Topic: Thoughts on Nintendo Switch After Attending the Toronto Preview Event

[Oedo]

I received an invitation to attend the Nintendo Switch preview event in Toronto last Saturday, and I thought I would share some of my thoughts here after getting my hands on the console for a few hours. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

First, I’ll share my thoughts on the hardware itself.

Nintendo Switch as a Portable

Almost every part of the Switch is more sleek and compact than it appears in Nintendo’s marketing. The Dock, the Joy-Con, and especially the main Switch unit are very streamlined in their design. For one reason or another, it seems Nintendo's marketing is giving most people the impression that the Switch is larger than it really is, as many other people seemed to have the same reaction I did. I couldn’t get a completely accurate feel for the weight since all the Switch units at the event were tethered, but it felt fairly light. I was also pleased with the overall build quality of the main Switch unit.

Coincidentally, Nintendo UK recently revealed detailed specifications for the Switch which I’ll also use to provide some additional context to my hands-on impressions.

New Nintendo 3DS XL

Size: 93.5mm x 160mm x 21.5mm (when closed)

Weight: 329g

Battery life: three-and-a-half to seven hours when using 3DS software, seven to 12 hours when using DS software

Charge time: three-and-a-half hours

Nintendo Switch

Size (with Joy-Con): 102mm x 239mm x 13.9mm - Joy-Con are 28.4mm at the thickest

Size (without Joy-Con): 102mm x 167.2mm* x 13.9mm

Weight: 297g without Joy-Con, 398g with Joy-Con

Battery life: roughly three hours while playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, can last over six hours depending on software and usage conditions

Charge time: three hours (while in sleep mode)

*Nintendo didn’t provide these exact numbers; this is based on the dimensions they give for the Joy-Con (102mm x 35.9mm x 28.4mm)

The main Switch unit is not materially larger than the New 3DS XL. I would venture to say it might be more portable, actually, given the fact that it’s a good deal thinner than the New 3DS XL (when closed). It then comes down to the ease with which the Joy-Con can be attached and removed. Going back to my own experience at the event, it’s not as convenient as simply pulling out a tablet, but I didn’t find attaching and removing the Joy-Con to/from the main Switch unit to be particularly cumbersome. The risk of losing the Joy-Con on the go is still an issue, however, given the high cost of replacing them.

Drawing conclusions on battery life is still a bit difficult. Doing a straight comparison of the numbers Nintendo has given us, Switch is right in line with the New 3DS XL. However, Nintendo’s description leaves the door open for more power-draining games than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to appear on the Switch. It’s also possible that the distribution of games will skew more towards the low end of battery life with the Switch than they did for the New 3DS XL. This is likely the Switch’s weakest area as a portable, but it’s helped by the fact that it charges using USB-C.

After getting my hands on the Switch and seeing these specifications, I’ve come away more confident with its ability to function as a true handheld. For those who carried the New 3DS XL in their pockets without any issues, removing the Joy-Con and carrying the main unit in a separate pocket shouldn’t be much of a hassle. Battery life remains a question, but there are ways to work around it for now, and it’s also the easiest area for Nintendo to improve with future revisions. Beyond that, the Switch in handheld mode is comfortable in your hands, the controls feel natural (more on this shortly), and the screen is vibrant. Perhaps it’s not 100% there, and maybe Nintendo will go in a different direction for their flagship handheld even when/if it is, but I think the Switch will be able to function as a true portable gaming device even with its initial iteration.

Controller Configurations

I became accustomed to the Switch controls in handheld mode very quickly. Even playing games with familiar controls like Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the transition from the Wii U Gamepad and Pro Controller to the Switch in handheld mode felt nearly seamless. I picked up the Switch handheld and started playing those games as I normally would, and the gameplay I was accustomed to followed. The Switch didn’t feel heavy or obtrusive in a motion-intensive game like Splatoon 2, and I could rest my hands comfortably on my lap for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Anyone who has spent a lot of time with the Wii U Gamepad making use of off-TV play will also appreciate the tremendous increase in quality in the Switch’s vibrant 720p screen. I knew that would be the case going in, of course, but seeing it was still a real treat.

Unfortunately, one area I wasn’t able to test as much as I wanted to was the split D-pad.

Honestly, I wasn’t blown away by the Joy-Con. However, I think that mostly comes down to the fact that I came into the event with very high expectations (after hearing and reading all the effusive praise for the controllers over the past month), and not many demos at the event showcased the depth of HD rumble. The controllers themselves are small but comfortable to hold, and the motion controls worked very well. I think they’ll work just fine as controllers for many games, and I’m excited to see how future titles incorporate the improved motion controls, HD rumble, and the various forms of unique gameplay the controllers potentially provide.

This set-up I used the least was the Joy-Con Grip, and I didn’t feel particularly strongly about it either way. It’s likely not be the ideal way to play, but it didn’t feel totally weird either. It should be serviceable until the Switch Pro Controller comes down in price or sees its value proposition improve with a larger library of games that significantly benefit from its use.

Much like the Switch console itself, the Switch Pro Controller was much smaller than I was expecting. I was also expecting it to have a “premium” feel to it, perhaps because of the price attached to it, but it didn’t stand out in that regard. It’s a very good controller functionally, however, and that’s ultimately what matters. The D-pad is great, it’s very light and comfortable to hold, and the analog sticks are an improvement over the ones found on the Wii U Gamepad and Pro Controller. This will likely be the best way to play a lot of games, but, given the high asking price, it’s a tough sell at launch.

Overall, I came away pleased with the controls for the Switch in handheld mode, the Switch Pro Controller, and the Joy-Con. I think Nintendo might have a tough time selling these controllers based on their perceived value to many consumers, but the price made a bit more sense to me from after I got to use them for a few hours. Functionally, the Joy-Con and the Switch Pro Controller are very good controllers.

In an effort to not make one giant, unreadable post, I’ll post my thoughts on the games I played at the event a little later!

[Clonester11]

Nice read, thanks for sharing!

[Oedo]

No problem, glad you enjoyed it!

Here are my thoughts on some of the bigger games I played at the event.

Splatoon 2

I really like Splatoon; it’s my second favorite Wii U game and by far my most played in terms of hours. It isn’t much of a surprise, then, that I thought Splatoon 2 was the most fun game at the event (I didn’t play Breath of the Wild, but I’ll get to that later). Visually, the game looks great both on a TV and on the Switch’s screen, and it was easy for me to jump right into game, as the controls are largely the same as its predecessor’s. The one big difference with respect to controls is Pro Controller support. It’s something many people wanted in the first game and I think it will become the ideal way to play Splatoon 2. Nintendo’s solution to the lack of a second screen for Super Jumping (toggle a map with a face button and then use the D-pad to select a teammate) isn’t perfect, and it could potentially lead to some frustration when you’re trying to get out of a pinch, but it works just fine.

As far as the new mechanics go, the new jet-pack special weapon (the Inkjet) is a lot fun. Hovering in the air and shooting what appears to be a more potent version of Burst Bombs is unlike anything in Splatoon, and it was satisfying to splat unsuspecting enemies on the other side of the map. The roll maneuver, which was exclusive to the Splat Dualies in the demo, is another interesting new mechanic. It didn’t seem to be more effective than swimming in ink to avoid an attack or to get behind an enemy when faced with a close quarters fight, but I can imagine some use cases like rolling to the side and then rolling back as a feint (which is more difficult to do in squid mode). I’m also a fan of the new missile special weapon. It seems to fill a similar role as the Inkstrike in Splatoon, in that it’s used more for covering areas in your team’s ink rather than splatting enemies, but you can spread out the area of coverage now since it can lock on to multiple enemies.

Overall, I’m really, really excited to play Splatoon 2 in a few months.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a better looking Mario Kart 8. Nintendo has added a functional battle mode, new characters, the wheel for the Joy-Con, and there are some neat new use cases for the game that the Switch hardware affords, but, by and large, it’s the same game. I knew this going in, and Mario Kart 8 was really fun, so this is still really fun, but it can’t be understated: this is pretty much the exact same game. At full price, it’s a very tough sell for people who already own Mario Kart 8 on Wii U (particularly for those people who bought both DLC packs). Luckily(?) for Nintendo, there’s a huge untapped market that never bought this game because they never bought a Wii U.

Arms

I went into the event looking forward to trying out Arms and left feeling ambivalent after I got the chance to play it. I can see some of the appeal here. I can see how the characters are likable to many people, it’s an interesting take on the fighting game genre, and the motion controls make it easy to grasp the basics. Unfortunately, it didn’t click with me in the (admittedly limited) time I had with it. The core gameplay didn’t feel immediately satisfying to me, and while I can see the potential for a certain kind of depth here, it’s hard to see it scratching the same itch as traditional fighting games. I knew the gameplay wasn’t designed to focus on difficult to execute multi-hit combos or frame perfect inputs, which is fine, but it was even more deliberate than I was expecting. Then again, I suppose that’s part of the appeal and what might end making it a success when all is said and done; it is a truly unique take on the genre. There are still a lot of unanswered questions concerning Arms like the single-player content, how much more multiplayer content there’s going to be, and what the additional game modes will entail, so I’m not writing it off just yet, and even if Arms doesn’t end up being for me, a lot of other people at the event seemed to be more positive about the game than I was.

Fast RMX

I didn’t play Fast Racing Neo on Wii U, so Fast RMX was a fresh experience for me. It looked really cool, and I’m a fan of the color shifting mechanic; it feels very satisfying hitting color changes in quick succession. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel as fast as I was would have liked. I’m sure the game was set to the lowest difficulty setting for this demo though, and I’m hoping they make a demo available on the Switch eShop where the difficulty settings can be changed.

As I alluded to earlier, I didn’t play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at the event. They were handing out tickets to play the game, presumably because of how long each session was, and ran out of available slots very early in the event. There was a long line near the end of the event for a shorter play session, but it’s coming out less than five weeks and I’m super excited to have the entire game in my hands, so I left the line partway through. I did watch someone else play it in handheld mode though, and it looked absolutely gorgeous on the Switch’s screen. This is still the Switch game I’m most excited for right now.

Overall, my thoughts on the Nintendo Switch are largely the same as they were going into the event. I’m excited to get my own Switch console on March 3. There are numerous games currently slated for release in year one that I’m incredibly excited about, and we’re already getting 2018 announcements like Fire Emblem which are getting me pumped. As someone who has spent hundreds of hours playing games on the 3DS, a Nintendo handheld device with an HD screen is a gaming dream come true. Whether the decision to pack all this technology into the controllers ends up being a good one remains to be seen, but, even after only having my hands on the console for a few hours, I can already imagine a lot of fun and exciting possibilities. I’m very eager to see where Nintendo (and third parties… yeah, I said it!) take Nintendo Switch in the future.

[KeyBilly]

That was great.  Thanks.  It is interesting to see how different people people perceive the Pro controller and if it is needed.  Like you, the price is putting me off getting it at launch.  I hope the Joy-Con work well for Zelda.

I'm looking forward to the Japanese publishers shifting their resources to the Switch as the 3DS gently finishes its lifecycle.  The 3DS was great, but the Switch offers so much more.

[Caterkiller]

Cool impressions, can't wait to try it myself.

So hey maybe I missed it in your impressions but did you get to touch the screen? If so what does it feel like, glass or plastic? Glasstic?

[Lemonade]

Nice write up.
I really want to try the Switch, but unlike the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo Australia arent touring the country with it. there was only the main Switch event last month and an expo a few days ago.
I will just have to wait until I pick mine up on launch day

[MagicCow64]

I'll add my thanks for the write-up.

I guess I'm most curious about the Joycon grip at this point, but it doesn't sound like it made much of an impression. It frankly looks kind of awful, but Nintendo hasn't made an awkward controller since the N64. Although now we're in combined handheld, territory, so . . . But anyway, I found the Wiimote + Nunchuk an extremely comfortable way to play games, so I'm hoping I can just ignore the grip (no way I'm shelling out for a pro controller unless Switch is in deep discount by the time I break down and buy one).

My impression of Arms from the reveal is also very blah, and your impressions don't change that. It just . . . looks like a bonus mode in another game or something. Granted I'm not the biggest fighting game fan outside of Smash, but Arms seems like a weird middle ground between an arcadey party game and an actual 1v1 fighting game.

[Evan_B]

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Arms. I'm getting the impression that you expected it to be less deliberate and technical because of the motion controls, is that correct...?

I really appreciate the write-up. It's always cool to see impressions from site members!

[Oedo]

That was great.  Thanks.  It is interesting to see how different people people perceive the Pro controller and if it is needed.  Like you, the price is putting me off getting it at launch.  I hope the Joy-Con work well for Zelda.

I'm looking forward to the Japanese publishers shifting their resources to the Switch as the 3DS gently finishes its lifecycle.  The 3DS was great, but the Switch offers so much more.

Me too! I'm glad we're already seeing games like Project Octopath Traveler and Shin Megami Tensei HD announced for the console. I'm really hoping it takes off in Japan quickly and soaks up a lot of the Vita developers too.

Cool impressions, can't wait to try it myself.

So hey maybe I missed it in your impressions but did you get to touch the screen? If so what does it feel like, glass or plastic? Glasstic?

It felt and looked like glass to me (the image quality was really sharp), but I'm not 100% sure. Along with the split D-pad, this was one of the things I wish I spent a bit more time getting a handle on.

Nice write up.
I really want to try the Switch, but unlike the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo Australia arent touring the country with it. there was only the main Switch event last month and an expo a few days ago.
I will just have to wait until I pick mine up on launch day

Ah, that's a shame. On the bright side, at least there's only four weeks left!

I'll add my thanks for the write-up.

I guess I'm most curious about the Joycon grip at this point, but it doesn't sound like it made much of an impression. It frankly looks kind of awful, but Nintendo hasn't made an awkward controller since the N64. Although now we're in combined handheld, territory, so . . . But anyway, I found the Wiimote + Nunchuk an extremely comfortable way to play games, so I'm hoping I can just ignore the grip (no way I'm shelling out for a pro controller unless Switch is in deep discount by the time I break down and buy one).

My impression of Arms from the reveal is also very blah, and your impressions don't change that. It just . . . looks like a bonus mode in another game or something. Granted I'm not the biggest fighting game fan outside of Smash, but Arms seems like a weird middle ground between an arcadey party game and an actual 1v1 fighting game.

The Joy-Con Grip doesn't feel as weird as it looks (for whatever that's worth), but I think it could become uncomfortable to use over longer play sessions. It's on the smaller side as far as controllers go, and I don't think the layout does it any favors either. I'm probably going to play Breath of the Wild with split Joy-Con or in handheld mode most of the time; unfortunately, that's probably not going to work for every game. Something like Splatoon 2, for example, is going to benefit from the Pro Controller a lot. I think, at some point, it's going to become a necessity for people who spend a lot of time playing the Switch in front of a TV. But, yeah, hopefully it comes down in price or comes as part of a bundle by then.

Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy Arms. I'm getting the impression that you expected it to be less deliberate and technical because of the motion controls, is that correct...?

I really appreciate the write-up. It's always cool to see impressions from site members!

I kind of expected it to be more fast-paced and less deliberate after seeing how hard Nintendo is pushing it as a competitive fighting game (or at least an eSports game). Perhaps this is just my own view of things, but for any game to find success in the competitive or eSports arena, there needs to be a high level of depth when it comes to developing and demonstrating skill with that game. With Arms, I thought a lot of that would come from the speed of the game and it being more reaction-based than it was. But, as I said, the time I had with it was limited, and I can see how there could be a lot of hidden depth to this game that reveals itself over time.

Thank you for the kind words! Glad y'all enjoyed this!