Nintendo Switch

A comparison between the the new controller and the old one.

RrsNysM.jpg

 
Last edited by a moderator:
It's starting to hit the stores.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So the Switch is out, who got theirs?
 
So the Switch is out, who got theirs?
Well...umm...meAnd already stored under the steps...half kidding. Not sure when I will even care to unbox it and set it up.  Working on doing surround sound in the theater room. Don't ask the cost.

 
I don't want to say I told you so, but seems like there are quite a few people complaining on the internet about all the hardware problems with the new device. Are you surprised when you cram all this hardware in such a small device? Of course its going to get hot and over heat causing all sorts of problems. It will be interesting to see how Nintendo handles all the problems.
 
Last night I finally dove in and unboxed the Switch and set it up. Easy setup pretty much so not much to it. I updated the system, which was a very small update, and linked my Nintendo account. I then popped in Zelda which needed a larger update but that wasn't too bad. I then played Zelda for an hour using every control option. I purchased the Pro controller so also have that to use.

First off the game IS amazing and beautiful. Plays so smooth and the colors are what you would love @nodle. Gameplay is typical, fun, enjoyable Zelda so it deserves the high reviews and praise and worth the purchase.

I first used the joy cons separate and actually like them like that. Nice and light but respond nicely and feel just right. I then popped them into the grip thing and that is also not a bad control option. Not as nice as typical controls like XBox One or PS4 but it isn't awkward to hold or use. Just different since it's a square controller. Next I plugged in my pro controller. Very solid feeling so not a cheap feeling controller. Has a nice feel to it as well but I still prefer the XBox controller but will see after longer use. Last was the handheld option so undocked it and played a while. 

It is a bit heavy, loud, hot and a little noisy. Of course the screen is the system running everything so expected. It didn't feel awkward to hold so no issues playing it that way besides how heavy it is. I liked the Wii U gamepad well enough and this is very close to it so no complaints from me.

Now onto the which I prefer. I liked it better on the television. Looked better and of course a bigger picture. I didn't get to play it loud so not sure if I heard all the sounds because handheld sounds very nice and I heard some things I didn't playing it docked.

So far no issues so hope I don't run into any like so many other report. As for the negatives I would say I just hate the dock and worrying about scratching the screen. I am going to buy a tempered glass protector to ease my worries. It's also a pain to find a place for me to put the thing at the moment with how the cables come out of the dock and how short the power adapter is. Also hate the adapter is a big end thing so has that large box right where it plugs in. I HATE those things. I can't put the thing in a hard to reach area or out of site since I need access to the device to put in game cards, charge it, remove for handheld and other important things. 

Overall though I am impressed. I just hope the support it better and it isn't a device that will have major problems(too late?) and last long.

 
First off the game IS amazing and beautiful. Plays so smooth and the colors are what you would love @nodle. Gameplay is typical, fun, enjoyable Zelda so it deserves the high reviews and praise and worth the purchase.
Is it cell shaded @C Pav?

As for the negatives I would say I just hate the dock and worrying about scratching the screen.
Is it a touch screen like on the wii u?

 
Watch some gameplay nodle.  I don't know if I would say cell shaded, but from what I've seen it looks colorful.  There's plenty of people on Twitch streaming gameplay if you want to see what the graphics look like (max when docked is 900p and 720p undocked, so you should see what it actually looks like for the most part).

Yes, the Switch has a touch screen.   Also, yes I was wandering through Target Saturday and they had some on a shelf so I ended up with one of these things.  I thought Mario Kart at least was a launch title, but apparently that doesn't come until late April.  Maybe one day I'll play it.  So far I took it out, charged it, applied an update and updated Zelda.  Have not played

 
Is it cell shaded @C Pav?Is it a touch screen like on the wii u?
Yes it's cel-shaded but it is like a next level of it compared to say The Wind Waker. Thing look more realistic and less like a cartoon. One thing I did at the beginning was grabbed an axe that was laying around. I then thought "hey can I chop down a tree?" and I did. Trees grow apples so got them. You can also climb the trees but wanted to see if one could chop it down. Very cool stuff and the world is amazing. I will say I kind of dislike climbing and swimming but nothing that takes away from the overall game.

 
So now you have peaked my interest. What is the battery life on the portable unit? Have you worn it down all the way yet? Does the unit seem to get hot to you in your hands?
 
So now you have peaked my interest. What is the battery life on the portable unit? Have you worn it down all the way yet? Does the unit seem to get hot to you in your hands?
No I have not played it very long as a handheld so don't know battery life personally. I guess it's between the 3 and 4 hour mark. Not hot at all since the main part that heats up does not get touched since the controllers are on the sides. I guess I could see it being warm/hot if you were to place it on your lap or something. I have not touched the screen to see how warm it gets. The vent on the top puts out quite some warm air though.

 
So you got me interested and went and looked at the hardware closer. Your right though. What were they thinking with that screen sliding down? I could see why you would be worried about it scratching the screen. Why did they make it with that "wall" look. Why not have a dock like the wii u used? Also another thing I am worried about is how many game companies are going to hop on board making games for it. I mean it might be exciting right now with Zelda and all, but how long will it go down the road. The wii u broke out of the gates fast, but by the end it ran out of steam and no companies were really making games for it anymore. Third party companies I guess I should say. Don't get me wrong I love Nintendo stuff, like always they seem to make it work.
 
So you got me interested and went and looked at the hardware closer. Your right though. What were they thinking with that screen sliding down? I could see why you would be worried about it scratching the screen. Why did they make it with that "wall" look. Why not have a dock like the wii u used? Also another thing I am worried about is how many game companies are going to hop on board making games for it. I mean it might be exciting right now with Zelda and all, but how long will it go down the road. The wii u broke out of the gates fast, but by the end it ran out of steam and no companies were really making games for it anymore. Third party companies I guess I should say. Don't get me wrong I love Nintendo stuff, like always they seem to make it work.
If you buy a Switch, buy it to play Nintendo games.  Don't count on big 3rd party support.  Their might be some for now, but given the capabilities of the hardware I don't know that you'll see much for AAA titles on this from a 3rd party.  If so they would have to be exclusives.  The big devs are just getting away from letting the PS3 and 360 hardware hold them back and take full advantage of X1/PS4 capabilities.  To develop for the switch would mean putting shackles back on capabilities.You buy this to play Zelda and Mario mostly I guess.  In many ways I'm more tempted to try to find a Wii U now, since I have the Switch and no Mario, just to have something with some more recent Mario games that I've not played

 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you buy a Switch, buy it to play Nintendo games.  Don't count on big 3rd party support.  Their might be some for now, but given the capabilities of the hardware I don't know that you'll see much for AAA titles on this from a 3rd party.  If so they would have to be exclusives.  The big devs are just getting away from letting the PS3 and 360 hardware hold them back and take full advantage of X1/PS4 capabilities.  To develop for the switch would mean putting shackles back on capabilities.You buy this to play Zelda and Mario mostly I guess.  In many ways I'm more tempted to try to find a Wii U now, since I have the Switch and no Mario, just to have something with some more recent Mario games that I've not played
I agree with this. Zelda is a masterpiece and like I said worth the praise. Problem is needs more which will come but how long of a wait and will they deliver more than the Wii U is the question. I am hyped for Mario but not so much Mario Kart or Splatoon. I would be happy with a nice lineup of good RPGs as well so hopefully those start coming.

 
I would be happy with a nice lineup of good RPGs as well so hopefully those start coming.
This would peak my interest more.

You buy this to play Zelda and Mario mostly I guess. 
QFT.

 
Has anyone heard how long the Zelda game is? I mean is it short to beat?
 
Has anyone heard how long the Zelda game is? I mean is it short to beat?
No, it is a HUGE open world.  I've played a bit and just getting around the limited spaces I've unlocked take time.  A friend at work has far more unlocked and moving from one end of the areas he has open to the other takes almost an hour - and there's more to unlock.  There's a huge world to explore, a lot to do and I suspect most play through times will be passed 100 hours.It is open, so I've heard you could just go try to walk straight up to the final boss - but of course you won't have much health, crappy armor and weapons and likely have 0% chance of surviving that futile attempt.

And yes, it has 0 streaming services as well.  I'm sure with enough sales they'll eventually get Netflix and Hulu, who knows about Amazon.  But really... who cares.  As already noted you buy this thing to play Zelda/Mario.  If this having or not having Netflix is even close to a deal break it isn't the console/tablet/handheld/whatever for you.  Who doesn't already have a tablet/PC/streaming stick/other consoles/smart TV that has those things built in.    It doesn't have a disc drive or such either - it isn't nearly suited to be a game/media hub like the other consoles

 
Back
Top