This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a #NintendoSwitch Exclusive Pre-Launch Event in which the #Nintendo #Switch (due to be released March 2017) and a few of its launch and other upcoming titles were showcased.
At this event, a couple of friends and I got to play a few of these titles, speak to a few people, and just overall get a first-hand preview of the new console. Our experiences at the event pretty much made up all of our minds with regards to how we all feel about the new console and whether or not we would buy it.
So, here are some of my first impressions of the basic technical aspects as well as the general #gameplay experience with the Nintendo Switch.
Each of the Switch’s iterations.
The Switch’s Basic Technical Aspects
As everybody seems to go crazy about graphics and the amount of power any sort of piece of #gaming equipment has, I’ll start with that first.
The focus of Nintendo has never been #graphics, but the Switch is a console that is capable of producing a very pretty picture (and I do say this after having played many of the 4K scaled games on the PS4 Pro on a Super UHD television.)
The games that we were able to test all ran smoothly, although there was an instance of a frame rate drop in #LegendofZelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The actual ‘switch’ between the television and the handheld console was rather smooth, with the handheld device being easily shifted out of its holder and easily put back in. The delay in which the switch does take place is actually very short, taking no longer than maybe a few seconds.
It is important to remember though that if you are going to switch between television and handheld console to pause your game before doing it or else you might find that you have been injured by an enemy that were intending on killing just before you switched. It does take a few split seconds for the console to realise that it is being switched and, in turn, it takes a few split seconds for the game to pause in which enemies are able to attack you as I found out in #BreathoftheWild.
The general controller of the Switch is quite similar to that of the Xbox One in general button and analogue stick placement, and is rather comfortable.
Let’s play some games!
Although I was somewhat at first apprehensive about the small detachable joypad controllers, they actually aren’t all that bad as I quickly grew used to them after a few minutes of play. They also seem a whole lot less clunky than the old #Wii Remotes and are less likely to cause head injury too should they slip off your hand.
The Switch Is Bringing Couch Co-Op Back
One thing that I can definitely say distinguishes Nintendo consoles from both #PlayStation and #Xbox is the overall focus on what many #gamers have come to describe as couch co-op.
Over the past few years, there has been a large movement towards online co-operative gameplay. Basically, a modern co-operative experience encompasses waiting in a lobby to play a game with someone you most likely haven’t even met before in real life.
Couch #coop literally means getting your friends or family together to sit on the couch and play a few games. While there have been a lot of jokes made about #MarioKartdestroying relationships, there is no denying that the game, as well as many other Nintendo co-op based titles, definitely allow for a group of people to share into a fun experience together.
1-2 Switch is one of the launch titles for the Switch.
There have been quite a few occasions in the past with the Nintendo Wii and the Wii U, where a couple of friends and I have gotten together and spent hours upon hours playing Mario Kart or Mario Party.
Enticing couch co-op experiences is a staple aspect of the Nintendo brand and it is definitely still present within the Switch, having experienced it after playing through Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (on the joypad screen with four other players) and a new title called #Arms.
So, Will I Be Buying A Nintendo Switch?
Will the Switch save Nintendo?
Before anybody states that this opinion is based off of hype, I must point out that I’ve never really been the biggest Nintendo fan. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like Nintendo games, but rather that most of my experiences with Nintendo have often come from playing Mario Kart or a Legend of Zelda game at a friend or relative’s house as well as a few emulators.
I do think that the Switch looks to be a good console and that it may perhaps work at regenerating interest in the Nintendo brand after the fiasco that was the #WiiU, but this remains to be seen and I look forward to tracking the console’s overall performance in future.
Are you excited about the Nintendo Switch? Are you going to buy one? Please share in the comments down below.
