Ah yes they’ve said paid subscribers will get one free NES or SNES game a month but no other details. However unlike Xbox and PSN you ONLY get those games for one month, not to keep. (Big mistake IMO)
But they never used “virtual console” to describe that feature (which would imply you can play the other virtual games you’ve already bought).
Meanwhile, the launch has not been smooth, amongst other problems Nintendo is telling people that dead pixels or light or dark patches on the screen are normal and not covered by warranty:
The online service is also severely lacking, not even having the most basic functionality of inviting a friend to play a game together:
Good, let’s hope this crashes and burns and Nintendo finally just starts making software for the other platforms. Hardware gimmicks won’t save you again big N, the Wii was a one off. Bite the bullet and transition to a software company.
I very much like the idea of the switch. The “local/portable” seamless transition makes it very inviting for a multiplayer family like us. I can see additional docks in the bedroom and being able to easily take your whole gaming system on holiday (and play it all on the way) is a big draw. Also, the cartridges give instant loading and provide a source of “sell-on” value so that’s a bonus. In an ideal world I’d like to see a full range of virtual console games as well so that’ll be something to watch for.
At the heart of it all are the games of course. I’d place Splatoon, Mario Kart, Pikmin and Mario Galaxy right at the very pinnacle of all games. We don’t buy many games on our current Wii U but those we do get get years of use and enjoyment by all four of us so the relatively sparse line-up at launch isn’t necessarily an issue as long as the ones released have depth and replay value.
I suspect we will wait until later in the year until any tech niggles are ironed out and the game library is rather more expansive but I’m definitely intrigued.
One other thought occurs to me. We saw the DS/3DS range expand and morph to include 3d graphics, bigger screens, tweaks here and there. Is there any real reason why the switch can’t do that? The dock, controllers, chargers and games remain the same but the “tablet” part could be made larger, faster, more efficient etc. A means of incrementally upgrading.
I can give a quick review, though if you want to head out there on the internet, there are plenty more in-depth reviews.
The Hardware :
So far the hardware feels great. My only complaints are the kickstand, and the wrist straps for the joy cons. My wife actually knocked it over last night, and out of the dock, and all that I had to do was re-seat the kickstand.
The kickstand feels flimsy - it’s worse than the one on our baby monitor. You’re better off picking up a stand or case that provides a stand, if you plan on playing this in tabletop mode.
The wrist straps for the joy cons are HARD to remove - it’s the tension on the connection combined with a small surface area to grip and pull, and a locking mechanism that’s easy to miss and easy to re-lock. On the joycons, they really do help when you’re sharing with someone to play something multi-player, but I worry I’ll never be able to get them off again.
**The Software : **
Many have been complaining about this - the UI is bare bones right now. I find it fine - I bought this system as an on the go console, so not having netflix / a browser / whatever else doesn’t bug me at all. I want to do one thing - bring a console game with me to work. And right now the Switch is SPECTACULAR for that.
I only have Zelda, and so far I’m spending roughly 50% of my day thinking about going back in to play it, again.
If anyone wants to know more, just ask!
This is, of course, patently a bullshit move. Dead pixels haven’t been acceptable in flat-panel displays for at least a decade. The number of acceptable dead pixels in any consumer device is ZERO.
I have no idea where Nintendo gets the idea they can cheap out on their BOM and still get away with charging $300 for an incomplete* console system (or overpriced gaming tablet).
*“incomplete” == no dock included and inferior integrated controls that are ergonomic hell to use detached from the screen, but hey, an actual controller is available for $70! Also, the left joycon Bluetooth having a completely inadequate range, due to amazingly poor antenna design. Apple was raked over the coals for the same engineering short-sightedness (“You’re holding it wrong”), so it’s not as if this couldn’t have been foreseen.
TL;DR: Nintendo is charging premium price for inferior product, and banking on fanbois to fall for it.
Looks like a gaming tablet with a docking station that allows for peripherals (like a TV and joy sticks).
So it seems the Switch had the biggest first 2-day sales in the history of Nintendo (Wii was second). And Zelda Breath of the Wild is the best selling standalone launch title in Nintendo history:
Quite the success.
I really want one, but unfortunately missed the pre-order phase and everywhere is sold out. Oh well, when they come back in stock, they may have another major title available (though the indie games that are already available look pretty cool).
No dock?
the dock is included in the box
I stand corrected, then. Pre-release reports said it wasn’t and I didn’t see any post-release press indicating otherwise.
I suspect the other complaints stand, though.
Right, so I’m wondering what gnoitall meant.
Pre-release reports didn’t say that.
That’s strange as every pre-release report I saw had the dock included. It was a major selling point of the device after all.
I found one out in the wild… And I got it.
So much for waiting.
On the plus side - no issues with mine so far, (many have been reported.) Also on the plus side, it’s actually really, really cool.
I can’t wait to show people at work and play on my lunch. Although, ‘Breath of the Wild’ is not the best game to show off the system in my humble opinion… Well, the graphics and scope are impressive… Just not the type of game it is using this hardware.
I don’t want to progress through the game on lunch because I’m afraid of playing through a major plot point with dialog and having to put the game in sleep mode when my 45 minute lunch is over.
‘1, 2 Switch’ is overpriced and looks dull.
Mario Kart will be the best game to showcase their system. Too bad I’ll refuse to buy it just for the new battle mode stages. I paid a lot of cash for it on Wii U, extra levels and all. Even though it’s my favorite racing game of all time, it’s a rip off to have to buy it twice.
Another thing I’ll never buy is amiibos. I don’t mind downloadable content. But keeping cluttering toys around is bla…
LoZ is a game that out-shines the system. Making it portable only helps if your on a long bus ride… But just to have this masterpiece in your library is… Well, pretty cool.
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I’m still a bit surprised they didn’t pack in 1,2 Switch. It seems like a perfect analogue to Wii Sports in terms of showing off their weird hardware. I guess maybe from their perspective they were right to not pack it in, since they seem to be selling through all their stock anyway. But long term, they may be missing out on some extra sales from people using a packed-in game to show off the system.
Actually before they announced everything I thought they might even pack in Mario Kart, since it also seems like a perfect title for people to show off the two-player using the joy cons. But they’re probably going to sell lots of copies anyway next month. I doubt I’ll get it since I have the Wii U version, but I’ve said that kind of thing before. 
I’m the opposite with the amiibos. I have a few that I keep out just as decorations. Most of them I haven’t used with the system even once.
After the Wii was released, didn’t it take a little while for Nintendo to acknowledge that leaving the wireless setting on while the system itself was off would burn out the GPU? I’m wondering if they will end up reversing on the dead pixel issue.
I pretty much ignored Amiibo until the Animal Crossing upgrade on the 3DS…that, and finding out that apparently one of the Zelda Amiibos causes meat to fall out of the sky in BotW, caused me to buy a few. They’re cute (especially in the Animal Crossing application!), and there are a few other 3DS games that use them.
This Ars Technica article makes the point that launch numbers so far mean nothing.
For this to not be a Wii U repeat Nintendo needs to bulk out the list of games with third party developers within six months AND do a revision to fix the legit hardware issues people are complaining about* (like the charge port on the bottom so you can’t charge it while its standing up with it’s flip stand, that’s idiotic.)
I’ve heard reports of its frame rate dropping unacceptably low during certain parts of Zelda while playing on the tv. Has this been your experience?
I’ve been playing exclusively on a plasma set and haven’t noticed any. And usually drops in frame rate are very noticible and annoying to me.
I noticed a couple drops in the frame rate right near the start, mostly while I was whipping the camera around to try to get my bearings. It was noticeable but didn’t really affect anything in terms of gameplay. That type of thing tends not to bother me much, though.