Since the moment the Wii U came out, many were wondering what Nintendo was doing, especially given its lacklustre software support at launch, and confusing marketing messages, even to the point of getting a rap on the knuckles for ‘false advertising’ over the fact that not all games used the GamePad, so it’s play anywhere in the house concept only applied to specific releases. Also, most regular folk that lapped up Wii, and were not exactly into gaming in general, merely thought it was an add-on for the popular motion controlled platform.
No such confusion with Nintendo Switch, though. “Play anytime, anywhere with anyone” is the motto, and it is being driven home hard. Cubed3 has had a week with the hardware and various accessories now, so how has it been holding up?
What can be said about Nintendo Switch that has not already been revealed? Well, they say that a picture speaks a thousand words. How about 147, though? That is a lot of words, then. Be sure to check out that link, though, as it shows off all of Cubed3’s photos of the hardware and accessories – from the Switch and its dock, to the Joy-Con in grey, neon red, and neon blue colours, the Pro Controller, and so on. The only thing missing so far is an arcade stick, but hey, HORI has you covered for that one with a plethora of official Switch goodies on the way, also including useful charge stands and screen protectors.
Want to check out a few of Cubed3’s other articles on Nintendo Switch? See what the team felt about Switch after its initial reveal, take a look at the hands-on report from the Nintendo Switch Premiere event, or even the first look at the system from a week before launch, and there is always the taste of Breath of the Wild or the slew of hands-on preview articles for key Switch games. There has been coverage in abundance, and full reviews will start pouring in soon enough. For now, it is time to focus on the hardware, with Zelda’s review to follow.
Wii U was great in many ways, but never lived up to expectations. Being the sort of gamer that can only dip in and out of titles, in-between a normal weekly working schedule, portable gaming has taken over, with the New Nintendo 3DS XL being the system of choice in recent years, and it had been hoped Wii U would be just as impressive, yet in British homes, especially older pre-1930 ones with thicker walls, the signal failed even just one room away from the base unit, meaning Wii U’s portability was pretty much limited to either its room of origin, or the room below since floors are more penetrable for its magical mystery waves (technical name, obviously).
Nintendo Switch has been the hero of the day in that regard. After just one week of jumping between the two early review copies provided – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Just Dance 2017 – it has passed numerous tests in the comfort, durability, and flexibility stakes. Playing on the TV? Brilliant, even just using the Joy-Con separated for a bit of Zelda RPG action (juicy titbit for you all: there is some motion element included, and they are put to use in the most fantastic of ways). The Joy-Con grip (both charging version and vanilla, non-charging, edition) augments the experience and is the perfect alternative for those not wanting to fork out for an expensive Pro, but obviously the Pro is indeed king, even if it is simply because of its proper D-pad, as opposed to directional buttons oh, and the fact it can work natively on PCs (great news, Steam gamers, right?).
Relaxing on the sofa? No problem, since handheld mode works a treat, with Switch feeling like the real deal, making the GamePad of Wii U seem like nothing more than an early prototype. Want to show off the new Zelda adventure your loved one? Easy peasy. Just pull out the stand on the back, click in place, and slide those Joy-Con off the side to play away…or leave them in and connect up the Pro Controller. Whatever suits.
If you have four Joy-Con and a grip, leave two attached to the Switch screen whilst in stand mode, and use the other two attached to the grip. Lots of options are available and help make Switch so accessible that having to go back to PlayStation 4, et al, and be stuck in one place is quite tiresome.
The dock is an intriguing beast. Seemingly just a random piece of plastic that does nothing more than transfer the action from portable to TV, it nevertheless serves its purpose extremely well, making that transition from handheld to home console device supremely easy and as smooth as it has to be in order to capture the attention of the masses. Nobody wants to spend loads of time fiddling around trying to sync back to the TV set, after all. As seen in various adverts so far, it really is as easy as slipping the Switch screen into the dock, and back out when required (okay, clearly the ‘HD’ option needs to be chosen on the monitor, as well!).
Most will leave the Switch in the dock on its own, but if leaving the Joy-Con attached, everything charges up together, even if gameplay has been transferred to a bigger screen (anything with a HDMI, be it a large TV or decent enough sized computer monitor), it still charges whilst you use another controller. In fact, given how fresh from the box it is tricky to push the tiny black buttons on the back of the Joy-Con in to get them to un-clip themselves and slide off the screen easily, at first it will be less hassle to leave them connected, anyway, using a different controller when the Switch is docked. It really makes no difference if you have multiple controllers at home.
As for the interface of the system itself, it is clear and user-friendly, with the layout and ease of navigation using normal controls or the capacitive touch screen aimed at making Nintendo Switch as appealing to the non-hardcore gaming demographic as Wii was, but this time far more polished. Size is not a point of contention, either, with the portable screen working just fine for two people to crowd around, and the Joy-Con not being as bad as some have made out.
Those bigger-handed folk out there – present company included – should be able to comfortably use the Joy-Con in general, and when the wrist-straps are attached, the Joy-Con are made slightly chunkier, and simpler to hold than before, so any lingering complaints some may have should quickly wash away.
There will be a Day One patch included that updates many features, including a News option, and the eShop, amongst other treats that will no doubt impress. For now, though, just the idea of being able to go from the big screen, to portable, or even to tabletop mode thanks to its funky little pop-out stand, with all manner of control combinations, makes for the ultimate gaming experience. Nintendo has definitely delivered the goods with Switch, and things can only get better from here on in.
