Nintendo Switch

Bolt the Cat

Bolt the Cat

Bringing the Thunder
Member
So for those of you who aren't following Nintendo closely, Nintendo is working on a new console codenamed NX that is slated to release in March 2017 and supposedly is "a totally new gaming concept". And so far we know nothing about it, Nintendo hasn't said a word about the NX and has foregone major gaming events such as E3 and TGS leaving the entire fanbase on pins and needles waiting for Nintendo to show it off.

But now, the wait is finally over. Nintendo has announced that tomorrow they're going to be showing a sneak peek of the NX at 7am PST (10am EST/3pm UK/4pm CET). The trailer will only be 3 minutes long, so it most likely won't be a news blowout, but we're finally getting to hear about the NX.

Are you excited to see the NX? What do you think the NX is? What games do you want to see?

Source: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/20...of_the_nintendo_nx_confirmed_for_20th_october

Update: The NX is officially revealed to be the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid home/handheld console with detachable controllers. The handheld can be plugged into the TV via a dock or taken with you on the go. The sides of the handheld can be detached as controllers, called Joy-Con controllers, and can serve as separate controllers for multiplayer gaming on the go or can attach to a Joy-Con Grip controller for home console gaming.

Here is the reveal trailer for the Nintendo Switch:

 
Last edited:
I'm personally hoping for something with awesome graphics and games that can also use backwards compatibility. If there's compatibility with Wii U (or even 3DS), I'd love that. Let's see what Nintendo gives us!
 
I just want something awesome. It doesn't need to be anything fancy like a hybrid (though it may be), or have VR or anything. I just want a good new console with games I'll enjoy playing. Whether they be Pokemon related or not, all I want is fun.

If preferences are in play, then graphics. I'd LOVE crisp graphics on this thing. Compatibility is another thing. I still want to be able to play my Wii U games (and maybe even Wii) on my NX. I still have games I love playing to pass the time, and when I have friends over we always play, like the Mario and Sonic Olympic games, or maybe Xenoblade by myself.
 
I don't really care about the NX concept, if it's a hybrid, regular console, etc.

What I do want is some really good Nintendo games. The Wii U to me was a big step forward from the Wii but still not the GameCube. Maybe there's a big portion of nostalgia in that console for me, but the GameCube had al these awesome typical Nintendo games; Pokemon Colosseum, Mario Paper (and I'm talking about a real Mario Paper game), Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros Melee (again the best in it's series in my opinion) and good Mario Party's. Oh, and the WindWaker?

I'm only buying this new console if they can come up with a decent list of games like that, and the new Zelda doesn't really count because I can play that on my Wii U.
 
Here is the reveal trailer. The Nintendo NX is now known as the Nintendo Switch and appears to be a console/handheld hybrid system that is powerful enough to run at least Skyrim (Possibly the HD re-release) according to the trailer.

You can watch the reveal trailer here via youtube in the spoiler tags

 
I'm more interested in the game the woman is playing, which looks like some sort of 64-styled game? Not sure, but it's cool. The console itself seems like a lot of fun, and I like how you can pretty much take it anywhere.
 
Materious17 said:
Here is the reveal trailer. The Nintendo NX is now known as the Nintendo Switch and appears to be a console/handheld hybrid system that is powerful enough to run at least Skyrim (Possibly the HD re-release) according to the trailer.

You can watch the reveal trailer here via youtube in the spoiler tags

Click to expand...
The Nintendo Switch. I love it! Better start saving now! :D
 
All right, so personal thoughts on the reveal of the Nintendo Switch.

To anyone following NX rumors, this concept was actually leaked by Eurogamer back in July, so it's not all that surprising. Still, it looks amazing in execution and it's great to see this idea become a reality. I love how it's not an intrusive gimmick that reinvents the wheel like some of their past consoles have, the gimmick is more in its adaptability to different playing environments and how it can serve just about any role a console ever has. I'd like to know more about the launch lineup and the price, but beyond that I'm sold.
 
I'm not sure if Nintendo's way of marketing is correct. I'm cautiously optimistic about the Nintendo Switch, however I find its functionality doubtful. How many times do 3DS players actually use their handheld while on the road? Not that much really. The Nintendo Switch is even more clunky for tagging along. Also you have to take the docking system with you to play on a large screen.

Besides taking the Nintendo Switch along, will the tablet screen be of use at all? Wii U couldn't pull it of very well. But at least you could play games simultaneously using the gamepad and a secondary screen. People that play their video games mainly at home will have the tablet inserted in the docking system where the screen won't be visible at all. This way you're kinda wasting money on tech you don't use.

Playing Mario Kart 8 with just one Joy-con doesn't look comfortable at all... I can imagine there will be complaints from players that do long multiplayer sessions with just one Joy-con each. The Nintendo switch has many segments, losing a Joy-con is bound to happen to some of us :p

Ofcourse most importantly will be its game library . I've been looking forward to Zelda U since forever! But wait, that game is also coming to Wii U! I'm looking for at least five games that are a must buy that can't be found elsewhere. Simply put Nintendo is still a long way from convincing me to buy this system.
 
Emskas said:
I really don't think the switch is the way Nintendo should be taking things, and their trailer was actually pretty weak, especially by a marketing standpoint. It also left me with a bunch of questions. Why do they continue to push with the screen in the controller idea? Why are they trying to market another portable-like console when they have a perfectly good one in the DS? Why is "Switching" anything anyone would ever want?
Click to expand...

The main point of the console is to hybridize home consoles and handhelds and allow you to play the same games in either environment. In other words, it's supposed to be like the 3DS and Wii U combined into one console. The system offers benefits to both environments that separately they couldn't do before, you can have console quality games that can be taken with you and played on the go.

Emskas said:
I also don't see why people are going nuts over the new games they showed off in the trailer. First of all, you have Skyrim, which may I remind you, is a game that is half a decade old. I also don't mean to regurgitate Max's point on the subject, but you don't get any mods, and the frame rate literally looked abysmal. Second was NBA, which looked hilarious with the big men bending over to look at the tiny little screens, but could be cool when playing on the big screen. There's also Zelda and Mario Kart, but both are already available on Wii U, so nobody should care whatsoever about them. My biggest issue about this expectation of other third party games is that developers will also most likely have to make a mobile port of their game if they want to bring it to the switch, and although i'm no game maker, I could see that task scaring away some potential candidates to make games for the system.
Click to expand...

I agree with this, sort of. Most of the Nintendo games shown seem to be either Wii U ports or strongly resemble Wii U games too much for my liking. It remains to be seen if there's any defining gameplay mechanics that would make them more interesting because we only got 5 second glimpses of each game, but from that quick look they seem to be turning towards Wii U's experiences to fill their launch lineup.

And really, if Nintendo wants to do a good job of attracting the mainstream, especially gamers that typically buy PS4 and Xbox One, they really should have more realistic games in the lineup. I don't want them to go full on every game is dark and gritty like PS4 and Xbox One do, but a healthy mix of cartoony and realistic games, like PS2's lineup had, would do them a world of good.

Emskas said:
What I was hoping for was just a regular console, no more foolish gimmicks. Give us a normal console, with normal controllers, with normal games, that runs well, and also happens to have Mario + company, and you've got my money.
Click to expand...

I fail to see the problem here. Unlike the Wii and Wii U, the gimmicks are all optional and unintrusive. You want a normal controller? Keep your screen in the dock and attach your Joy-Cons to the grip. Or you can get a Pro controller and play on that. What's wrong with that?

Emskas said:
The simple lesson here is: Nobody cares about portable consoles. We have smartphones now. The surge of popularity Nintendo felt with the DS and the Wii is dead. The dream of everyone playing games on a console is dead. Make a Gamecube or N64 type machine, that's where the money's at.
Click to expand...

Is it really? There's been reports of AAA game development becoming unsustainable. Don't be fooled, revenue =/= profits, that's Economics 101. You can sell like hotcakes, but if it costs more money to make that high selling game, you're not going to be in business for very long. Nintendo by scaling back can make the same amount of money as Microsoft and Sony with half of the sales. Oh, and don't think mobile is much safer either, where only a handful of mobile gamers drive mobile sales, so it's almost a crapshoot in terms of whether or not you make money in mobile. Nintendo may be the most shrewd company in the market right now, they're trying to include elements of both without going too far in either direction, so they should be able to attract enough of an audience from both sides. They could sell only 30 million Switches and still be in better shape than the rest of the market.
 
They're advertising a new portable gaming console because they're killing the 3DS. That part should be obvious. It's five years old at this point.

Console gaming is also dying, and Nintendo is capitalizing on this. The PS4 and XB1 are trying to replicate the PC (and failing at it), whereas the Switch is trying to find a place in a mobile-oriented market. This is especially the case in Japan, where no one cares about consoles.
 
Am I the only one who thought that showing people playing basketball on a court and then stopping to play basketball on a tiny screen was an utterly dumb way to show the kind of experience you could get by playing with the portable Switch? I mean, the court is right there; the people are there; the game is what you use when you can't get the real thing, not the other way around. I know I wouldn't even touch the games if I had a pet Vulpix.

That said, I'm still sceptic; the console looks as pretty as anything nintendo ever made (save the original DS), and the idea of having one less console for the brand is long overdue; games are games, and it would be great to play them without them being restricted to that clumsy machine in your living room or that tiny screen and small controller space.

But, I guess I'm thinking that the portable controller is far too large to carry comfortably; I can get my 3ds on my pocket if needed, but that seems too large to transport (this is a problem with cellphones too), yet too small to have the kind of multiplayer experience they seem to advertise. Also, battery; since the controllers are wireless, I wonder just how much a charge will last after just a few months of use. There's also the issue of breaking the controller or having it stolen; losing your portable console means losing your home console as well.
I don't think any of that is avoidable, really; every pro brings its own cons, and the possibility of switching it doesn't mean you'll do it; in that regard, it's a great design feature; you can have either console, plus the other if you need it, and both play the same games (though presumably, with less quality on portable).

But its's not like I really care that much anymore, anyway. This means that the 3DS will be my last game console, and therefore Y or Moon will be my last pokemon games. But that's fine.
 
professorlight said:
But, I guess I'm thinking that the portable controller is far too large to carry comfortably; I can get my 3ds on my pocket if needed, but that seems too large to transport (this is a problem with cellphones too), yet too small to have the kind of multiplayer experience they seem to advertise. Also, battery; since the controllers are wireless, I wonder just how much a charge will last after just a few months of use. There's also the issue of breaking the controller or having it stolen; losing your portable console means losing your home console as well.
Click to expand...
You're absolutely right on the portability, but this hasn't stopped tablets from taking over the gaming market. People will probably just use their backpacks to transport them; most come with a laptop/tablet sleeve that the Switch will fit in for transportation. Cases are also inevitable.

The multiplayer experience in tablet mode seems to depend on how many tablets you use. When the showed of Splatoon, everyone had their own tablet and it honestly didn't look bad at all. The Mario Kart one though, I'll concede looks painful.

I'm very concerned about the battery life on this thing. If they're advertising it as entertainment on a plane ride, it better be good.
 
Professor Palutena said:
You're absolutely right on the portability, but this hasn't stopped tablets from taking over the gaming market. People will probably just use their backpacks to transport them; most come with a laptop/tablet sleeve that the Switch will fit in for transportation. Cases are also inevitable.

The multiplayer experience in tablet mode seems to depend on how many tablets you use. When the showed of Splatoon, everyone had their own tablet and it honestly didn't look bad at all. The Mario Kart one though, I'll concede looks painful.

I'm very concerned about the battery life on this thing. If they're advertising it as entertainment on a plane ride, it better be good.
Click to expand...

Oh, of course; size didn't stop tablets, or cellphones. I meant more to say that from a design standpoint, when your main draw is portability, you're playing a delicate balance between size and easiness of use, and the trend now is skewing more towards size, rather than easiness, because the larger it is, the more cumbersome it becomes.
As I said, I could put my 3ds in my pocket, like I can with my lumia, and go out with them, carrying nothing more; with a tablet or a larger phone it gets more complicated to use them without additional apparel, and by that point you're left balancing being less encumbered with wanting to play; my purse, for example, gets really heavy with only my folder and books; there is no way I could handle a tablet-sized console with it; so given that choice, I'll pick the things I need over the game I only have a few moments between buses to play (and for that, my cellphone works fine).

So if the target of this console is young adults/teens (kids will come on their own, apparently), they'll have to make the calculation of when and how often they can play away from home and if it will be worth the extra encumbrance, which, let's be honest, nobody wants; plane rides and super hip Friends-style gatherings like in the trailer are fine, but I doubt those are the potentially more frequent uses you'll want to give to the portable Switch.
And as you said, battery life; encumbrance is already an issue, but if on top of it the console won't give you enough time, yes, that thing is never coming out of its base.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top