Nintendo has finally spilled the beans on its curious little console, the Nintendo Switch. After months of speculation surrounding the console and its release date, Nintendo have officially stated that the Switch will be available worldwide from 3rd March, 2017.
The console was already slated for a March release date, but it comes as a pleasant surprise that the console has been given an even earlier release date than anticipated, as opposed to getting pushed back. Nintendo are displaying a great deal of confidence in their newest console, but is it all justified?
The conference featured a showcase of the hardware itself and went into more detail about what players were going to get in the box. Each one will contain the main Switch console, two Joy-Con controllers (left and right), a grip to hold both Joy Cons together, Joy Con wrist-straps, a dock to connect the console to the TV, a HDMI cable and an AC adapter.
Initially, Nintendo are going to launch two different versions of the system, one with stylish gray Joy Cons and another with neon red and neon blue Joy Cons. Both bundles will cost $299.99 RRP in the United States.
The main console can be taken out of the home and used as a handheld and comes with a battery that lasts approximately six hours, but this can be drained much quicker depending on how long games are played on it. The charge on the console can be restored with a USB Type-C connection.
Many titles were showcased at the conference, including a sandbox Mario title called “Super Mario Odyssey” and a brand new No More Heroes game, however there will only be five games available to those who purchase the Switch one day one. Some of the other games advertised for later release were simply rereleases or remasters of older games, such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Minecraft.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind: The long-awaited addition to the Legend of Zelda franchise, which has gone for a less linear approach and created a more open world for players to explore
Super Bomberman R: A reimagining of the multiplayer bombing fun to celebrate Bomberman’s 33rd birthday, with 8-player local and online multiplayer available
Just Dance 2017: The popular dance game from Ubisoft will be making its way to the Nintendo Switch, utilizing the motion controls of the Joy-Cons
Skylanders: Imaginators: The popular toys-to-life game Skylanders will be launching a Switch version of its newest pack, Imaginators.
1 2 Switch: A pack of fun mini-games that has players face one another and showcases the Joy-Con controllers. The mini-games include a western shoot-out, a game of ping-pong, a spell-casting duel and many more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7p47TOmicQ
Nintendo are doing what Nintendo always does: trying to turn video-gaming on its head. The hardware is certainly unique and provides a platform for some truly unique gaming experiences, but the cost might put initial buyers off. Come March 3rd, we’ll know for sure whether the Nintendo Switch is going to be worth gamers consideration.
