Previously known as the Nintendo NX, the new Nintendo Switch will have its precise release date revealed on January 12 at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Gamers expect the date to be sometime in March, as the new console had been announced back in March 2015. The primary feature that fans know so far is that the console will be a hybrid, allowing the player to enjoy games on a TV screen and to take the console to go, just like if it were a Nintendo DS or a Game Boy.
After clicking the controllers to the console, the game will pass from the TV screen to the Nintendo Switch, making use of its name. A trailer and in-depth analysis from IGN is available right here:
What we know so far
The Switch is a rounded, small rectangular console. It features two analog sticks, four frontal buttons, a D-pad, and two triggers on each side, making it similar to the Wii U’s controller. One of the main features is that many players can enjoy a single console, detaching the Joy-Con controllers and turning them sideways, just like the Wii’s controllers.
Nintendo is also expected to release a standard controller, just like they did with the Wii’s classic controller, although this one looks more sturdy and may be compatible with most games without it being connected to a Joy-Con.
The screen, a 720p or 1080p, and 6.2-inch display, located on the console will have multitouch features and an infrared sensor to point toward the TV. This will see an improvement compared to the Wii due to the infrared receiver being on the Nintendo Switch’s dock. Nintendo reporter Emily Rogers assures that Switch’s Portable mode is 720p to save battery life and Console mode puts games in 1080p and 4K resolutions.
Confirmed games include Mario Kart 8, a new Super Mario 3D game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, NBA 2K17, Splatoon, and last but not least, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The upcoming Zelda game will be the 19th of the series, having Link wake up from a 100-year sleep to a voice guiding him to defeat Ganon. It will display a new take on the open-world features that allowed The Legend of Zelda to become a trademark adventure game. Players are also expected to clear the dungeons in any order, and the overworld is said to be twelve times larger than the one present in Twilight Princess.
Link will have the ability to climb, find equipment, cook food, create waypoints, control time, and much more abilities. The game will allow the use of Amiibo figurines, which speaks more of the Nintendo Switch features.
The game was expected to be launched for the Wii U, and its first footage was shown in 2014, showing high-definition graphics with a cel-shading styling. In 2015, the game was announced by Eiji Aonuma to be delayed, arguing that they meant to create the “ultimate and most complete Zelda game,” as reported by Vox Media, refraining from showing any footage of the game in that year’s E3 conference. More delays ensued, and Nintendo recruited Monolith Soft, the responsible for Xenoblade Chronicles, to assist in the production of the game.
Unlike most Zelda games, Link will be right-handed in this game, mainly because of the control scheme that will be available to players using the Nintendo Switch.
Recently, a text on Gamestop was spotted by a user from NeoGAF, an online forum, revealing that a Pokemon game might be in development for the new Nintendo Switch:
“Nintendo Switch games will include new title offerings from Mario, Splatoon, Zelda, the NBA and more! You will even be able to play Skyrim on the go, or Pokémon at home with the Nintendo Switch.”
The text has now been removed, which perhaps may indicate a mistake or an easter egg left by someone in the gaming industry. Gamers believe that Nintendo might be planning to launch a companion to Pokemon Sun and Moon under the name Stars.
Game Freak associates had revealed that it was not surprising anymore to see Pokemon in 3D environments; meaning that a new version of Pokemon for a home console that can be portable might be just what the franchise needs to grow beyond its frontiers.
Game retailers have already published their expectations for the price of Nintendo Switch, which may be between $200 and $250, making it cheaper than a Wii U on launch date. Many argue that one of the main flaws of the Wii U was that its launch price was set at $300, while the Wii cost $250 when it hit the stores.
Source: Pocket-Lint