With the release of the Nintendo Switch just on the horizon, I’m wondering whether it could end up being the console of our dreams and the one we’ve all been wanting Nintendo to make?
Nintendo’s been a lifelong passion of mine. I love absolutely everything they do. I own every console they’ve released since the Nintendo 64, and they’ve given me countless hours of joy. However, the last few years have been difficult for both Nintendo fans and Japanese video game wizards themselves. The Wii U was a spectacular failure. Simply nobody bought it. It roughly sold 14 million units, which is nowhere near enough for a company like Nintendo. However, could the tide be turning with the imminent release of the Nintendo Switch, which promises to change the way we game forever?
Before the trailer came out, we heard rumours that you’d be able to play Nintendo’s new console, codename NX, both at home and on the go, which would be a first. Then the trailer dropped and I couldn’t believe what I was watching. One minute Karen (the name the Internet gave the girl in the trailer) was playing the new Super Mario game (which I can’t wait to get my hands on) and then she took out the tablet from it’s cradle and went to show it off to her friends at a swanky rooftop party. Not only that, you could take the sides off the tablet and use them as two controllers.
Judging by the trailer, you can play games in local multiplayer on the go! It’s all sounds too good to be true. Imagine playing Splatoon or Mario Kart 8 with your mates in a park, in a car, anywhere… It seems as if the Nintendo Switch will bring back the era of local multiplayer, which is what Nintendo has been about for years, and rightly so. Some of my most treasured gaming memories are of playing GoldenEye on the N64 surrounded my my closest friends. Nowadays, we’re opting to play our video games with people on the Internet, the physical connection is lacking somewhat. Nintendo is trying to encourage us to go out into the real world and play with our friends anywhere we please. I’ve always loved this aspect of Nintendo.
Nintendo Switch
However, all of this has to come at a cost, and that will undoubtedly be battery life and console power. How long will the battery last, and how powerful will that little tablet be? I’ve heard rumours that the Switch will last between 5 to 8 hours, which isn’t amazing, however, my iPhone 6 Plus seems to last that long nowadays, and I’m sure they’ll be a way to charge your Switch using some sort of portable device. As far as console power is concerned, I’m not that worried. Nintendo’s consoles have never really been that powerful, yet they’ve always managed to make visually stunning games. Take Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U for instance, which was arguably one of the best looking games of 2014, and still looks incredible even today.
There’s still the question of third parties and whether they’ll support the Nintendo Switch fully or not. How will their games look like once they’ve been scaled down to the tablet’s screen size? How buggy will a game like Skyrim be, which is already confirmed for the Switch? There are a lot of questions that need answers, and hopefully we’ll get them in January, which is when Nintendo has said they’ll reveal more about their upcoming console.
After seeing Jimmy Fallon play the Switch on his chat show (lucky guy), it just looks like Nintendo have made something truly remarkable. I can’t help but think that they’ve delivered on what they set out to achieve: a console that works both at home and on the go. I can’t wait to get my hands on one and play my favourite Nintendo games, and hopefully third party games, whilst I’m on my daily commute to the office and back, given that the battery lasts long enough. Then, once I get home, I can plug it back in and play it on my TV. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? I know I have.
The Nintendo Switch will be released worldwide sometime during March 2017.
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