You give him information, he rewards you with questions.
Nintendo just revealed its next home console… and handheld… thing. Looks neat, right? But with everything we learned, there are some standout pieces of information I'd still like to have. Given that the system is set to be on shelves five months from now, I'd say these are pretty important to have answered.
Of course, Some things like price, games lineup, and exact release date spring most immediately to mind. These ones are kinda obvious, so I left them off the big official list dealie. If you're wondering that too, give yourself a pat on the back and then join me as I scratch my head.
Did I miss any? What are the questions you need to answers to, before you make a purchase decision on Nintendo Switch?
Stay inquisitive, my friends.
Nintendo Switch Questions
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1: Exactly How Comfortable Are Those Default Controllers?
The space in between the face buttons and the single analog stick looks, at a glance, to be not much wider than the space between a PlayStation DualShock's right stick and face buttons. Try putting your left thumb on that right stick and right thumb on the buttons for a sec. Maybe this is manageable or you get used to it, but I don't know how high I am on using a controller that size, especially for more than a couple of minutes. -
7: Is That a Multiplayer Mario I see?
Take a look at this lady playing a Mario platformer in what I can only assume is her own place of living (very few burglars stop to play games, though if they did, I suppose the newest Nintendo would be the most attractive option). We seeing this? Okay, keep it in mind as we look at what happens next...
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Multiplayer Mario Part 2 (continued from previous)
The woman who leaves her house to join her Peer Pressure Party was playing a 3D Mario game. We see her take the portable screen out with Mario still on display, but we don't see a game change.
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Multiplayer Mario Part 3
When she arrives at the PPP, she and friends are playing multiplayer, but we can't see what game. Does the next Mario platformer include local multiplayer like 3D World and NSMB did? Is that what we're supposed to take from that, or is it just a coincidence? Like, did she switch to basketball or something? -
9: Is There a Street Pass System?
Collecting puzzle pieces, playing little mini games, and getting a look at what other 3DS gamers are playing were a nice touch of fun on 3DS. They encouraged you to take your system on the go and gave a small reward for having it with you.
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rnAnd on that note... -
6: Wii-U Backward Compatibility? And what of e-Shop?
Will the Nintendo e-Shop games on our accounts carry over and/or be backward compatible?
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rnIf I bought digital versions of, say, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 for Wii-U, will I be able to load them up and play on a Switch? Or, let's say I never bought those on Wii-U, but would be interested in downlaoding them and playing on Switch. Can I? This important detail would likely add appeal for those gamers who skipped the Wii-U... which, if you've read sales charts, you know is the vast majority of gamers. -
10: Is Switch a 3DS Replacement?
It's fairly obvious that it's replacing the Wii-U, but is it also replacing the 3DS? Before the Switch is out, 3DS will hit its sixth birthday. We've seen the stopgap "New 3DS" enjoy moderate success, but is that all for Nintendo dedicated handhelds, for the next however many years? Will 3DS games keep flowing steady through 2017, then gradually fizzle out by the end of, say, 2019, leaving Switch as the only way to play a new Nintendo game on the go? -
Less important but whoa...
Holy crap, two items in Mario Kart? Are we inching toward replicating the best Mario Kart ever, which so far remains Double Dash!! on the GameCube? -
11: Will Control Schemes Change Much From Single to Multi Play?
A lot of games these days fall apart without full use of every single button on a controller, including both analog sticks for movement and camera rotation. Heck, even as early as Sony's PSP, we were seeing games that controlled well on PSX or PS2, only to have their PSP versions hampered by awkward workarounds due to only having one analog stick. Nintendo is no stranger to this problem, as it made sure to put another analog stick (well, nub) on the New 3DS. Will games use different controls in single and multiplay modes?
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rnPart of my asking comes from the debut video, which shows four players (using two Switch systems) playing a basketball game. If you've played any major league sports game from the last decade, you know you need every single button and both sticks to play. I wonder how Switch will handle that. -
Bonus Question: Will It Switch Us Into Worse People?
The type who take large dogs out and let them run around without a leash? -
5: Is Switch Region Locked?
Region locking was a huge downer for the Wii-U. Is Nintendo ready to get with the times and give its customers a feature Sony and Microsoft have been providing for years? -
3: How\'s the Technical Performance (portable)?
Furthermore, will it keep a similar frame rate when you switch to the portable mode? We've seen this over and over with PS4 and Vita, where the latter version will have a lower (sometimes much lower) frame rate as well as lower resolution than a PS4 version of the same game. Heck, we saw touches of that even between Vita and PS3.
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rnSo will Nintendo's new machine keep things closer, or will we be taking a bit of a performance hit when we -- wait for it -- switch to portable mode? -
4: What\'s the battery life?
I ask of both the system and of the controllers. What powers them? How do they charge and how long does that take?
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rnWhen we see the guy getting on an airplane, are we to believe that it can handle an overseas Toronto-to-Tokyo 13-hour flight, or is that guy just hopping from London to Paris? How much would something like turning down the brightness extend the battery life? Should I be sorry that this question turned into so many sub-questions?
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Battery Life Part 2 (continued from previous)
Moreover, we need to know what powers the different controllers we saw. Do you put separate, AA batteries in them, or are they charged via the Switch console? If they're out of power on their own, can they be plugged into the screen part when on the go? And if so, how much power does that sap? How long does a Switch take to fully charge?
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rnThese issues greatly affect portability and it'd be nice to get some estimates. -
2: How\'s the Technical Performance (at home)?
One odd thing I saw in that reveal trailer was a guy playing Skyrim. Is that the original Skyrim, or the remaster? Nintendo trying to impress me by showing off that its 2017 console can play a game from 2011, or confirming that it -- like PC, XB1, and PS4 -- will have the Skyrim Remaster in its game lineup? How will this thing stack up against PS4 (and Pro) and Xbox One (and Scorpio)? -
Bonus Question: Can We Get Some Better Friends?
Between the guy in the back who seems way more into the curly hair than the game and the girl on the right side who looks like she regrets inviting Switch Lady, I think this group of friends has quite a few duds in it. Also, have you ever seen those party cups in any color other than red? I wonder if there's a marketing reason for this. -
8: Is That Thing Gonna Stand Up for Shit?
That stand on the back looks small and weak. I need to see a real, non-staged demonstration of how steady it is. When he's on that airplane, how much turbulence can it withstand before that thing falls over?
