Nintendo Switch

Blaster Master Zero looks pretty good. Truth be told, I think I'd prefer to play all those Indie titles on a Switch-like device versus the PC or home console.

If there's a decent digital marketplace, the Switch might just be the replacement for my Vita.
 
Blaster Master was one of my favorite games as a kid. It was harder than hell with no save or password option, too. If you planned to win that game, you'd better have a full day on your hands or be ready to leave that thing paused all night. That's assuming you were even good enough to do it. I never did win it, but I got damn close a time or two.
 
Some info for folks looking to buy a batter pack for the Switch: To charge at full speed you need a battery pack that supports 15V at 2.6A. Anything less than that will make it charge slower and maybe not even fast enough to keep up with the power draw while gaming.
 
It would be nice if the Switch supported a wide variety of utility/entertainment apps as well as just games. For instance, Twitch, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Spotify, Crunchyroll, Kodi, Emby / Plex, and a comprehensive e-reader app that supports epub and pdf at least; basically, the kind of things you'd do on an Android tablet and/or TV box. I suppose we'll soon see exactly the technical basis for SwitchOS and how much of this will be possible without having to hack/root it.

Edit: Kinda excited for the new Blaster Master; It was a "Metroidvania" at the time the moniker was barely forming (ie with Metroid and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest being some of the first "exploratory platformers" )
 
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The early switch reviews just confirmed my thoughts, i will wait for a bundle to pick one up for zelda. Will probably invest in a good 1080p tv and a ps4 pro instead for bloodborne, the last of us, uncharted and horizon zero dawn.
 
PanzeR- said:
The early switch reviews just confirmed my thoughts, i will wait for a bundle to pick one up for zelda. Will probably invest in a good 1080p tv and a ps4 pro instead for bloodborne, the last of us, uncharted and horizon zero dawn.
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I'd go one step further, and invest in a solid 4K tv. 4K tv's these days produce better 1080p content than the (few) 1080p standalones, from what I read anyway.

http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/55-inch/best

Check out this site. What's your budget?
 
Yeah, at this point going 4K isn't that expensive. If you don't care about HDR, you can probably swing last-year's model of some huge (60"+) televisions for under a grand.
 
Xaeos said:
It would be nice if the Switch supported a wide variety of utility/entertainment apps as well as just games. For instance, Twitch, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Spotify, Crunchyroll, Kodi, Emby / Plex, and a comprehensive e-reader app that supports epub and pdf at least; basically, the kind of things you'd do on an Android tablet and/or TV box. I suppose we'll soon see exactly the technical basis for SwitchOS and how much of this will be possible without having to hack/root it.

Edit: Kinda excited for the new Blaster Master; It was a "Metroidvania" at the time the moniker was barely forming (ie with Metroid and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest being some of the first "exploratory platformers" )
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While I don't entirely disagree I'm not sure if supporting all of that is really necessary. Even beyond the tech crowd I feel like people already have 2, 3, 4+ devices that can do all of that now. Desktops, laptops, smart phones, smart TVs, other consoles, tablets, stream devices, and so on. Does it really matter if the Switch supports media when we're already flooded with devices that can do it?

Domingo said:
Yeah, at this point going 4K isn't that expensive. If you don't care about HDR, you can probably swing last-year's model of some huge (60"+) televisions for under a grand.
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Indeed. My 4K set is one of Vizio's first 4K TVs. Thing looks amazing and was super cheap when I picked it up. Even does 4K60 if I want to hook it up to my PC or if I ever want to get a Pro or Scorpio. A lot of the reasonably priced 4K sets these days are really nice. However, right now is not the time to buy a new TV. It won't be long before the new sets are out and that will drive last year's sets down in price. When stores store clearing out floor models and previous year TVs, that is the best time to buy.
 
Not enough games for the platform launch In my opinion.

Will my Digital download of Mario Kart 8 and it's 2 purchased addons for the Wii U work on the Switch? I don't fancy spending £50 for almost exactly the same game. It's going to take a lot more than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Zelda to convince me to get the Switch. A better online multiplayer platform is desperately needed. I have a Ps Vita with 60 games including shovel Knight, Bomberman and an 8" tablet with a dual shock 4 for my portable gaming, 100s of games between them. Am I missing something as to why I should buy this? There will be many like me that need convincing.
 
Xaeos said:
Edit: Kinda excited for the new Blaster Master; It was a "Metroidvania" at the time the moniker was barely forming (ie with Metroid and Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest being some of the first "exploratory platformers" )
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Yeah I'll be getting that on my 3DS though.
 
Derangel said:
Indeed. My 4K set is one of Vizio's first 4K TVs. Thing looks amazing and was super cheap when I picked it up. Even does 4K60 if I want to hook it up to my PC or if I ever want to get a Pro or Scorpio. A lot of the reasonably priced 4K sets these days are really nice. However, right now is not the time to buy a new TV. It won't be long before the new sets are out and that will drive last year's sets down in price. When stores store clearing out floor models and previous year TVs, that is the best time to buy.
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HDR and WCG are the main reason's to get a 4k set. The extra resolution isn't used on consoles. For media 1/2 the 4k movies out were mastered in 2k and upscaled, and even the native ones are extremely difficult to see much resolution increase when played side by side with a bluray.
 
Rash said:
Not enough games for the platform launch In my opinion.

Will my Digital download of Mario Kart 8 and it's 2 purchased addons for the Wii U work on the Switch? I don't fancy spending £50 for almost exactly the same game. It's going to take a lot more than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Zelda to convince me to get the Switch. A better online multiplayer platform is desperately needed. I have a Ps Vita with 60 games including shovel Knight, Bomberman and an 8" tablet with a dual shock 4 for my portable gaming, 100s of games between them. Am I missing something as to why I should buy this? There will be many like me that need convincing.
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The thing is, the other consoles didn't have shit at launch either really. I think the real problem isn't games, as much as "there's just too much other shit to play, right now". At least, that's my thinking.
 
I think I am gonna wait on this and just play Zelda on the WII U. I feel like I always get hyped when they come out but tbh I almost only play computer games
 
I found it odd that from some of the reviews that state zelda actually runs better in portable mode because it's only running 720p. I guess the boost from tv mode is very minimal to make up for the increased res to 900p.

Also it sounds like there is no way to hook the thing up to a tv without using the dock which is really lame imo considering all the devices now days that can with just a usb/hdmi out.
 
BiH115 said:
I'd go one step further, and invest in a solid 4K tv. 4K tv's these days produce better 1080p content than the (few) 1080p standalones, from what I read anyway.

http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/55-inch/best

Check out this site. What's your budget?
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mentionned 1080p because I like to play pc games in my living room. I prefer high framerate to a higher resolution. Since apparently 1080p works well on a 4k tv, i will indeed go 4k
 
Derangel said:
While I don't entirely disagree I'm not sure if supporting all of that is really necessary. Even beyond the tech crowd I feel like people already have 2, 3, 4+ devices that can do all of that now. Desktops, laptops, smart phones, smart TVs, other consoles, tablets, stream devices, and so on. Does it really matter if the Switch supports media when we're already flooded with devices that can do it?
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Oh I concur that we have other devices that can do it and that's the reason I think its actually more imperative for the Switch to offer those features to make it a worthwhile value. In an era where many people have capable cell phones (at least), and perhaps tablets etc... I don't see the point of Nintendo pushing a proprietary console that JUST plays games for $300, especially a mobile console that is more or less "walking and quacking" like a typical tablet in terms of hardware, performance etc. Thus, I think it would have been a good idea for Nintendo to realize the market has changed and adapt, offering the Switch and capitalizing on all its strengths. That means pushing Nintendo games of course, but if it has 10 point multitouch, a bunch of built in remotes, streaming capability etc... then it would be a shame not to have other "tablet/media" functions like those I mentioned above.

Ideally from my point of view, I would have loved if SwitchOS had been a customized form of Android, so it would be very easy to load existing Android apps onboard,, but I know that Nintendo is basically antithetical to anything that isn't proprietary and top to bottom locked down, even if it costs them sales and marketshare...so I'm not holding my breath. But ultimately, with all of those additional apps, the Switch becomes a low to mid priced/spec "Android" tablet that can do a lot of other "tablet stuff" PLUS play Nintendo games; a good value for someone who enjoys games but also wants access to the tablet ecosystem (Also, since N are so big on "kids" it would make a prime justification for more kid sales, parents getting them a Switch for a lower cost than an iPad, if the Switch also does "iPad stuff"). Without them, they shrink the market to people who want those particular games exclusively and are willing to pay for a dedicated widget to play them. The WiiU and even diminishing 3DS sales have shown that such a market isn't as viable. Many people who aren't so focused on those particular games etc... will say "Eh, I can already play some games on Google Play, and my phone/tablet does a lot of what the Switch does and more", so Nintendo loses a sale.

Personally I would have been most satisfied if Nintendo had gotten out of the hardware/platform market entirely and concentrated on making software for PC, Android and perhaps other consoles, as well as selling peripherals for use on the aforementioned. However, if they're not going to do that, they have to realize that the market has changed and they have more competition than ever, so refusing to roll out options that would be relatively easy to support on your device out of some kind of tunnel vision seems foolish.
 
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BiH115 said:
The thing is, the other consoles didn't have shit at launch either really. I think the real problem isn't games, as much as "there's just too much other shit to play, right now". At least, that's my thinking.
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Agreed when comparing to home consoles but when I compare to the Vita that had a great launch day lineup, I remember spending about £300 on launch day games, some fab portable games.
 
PanzeR- said:
mentionned 1080p because I like to play pc games in my living room. I prefer high framerate to a higher resolution. Since apparently 1080p works well on a 4k tv, i will indeed go 4k
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More than well, it almost doesn't make sense to get a 1080p standalone TV, UNLESS you're strapped for cash. Even the lower end Vizio's do 1080p extremely well.

Rash said:
Agreed when comparing to home consoles but when I compare to the Vita that had a great launch day lineup, I remember spending about £300 on launch day games, some fab portable games.
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I totally understand, as I was a Vita pioneer myself, and I remember having almost too many games to play (that I wanted to). Unfortunately, that is few and far between with consoles.
 
doesn't upscaling from 1080p to 4k cause more latency?
 
yourgrandma said:
Well that website is hardly definitive answers, the scalers are a mixed bag that can introduce blur (some people see this as a benefit?) to the image and possibly input lag but it depends on the tv. Sounds like it would be better to just stick with 1080p if just playing console games.
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WTF? Everything always depends on which panel you choose. This is no different from picking a monitor or projector or even a phone. How this justifies small-minded people in staying with old tech is beyond me...
 
yourgrandma said:
Well that website is hardly definitive answers, the scalers are a mixed bag that can introduce blur (some people see this as a benefit?) to the image and possibly input lag but it depends on the tv. Sounds like it would be better to just stick with 1080p if just playing console games.
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Maybe not definitive, but there is some input lag when upscaling. Supposedly the PS4 Pro, as an example, doesn't suffer much input lag compared to a non-Pro. I think it does definitely depend on the TV though as well.
 
http://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-the-kotaku-review-1792776350

Breath of the Wild looks and performs noticeably worse when plugged into the dock than it does in handheld mode, a potentially worrying indicator of how the Switch’s graphics processing hardware will hold up over time. When I play on the TV, I notice frequent dips below the game’s 30fps frame rate, sometimes to the point that it’s genuinely distracting and makes it harder to play. Any time I’m running in tree-shade on a sunny day in Hyrule, zooming in for a closer view, or moving quickly through the rain, it feels like things drop into at least the 20-25fps zone.

If I pop the console out of the dock and start playing in tablet mode, everything immediately runs more smoothly
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As a handheld, the Switch is a powerful piece of hardware with a gorgeous screen, but it's too large and power hungry to feel like you can really take it anywhere. As a console, it’s underpowered, unreliable, and lacking basic features and conveniences that all of its competitors offer. It’s nicely built and cleverly designed to be used in a variety of ways, but the bottom line is that the Switch doesn’t do any one of the many things it can do without some sort of significant compromise
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OUCH........
 
Azureth said:
http://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-the-kotaku-review-1792776350




OUCH........
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Unfortunately there is no good solution. If the tear downs are of retail units then there is no room for a bigger battery without making the Switch bigger. The Switch is already boarding on the side of not being overly viable as a portable gaming device size wise. They can't make it smaller without reducing battery size, making it last even less time. They can't reduce power draw without going with a less power hungry, and weaker, SIC. They can't go for something stronger without increasing the cost and increasing power draw. As it stands the Switch is the best it can realistically be in terms of size, power, and battery life. If it does well enough for Nintendo to want to do a revision a couple years down the line then a lot of that could change. The Tegra P2 is apparently more power efficient than the X1 so maybe that would be cheap enough to throw into a revised Switch. Battery tech does improve over time so maybe they'll have some kind of better solution at that time.
 
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This thing is going to flop. AMD fucked them by releasing the Ryzen at the same time.
Yes it isnt the same price, but now its time for nintendo to just make software and not force people to buy their kiddie shit.
 
chimera996 said:
This thing is going to flop. AMD fucked them by releasing the Ryzen at the same time.
Yes it isnt the same price, but now its time for nintendo to just make software and not force people to buy their kiddie shit.
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I just wish Nintendo would be willing to stop messing around, make a high-end system that is just as good as anything else currently out, bundle in a traditional controller and add any gimmicks they want AFTER the facts.
 
BiH115 said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-Sw...633990?hash=item212100fe46:g:01AAAOSwopRYkJks

Who's in for 2!?

Looks like the Craigslist crowd is already banking on a $100-150 profit. I really wonder how dry the supply will be, demand will definitely be there for sure.
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Hahaha, will get mine from the local AAFES, but cannot stress the following enough:

SCALPERS CAN SUCK

raw
 
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Yeah I'm not really sure how successful or not they'll be, doesn't seem like the type of console release that'll snag these people massive profits. Suppose we'll see.
 
The review in the WSJ...and other places...are all saying: Wait until the holidays.
 
Q-BZ said:
The review in the WSJ...and other places...are all saying: Wait until the holidays.
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"Wait until the device hits its second demand high to buy it." Yeah, makes sense, except not.

As always: if the game lineup appeals to you, buy it. If not, don't. It's that simple.
 
Q-BZ said:
The review in the WSJ...and other places...are all saying: Wait until the holidays.
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Indeed. Honestly reviews should always say stuff like that for new consoles these days. Lay out the positives, the negatives, and clearly tell people that unless they're willing to put up with early issues of a console to wait several months. We're in an age where every console is releasing in an unfinished state with features missing that should be available at launch and weird issues that are likely to be fixed a few months down the road. If a person is willing to put with that and the launch titles appeal to them enough, then go for it. If not, wait and see. People get too caught up in the hype of "gotta have the newest thing now" without stopping to think if they actually do want the device for what it offers instead of it just being new.
 
Derangel said:
Indeed. Honestly reviews should always say stuff like that for new consoles these days. Lay out the positives, the negatives, and clearly tell people that unless they're willing to put up with early issues of a console to wait several months. We're in an age where every console is releasing in an unfinished state with features missing that should be available at launch and weird issues that are likely to be fixed a few months down the road. If a person is willing to put with that and the launch titles appeal to them enough, then go for it. If not, wait and see. People get too caught up in the hype of "gotta have the newest thing now" without stopping to think if they actually do want the device for what it offers instead of it just being new.
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I definitely get caught up in the new stuff hype, and end up making an impulse purchase. This time however, it looks like waiting won't be so bad. It's not like there's a shortage of stuff to play (unless you have no consoles (and want to play some games that aren't on the PC). I'm not sure how I feel about the reduced performance when in docked mode either, but I'm sure the patches will iron those issues out (if not the Day 1 patch).
 
BiH115 said:
I definitely get caught up in the new stuff hype, and end up making an impulse purchase. This time however, it looks like waiting won't be so bad. It's not like there's a shortage of stuff to play (unless you have no consoles (and want to play some games that aren't on the PC). I'm not sure how I feel about the reduced performance when in docked mode either, but I'm sure the patches will iron those issues out (if not the Day 1 patch).
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The performance thing seems specific to Zelda really. I wonder if that has more to do with the game having been designed as a Wii U game initially. The Wii U version is really rough as well apparently, even though it's only 720p. Could also be due to this being the first time Nintendo has made a game like this so the engine is also not great. All the day one stuff is out as of today.

Speaking of day one: The day one update did not address the signal issues with the left joy-con.
 
I wouldn't be all that concerned with latency via 1080p to 4K upscaling on consoles. Unless you're someone that plays fighting games or twitch shooters professionally, I doubt you'll notice unless a TV is particularly lousy. Once you put a mouse in play, that changes things a bit though. Luckily most new games will render at whatever resolution you want and you can use resolution scaling to handle it for you. That alleviates it in every instance I've tested. You don't see that option in most games older than 2015-2016, but almost every newer game seems to do it.
 
So what are the chances i can find a pro controller tomorrow? I'm not staying up till midnight, you think everywhere will be sold out. I see walmart has a bit of stock on brickseek, but those might be preorders. Wonder if they will show up on the website to order tomorrow morning.
 
Verge said:
So what are the chances i can find a pro controller tomorrow? I'm not staying up till midnight, you think everywhere will be sold out. I see walmart has a bit of stock on brickseek, but those might be preorders. Wonder if they will show up on the website to order tomorrow morning.
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Call around to stores in the morning and find out. Unfortunately I don't think anyone has found exact numbers on how many each store will have.
 
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