Nintendo Switch – Impressions & Gripes

I am now a proud owner of a Nintendo Switch; my system arrived today. When I opened the box, I was surprised by how small the system is. For some reason, I pictured it being a bit bigger than it actually is.

Hardware

I do have some gripes about the system, starting with the size of the main (XABY) buttons. They are smaller than the already-tiny buttons on 3DS XL! That’s really not good for a system that’s supposed to be a home console. Yes, there is a Switch Pro Controller available, but it has a MSRP of $69.99. Pretty steep for a controller, if you ask me.

Nintendo Switch system and joycons.

There are wrist straps included for games that use the joycons separately. They make it easier to use the SL and SR buttons. But just a heads-up for when you put them on: Make sure you line up the plus or minus symbols, because they will slide on even if you have them pointed the wrong way. And then it’s a bit hard to get them off. Although, they don’t come out very easily even when they are put on the right way. I don’t plan on using them much.

The Switch does not have a standard camera, and while that fact alone doesn’t bother me, it does bring up a possible problem. I don’t see how Switch games could use QR codes. Games like Animal Crossing and Tomodachi Life use QR codes to share your designs or Miis with other players. I suppose Nintendo could come up with an alternate way of sharing these things, but it would be quite disappointing to see our past designs unusable in any possible new Switch versions of these games.

One other small complaint? There’s no power button on the controllers. Nintendo’s other systems with default wireless controllers (Wii and Wii U) had a power button on the controllers themselves. Now you have to go up to the system itself each time. Update: As Tom41 informed me in the comments, you can put the system in sleep mode from the home menu. Not as convenient as a power button, but the option is there.

Software

Sadly, the Switch comes with no fun little apps to play with. The 3DS has things like Face Raiders and AR Games, but there’s no equivalent on Switch…at least, not yet. There’s not even a Youtube app or a web browser! And Switch doesn’t have Miiverse either, so there’s really not much to do if you don’t have a game yet.

I checked the (American) eShop for game demos, and only one is available: SnipperClips. It’s a puzzle game where two characters clip off parts of each other’s faces to accomplish various goals. You may have to match the shapes of outlines, figure out how to reach switches and push buttons, pop balloons, and more. It’s primarily a two-player game, but you can also play alone and just alternate control of the characters.

Snipperclips: Slam dunk! (animated GIF)The demo consists of a tutorial and then three levels. It’s an interesting concept and the demo is mildly fun, but I have no intentions of purchasing the full version.

Friend Codes

Yes, friend codes have returned on Switch. Want to be friends? My friend code is 0442-0992-5516. Feel free to send me a request if you’d like. I may not be playing any online games until Splatoon 2 comes out this summer, though.

And if you already know me from somewhere, maybe contact me separately and let me know it’s you. If I know who is who, you’ll be less likely to be deleted if my roster starts to fill up. (Although the roster can reportedly hold 300 friends, so that might not happen for a while).

Even though I’ve shared quite a few of my gripes here, I am legitimately happy to have my Switch and I’m looking forward to many of the games on the way.

Last, But Not Least

Of course, there’s one really big thing I haven’t mentioned yet: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I have the game, but I haven’t really dug into it just yet. But I’ll be doing that very soon, and I’ll be back with more blog entries as I journey through the game. Stay tuned!

How are you all enjoying your Nintendo Switch? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts! 🙂

7 Things I’d Like to See in Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer, with a “global testfire” demo coming next month (March 24-26). Splatoon is my most-played Wii U game (by far), and the sequel is one of my most-anticipated Switch games in the works.

But as great as Splatoon is, it could be improved further. Here are some things I’d like to see in Splatoon 2 (in no particular order).

1. Offline Turf War

There are times when we’re somewhere that doesn’t have a reliable internet connection, particularly if we’re using the Switch in its portable form. I’d like to see an offline turf war mode against computer-controlled players (bots) so we can practice or just play for fun (and without worrying about disconnections, etc.).

A two-player option would make it that much better, even if it had to be split-screen (or would that be splat-screen?). I’m aware that Splatoon 2 has LAN play if you have multiple Switch systems, but I’m referring to playing on a single system. Sometimes friends and family members want to play, too.

2. Unranked Versions of Ranked Modes

While Spat Zones, Tower Control, and Rainmaker added some variety to online play, they were only playable in ranked mode. Ranked modes can be intense and frustrating, especially if you get bad teammates or (heaven forbid) get disconnected and lose rank points through no fault of your own. Unranked versions of those games would give us a way to practice and learn techniques of the game without losing rank points.

3. Ability to Change Weapons Between Matches

Normally, if you want to change your weapons or equipment, you have to leave your existing group of players as you go to the equip screen. Then, you return to the lobby and wait to join a new group. What if you could change your equipment as the lobby fills, without leaving your current group of players?

While you might say that would slow the process down, it doesn’t have to. If you could pre-select certain outfit/weapon combinations (your favorites), you could theoretically swap between them with just a button press or two, as you wait for the lobby to fill.

4. More New Maps Than Old Maps

We don’t know how many multiplayer stages Splatoon 2 will have. But I’d like to see the vast majority of maps in the game be completely new levels. One of the trailers showed Moray Towers returning, and that’s okay, but the game isn’t going to feel like a new game if most (or even half) of the levels are returning from the first Splatoon.

If the old levels *must* return, let them come back later on, as DLC, once we start to tire of the default levels. Splatoon 2 is supposed to be a full sequel (as opposed to the “deluxe” port of Mario Kart 8), so let it feel like a new game. Give us a break from the same stages we’ve been playing for two years.

5. A Kraken Replacement

Nintendo has said none of the special weapons from the first game are returning, but many of the new ones are similar to some old ones. To my knowledge, nothing similar to the Kraken has been revealed so far. Here’s hoping one arrives. I love using the Kraken to charge into enemy territory or sneak up on a sniper that’s otherwise hard to reach.

6. New Modes

This one is obvious, and I’m sure they have something in the works already. But here’s hoping for a fun, new unranked game mode (or two) in addition to turf war. Here are a few examples of new modes I came up with. But I’m sure the pros at Nintendo could do better than this if they tried.

By the Walls

How about a mode where you get credit for inking walls and other vertical surfaces in addition to (or instead of) just the ground? Even a simple change like that would dramatically change strategies.

There could be tall, truly vertical levels, perhaps with elevators, or even parachutes you could grab at the top of the tower. Then sail back down, inking as much wall space as you can. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Until someone shoots down your parachute, of course.

Seaward Squid

Maybe there could be some levels at sea, where you compete on a ship. Waves will sometimes crash over the ship, washing away any ink in those areas. Perhaps the map could show the wind/wave patterns so you can strategically plan where you need to be. But be careful, because those waves can wash you away too.

Obstacle Course

How about a randomly-generated obstacle course? Rather than being team-based, you compete individually to see who can get to the exit in the fastest time. This could include elements of the story mode from the first game, including platforms, inkrails, and gushers.

Perhaps the other players could appear as ghosts on your screen, so you can see what they’re doing, but they can’t directly hinder you. The randomness of the level design means you’ll get something different each time, preventing players from just memorizing stages. You’ll have to think on the run.

7. More Maps in the Rotation

Outside of Splatfests, Splatoon only had two maps in the rotation at a time. And those maps only change every four hours. So there are times when you may play on the same map four, five, or even six times in a row.

I’d like to see more variety in Splatoon 2. Maybe they’re not going to go the Mario Kart route, where any stage is available, but they should at least add more selections to the rotation. Sometimes I get tired of seeing the same stage all the time, while there are others that I don’t see for possibly weeks at a time.

What do you think? What features or modes would you like to see? Leave a comment below!

For those who may be wondering, I will indeed be making videos of Splatoon 2–including the global testfire next month. In the meantime, feel free to check out my Splatoon videos to see my compilations of surprise attacks, funny moments, kill combos, laggy moments, and more.

Here’s my latest Splatoon video, showing a bunch of Kraken vs. Kraken battles and how they turned out.

Want to pre-order Splatoon 2?

Nintendo Switch Presentation Thoughts

The big Nintendo Switch presentation was held last night (you can watch it here), showing off the upcoming system and some of its games. There’s a lot to digest in that presentation, and I’m not going to talk about everything. I’m just going to cover what particularly interested me, for better or worse.

Most importantly, and somewhat surprisingly, the system is launching worldwide on March 3rd. That’s only seven weeks away! It seems odd that it’s coming so soon and we’re just now learning about it. The U.S. price will be $299.99, which is reasonable.

The hardware has some interesting features, including a sensor that can recognize hand gestures, and a new “HD rumble” ability. A capture button lets you take screenshots of games (and eventually, record videos as well). And of course, you can take the system with you and play on the go, but I probably won’t be using it that way very often. Interestingly, the system is region-free, meaning you can play imported games from other regions.

The system uses cartridges, not discs, and it is not backwards compatible. Backwards compatibility is something that Nintendo has been including in their systems for the past decade, but not this time. So if you want to keep playing your Wii U or 3DS games, you’ll need to hang on to those systems.

I’m now going to talk some more about the highlights of the presentation:

The Good

Zelda at Launch

Surprisingly, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a launch game, coming out along with the system on March 3rd. It’s been a long time since the last new console Zelda game (Skyward Sword back in 2011), so I’m more than ready to begin a new adventure. I’m just hoping they didn’t rush the game in order to get it ready for launch.

Splatoon 2

Splatoon is probably my favorite game from the past two years, and I still play it regularly. So it’s probably not a big surprise that my favorite part of the presentation was Splatoon 2. Thankfully, it’s not just a rehash, it’s a full-fledged sequel. Here’s the trailer.

There’s a jetpack power-up? A storm cloud that rains ink? And those inkrails from the story mode of the first game? A dodge roll maneuver? And of course, new maps to fight on. There seems to be a lot of new additions, and I can’t wait to play the game. It’s coming out in the summer, which sounds great to me.

Super Mario Odyssey

The trailer started out showing Mario in a realistic style city, climbing up buildings and jumping off skyscrapers. Admittedly, that seems like an odd scenario for Mario. But then it shows Mario in other environments that seem more fitting for a Mario game, like a platform-filled forest, a desert, a giant vegetable garden, an underwater area, and so on. So he’s not just in the Mushroom Kingdom, he seems to get around this time.

Mario can be seen throwing his hat and then using it as a platform to jump on. His hat also sprouts eyes at the end of the trailer. So the hat seems to be the key to some of the new power-ups and/or abilities.

But most importantly, they said Super Mario Odyssey is the first Mario game since Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine to provide a “large sandbox world” to run around in.  As much as I enjoyed Super Mario 3D World and the Super Mario Galaxy games, they didn’t provide the same sense of exploration that the first 3D Mario games had. So I’m really excited to see Mario return to this style at last. Super Mario Odyssey will come out later this year in time for the holidays.

The Bad

Paid Multiplayer

Beginning in the autumn, online play will require a subscription to Nintendo’s online service. This is a change in strategy for Nintendo, as online play for Nintendo games has been free for over a decade. I am not happy about this, and I think it really limits their potential user base.

We don’t know the details of the plan(s) yet, but the mere fact that a paid account will be required will turn a lot of people off. Not everyone can afford paying fees just to play the games they already bought and paid for. It eliminates the casual online player who might only play online occasionally. And that reduces the pool of players for all of us.

On the bright side, subscribers will get a monthly bonus. Each month, you’ll be able to play a designated game of the month, which will be either a NES or SNES game, with newly-added online play. You don’t get to keep the game permanently (unless you buy it, presumably), but the monthly rental is a nice little bonus. But still, it’s hard to say if this is a good deal or not since we don’t know how much the service will cost yet.

Launch Lineup

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is coming for launch. So is 1-2-Switch, which is a gimmicky looking mini-game that looks awful. And then there’s…well, that’s it. At least of the first-party games. Hopefully some third-party companies will pick up the slack, because that launch lineup looks pathetic. I don’t understand why they’re rushing to get the Switch out so soon when the first-party games aren’t ready.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Even though Mario Kart wasn’t mentioned during the presentation, Nintendo posted a trailer afterwards. Unlike Splatoon 2, which is a full sequel, this is basically a port of the Wii U game with a proper battle mode added, and some new characters and tracks (including one based on Splatoon).

As someone who already bought Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, and then paid again for the two DLC packs, I have no interest in buying the game again…especially at full price. And Mario Kart 8 wasn’t exactly one of my favorite Mario Kart games to begin with.

It would be nice if Nintendo gave a discounted price to people who bought and registered the game on Club Nintendo (and/or bought the DLC), but that’s probably quite unlikely. Still, that’s about the only way I would even consider buying it.

Re-releasing this game may be good for people who never bought a Wii U. But to me, it looks like a lazy money grab. And furthermore, Mario Kart games have always been limited to one per system. So this could prevent us from getting a true Mario Kart sequel on Switch. Of course, that might not be a horrible thing if they used those resources to make a different racing game instead (*cough* F-Zero *cough*), but I digress.

No-Shows

Aside from the previously known games, I was hoping for some unexpected surprises that interested me. Despite some rumors beforehand, Mother 3 was not confirmed. There was no Animal Crossing announced, no F-Zero, no Metroid, no Donkey Kong, no Pikmin, and not even a Smash Bros. game.

Of course there is still plenty of time for those franchises to show up, but even a confirmation of a future game would go far for people on the fence about buying a Switch. Especially when some of those series have been ignored on console for years.

Final Thoughts

The presentation was definitely a mixed bag. I’m excited about the system, and in particular, the big three of Zelda, Splatoon 2, and Super Mario Odyssey. I definitely plan on buying a Switch, and in fact, I’ve already pre-ordered it. Once it comes out, I’ll be covering the system with future blog entries and videos on Youtube.

There are some disappointing aspects, but most of them can (and will) be remedied in the future. If Nintendo is indeed going to focus all their development teams on Switch (as opposed to splitting them with 3DS or another handheld system), that alone is reason to be optimistic about the first-party support we’ll be getting from Nintendo. Let’s hope the Switch does better than the mostly-forgettable Wii U.

Long live Nintendo Switch!

Want to pre-order Zelda: Breath of the Wild or check the prices of Joy-Con controllers?