3, 2018 at 10:42AM.)
Roughly five million for Switch (since 2017) compared to seven million PS4s (2014)
The Nintendo Switch is selling like hotcakes in pretty much every region, especially Japan. Initially the country couldn’t keep the thing on store shelves in implemented a lottery-like system in some areas, but it’s nowhere near the Wii shortages as folks have actually been able to snag them over time.
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This article and images were originally posted on [destructoid] September 3, 2018 at 10:42AM. Credit to Author Chris Carter and destructoid .
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According to Tiny Cartridge 3DS (This article and its images were originally posted on Tiny Cartridge 3DS August 20, 2018 at 10:38AM.)
I’m not 100% clear on what happened, but I dropped my kids off at school and came home to find out that there’s a new Switch/PC sequel to a Neo Geo game?! DotEmu is really making the most of that license.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Tiny Cartridge 3DS] August 20, 2018 at 10:38AM. Credit to Author and Tiny Cartridge 3DS | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Eurogamer.net (This article and its images were originally posted on Eurogamer.net August 21, 2018 at 05:26PM.)
In the world of mobile gaming, there are few titles that can compete with Arena of Valor. With a player base that has peaked at over 200 million players, the MOBA is a veritable kingpin of pocket gaming. And in September, Tencent will bring this free-to-play juggernaut to the Switch.According to Project Manager Edward Gan, the game is all about making the MOBA experience more accessible to players – both in terms of portability and ease of gameplay. Compared to other MOBAs such as Dota 2, Arena of Valor for Switch has a number of features to ease new players into the genre. There’s an “auto-buying” feature, for instance, that will automatically purchase necessary items for players. If this had been around when I’d tried Dota 2, I guess I wouldn’t have accidentally bought two boots of speed (I saw one boot on the photo and assumed I needed a pair). This feature can apparently be disabled once players have mastered the item system.
Another addition to make things easier for new players is the ability to earn gold from “damage caused”. In most MOBAs, players have to kill the object they’re attacking in order to earn gold – a rule which makes life difficult for new players to gain currency. Gan stated that in Arena of Valor Switch, players will not “really need to deliver the last hit to gain gold,” thus opening the game up to newcomers.
Arena of Valor will be free to play on Switch, with purchasable coins for cosmetics and heroes.Despite Arena of Valor’s roots in mobile gaming, the possibility of cross-play between mobile and Switch has been completely ruled out. “They are basically two different games,” said Gan. “They are so different in terms of control… you can view this as a different build.” But mobile players will not be forgotten – players who have already unlocked heroes on the mobile version will initially receive extra gold on the Switch version.
While mobile gaming is the predominant form of gaming in Asia – and indeed, Arena of Valor has seen most of its success there – consoles have always been more popular in the west. The move to Switch is essentially Tencent’s attempt to break into this market. In Gan’s words, Tencent’s hope is that the Switch, as one of the most “exciting and fast-growing” platforms, “will bring a lot of awareness of the game to western markets, as these are very console-concentrated”. Arena of Valor’s recent foray into the world of mobile esports is also part of this attempt to break into western consciousness.
In the brief time I’ve had with the game at Gamescom, Arena of Valor seems like a smooth and simple version of MOBAs which have previously failed to engage me. The UI is far easier to understand, and the game runs well on the Switch – according to Tencent, it averages at 45 FPS. With feedback from players in its betas reportedly being positive, Arena of Valor could potentially see huge success as a MOBA for casual players.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Eurogamer.net] August 21, 2018 at 05:26PM. Credit to Author Emma Kent and Eurogamer.net | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Gematsu (This article and its images were originally posted on Gematsu July 31, 2018 at 03:26AM.)
Switch worldwide sales top 19.67 million; Mario Tennis Aces sales top 1.39 million
Plus an updated list of the top-selling first-party Switch games.
Nintendo Switch has sold 19.67 million units to consumers worldwide as of June 30, Nintendo announced in its earnings release for the three months ended June 30, 2018.
A total of 1.88 million Switch hardware and 17.96 million software were sold during the first quarter, which is a 120.8 percent increase from the same period the previous fiscal year.
Nintendo did not alter its previous forecast that it will ship 20 million Switch hardware between April 2018 and March 2019.
Nintendo also shared updated sales numbers for its first-party Switch titles, which is the first time numbers for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and Mario Tennis Aces have been released. The 10 best-selling first-party Switch titles are:
Super Mario Odyssey – 11.17 million
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 10.35 million
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 9.32 million
Splatoon 2 – 6.76 million
1-2 Switch – 2.45 million
ARMS – 2.01 million
Kirby: Star Allies – 1.89 million
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – 1.42 million
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – 1.40 million
Mario Tennis Aces – 1.38 million
More than 86.93 million Switch games have been sold worldwide.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Gematsu] July 31, 2018 at 03:26AM. Credit to Author Sal Romano (@salromano) and Gematsu | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Gematsu (This article and its images were originally posted on Gematsu July 23, 2018 at 11:00AM.)
Dragon Ball FighterZ for Switch adds one-versus-one and two-versus-two matches, offline six-player mode
New features for the late port.
The Switch version of Dragon Ball FighterZ will feature one-versus-one and two-versus-two matches, as well as an offline six-player Party Match mode, Bandai Namco announced.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and will launch for Switch on September 27 in Japan, and September 28 in the Americas and Europe. An open beta for the Switch version will be held in August.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Gematsu] July 23, 2018 at 11:00AM. Credit to Author Sal Romano (@salromano) and Gematsu | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates (This article and its images were originally posted on Nintendo Life | Latest Updates July 17, 2018 at 05:35AM.)
Bandai Namco has released a brand new trailer for the quirky anime fighter My Hero One’s Justice, giving us more info on the game’s story and mission modes.
In Mission Mode, players will face a variety of different scenarios and challenging opponents, competing under special rules for each. As you fight through and complete these challenges, you’ll be rewarded with new accessories and Hero Coins – an in-game currency that can be used to customise characters in the game’s online mode.
The trailer also reveals some brand new screens for the Story Mode, where fans of the anime can play through its story. Starting right after Izuku Midoriya begins training with Gran Torino, the story is set to feature some of the most exciting moments of the franchise, aiming to remain faithful to the original plot. Players will also be able to experience both sides of the story with Hero and Villain modes.
Remember, My Hero One’s Justice will be punching its way to Switch on 26th October.
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According to Forbes – Games (This article and its images were originally posted on Forbes – Games June 26, 2018 at 07:40AM.)
Credit: Capcom
With Capcom holding its shareholders meeting earlier this month, we now know that the Japanese publisher may have further plans for the Monster Hunter series on the Switch.
When asked on what Capcom thought of the Switch, one of the official responses was as follows.
We currently have Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) Nintendo Switch Ver. available for the Nintendo Switch, and plan to continue developing other titles for this platform in the future. Additionally, going forward we would like to focus on esports, as well as developing video games that take advantage of connection speed improvements on smart phones and those that support ongoing visual improvements in televisions.
With the answer to that being a predictable no, due to obvious technical reasons, they did go on to say that plans for further Monster Hunter games on the Switch were being considered.
I am sure the sales of the upcoming Western release of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate on the Switch will be a key factor in Capcom’s decision to bring more Monster Hunter games to the platform.
However, considering how well Monster Hunter Generations and Monster Hunter World have sold outside of Japan, I am fairly confident we will be seeing some all-new Monster Hunter games on the Switch sometime soon.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Forbes – Games] June 26, 2018 at 07:40AM. Credit to Author Ollie Barder and Forbes – Games | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates (This article and its images were originally posted on Nintendo Life | Latest Updates June 26, 2018 at 06:03AM.)
@DABYX this is kind of just general hacking because I don’t really know anything about hacking game systems in particular. But, in general there are plenty of hackers that send the information they obtain to companies.
First, many companies rely on these types of hackers to test their product and find these things that can be exploited because the amount of time and money spent to find them all in security testing would have the product make them $0. If it’s in the internet, even better, because they now have an immediate focus point on what is the most important to fix rather than waste time going through emails to find all the possible issues and lay them out.
So don’t think that companies for one minute are little lambs that have now been surrounded by wolves and never saw this coming. Everything in a business is money related. Nintendo employs hackers and some of them are far better than any hacker distributing software. They’re not stupid.
Another example (because there might be a lot of them but…) :
Sometimes they ask the company for a fee for their information or if it’s particularly tricky they might off to even resolve the issues for a fee.
If the company ignores the hacker and situation for whatever reason (and yes it is extremely possible they would ignore someone, think about how many emails they get a day from people with ‘issues’ on their systems they should know about that don’t even exist.) is one reason a hacker might release it on the internet for others.
Others may not even bother contacting the company and just release it online.
Releasing a bunch of hack that are proven to work because the community uses them (including those wanting to pirate games) is a really attractive digital job portfolio. It demonstrates skill in a manner that isn’t something you can show off any other way other than his many users are able to use this vulnerability to their advantage without it being addressed. It’s not about “discussing it further” so much as “look at how big my discovery actually was.”
That’s not the only example, but the hacker above would describe and answer your question fitting under this ‘innocent’ hacking view. I hope it was an actually helpful example.
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates (This article and its images were originally posted on Nintendo Life | Latest Updates June 26, 2018 at 12:18PM.)
Naturally, with this being the first time we’ve seen voice chat take place through the console itself, players are stumbling across interesting little things that were previously unknown. Perhaps the best example of this is the fact that the Switch’s video capture functionality (performed by holding down the Capture button on your controller) actually records any voices that can be heard while playing. You can hear this happening in @CaptainSlayer‘s recording below.
As you can clearly hear at the end of the video, a teammate cries out a very audible “good job”, congratulating the uploader on their Victory Royale success. Things get even more interesting, however, as it turns out that this friend was playing the game on an Xbox One X. Yes, that’s right: you can seemingly record any voices coming into your game, even from other systems.
Until other games adopt a similar voice chat method, it’s impossible to know whether this feature will always be available across the board. It could be that while Fortnite is set up to allow this, Nintendo may choose to block this from happening in its first-party releases. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Until then, feel free to start sharing your team’s victory cries on social media immediately and, if you’re reading this @CaptainSlayer – good job!
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates (This article and its images were originally posted on Nintendo Life | Latest Updates June 26, 2018 at 09:35AM.)
Research analysts from an investment bank and asset management firm……. I’m sorry but anyone that’s an analyst for an investment bank is almost certainly not qualified to make predictions on technology adoption when even the people qualified to make such predictions wouldn’t be insane enough to try. Know thyself. If you don’t know your own limitations, you’re certain to make terrible error.
Are these the same analysts that predicted that movies, television, music and radio would be 100% digital by 2005 while we still sit at about 50% of the former and 75% of the latter and the number is unlikely to budge.
Industry types need to #dealwithit. Physical will be around forever, because demand for physical will be around forever, and any half intelligent business doesn’t leave market demand to their competitors to fill. Their crusade for total control is not going to go the way they expect. Even if XBox and Playstation go 100% digital, which is unlikely, there’s very little chance Nintendo will, as physical copies is still a huge business for them and their partners. Not unless Nintendo’s current sales trends dramatically change, which is unlikely, will they abandon a very stable market in chase of the golden unicorn.
Further, PS and XBox can scarcely afford to abandon their physical footprints if they wish to sell consoles at retail, and as a means of promotional tool, as it would close in the circle of those who see their product to those who already are aware of it. I do expect the media of physical will change, but physical is unlikely to vanish. Especially as games keep growing. I just downloaded Halo 5 and Gears 4, at 102GB, and 118GB. I’m saving Quantum Break at a whopping 178GB for another time. From the XBox and Playstation E3 sales I’ve downloaded probably close to 3TB of games. Most people do not have adequate internet to do that. most people will not have adequate internet to do that in 2028 let alone 2022. The most common ISP would charge you $200 extra for having done that. That’s not “the future” based on current US infrastructure. Now take a look at South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa……Sony and Nintendo do business in these places even while MS does little. Internet….not going to support that for a looooong time there.
100% is an odd number, as it assumes Nintendo, and about 60% of earth don’t exist at all. But even in the PS/XB camps there’s a lot of very loyal physical buyers. It’s fair to say “primarily” or “majority” but to say entirely is just overreaching by far.
Honestly I’ve heard stories that the ISPs go after you even for 3TB or so of transfers to tell you you need a business account to continue doing that. The gaming industry wants you do that that regularly.
I’m guessing these analysts are basing this on the people that told them streaming is the defacto only future….which is of course also not going to happen due to the physical infrastructure realities (and companies realizing just how much providing the hardware for every running instance of their games in local datacenters worldwide is going to cost them. In the boardroom, the cloud makes everything cheap. In the IT department, the zeroes start growing below the red line….)
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According to destructoid (This article and its images were originally posted on destructoid June 18, 2018 at 04:32PM.)
Just without other consoles…
When Nintendo confirmed that the Virtual Console service would not be coming to the Switch, people were pretty confused. The online service comes with NES games, so isn’t that essentially the same concept? What about the other legacy consoles that Virtual Console cataloged? Would Nintendo be allowing the purchase of these classic titles?
While we don’t have an answer to a lot of those questions, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime basically stated that the Switch’s online service will be the successor the Virtual Console. Speaking with IGN at E3 last week, Reggie stated, “The Virtual Console successor is Nintendo Switch Online, right? With the mentality that says we’re going to be offering a slate of games, and it’s a slate that’s going to increase over time. For many of these games, there’s going to be additional online capability provided in those games. That’s the vision we have for how to best bring our legacy content to Nintendo Switch.”
This doesn’t really answer whether or not SNES, N64 or even Gamecube games will eventually head to the Switch, but it does at least answer how Nintendo sees the future of its back catalog. I guess they would rather sell an additional device with pre-installed titles instead of giving players options for experiencing classic games. Considering the pricing of things like the NES and SNES Classic, I don’t see that as a problem, but then you have to deal with scarcity and Nintendo’s typical lack of stock.
At the very least, Nintendo seems to be treating this as a proper Virtual Console, so I guess we can expect drip-fed updates and bizarre exclusions for years.
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This article and images were originally posted on [destructoid] June 18, 2018 at 04:32PM. Credit to Author Peter Glagowski and destructoid | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day.
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates (This article and its images were originally posted on Nintendo Life | Latest Updates June 5, 2018 at 04:48AM.)
Accessory maker PowerA has been particularly kind to fans of Nintendo’s hybrid platform, bringing a whole collection of attractive, officially-licensed controllers to the system featuring everyone’s favourite Nintendo characters. Now it seems to be targeting a slightly different audience and we can already hear the distant cheering and whooping.
It would appear that these new, also officially-licensed GameCube controller designs will be headed to stores in the near future, bringing purple cube-shaped nostalgia along for the ride. The image above comes from Mew_The_Creator who explains that the boxes are mock-ups used at the facility where he works. Sent by manufacturers, these mock-ups are used to plan product layouts in public stores, and therefore provide the facility with an understanding of how store shelves will look.
It looks like PowerA will be releasing a new line of Mario-themed controllers, too. Another photograph from the facility shows the following designs, all of which feature slightly more subtle designs than those released in the recent wave mentioned above.
We don’t know about you, but those GameCube designs certainly look like they could be a great way to have some fun on the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Switch. Will you be grabbing any of these designs if they do indeed reach stores?
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According to Eurogamer.net
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze launched in 2014 for Wii U, and last week received a port for Nintendo Switch. Perhaps unsurprisingly, its Switch version outsold the four-years-old original.
PlayStation 4 exclusive God of War remained comfortably top of the UK chart for a third week running, with Tropical Freeze sliding into second place.
Nintendo Labo, meanwhile, tumbled of the top 10. Its Toy-Con Variety Kit fell to 13th, while the pricier Robot Kit left the top 40 completely.
The fact Tropical Freeze’s Switch port outsold the original Wii U release is hardly a shock: there are already more Switch consoles out there than Wii U ever sold. Still, it’s a clear indication of why these ports exist – they’re finding an audience which did not have access to the original game. And hey, it’s a new game from Nintendo’s MIA Retro Studios! Sort of.
Eurogamer’s late editor Tom Bramwell gave Tropical Freeze a lukewarm reception back in 2014: “DKC is becoming another Nintendo series where quality grows and importance shrinks with each faithful new instalment,” he wrote. Martin’s new Switch re-review of the game, however, slapped it with a Recommended badge: “More remarkable still is how Tropical Freeze sits comfortably alongside the greats of Nintendo, that venerable master of the 2D action genre,” he concluded.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Eurogamer.net] May 8, 2018 at 04:55AM. Credit to Author and Eurogamer.net | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day
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According to Gematsu
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R coming to Switch
Release date not announced.
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, which is currently available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and PS Vita, is coming to Switch, Arc System Works announced at Nexon Developers Conference 2018.
The global edition of the Switch version will include the Guilty Gear XX #Reload Korean version original soundtrack composed by Shin Hae Chul.
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This article and images were originally posted on [Gematsu] April 24, 2018 at 03:09AM. Credit to Author and Gematsu | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day
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According to Nintendo Life | Latest Updates
Canadian developer Over The Moon has announced that its latest project The Fall Part 2: Unbound will be launching on Nintendo Switch on February 13th.
As a sequel to The Fall, which was originally released on Wii U, this game combines haunting metroidvania exploration with brain teasing point-and-click adventure puzzles. As you can see from the trailer above, there is also a large amount of thoroughly chilling sci-fi present throughout.
The Fall Part 2: Unbound is said to pick up right where its predecessor left off, following the exploits of A.R.I.D., a rogue AI who’s rewritten its protocol to follow one rule: ‘save myself’. The new parameters of A.R.I.D.’s programming have given her the ability to possess new hosts, essentially appearing to control them at her own will by overriding their natural human instincts. Creepy stuff.
Are you considering giving this one a go when it launches next month? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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According to USgamer.net
Bandai Namco Entertainment has revealed that SD Gundam G Generation Genesis is coming to Nintendo Switch in Japan on April 26, 2018. The news was announced in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, according to Ryokuta2089 (translated via Gematsu).
SD Gundam G Generation Genesis came out on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in late 2016. The Switch version will include all of the downloadable content previously released for the game, in addition to Super Gachapon World: SD Gundam X, which came out on Super Famicom in 1992.
Like some of Bandai Namco’s other recent releases, SD Gundam G Generation Genesis on PlayStation 4 and Vita had English subtitles in their Southeast Asia releases. As the Switch is also region-free, hopefully fans will see a similar Southeast Asian launch.
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This article and images were originally posted on [USgamer.net] January 16, 2018 at 10:26AM. Credit to Author and USgamer.net | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day
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According to Gizmodo
Since its debut, Chrome has grown in popularity, though its once-stellar reputation has taken a bit of a hit as of late. Examples of Chrome-only sites are more and more common, reminiscent of the days when Microsoft’s Internet Explorer dominated the web browser market. It’s been shown to be a massive memory hog as well, slowing down machines as users create more and more tabs. If you’re looking for a change this 2018, why not start with your browser? Ditch Chrome and switch to its longtime competitor, Mozilla Firefox. It’s just as fast, if not faster, than Chrome, and integrates tools to boost your privacy online while making it easier to share and save everything you find on the web.
It’s Just as Fast as Chrome
Both Firefox and Google Chrome are, at least in various benchmark tests, pretty equivalent. While Firefox, in tests performed by Mozilla, might outperform Google Chrome when loading webpages in private browsing mode, or use less RAM when dealing with multiple tabs, other independent tests show the browsers are often evenly matched when it comes to performance. At worst, you’ll be switching to a browser that’s just as fast. At best, you’ll be using one requiring less RAM while being just as responsive.
You Can Still Sync Across Devices
Like Google’s syncing functionality that lets you see your browsing activity across all of your devices, Firefox’s own syncing functionality makes it easy to send that webpage on your desktop to the phone in your pocket by selecting the option in your URL bar. If you’re someone who uses multiple Google accounts on the same machine, you can easily do the same with Firefox’s own Multi-Account extension.
Firefox Blocks Trackers Out the Box
Need to stop a site from tracking you? Firefox automatically puts the kibosh on trackers hiding in a web page’s code, protecting your browsing data from being recorded by third parties looking to sell you targeted ads. It works in both regular and private browsing mode. That removal of invasive tracking code also means pages load faster compared to browsing in Chrome.
Firefox’s Integrated Features are Choice
There are a slew of useful features built right into the browser, mitigating the need to add a bunch of third-party extensions and apps. The read-later service Pocket is integrated into the browser, so you can save any page easily. Like taking screenshots? With Firefox Screenshots, it’s easier than ever to click a button and save partial or entire shots of a web page to your hard drive or your cloud-based screenshot repository.
As someone wary of third-party services that might contain malicious code, the fewer extensions I need to add to my browser, the better. Firefox’s integrated screenshot tool, easy access to saved Pocket articles, and automatic disabling of invisible browser activity trackers make it a more secure and user-friendly experience compared to Chrome.
Some Extensions Work Across Browsers
In terms of extensions, Google might have Firefox beat, but the company’s adopting the WebExtensions API, making add-ons found in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge compatible with Firefox after some minor modifications by developers. Older Firefox extensions are now considered “legacy” extensions, but you can find potential alternatives by visiting your list of add-ons and selecting “Find a Replacement.” If there’s no alternative extension available at the time, you’ll simply see a page of featured extensions all compatible with the new version of Firefox.
Reddit users recently allowed their imaginations to get the better of them when it was revealed that Nintendo PR reps have been contacting journalists and requesting permission to re-quote reviews of A Link Between Worlds:
We did think it was a bit strange when we got this request from PR ourselves, as for some time A Link Between Worlds has been available as a budget Selects release in Europe. Of course, the first thing which comes to mind is “could a Switch port of this wonderful game be in the works?”
Alas however, in North America the game hasn’t had a Selects release. It looks likely that a Selects release will be announced soon by Nintendo of America, which will be welcome news for 3DS owners who haven’t yet picked up this amazing game yet – and perhaps answers why Nintendo PR is asking for fresh review quotes.
Let us know your thoughts on this storm in a teacup with a comment below.
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According to KitGuru
Back in March following on from the Switch’s launch, hackers immediately found a browser exploit that allowed them to dig deeper into the console’s inner workings. Now, right at the start of the year, hackers have managed to figure out how to get access to the Switch’s kernel, paving the way for future homebrew software.
As with most consoles, the Nintendo Switch is heavily locked down so that only approved software can run on the system. However, at the recent 34C3 hacking conference in Germany, three hackers known as Plutoo, Derrek, and Naehrwert demonstrated how they managed to access the console’s kernel via the Nvidia Tegra X1 chip. The hackers were helped by the sheer amount of documentation available on the Tegra X1, which shows hardware tinkerers how to bypass the System Memory Management Unit.
As wololo reports, the hackers won’t be releasing their kernel exploits, which require that the Switch be running firmware version 3.0.0. Earlier firmware versions require a copy of Pokken Tournament DX to get it working.
While the kernel exploit won’t be going public, the three have said that they are planning on releasing a homebrew kit. This will allow unapproved third-party developers to get their own software running on the Switch.
KitGuru Says: Currently, Nintendo is on Switch firmware version 4.1.0, so whatever exploit is at play here has likely already been patched. Still, this is just the beginning, over time new exploits will be found and the cycle will continue. The main thing Nintendo will want to avoid is the development of piracy tools, like the R4 back in the DS days, or the Gateway cards that released for the 3DS.
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This article and images were originally posted on [KitGuru] January 2, 2018 at 10:26AM. Credit to Author and KitGuru | ESIST.T>G>S Recommended Articles Of The Day
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According to destructoid
Cult title will miss 2017 release date
Speaking on their blog, indie studio Team Cherry have reluctantly announced that the Switch port for critically-acclaimed platform adventure, Hollow Knight, will not meet its intended 2017 release date.
Being honest, the studio simply stated that it is taking longer than expected for them to translate the coding and optimise the title for release on the Nintendo console, but that they are working hard on the title and are pleased with how the release is shaping up so far.
Team Cherry also made mention of the fact that any tweaks and optimisations made for the port will be retroactively added to the Metroidvania’s PC release, which launched to high praise in February of this year. The studio adds that once the Switch port is complete, they hope to work on bringing the gloomy-cute adventure to other consoles.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a boss like NCSOFT’s Kim Taek-Jin? Recently he announced to all his employees that he is going to treat them all to a Nintendo Switch console along with a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Chatting to Korean media afterwards, he simply said he enjoyed the game and wanted to share the experience with his employees.
The South Korea-based company is known for producing incredibly popular MMORPGs such as Aion and Blade & Soul. Might Kim Taek-Jin be considering taking advantage of the Switch’s supreme portability for a port of these MMORPGs perhaps?
We’ll see in good time, but nevertheless it’s another example of the impact Switch and Breath of the Wild have had on gamers of various types.
The Nintendo Switch UI has made itself known by its clean look and efficient speed, and this extends to the eShop for the console as well. It’s simple to use and easy to navigate, but there’s certainly a sense of it being a bit simple when compared to its predecessor on the Wii U. Still, Nintendo has shown that it’s willing to make changes over time, and the latest update to the shop has added a convenient feature that should make the shopping experience that much better.
You can now save credit card information to your user profile on the eShop, eliminating the need to re-enter the information every single time you want to make a purchase. And, just like on the other eShops, you can also enable a password entry when using this, if you’d like an extra layer of security.
What do you think? Have you been pleased with the Switch eShop? What other improvements would you like to see made? Drop us a comment in the section below.
Nintendo’s Switch seems to have had a successful rollout. It’s almost impossible to find in stores two weeks after release, and an industry analyst report suggests that the new console has already sold through 1.5 million units worldwide. And if you’re like us, your social media feed is full of people recounting or screenshotting their most amazing moments in Breath of the Wild.
But while many seem to be besotted with the device, there’s been rumbling about the left joy con, the placement of the charge cable, the cost of the mini cartridges, and myriad other niggling things.
Now that we’ve had a bit of time to mess around with the device in a variety of settings, we decided to hold an impromptu discussion about the plusses and minuses of the Switch, [get it?! because the controller has–nevermind] and what sort of play experiences seem to work best on it.
Chris Baker (@chrisbaker1337), assignment editor: I’ll tee us up, since I foolishly didn’t preorder a Switch. Now I’m desperately calling around to all of the Targets and Best Buys and Gamestops and Toys R Us within a 50 mile radius… Hopefully, I’ll be able to weigh in before this conversation is over.
Anyway, what were your initial impressions of the hardware, and how has that changed as you’ve spent more time with it?
Kris Graft (@krisgraft), editor-in-chief: Right, so I posted a few thoughts about the Switch a few weeks ago, prior to the console’s commercial launch, and before its day one patch.
To sum that up, basically the hardware itself does have an innate appeal, a magical-ness about it when you use it. Even though I’d basically seen how it would work in the commercials, to actually have it in my hands, playing with the various configurations (people I showed it to freaked out – in a good way— about the tiny joy-cons), and going from TV mode to portable mode seamlessly convinced me that Nintendo has something here. Like a lot of Nintendo’s products, you don’t really appreciate it until it’s in your hands and out in the wild.
I did have some issues with it, namely a left joy-con that intermittently lost connection. I’ve seen reports that this could have to do with a Bluetooth antenna that isn’t quite long enough. This is an absolutely ridiculous problem to have, and one that Nintendo – a hardware maker – should’ve been able to avoid. That said, lots of people haven’t encountered this problem, and it seems like as long as I don’t allow my lap to block any Bluetooth signals, this dumb issue is avoidable.
Having been using the Switch for about three weeks, I’m otherwise enamored with it. I know that there have been portables that have said they offer ‘console-style games on the go,’ but this is the first time anyone has really successfully pulled it off. I like the Switch not necessarily because I want to play video games absolutely anywhere, but just the generally flexibility of the thing is so unassuming and non-invasive to my life and my schedule.
Here’s a Switch anecdote: I was at a low-key party at the end of GDC last week, and I brought the Switch. I set it up on a coffee table using the console’s built-in stand, and people played Snipperclips using the two joy-cons until the battery died.
I just thought it was cool seeing a proper mini-console with baked-in local co-op capabilities working in practice. The commercials that featured hip kids playing Switch were accurate! (Except for the hip kids part.)
One thing I am worried about is the software pipeline here following launch. Zelda: Breath of the Wild is incredible, and you can dump a ton of time into it, but after that, I wonder if Nintendo can keep stoking the hype. I’m encouraged by what I saw at Nintendo’s Switch indies event at GDC, but I wonder if the walls to their garden are a bit too high.
Lastly, while I’m brain-dumping, it is super cool that game devs can just walk around a conference, whip out a Switch, and show you the full-blown console game they’re working on.
Bryant Francis (@RBryant2012), contributing editor: I think it goes without saying I’m in love with the Switch, and in love with Breath of the Wild, so I’m mostly thrilled with how Nintendo’s handled this thing so far.
Like Kris said, console gaming wherever you want is just a mind-bogglingly good idea. I’ve played it away from home, at home, in bed, etc, and the battery life/game quality have been consistent wherever I go. I’m particularly enamored with the fact that the Switch’s less-powerful hardware (compared to other consoles) is able to make a game like Breath of the Wild look and play SO WELL.
Even on the smaller screen, surveying the landscape still gives me clues about my next destination, and I hope developers can look at the hardware and say ‘this isn’t the most powerful, but I can use these limitations,’ rather than ‘these limitations mean I can’t ship as strong a game as I can on another platform.’
I also think we’re secretly witnessing one of Nintendo’s big wins for their mobile strategy here. After the embargos came up, I saw a lot of reviewer friends complaining about friend codes again, BUT I hopped into the friend menu and was surprised to discover I could re-friend people who I’d played Miitomo and Super Mario Run with.
If Nintendo mobile games are able to act as both advertisements and network-bases for the Nintendo Switch, that’ll help their online network do well over time, I think.
A brief thought on the hardware problem: I’m beginning to think over the many, many devices I’ve bought over the years that supposedly launched with “Critical” errors and how-little they impacted the overall health of that device’s lifespan. Xbox Red Rings, iPhone 4 antennae blockage, all these things were supposedly things that should have been ‘mastered’ by hardware makers, yet stuck around for a bit.
I guess the better question for Nintendo is how is it going to resolve the left Joy Con errors down the road, and will it work with customers who can’t seem to keep a hold on that Bluetooth signal?
Looking over the horizon, I think, just like Nintendo’s last three consoles, there are questions as to how developers will respond to making games for it. First, why are some games like Rime starting to be more expensive on Switch than other consoles, and will that be a business problem?
Second, can developers properly take advantage of some of the Switch features that Breath of the Wild is showing off right now? I’d say there’s a huge platter of ideas in that game that help sell the Switch as a console, not just the Zelda game itself, and if Developers don’t adapt to those mechanics the console will struggle to form its own identity.
Third, how will games launched on the Switch fare in the middle of what is a HUGE glut of AAA games right now? Nintendo doesn’t just have a soft lineup for the rest of the year, it has a soft lineup in the face of some amazing lineups on other platforms. There’s a kind of zeitgeist Nintendo seems to like to hold in a given moment, and will it fare well with so many games hitting the market?
Chris Kerr (@kerrblimey), news reporter: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I completely agree with everything Kris and Bryant have said.
I was smitten with the concept of the Switch when I clapped eyes on it during that reveal trailer back in October. On paper, the notion of a console with enough power to play the likes of Breath of the Wild and Skyrim, but with the flexibility of a handheld was music to my ears.
Not because I’ve gone through life knowing the only way I’ll ever feel complete was to fight dragons on a plane, but because the Switch seemed to be a device that would work around my schedule. As much as it pains me, the older I get the less time I get for video games (and I’m only a 23-year-old pup), so being able to pick up Zelda for 30 mins when I’m on the train back to Manchester was actually a huge selling point.
Beyond that, I absolutely adored the hardware design. I know it’s what Nintendo does best, but I was genuinely taken aback by how well the idea seemed to click into place (pun very much intended). The touch-screen tablet, the dock, the nifty little Joy-Cons — I had a real craving to get my mitts on the tech itself, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that about any console.
I mean sure, I love my PlayStation 4, but was I really clamoring for another gigantic lump of plastic in my flat? No, because I’m not a lunatic.
Now that I’ve spent a week with the Switch I’m pleased to say my enthusiasm was completely warranted. I think the highest praise I can give Nintendo is that the system works exactly as advertised. The joy of clicking the Joy-Cons into place and taking the Switch off-road for some Hyrule-based shenanigans still hasn’t worn off. And while I’m not naive enough to think the honeymoon period will last forever, it’s strange that I still get just as giddy using the Switch as I do watching others play it.
Case in point: I had to travel back home last weekend for a family shindig, so I brought the Switch along. While I was there I thought my younger brother and sister might want to take Snipperclips demo for a spin. I was right, and they predictably spent the next half an hour utterly entranced by the system – which I’d set up on a table using the kickstand. It’s a similar story to the one Kris told, except mine actually does feature hip kids.
That’s the thing about the Switch. There are plenty of people who might scoff at the idea of a console-handheld hybrid, and sometimes I feel like an overenthusiastic tele-salesman when I write the words “it really does work!” But that’s the truth: as a piece of hardware, the Switch is a thing of pure wonder that delivers on all of its promises.
Unfortunately, the best console in the world would fall flat without the software to back it up, and that’s currently where the Switch is struggling. Sure, Breath of the Wild is amazing, but it’s telling that I’m actually afraid to sink too much time into it for fear of running out of games to play.
So far then, it’s a case of so good. And I’m quietly confident that Nintendo will manage to support the Switch going forward. Even if the system becomes an indie haven peppered with the odd triple-A release and first-party delicacy, I’ll consider it a sound investment. Will that be enough for everyone else? I’m not sure.
Alex Wawro (@awawro), news editor: We’ve got a lot here already and I agree with pretty much all of it, so I’ll skip past all my early impressions of the Switch (it’s pretty great! I wish the Joy-Cons and the kickstand were a bit less breakable!) and get right to the best bits: the sound effects.
If you’re a game developer, I think it’s in your best interest to have your game on a platform that’s fun and intuitive to use. I don’t think the Switch’s user interface is terribly intuitive at the moment — it’s easy to navigate if you don’t have much to peruse, and likely to get bogged down if you install a lot of software — but it is super fun to move through, thanks in large part to the charming noises it makes. I like them so much I went and captured a video of some of my favorites:
Good, right? I think we too often talk about game hardware in terms of power or value; charm is underrated.
Of course, the Switch’s charm won’t be worth much in a year or two if Nintendo can’t keep it updated with a steady stream of fresh software. The 2017 Switch software lineup seems kind of unbalanced, with a handful of popular Nintendo first-party games (Zelda, Mario, Splatoon) releasing alongside a grab bag of new and old games from developers of all sizes.
I think the first-party stuff will sell consoles, but the offbeat release schedule and pricing of the third-party stuff makes me a little nervous about the long-term viability of being a non-Nintendo dev releasing games on the Switch.
Kris Graft: Like I mentioned briefly, I’m concerned for the Switch when it comes to software – it seems to have decent support, but it’s hard to tell how the higher profile releases will be spaced out. Release timing will be crucial in building and maintaining the Switch’s momentum, because once the Zelda hype dies down I’m not sure what will keep the buzz going between now and the fall.
That said, let’s be honest, Zelda hype SHOULD NEVER DIE DOWN.
Ahem, so I do think that Nintendo’s “Nindies” indie reachout could play an important role in keeping a steady stream of games coming to the Switch, even if those games are not “system sellers,” per se. Sony used the same strategy in the early of the PlayStation 4, when there was a dearth of big-budget “triple-A” games, and Nintendo could do the same to a similar advantage.
While Nindies’ somewhat restrictive “quality before quantity” tack might be frustrating for some developers who want to get on the console, I do see that Nintendo is nevertheless open to receiving pitches, giving more attention to quality games that haven’t yet come out on console.
I spoke with one Nindie dev (I swear I’m not adding “Nindie” to my everyday parlance) at GDC this year, and he said it took him about one month to bring his Windows PC build to the GDC build. And on a related note, Damon Baker, Nintendo’s indie guy, specifically said in an interview, “If it’s on Steam, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be on Nintendo Switch as well.”
Ease of porting combined with the Switch’s home-to-portable capabilities are an exciting combo to me, and probably a decent amount of other folks.
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This article and images was originally posted on Gamasutra
Switch reportedly sold 1.5 million units worldwide in its first week on sale, meaning it’s already not far off the 2 million sales mark that Nintendo hoped the console would reach by the end of March.
Specifically, the report from SuperData (via GamesIndustry) states that 500,000 consoles were sold in the US, with 360,000 units shifted in Japan. Europe apparently “isn’t far behind:” the only numbers the sales monitor reports for Europe are that France saw 110,000 sales and the UK sold 85,000.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said in October 2016 that he expects the Switch to ship 2 million units to stores by the end of March. With 1.5 million sold to consumers in the first week, that’s a pretty good start.
In our verdict, we called the Switch “a technical marvel” that lays the groundwork for “a great gaming device.” For more, check out our full Nintendo Switch review.
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This article and images was originally posted on GameSpot
f you search for a Nintendo Switch online right now, you’re inundated with product pages and offers for screen protectors and travel cases. If you’ve been thinking that these things aren’t necessary – think again.
The Switch’s 6.2 inch 720p LCD screen provides gorgeous visuals – and is definitely the best we’ve ever seen on a Nintendo device – but it’s way more delicate than we’d hoped, and appears to be made of plastic like a Vita rather than glass like a phone or tablet. We’ve been super careful with our Switch since it arrived a little over a week ago and we’ve been keeping it nestled comfortably in one of Miguel’s giant woolen socks whenever we transport it. Unfortunately, after only a week of daily use it’s already gathering a healthy collection of little scratches in the bottom left hand corner, as you can see in the photo.
The culprit? Sliding it in and out of the hard plastic dock. If you gently slide it in and “miss” the USB-C prong, juggling the device into the slot (even carefully) eventually scrapes it against the hard insides of the dock, resulting in little hairline scratches that start to build up over time. There’s no insulation or padding on the inside of the dock – so nothing protects the screen if you’re clumsy.
The easiest solution is to buy a screen protector. There are a bunch of them available – some officially licensed like Hori’s and some that aren’t. They’re all around $10 though, and it’s definitely worth investing in one.
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This article and images was originally posted Glixel
Prospective Nintendo Switch owners can now register a User ID for the console.
Inside the Account Settings page for a Nintendo Account, there is now a “User ID” section – hit the edit button and claim your chosen title. If you haven’t logged in for a little while, you may be prompted to change your password before you get to claim a name.
If it seems confusing, it sort of is. Your Nintendo Account is separate from your Switch ID, but is intrinsically linked. Your Switch ID is, essentially, a new version of the NNID you may have created for your Wii U or 3DS, and is completely separate.
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Nintendo Account holders will finally be able to re-download purchases from the Nintendo eShop, according to fine print glimpsed in a recent Nintendo Switch unboxing video. It’s a huge step in the right direction for Nintendo, which has long tied digital purchases to consoles themselves.
FloKO’s Nintendo Switch unboxing video, uploaded by an owner of the new console who somehow received their system weeks early, reveals the major eShop improvement. It’s seen around the three-minute mark of the unboxing, which is embedded up at the top. Hidden in the fine print of the Nintendo Switch’s initialization screen is the Nintendo Account detail, so the average viewer may have missed it.
Would you take a look at this: Purchases from the eShop are tied to your Nintendo Account. pic.twitter.com/SyC1BIZm0V
— Bjoern Means Bear | #BLM ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 (@BjoernMeansBear) February 17, 2017
In case that’s tough to read, here it is:
“Your Nintendo Account contains your Nintendo eShop purchase history and current balance. By re-linking your Nintendo Account after initializing the console, it will be possible to redownload any software or DLC purchased using that account. (Software that has been discontinued may not be available to redownload in some cases.)”
We’ve reached out to Nintendo to confirm this seeming new functionality of Nintendo Accounts. If this is the case, however, this will finally bring the company up to speed with the majority of digital retailers. One of the most criticized aspects of Nintendo’s online practices is that the company lacked a unified account system, making it difficult for users to manage their digital libraries or carry purchases between consoles. That looked set to change with the launch of the Nintendo Account system last spring, although Nintendo has yet to implement a way to redownload old purchases on its current consoles yet.
The Switch will be available at retail on March 3, even though there are several units already floating around. Another, briefer video made its way online yesterday, showing the system’s user interface. That console’s owner followed up with a tour of the Switch’s user profile creation process, seen below.
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All the confirmed games we know about so far from the biggest blockbusters to the quirkiest indies
Since Nintendo first revealed the Switch and the relatively small initial batch of games on January 12, there has been a steady flow of announcements from game developers around the world. Alongside the high-profile console-exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (that surely every Switch owner will end up buying) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe there are actually a huge number of games from independent developers that will be finding their way from Steam to Nintendo’s new console later this year.
Because the Switch doesn’t have any regional lock-out features like its previous consoles, there’s absolutely no reason why you won’t be able to go find that copy of Derby Stallion from Japan and play it on your North American Switch if you’re so inclined.
We’ll be updating this list as more games are confirmed in the weeks ahead.
1-2-Switch
Nintendo
1-2-Switch is party game that makes use of the motion controls and haptic feedback features of the Joy-Cons in 28 different mini-games that have you mimicking the motions of milking cows, swinging swords, rocking babies, shaving, playing cowboy, and more.
2 Fast 4 Gnomz
QubicGames
You may already be familiar with this goofy platform runner, previously released as both a WiiWare and 3DS eShop game in 2012.
1001 Spikes
Nicalis
1001 Spikes is an incredibly challenging 2D platformer, originally released back in 2014 the Switch is actually the ninth platform that this critically acclaimed indie has been released for.
Arcade Archives
Hamster Corporation
According to developer Hamster, the Nintendo Switch version of its Arcade Archives collection of emulated arcade games from the 1980s and 1990s will feature The King of Fighters ’98 as a launch title for the service, along with Waku Waku 7, Shock Troopers, World Heroes Perfect and Metal Slug 3. At the moment, only Neo Geo titles are announced, but more games will be rolled out for it weekly.
Arms
Nintendo
This Switch-exclusive fighting game from Nintendo lets you throw punches with a Joy-Con in each hand. It actually has a lot in common with the boxing mini-game in Wii Sports.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
Nicalis
This is the definitive version of Edmund McMillen’s critically acclaimed roguelike inspired by his childhood growing up in a religious family. The player controls a young boy named Isaac whose mother, convinced she is doing God’s work, strips him of all his clothes and possessions and locks him in his room. As his mother prepares to sacrifice him, Isaac escapes to the basement and crawls through randomized dungeons fighting off enemies with his tears.
Bit Boy!! Arcade Deluxe
Bplus
Bplus haven’t revealed any specific details about Bit Boy!! Arcade Deluxe yet, but it seems safe to assume it’ll be a mildly souped-up version of its 3DS title Bit Boy!! Arcade released in the eShop in 2014 about a red cube attempting to rescue his friends from monsters in stylized, isometric levels.
BlazBlue
Arc System Works
It’s not clear yet whether Arc System Works is working on a brand new BlazBlue game for Switch. The more likely scenario is that it will be porting its most recent 2D fighter, 2016’s BlazBlue: Central Fiction.
Cave Story
Studio Pixel
Originally a freeware 2D platformer released on PC in 2004, Cave Story has since been re-released on WiiWare and DSiWare in 2010, followed by an enhanced version for Steam in November 2011, and a Nintendo 3DS release in October 2012. The game focuses on an amnesiac hero who wakes up in a cave and somehow finds himself embroiled in a plot by a megalomaniac doctor aiming to conquer the world.
Constructor
System 3
If Constructor looks familiar, that’s because it’s ancient. The construction and management simulation was originally released for PC in 1997. There’s been talk of an HD remaster of it for years, so presumably the Switch version will actually end up being a variant of that, rather than the same game that’s been regurgitated on just about every platform you can think of for the past 20 years.
Cube Life: Island Survival HD
Cypronia
If that screenshot makes you think “boy, that looks a lot like Minecraft,” that’s because it is. Originally released for the Wii U in 2015, Cube Life: Island Survival HD is just like Mojang’s game, only not as popular.
Derby Stallion (untitled)
ParityBit
There have been Derby Stallion horse racing games for Nintendo systems going back as far as 1991, when Derby Stallion: Best Race was released for the Famicom in Japan. The most recent, Derby Stallion Gold, was released for 3DS in 2014. It seems highly unlikely that there’ll be a localized version released outside of Japan.
Disgaea 5 Complete
Nippon Ichi Software
This port of the hugely popular tactical role playing game (previously released on PS4) will be a launch game for the Switch in Japan, with a release in North America and Europe due later in 2017.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
Dimps
Described as a “fighting role playing game,” Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is an ambitious adventure that features 68 different fighters from the Dragon Ball universe fighting it out in 3D battle arenas that will all be familiar to fans of the popular series.
Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2
Omega Force
A mix of the hack ‘n’ slash combat of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors series of video games with the characters, monsters, universe, and lore from Square Enix’ Dragon Quest games. And there are two of them.
Dragon Quest X
Square Enix
An MMORPG first released for the Wii in 2012, Dragon Quest X was the first online-only game in the venerable RPG series. It was later ported to Wii U and Windows and there have also been cloud streamed versions for Android, iOS and Nintendo 3DS. Sadly, the game was never released officially outside of Japan and it seems extremely unlikely that Square Enix will release localized Switch versions in North America or Europe.
Dragon Quest XI
Square Enix
The next big entry in Square Enix’ much-loved role playing series that has yet to be given a confirmed release window outside of Japan. Keep your fingers crossed that this one sees a global release so we all get localized versions.
Dungeon of Zaar
DungeonofZaar
Dungeon of Zaar is a gorgeous-looking, fast-paced fantasy turn-based tactical strategy game originally Kickstarted for PC, Mac, iOS and Android. The current language is that it’s “planned for Nintendo Switch” and any dates associated with it are currently no more specific than just “2017.”
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda Game Studios
Sadly, it’s not a launch game. If you want to play Skyrim on the go, you’re going to have to wait until Q3 this year.
Farming Simulator
Giants Software
Breed livestock, grow crops and drive lots of gigantic, expensive farm machinery like giant tractors and combine harvesters. You know you want to.
Fast RMX
Shin’en Multimedia
Fast RMX is one of several futuristic racers coming to Nintendo Switch desperate to fill the gap left by Nintendo’s inexplicable reluctance to commit to making another F-Zero.
FIFA
EA Sports
Although there isn’t a number in its title, Electronic Arts’ Peter Moore recently confirmed that the Switch version of FIFA will actually be based on the upcoming FIFA 18.
Fire Emblem for Nintendo Switch
Intelligent Systems
The next big release in the mainline fantasy turn-based tactical strategy game series won’t be released until 2018, so you have plenty of time to play through all those 3DS games, as well as the recently released Fire Emblem Heroes on mobile.
Fire Emblem Warriors
Omega Force, Team Ninja
The name pretty much says it all. Imagine the characters and settings of Fire Emblem mashed up with the frenetic hack ‘n’ slashery of Dynasty Warriors.
Gonner
Art in Heart
Gonner is a stylish action-based roguelike that’s been described as being a bit like a shooter version of the popular Spelunky. It was originally released last year for PC and Mac, and though confirmed for Switch there’s no specific release date yet.
Graceful Explosion Machine
Vertex Pop
This colorful 2D shooter for Switch is confirmed for release this Spring.
Has Been Heroes
Frozenbyte
Frozenbyte’s upcoming action-strategy game combines turn-based and real-time elements with procedurally generated roguelike levels. Frozenbyte is the team that made the Trine games, so you know it has a good pedigree.
Hollow Knight
Team Cherry
Hollow Knight is an insect-themed 2D action adventure presented in a beautiful hand-drawn style from the three-man Australian indie studio Team Cherry. Originally scheduled for PC, Mac, Linux and Wii U in late 2016 the game was delayed into 2017 just ahead of the confirmation that it would also be coming to Switch.
Human Resource Machine
Tomorrow Corporation
Originally released for PC and Mac in 2015 and mobile in 2016, Human Resource Machine uses the idea of an office worker assigned to perform tasks that involve moving objects around and office as a metaphor for assembly programming concepts. Sounds grim and educational, but it’s surprisingly fun.
I Am Setsuna
Square Enix
A Nineties-style Japanese RPG, I Am Setsuna tells the cheery story of a girl named Setsuna who must offer herself as a sacrifice at a sacred shrine to appease hostile demons. For long-time JRPG fans, it uses an Active Time Battle system based on those used in early Final Fantasy games and Chrono Trigger.
The Jackbox Party Pack 3
Jackbox Games
This “Party Pack” is five party games with the signature Jackbox snarky humor in one package. Quiplash has players trying to finish sentences in the funniest way possible, Guesspionage has players guessing what percentage of people have a certain quality or do a certain activity, and Tee K.O. is a drawing game that has players battling hastily scrawled t-shirt designs. Trivia Murder Party is a horror-themed multiple choice trivia game, and, finally, Faker is a game in which all players except one are given specific instructions, the odd person out having to fake knowing what to do and then everyone votes on who they think the faker actually is.
Just Dance 2017
Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s hugely popular dance game will be available at launch for Nintendo Switch.
Kingdom
Raw Fury Games
This indie kingdom-building simulation with gorgeous 2D pixel art was originally released on PC and Mac in 2015.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo
We’re all buying this one on launch day, right?
Lego City Undercover
TT Fusion
The same cute, open-world sandbox Lego game that riffs on Grand Theft Auto that was released on the Wii U back in 2013.
Lego Worlds
Traveller’s Tales
Lego Worlds is a sandbox game that allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally-generated world. It’s been in beta on PC since 2015, and if you’ve ever wondered what the next generation of Minecraft-style games might be, this is it.
Little Inferno
Tomorrow Corporation
Tomorrow Corporation’s unique experimental sandbox puzzler – originally released in 2012 on Wii U and PC and then a year later on mobile – has players setting fire to different objects with distinctive properties in a fireplace to trigger combos and earn cash so more objects can be ordered from a mail order catalog.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo
It’s the same great kart racing game that was released on Wii U in 2014, but with all the extra downloadable characters and tracks included and the graphics pumped up to 1080p when you play it on your TV. It supports up to four players splitscreen on TV, up to eight through the Switch local wireless functionality (where the devices just connect to each other) and up to 12 players in online multiplayer.
Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure
Telltale Games
Telltale’s eight-part episodic comedy adventure game set in the Minecraft universe, centered around a new character named Jesse (who can be a boy or a girl) rather than the usual Minecraft hero Steve. The story sees Jesse trying to save the world by defeating the Wither Storm. The male version of Jesse is voiced by comedian Patton Oswalt, while the female avatar is voiced by Catherine Taber, who voiced Padme in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show. Other notable voice talent includes Paul Reubens, Corey Feldman, Samurai Jack voice Phil LaMarr and Futurama‘s Billy West.
Minecraft: Switch Edition
4J Studios/Mojang
The critically acclaimed sandbox game is coming to Switch at some point in 2017. Expect a full version of the global phenomenon that has now sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
Game Atelier
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is spiritual successor to the old Wonder Boy 2D platform adventures from the Eighties and Nineties that started out in the arcades and became popular on the Sega Master System and Genesis. Primarily influenced by the 1989 game Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap, the game is an open-world side-scrolling adventure in which players battle enemies and solve puzzles while transforming into six different kinds of animal, each with different abilities.
NBA 2K18
Visual Concepts
2K Sports’ all-dominating basketball sim will be coming to Nintendo Switch this year. Expect to see it alongside the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, and mobile versions this September.
New FrontierDays Founding Pioneers
Arc System Works
A follow-up to the western-themed 3DS farm/town-building simulation, Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers that was released in the Japanese eShop in 2015.
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence
Koei Tecmo
The next version of the venerable historical strategy game series comes to the Switch with a novel twist – it lets you create new officers by pointing the Joy-Con IR camera at stuff. Like, say…your friends. Or your dog. Or action figures. The game interprets shapes and textures from the camera and then generates warlords accordingly.
No More Heroes (untitled)
Grasshopper Manufacture
When Grasshopper Manufacture’s Suda 51 took to the stage at Nintendo’s reveal event on January 12, what he actually said was that there was a new game coming to Switch starring No More Heroes‘ star Travis Touchdown. While that’s not necessarily confirmation of a new game in the gory open-world hack ‘n’ slash series, it seems safe to assume that’s probably what he was actually referring to.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
Cornfox & Bros.
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is a hugely successful mobile Zelda-alike that drives all Zelda fans absolutely crazy because it’s so obviously inspired by Wind Waker and A Link to the Past. Itwas ported to PC in 2015 and then PlayStation 4 and Xbox One last year. Now it’s making its way to the Switch, where it will no doubt continue to make hardcore Nintendo fans grumble.
Pokémon (untitled)
The Pokémon Company
All we know about this one is that The Pokémon Company boss Tsunekazu Ishihara confirmed last September that the company is making games for the Switch. Rumors swirled in January that the new game might be called Pokémon Stars as a compliment to Sun and Moon, although this has yet to be confirmed.
Project Octopath Traveler
Square Enix
One of several RPGs shown for the Switch at the big reveal event in January, Square Enix’ Project Octopath Traveler (that’s a working title by the way, expect it to change) “boasts a unique graphic style and sense of scale,” according to the studio. No other details apart from its existence have been shared, although producer Tomoya Asano is providing brief updates on the game’s Facebook page.
Project Sonic 2017
Sonic Team
Like 2011’s Sonic Generations, this brand new game from Sonic Team will see both “Classic Sonic” and “Modern Sonic” teaming up. And running really fast. And collecting rings. And jumping on robots.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Sonic Team
Sonic Team’s puzzler is a mash-up of two classics: Puyo Puyo‘s blob matching and Tetris‘ block-dropping, line-making mechanics. Previously released on multiple platforms in Japan, the Switch version will be released in North America and Europe in late April.
Puzzle Box
Bplus
Create elaborate pixel art by by dropping your colored paint blocks into the correct place across the levels following simple on-screen patterns and turn them into levels for different game modes like a simple runner or basic platform game. Previously available as an eShop title for 3DS, it was also released for PC on Steam last April.
Racing Apex
Lucky Mountain Games
This old-school 3D racing game takes its inspiration from the first generation of 3D polygonal racing games from the late Eighties and early Nineties. If you’re getting a Virtua Racing or Daytona vibe from the screenshot, that’s absolutely intentional. Originally conceived as a PC game and greenlit on Steam, there’s also a Wii U version in development.
Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
Ubisoft
All we know about the Switch version of Michel Ancel’s gorgeous 2D platform game is that it’s a tweaked version of 2013’s Rayman Legends with “new exclusive content.” No word on what that is yet. It’s due this year, but no date has been set yet.
Redout
34BigThings
Another game intended to fill the F-Zero-shaped hole in our hearts. It’s currently available for PC on Steam, and there are PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions coming later this year, too.
Rime
Tequila Works
Originally greenlit by Microsoft as Echoes of Siren, the game was later dropped and picked up by Sony who funded it as a PlayStation 4 exclusive way back in 2013. Three years later, the studio re-acquired the rights to their Ico-like cell-shaded adventure and will now be bringing it to Switch (along with PC, PS4 and Xbox One) this May.
Rise: Race the Future
VD-Dev
Yet another futuristic racing game for Switch, although this one features vehicles designed by famous supercar designer Anthony Jannarelly – the man behind the completely nutty Lykan Hypersport from W Motors. If you’re not familiar, it’s the car that Vin Diesel drove out of the top of a building in Furious 7. Already confirmed on just about every platform known to man, it was originally scheduled for 2016. It’s now coming to PC sometime this year, with the Switch version likely in 2018.
Riverside
ZockLabs
Riverside is a hand drawn indie exploration game that was originally conceived as an Oculus VR title that ZockLabs also announced as also being in development for Nintendo’s new system last June. This game is actually partly responsible for a lot of those early rumors of the Switch having some kind of VR support. Things have been very quiet since.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII
Koei
Another venerable historical Japanese strategy game for Switch. This was first released in Japan last January for PC and PlayStation 4 and was localized and released in both North America and Europe in July.
The Sacred Hero
Simplistic
Coming in 2018, The Sacred Hero is an indie adventure game that developer Simplistic claims “aims to twist the conventions of the RPG genre.” Very few details have been released so far outside of a brief trailer with more than a whiff of Twilight Princess about it.
Seasons of Heaven
Any Arts Production
Seasons of Heaven‘s story is based on a little-known French novel of the same name, which centers on a group of survivors in a post-civilization world. The game focuses on Yann, a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome, and Ani his French bulldog.
Shin Megami Tensei (untitled)
Atlus
The next Shin Megami Tensei game was unveiled at Nintendo’s event with a splashy teaser trailer, but other than the fact that it’s being made, there’s very little information. It doesn’t even have a name yet according to Atlus. We do know that it’s being built with Unreal Engine 4, so it should look pretty.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Yacht Club Games
Specter of Torment is the newest game in Yacht Club’s series of retro-styled 2D platform adventures. The studio says that it’s a huge game that’s bigger than anything it has built before. Expect to see it on Switch in March. If not on launch day, then soon after.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Yacht Club Games
If you’re familiar with the Shovel Knight series of 2D platform games, Treasure Trove is the new name for what Yacht Club games was previously simply referring to as Shovel Knight. It’s the umbrella under which the game’s separate campaigns – Shovel of Hope (the original), Plague of Shadows and the upcoming Specter of Torment (along with other chapters in future) will sit.
Skylanders: Imaginators
Toys for Bob/Vicarious Visions
Skylanders: Imaginators is the latest in the long-line of toys-to-life games from Activision’s Toys for Bob. The big hook for this one being that you can create your own character for the first time, which is something you’ve not been able to do before because of the series’ reliance on the associated action figures. Already released on every other major platform, Imaginators will be a launch game for Switch.
Snake Pass
Sumo Digital
Sumo Digital’s delightful physics-based platform game has you controlling a surprisingly charming snake as he navigates levels by wrapping himself around platforms and objects to collect colored gems. Snake Pass will support TV, tabletop and handheld modes on the Switch, running at 30 frames per second at 720p when undocked and 30 frames per second at 1080p when docked.
Snipperclips – Cut It Out Together
Nintendo
Nintendo’s quirky co-op puzzle game for up to four players. Players control characters named Snip and Clip, who each have flat, shaped bodies that can be rotated in place. When the two characters overlap each other, one player can clip the overlapped portion out of the other, altering its shape so it can be applied to different puzzles.
Sonic Mania
Tantalus Media
Old-school 2D Genesis-style Sonic, only with all-new and remixed levels. That’s what we’ve all really been waiting for, right? Like a lot of games on this list, it’s coming out for just about everything, but the Switch version should be out by the summer.
Spelunker World
Square Enix
A follow-up to the infamous 1983 adventure platformer Spelunker, this Switch port of Square Enix’ PlayStation 4 game (which is free to play) is set for release in Japan this April. It’s not clear yet if there will be a localized version for North America or Europe.
Splatoon 2
Nintendo
The sequel to the much-loved Wii U team-based competitive third-person shooter from 2015 is playable by up to eight players in online four-versus-four matches. Sadly, it’s not a launch game but will be out this summer.
Stardew Valley
ConcernedApe
The super mellow indie farm-simulation that borrows heavily from the beloved Harvest Moon games will be coming to Switch before the end of the year.
State of Mind
Daedalic Entertainment
A futuristic sci-fi thriller that tackles transhumanism and other lightweight topics, State of Mind is another indie game headed to Switch at some point later this year. The PC version is due this spring.
SteamWorld (Project 2017)
Image & Form
Swedish game studio Image & Form has confirmed that it is working on a new game in its steam-powered robots series for Switch, but hasn’t revealed any specific details yet.
Steep
Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s open-world extreme sports sim Steep is set for release on Switch later this year. Its vast mountain environment is an impressive feat on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and will be even moreso when squeezed onto the Switch’s tiny screen.
Story of Seasons
Marvelous
If there’s one thing the Switch won’t be lacking for, it’s farming simulators that are a bit like Harvest Moon. This is another one.
Sunu Ikkibu: Din Nahu
Alecqua X Twilight Studios
Sunu Ikkibu: Din Nahu is an indie survival-horror from Argentinian studio Alecqua X Twilight Studios. It’s still super, super early in development so very little is known about it.
Super Bomberman R
Konami
There is no panicked hysteria like Bomberman panicked hysteria, and when the Switch launches in March, you’ll be able to jump online and play a super faithful version of the original 16-bit series. No, none of those weird circular polygonal explosions of Bomberman 64, and thankfully none of the rain-slicked adolescent angst of Bomberman: Act Zero. This is proper Bomberman, and it’s a launch game.
Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo
Since Nintendo showed the trailer for Super Mario Odyssey back in January, people have been joking that the new open-world games looks like Grand Theft Mario, particularly as he jumps around the New York-inspired New Donk City. Frankly, we can’t wait. We just wish it was coming sooner than the end of the year.
Syberia 3
Microids
Microids’ popular vaguely-steampunky point-and-click adventure series finally gets its third game after years of waiting. Expect to see the PC version this April, with the Switch version following later this year.
Taiko Drum Master
Bandai Namco
The next game Bandai Namco’s super-colorful rhythm game series has been announced for Nintendo Switch but doesn’t yet have a name or release date.
Tales Of… (untitled)
Bandai Namco
Bandai Namco has announced that it will be bringing a game from the popular Tales series of role-playing games to Switch, but hasn’t said if it will be a new game or something already released on other platforms. Given the pattern we’re seeing from the vast majority of other publishers on this list, our bet is on a port of the recently released Tales of Beseria, the 16th game in the series.
Tank It!
Bplus
Tank It! is a military action game with a message, glibly expressed as #WarKills. You control a tank drone tasked with taking out terrorists while trying to avoid civilian causalities. The game is due to be released on Steam very soon, with the Switch version coming later this year.
Terraria
Re-Logic
The massively successful 2D sandbox game finds its way to yet another platform. Though not yet officially confirmed, the existence of the game slipped out when the Season of Heaven development studio tweeted out a screenshot of the Switch Indie eShop that feature Terraria as one of the store icons.
Tumbleseed
Benedict Fritz
Tumbleseed is a collaboration between designer Greg Wohlwend – the artist behind Threes!, Ridiculous Fishing, Hundreds, Gasketball, Puzzlejuice, and Solipskier – and developer Benedict Fritz. It’s based on the mechanical arcade game Ice Cold Beer and built through the Cards Against Humanity game incubation program. The aim of the game is to balance a rolling seed on an ascending, horizontally slanted vine past procedurally generated obstacles to reach the top of a mountain. Expect to see it before the end of March.
Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers
Capcom
An updated version of 1994’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Ultra features two different graphical styles –classic pixel art and updated high-definition art. The game has a roster of 19 characters, all 17 from Super Turbo, plus Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. Evil Ryu first appeared in 1996’s Street Fighter Alpha 2 while Violent Ken makes his official debut in a Street Fighter game, having previously only appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.
The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup
Gory Detail
The first new game from ex-Rare staffers Chris Seavor and Shawn Pile, The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup is a platform puzzler that looks like a cross between the 16-bit classic Lemmings and the more recent Mario vs. Donkey Kong games. Players don’t control Rusty directly, but instead guide him through its gorgeous levels by placing lights for him to follow.
Wonderboy: The Dragon’s Trap
Lizardcube
A remake of the 1989 game Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon’s Trap, originally developed for the Sega Master System. But wait a minute, isn’t Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom – also coming to the Switch – also based on that game? Why yes. Yes it is. Was Wonder Boy 3 so amazingly awesome that it warrants two remakes on the same system?
No. No it wasn’t.
World of Goo
2D Boy
There sure are a lot games that first came out years and years ago coming to the Switch. Physics puzzler World of Goo still stands up as a wonderfully inventive game, but it’s a lot older than you think. It was first released in 2008. Expect the Switch version on launch day.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Monolith
The massive open-world Japanese RPG prompted a flutter of excitement when it was announced at Nintendo’s event in January. Very few specifics have been revealed about the game, save for the fact that series creator Tetsuya Takahashi will return as executive director and character designs are by Masatsugu Saito, who is giving characters a more cartoon-like anime art style than previous Xenoblade games.
Yooka-Laylee
Playtonic Games
Developed by Playtonic Games, a group of former key personnel from Rare during the Nintendo 64 era, Yooka-Laylee is a spiritual successor to the popular Banjo-Kazooie 3D platformers. Although there’s no release date yet, we do know that Yooka-Laylee will not be getting a physical release, so expect it to be download only on Switch.
Zombie Vikings
Zoink Games
Zombie Vikings is a hilarious, stylish, zombie-themed four-playing scrolling beat ’em-up from the same team that made the quietly awesome Stick It To The Man. It’s been out on Steam since December 2015 if you want to check it out.
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As we head towards the Nintendo Switch launch on 3rd March, and with some pre-orders still possible in some countries such as the UK, Nintendo has recently had some weekend interview features published with major British newspapers. This is certainly a positive in terms of boosting awareness in the UK, as national newspapers get well beyond the ‘core’ audience that Nintendo reaches with its online streams and presentations.
One of the better articles was an interview published by The Telegraph, with Shinya Takahashi (Director at Nintendo, General Manager of Entertainment Planning and Development) and Yoshiaki Koizumi (Deputy General Manager of Entertainment Planning and Development) on hand to answer questions.
One answer that stood out to us was a continued emphasis on the ease of development Nintendo feels is possible through the system. Not only are engines such as Unity and Unreal 4 essential to this, but in addition there’s the sense that the architecture and NVIDIA GPU help to at least make the system understandable and accessible to developers of various sizes. It’s another ‘concept’ system that lacks the raw graphical grunt that some expect, of course, but Nintendo clearly feels developers shouldn’t be held back by the tools at their disposal.
For those eager to see the confirmed line-up of games grow, there’s reassurance that a ‘lot more’ announcements are yet to be made.
Koizumi: As you know we’ve been focussed on development on first party games, but with Nintendo Switch we’ve also put a lot of energy into making third-party cooperation possible, and that includes a lot of attention paid to the development environment that we are providing to these partners as well as the middleware we create for them. Soon you will [see] a lot more announcements from third-party partners.
What kind of things are you doing to help woo third-parties onto Switch?
Koizumi: I think a lot of it comes down to the development environment we’re providing, because these are third-party providers that are bringing games to Nintendo hardware we want to do everything we can to make that experience comfortable for them including providing support for Unity or Unreal 4, which are platforms a lot of people are already using.
So one example I can give of this is SnipperClips which is made by a very small development team in England, which uses Unity so they were able to develop it very quickly.
So are you looking to have more independent developers on Switch?
Koizumi: Yes, in fact we already have a lot of indie developers that we’re talking to, with several teams working on several different projects.
Another point we picked up in the interview was the echoing of Tatsumi Kimishima’s recent remarks that Nintendo is responding to initial demand and ramping up production; supply will naturally be scarce at launch, but the aim is to clearly keep retailers stocked in the days and weeks that follow.
Finally as we head toward launch there has been some reports of stock shortages. Are you confident that anyone that wants a Switch will be able to buy one?
Maybe within the first few days! It does sound like there might be a few shortages here and there, but once you get past that I think we’ll have a very steady flow. Some of our employees are worried about getting one… but we are making a lot!
Are you reassured by the confirmed games for the system and range of third-party titles, or still anxiously awaiting more announcements? Let us know, and it’s certainly worth checking out the full interview by The Telegraph below as it’s one of the more detailed newspaper features from this past weekend.
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The long-term survival of a gaming console is contingent upon a steady stream of games without long gaps, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima told investors this week, adding that there are now more than 100 titles in development for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console.
Those games, in development from more than 70 publishers, illustrate an increased interest in the new console from publishers, he said.
“After the presentation on January 13, we have continued to receive requests from more and more software publishers who want to develop games for the system,” Kimishima said during a briefing earlier this week. “At the presentation, we announced that there were over 80 titles in development from more than 50 software publishers, but that number has now climbed to over 100 titles from more than 70 publishers.”
He added that the still unannounced new titles will be detailed in the future.
Kimishima also made a point to explain why Nintendo is spacing out the release of Nintendo’s big, in-house developed games instead of releasing them all when the system comes out in March.
“Our thinking in arranging the 2017 software lineup is that it is important to continue to provide new titles regularly without long gaps,” he said. “This encourages consumers to continue actively playing the system, maintains buzz, and spurs continued sales momentum for Nintendo Switch.”
That’s why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a launch-day title, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Arms are listed as coming sometime during the first half of the year and Splatoon 2 will hit in the summer.
“We believe that these titles exemplify the concept of the Nintendo Switch, which is to be able to play anywhere with anyone and at any time, and will expand and invigorate competition between players,” he said. “In this way, we are working to create titles and environments to invigorate the competitive gaming scene so that a wider demographic of customers can enjoy, talk about, and continue playing the Nintendo Switch.”
He also reiterated that Nintendo still plans to ship two million units of the new console worldwide by the end of March.
“We have heard that many retailers have already closed pre-orders and have allocated remaining inventory for sale on launch day,” he said. “This pre-order momentum is reassuring proof that the core gamer demographic understands the uniqueness of the Nintendo Switch and continues to support us.
“We are preparing our supply system to ensure that we will be able to make continued shipments after launch as well.”
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Amazon has opened up several upcoming Nintendo Switch Games for preorder again. Free Shipping over $49 or with Amazon Prime. Tax in many states.
Prime Members get 20% off newly released games and preorders. Updated pricing is below. These games may sell out quickly so preorder now to guarantee delivery by the release date. You can cancel your order any time during your preorder with no penalty.
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The Nintendo Switch isn’t as powerful as the Xbox One or PS4, despite rumours many months that argued the opposite. This isn’t actually that much of a shock when you consider that the Switch can be taken out of the house with you, while the PS4 is distinctly un-portable. It’s a trade-off that had to happen, and given the visual quality of the games we’ve seen running on Switch so far, one that we’re pretty comfortable with here at Nintendo Life.
However, it’s always worth seeing how cross-platform games compare side-by-side, and one example we have already is Dragon Quest Heroes II, which has been confirmed for release on the Switch along with the first title in a special double-pack.
Dragon Quest Heroes II is already available on the PlayStation 4 in Japan, so we’re able to draw comparisons between the two in screenshot form.
Here’s the PS4 version:
…and here’s the same scene on Switch:
Finally, here’s a simple comparison which shows how the environments in the Switch version are comprised of less polygons (PS4 is the top section, Switch is the bottom):
None of the above should really come as a massive shock given that the Switch clearly isn’t going to be as powerful as a full-blown home console, but the differences aren’t earth-shattering if you ask us. In fact, if you take away the PS4 screenshot and assess the Switch one on its own, it’s looking pretty decent for a console the size of a small tablet.
What are your thoughts on this comparison? Are you happy that the Switch is able to host such cross-platform titles, even with graphical changes? Or were you optimistically holding out for visual parity? Let us know by posting a comment.
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Boy, what a doozy! If there was an award for most complicated game system, Nintendo’s Switch would win in a landslide. The simple name really betrays the true complexity of the system given its seemly uncountable number of ways to play games. The newest console truly is a combination of Wii, Wii U, and 3DS yet still adds enough new features to make it stand on its own.
The Nintendo Switch has three advertised modes of play but since “handheld mode” and “tabletop mode” are technically the same thing I’ll refer to them together as “portable mode.” For controls, you can use both Joy-Con (doesn’t make a difference if you hold them freely or attach them to either the screen or Grip), a single Joy-Con held horizontally, or of course the Pro Controller (sold separately). The Joy-Con are a natural evolution of the Wii Remote & Nunchuk, no longer requiring a sensor bar but now featuring “HD rumble” along with the amiibo NFC reader and an IR sensor in the right Joy-Con for added gimmick.
You read the article title; just why am I so lukewarm on the Switch? Well this is Nintendo, who, since the Wii, has focused on controller gimmicks innovation rather than power. Specs-wise, it’s once again “just a box” (this time figuratively rather than literally) that is not as strong as competitors but good enough to run the first-party content everyone wants to play. The story is yet again input gimmicks on a technically unimpressive console.
Long story short, I played three games: 1-2 Switch, Arms, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I also watched other people play games like Splatoon 2, Snipperclips, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe up close. In TV mode all the games looked expectedly gorgeous and ran rather smoothly. I can’t tell you “oh for sure it was 1080p 60fps” because I’m just no good at judging that stuff, though I did notice frames dropping every now and then in Zelda.
The screen slides in and out of the dock smoothly, locking into place firmly. Likewise, the Joy-Con slide on and off both the screen and Grip cleanly, requiring a button to be pressed to pull them off which makes for a secure connection. All components feel very sturdy and of solid construction (Nintendium still being used!). As advertised, the system is very quick to ‘switch’ to the portable screen when you undock the system. Putting it back in takes slightly longer but it’s not significant enough to care especially since you’ll have to grab your controller of choice after putting it back in.
Playing in portable mode with the Joy-Con attached is a different experience. Again, you all know the specs enough to know it’s less powerful when undocked, and even to my untrained eye, I could tell it was at a lower resolution though the frame-rate seemed relatively unchanged in my experience. The feeling is just uncomfortable though, for a variety of reasons.
Compared to the Wii U GamePad, it’s longer and thinner and just overall a bit smaller. Despite that, it’s noticeably heavier and something about the way the Joy-Con felt attached to it was uncomfortable enough for me to want to ‘switch’ back to TV mode fairly quickly. I’ll talk more about the Joy-Con in a bit, but I preferred the way they feel on the Grip or unattached to anything than attached to the screen. Button placement and feel is not as good as the Wii U GamePad, which is a shame considering the screen quality is much better.
Since unlike the Wii U, you can’t have two screens running simultaneously, it is no longer possible to use a second screen in games for things like map and inventory. Granted no one will miss such trivial uses, but in my opinion Nintendo did put it to good use in first-party titles like Nintendo Land, Mario Party 10, Wii Party U, Game & Wario, New Super Mario Bros. U, and of course Super Mario Maker. I’m one of the few people who absolutely loves asymmetrical multiplayer and wacky party games, so content like Mario Party 10‘s Bowser Party, Nintendo Land‘s Mario Chase and Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, and a ton of stuff in Wii Party U is no longer possible on the Switch due to insufficient screens and also the lack of a visible spectrum camera.
There is a lot to talk about with the Joy-Con themselves, but first I have to point out the HUGE design flaw in portable mode. Soon after I undocked the system for portable mode while playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the event staff member on hand attached the USB charging cable…to the bottom of the screen. This is not news, as you can see it in detailed images of the system put out by Nintendo itself, but it wasn’t til I had it in my hands that I realized.
Having the USB charger on the bottom of the screen is not only highly uncomfortable while holding it in your lap, but it makes charging it and setting it up on its kickstand simultaneously impossible. With a two- to six-hour battery life, in many cases, you’re going to be playing it while plugged in, such as on the plane. I’ve been on more planes than I can count and while it’s a coin-flip if they have a USB port, none of them feature tray tables with a hole in them. I’m really surprised no one else is making a fuss about this. About the USB port, I mean — not perforated tray tables.
The Joy-Con are going to be used in a lot of ways: using a single left or right Joy-Con, holding both detached Joy-Con, attaching them to the screen, attaching them to the Grip, holding them sideways in Arms, and many configurations for the variety of motion control games. Both feature the oddly advertised “HD rumble” and the right Joy-Con also features the NFC reader for amiibo and an infrared sensor.
I didn’t actually play a game with a single Joy-Con, but I did hold each in my hand and pretend I was playing games like I did when my Game Boy’s batteries died as a kid. Most people express fear over the size of the Joy-Con, but the issue is more with the button placement. Yes it is small, but when the wrist-strap is attached, it becomes a little bigger and thus more ergonomic but it comes at the cost of making the SL and SR buttons feel more flimsy than if you play with a naked Joy-Con.
The right Joy-Con has the joystick in the middle of the controller while the left Joy-Con has the face buttons in the middle of the controller. In either case you are cramming both of your hands on one side of an already small controller. It also feels awkward having the joystick or face buttons centrally between the shoulder buttons when traditionally d-pads and joysticks are closer to being under the left shoulder button(s) and the face buttons closer if not directly under the right shoulder button(s).
Joy-Con buttons function the same whether they are detached, on the screen, or in the Grip. The sticks feel less like the perfect circles on the Wii U GamePad and more like the Nintendo 64 or Wii Remote joysticks which have little divots. The sticks, + and – buttons, capture button, and Home button all feel fine. The face buttons and “d-pad” buttons are pretty much the same and are similar if not identical to the Wii U GamePad face buttons; firm and satisfying to press. It’s just…I don’t like the idea of having buttons rather than a traditional d-pad. Pressing them feels unnatural and maybe I’ll get used to it, but being located directly underneath the left joystick adds to the jarring feeling which perhaps also will take some getting used to. They obviously made the choice to make them buttons so that you can play on a single Joy-Con in multiplayer, but continuing to use the arrow denominations is going to cause confusion when switching between different layouts at some point.
Similar to Wii U GamePad, the ZL and ZR buttons are not analog triggers, but they feel a little worse in that your fingers slip off them fairly easy. The L and R buttons feel slightly weird to press in a way I can’t accurately communicate. All four shoulder buttons feel much more natural if you turn the controllers sideways (joysticks facing each other) like when playing Arms, again suggesting a design focus on gimmicks. But man, I really miss those GameCube analog triggers.
As mentioned, playing in portable mode to me is uncomfortable, but of all the control methods for the Joy-Con, the Grip felt the most natural. Looking at a picture of it makes it look really odd, with that big square jutting out of the bottom-center. However, it fits into your hands quite naturally and after a long day of waggling, punching, and tilting, it felt very much at home to have a standard controller in my hands. For many it will negate the need or desire to pick up a Pro Controller, but based on my prior complaints with the shoulder buttons and “d-pad” buttons, I think I will for the first time pick up a Pro Controller.
Arms has you hold the two Joy-Con facing inward and uses only the shoulder buttons along with motion in-game, while all other buttons do nothing. It makes the shoulder buttons feel natural, but it feels very weird holding the Joy-Con in this fashion. Not only is it odd pressing buttons despite the fact you know they do nothing, but time and time again through either subconscious reasons or muscle memory or whatever I kept turning the Joy-Con to face me unintentionally mid-fight. Navigating the menus including selecting characters, stages, and your weapons in-between rounds requires you to use the Joy-Con normally (facing you), thus making you continually shift the mode of operation. Annoying.
For games featuring motion controls, I only played Arms, which doesn’t require precise movement, and one mini-game in 1-2 Switch (the Samurai one where you have to swing a sword at your opponent who tries to catch it). Overall there weren’t any issues and no longer needing a sensor bar is a huge plus. If you’re not already tired of waggling Wii Motes around, you’ll be happy to hear these are like a better version of the Wii Mote/Nunchuk combo.
If a rumble pack is 240p, standard rumble is 480p, and a true HD rumble is 1080p, I would put the Joy-Con’s “HD rumble” at around 720. I played the ball-counting mini-game in 1-2 Switch where you must guess the number of balls that are in your box by tilting the Joy-Con and feeling the rumble. At first I was really blown away by the fidelity of it; it truly felt like a real ball was rolling in my hand to the point that it was kind of scary. But when it came to multiple balls it wasn’t so clear. Spoiler: I had two balls in my box, though I didn’t know while playing. No matter how much I tinkered, I couldn’t seem to get them to “roll” individually; it always felt like the other balls’ rolling was ancillary or attached to one main ball, and crashing at one end of the box felt too chaotic to make an accurate guess (it’s extra difficult without sound). My guess was three based on these observations, but when I found out it was two I felt like it should’ve been easier to determine such a low number. This is one anecdote, though. Overall I’m very impressed with what they did and I think I may just have had a bad go, but I don’t see what use this would get outside of 1-2 Switch or a potential Mario Party.
Playing multiplayer with a single Joy-Con is cute idea, but it’s only going to work for simple games like Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Snipperclips. To be fair, more complicated games generally aren’t split-screen anyway (including Splatoon), but don’t expect to play many shooters like Call of Duty on a single Joy-Con, if such third-party games even come to Switch. You either need friends to buy their own Switches or someone has to have more controllers. Carrying more than one set of Joy-Con or at least one Pro Controller in addition to a heavy Switch screen, Joy-Con set, and a USB charging cable does not make for a very portable system. In their minds they are probably thinking “tablets are not small enough to fit in pockets either but they still sell,” but tablets don’t need controllers and tablets have longer battery life. The 3DS is light, compact, and can be closed to make for a smooth object.
Considering the Wii U’s failures and the popularity of mobile gaming in Japan, it’s easy to see why this console was made. Hardcore gamers (I don’t like the term “gamer” any more than you but it’s a convenient term) will be satisfied playing it as a home console with either the Grip or Pro Controller, but I don’t see many of the casual Wii consumers lining up for this. Going to and fro the Switch event I played games like Kirby and Picross my 3DS on the train and also while waiting in line. I can close it into sleep mode and toss it in my pocket without fear of an accidental button press in a matter of seconds. Switch is not going to be so simple to pocket.
None of that is possible with a huge Switch screen, but you can play big games like Breath of the Wild, I guess? I just would rather play those big games at home where I can focus. The Switch games I would play on a train I would rather just play on a 3DS. It’s cool if you’re going to a friend’s house to play games together, but in that case I’d still bring the dock so we don’t have to split a small screen for a few hours or while it lays flat on the floor plugged into the wall. The Switch will be a fine home console but technically it just feels like I’m playing the Wii U again.
I’m no console maker; I don’t know the costs of things. However, I still wish they would stop devoting so many resources towards likely expensive things such as IR sensors, motion control, “HD rumble,” and NFC readers for amiibo and instead put that focus into making a stronger console and lineup of games. Not to say if they did that it would be on par with Xbox One or PS4, but at the very least there is the possibility that the console and its peripherals might be cheaper.
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For the first time since the Wii U launched — and subsequently fizzled — in 2012, Nintendo is making a new video game console. It’s called the Nintendo Switch, and it’s a $300 home console/portable console hybrid.
You can play it at home. You can play it on-the-go. You can do both!
Nintendo
The console is the tablet. You slide it into a dock, and it’s a home console. You slide on the two Joy-Con controllers, and it’s a portable console. Simple!
The Switch is nearly here — it’s scheduled to launch on March 3, which you may notice is pretty soon. Nintendo offered us a chance to try the system at a January 13 press event in New York City. I was there! Here are some thoughts on that experience.
The first way I played the Switch was as a handheld console, like so.
Here I am playing “Splatoon 2” on the Nintendo Switch, at Nintendo’s debut event for the console on January 13.Corey Protin
Here’s a clearer view of what Switch looks like in that mode. It’s a 6.2-inch tablet with controllers (Joy-Con) attached on each flank.
Corey Protin
Before I say anything about the console, I can say with confidence that “Splatoon 2” was a delight to play.
“Splatoon 2” is a third-person shooter focused on competitive online play. You’re armed with a paint gun, and your goal is to paint as much of a level as possible before the other team does. It’s a unique and delightful take on the popular shooter genre of games.Nintendo
Unfortunately, it highlighted a bizarre focus of the handheld Switch: motion controls. Since the Switch is a screen, tilting it as a means of controlling a game — as is the case with “Splatoon 2” — means not being able to see what’s happening on the screen.
Tilt sensors are built into the Joy-Con controllers, thus enabling tilt-based motion controls.Corey Protin
Thankfully, most of the games shown at Nintendo’s event played to the strengths of a handheld. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is a great example of that.
“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is a rerelease of “Mario Kart 8” on the Wii U, Nintendo’s last console, albeit with a bunch of extra content — courses, characters, and a new battle mode. It arrives on April 28 for the Switch, and it costs $60.Corey Protin
The delivery of “Mario Kart” on Switch is straightforward: It’s the same game, but now it’s on a portable, handheld console.
Yoshi biker gang!Nintendo
The game looked sharp and played well. My one gripe with using the Switch in handheld mode is that my hands occasionally cramped from gripping the system while pushing a variety of buttons.
That’s a ton of buttons! The Joy-Con controllers aim to re-create the experience you’d have on a standard gamepad, except they’re much smaller and modular by design. As a result, there are a ton of buttons in a relatively small space.Nintendo
For you, however, that may not be a problem. Perhaps you plan on buying a Switch and using it exclusively as a home console? That’s certainly an option.
And this gamepad is how you’d do just that.Corey Protin
This is the Nintendo Switch gamepad. The two sections of the Joy-Con are attached to a plastic shell called the Joy-Con Grip. This is part of the modular nature of the Switch. They slide on along a rail.
If you want to play games on your TV with the Switch, this is the way you’ll control them while the tablet is docked.Corey Protin
Pushing the little circular black buttons is how you release the parts of the Joy-Con. They’re tucked slightly out of the way to avoid accidental detaching. I found it easy to detach and reattach them, though it quickly became a juggling act of where to put things.
Corey Protin
Lest you forget, the Switch is a tablet. It even has a touch screen. The Joy-Con pieces slide onto the tablet, and it becomes a portable game console.
Here’s a diagram from Nintendo of what the Switch is — a tablet that serves as the foundation of the modular console. Attach the controllers and it’s a portable console. Slide it into the dock and it’s a home console. Pop out the kickstand and it’s a display with two handheld gamepads.Nintendo
Here’s how you dock the Switch at home — remember, this thing is a tablet.
Corey Protin
Here’s a side view. It’s really easy to slide the Switch into the dock. It has a satisfying click. I encountered zero issues doing this over and over.
Corey Protin
And here’s what it looks like while docked. The Switch’s screen automatically turns off when it docks, and the image output seamlessly jumps to the TV.
Ignore the locking mechanism — that’s a measure of this unit being at a press event. The Switch is otherwise a wireless tablet.Corey Protin
Frankly speaking, the gamepad is not great. It’s oddly shaped. The Joy-Con Grip — the gamepad-shaped holster — feels cheap. It’s a serviceable gamepad, but it doesn’t stand up to those offered by Microsoft and Sony.
Nintendo
You could opt to control games on the Switch a few different ways, however. Here’s one way.
This is how you might control a motion-based game on the Switch.Corey Protin
And here’s another option. In this mode, you basically have a two-player game console with you anywhere you go. Pretty rad!
The Switch has a kickstand so you can use it like a (tiny) TV screen. Each Joy-Con becomes its own gamepad, held sideways, in this mode.Corey Protin
Using a single side of the Joy-Con as a gamepad feels a bit strange. Each side is set up slightly differently, and the controller is miniature compared with a standard gamepad.
I have small hands, and even my small hands felt cramped on this gamepad.Corey Protin
Alas, there is a more traditional option — if you’re willing to drop an extra $70. This is the Nintendo Switch Pro controller.
Corey Protin
The “pro” moniker is a misnomer; in 2017, this is the standard for video game controls on a home game console. It’s a comfy, easy-to-use gamepad. I played the new “Legend of Zelda” game using one and felt right at home. It’s unfortunate that this gamepad costs an extra $70 — it’s the best control method for the Switch that I used.
Corey Protin
But let’s not end on a down note. The Switch costs $300, and for that price you’re getting a pretty neat game console. It’s a powerful portable game console and a competent home console.
That you can play a multiplayer game with a friend on the fly is a genuinely cool innovation on Nintendo’s part.Nintendo
The game lineup at launch on March 3 is a little skimpy, but the new “Legend of Zelda” looks fantastic and purportedly is huge.
The graphics style of “Breath of the Wild” is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli. It’s a truly gorgeous game.Nintendo
And “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is just around the corner on April 28 — now’s as good a time as any to remind you that “Mario Kart 8” is the best “Mario Kart” game ever made, and “Deluxe” is fixing the one problem that game had.
In “Deluxe,” Nintendo is adding a new battle mode that features dedicated courses. It’s a nod to the one complaint people had about the Wii U game.Nintendo
Then “Splatoon 2” is planned for launch this summer. If it’s anywhere near as good as the original “Splatoon,” it’s going to be a killer game.
Nintendo
Most importantly, a crazy-looking new 3-D Mario game is planned for the holiday season. It’s called “Super Mario Odyssey,” and it’s the next game in the “Super Mario 64” and “Super Mario Galaxy” series.
Nintendo
The Switch isn’t going to replace your iPad — it’s a dedicated gaming machine to the point where it won’t have many multimedia functions at launch, Nintendo’s Kit Ellis told me. Don’t plan to watch Netflix on the Switch, for instance.
One demo shown in the intro video for the Switch (released in October 2016) was a gentleman playing a game while on a plane.Nintendo
Having used the Switch for several hours, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone. It’s still a $300 investment for the system itself, before buying any games or extra gamepads. That could be a hard sell if you already own an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4.
Nintendo
That said, if you want to play any of Nintendo’s classic franchises, from “Super Mario” to “The Legend of Zelda,” you’ll need a Switch. That could be enough for lots of folks.
Nintendo
I’m inclined to buy one based on convenience. Being able to play “big” games — the kind of stuff you normally play on home game consoles — anywhere I want is a major bonus for me. I can deal with hand cramps from the Joy-Con gamepad, and it’s not so difficult to bring a wireless pro controller with me.
If it isn’t delayed, “Super Mario Odyssey” will mark the beginning of a solid lineup of exclusive Nintendo Switch games. It’s currently planned to launch in “holiday 2017.”Nintendo
This video from Nintendo showcases the vast majority of games that are coming to Switch in 2017. If nothing else, this should help you decide if Switch is worth your money.
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You may recall that not long ago a streamer surprised his audience and busted out a ‘Nintendo Switch’, prompting the stream’s chat to go into meltdown. Our tagline for an article on the topic was ‘keeping it real fake’, which gives you an idea of what we thought of it, but there were some that thought in could be legitimate.
Though it looked impressive (even simulating the detachable Joy-Con controllers) there were question marks, and now all doubt has been washed away. Frank Sandqvist, who previously produced the now infamous ‘NX prototype’, has posted a video to show how this Switch was produced. Once again it’s down to 3D printing and a lot of rather careful – and impressive – work.
So there you have it, a recreation of the Nintendo Switch. An impressive effort, though we think it’s fair to assume that, right now, the only actual units to be found are under lock and key in the offices of developers.
With global demonstrations and public hands-on opportunities planned for early 2017, it won’t be long until we can all get our hands on the real system.
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Although amiibo sales are down, the range of NFC-enabled toys is still an important revenue stream for Nintendo. However, we’re now hearing reports that fans might have to endure a wait for the remaining two Smash Bros. amiibo – Bayonetta and Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife – until next year.
The rumour comes from LetsPlayVideoGames, a site which appears to have pretty reliable sources when it comes to things related to Switch. According to the report, “a pair” of sources have revealed that Bayonetta and Cloud will be held back until the arrival of Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch, a port of the existing Wii U title.
It is understood that this game will not form part of the console’s launch lineup, but should arrive within the first six months of the Switch’s lifespan. LetsPlayVideoGames has also been told that the port will contain all of the DLC released so far.
What do you make of this report? Do you think we’ll see a Smash port on Switch, as well as other titles which have been mooted in the past few months?
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“Our revenue has fallen for eight straight years. What we aim for is to increase the number of people who play games.”
– Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima.
Nintendo made a bit of a splash in the game industry last week when it announced that its next console will be a home/portable hybrid called Switch.
Many game developers have expressed interest in developing for the console, while industry analysts have a range of opinions and Nintendo investors reacted in a way that caused the company’s shares to tumble last week. So how does company presiden Tatsumi Kimishima feel about the whole thing?
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Kimishima admits to being surprised by investors’ reactions to the Switch but otherwise seems more focused on how Switch performs next year then what people are saying about Nintendo now. The company has long made it clear that it wants to expand its customer base by pulling in new audiences via smartphone games, theme park deals and the like; now, Kimishima echoes that plan to Bloomberg and explains that while the Switch announcement trailer was aimed at what he calls “core” game players, Nintendo fully intends to keep reaching for new customers across all ages and platforms.
“Our core philosophy is that we want to increase the number of gamers at all ages, and there’s no change to that. So we have no intention to lean just towards core gamers,” he said.
“There’s an image of our future that our previous president painted two years ago: we had what we called NX—which is now the Switch —and surrounding it are our businesses for smartphones, theme parks, movie-related businesses. We’re at the start—you will see various connections between our smartphones, theme parks, movie-related business, and merchandising that uses our intellectual property.”
Later in the interview he notes that Nintendo’s revenues have been in a slump for years, and that the company is counting on both Switch and its upcoming slate of smartphone games to pull in new customers and help get its revenues back up to where they used to be. You can read more of his comments on that, as well as where VR fits into Nintendo’s plans for the future (hint: nowhere very specific) in the full Bloomberg article.
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via Amazon.com
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