Nintendo finally reveals the Switch console

That was not always the case. Nintendo legitimately earned its reputation as the least digital-savvy console maker.

Do the physical copies come with any type of manual at all? Specifically Zelda?

Nope, just an empty box with a teeny tiny chip in it.

I just bought Mario Kart to get the 20% off release discount. So I guess that means I’ll eventually be picking up a Switch…

At $15/year ($30 at a time), the Best Buy GCU is a good deal that pays for itself quickly and doesn’t limit you to the release window.

Damn this machine is so much more slick than I expected. Especially after holding a Wii U tablet for 100+ hours for Zelda, this thing is astonishingly compact.

I’m 100% digital on PC, PS4 and X1S discounts be damned. But so far I’ve bought 2 Switch games for the discount and don’t feel toooo dirty

Yeah, I’m almost 100% digital. I bought Civ VI from Amazon because it’s just a Steam code in a box, and I bought Mario Kart 8 because you can always have one game that stays in a cartridge system. (Like I had Persona 4 for my Vita.) But I’ll get Zelda, etc. digitally.

If possible, I typically avoid buying digital games on consoles, unless there’s a serious discount, but with the Switch the only physical game I’ve bought so far is Zelda. I bought digital versions of Mario Kart and Shovel Knight so I don’t have the hassle of swapping carts (plus, I’m not even close to being done with Breath of the Wild).

I’m so impressed with this little system. Mario Kart looks flippin’ gorgeous, despite being a few years old.

Weird, I have credit on the store and it’s not letting me select purchase

Edit: strange, it let me do it with touch controls but not the A button

Man I’m loving this thing. It’s amazing to take Mario Kart 8 - game lauded for its incredible visuals just two years ago - and play that in my bed on a truly portable handheld console at same or better visual quality.

Also: Binding of Isaac is still the best.

Still kind of leery about how much everything costs on the Switch though.

Kamiko is good for 5 bucks. KOF 98 is a great 8 dollar buy.

Puyo Puyo physical version is 10 bucks more than the other consoles, because it comes with 2 plastic keychains. Which is… odd.

But the game is not super big, and the download version is 30 bucks.

Otherwise, loving this console. The portability is really awesome. Fiance wants to watch TV, undock and play handheld with headphones… Very nice. The Wii U had this too, but the screen on this is so much better, and I can take it more than 10 feet from the TV.

Yeah, and Binding of Isaac at $40 is the most that game ever cost.

Worth it though IMO, considering that it includes everything ever released for the game:

  • All the stuff from the original Flash version ($5)
  • Everything from the “Wrath of the Lamb” expansion to that flash version ($3)
  • The remake in its new and much more capable engine that included even more stuff ($15)
  • Everything from the Afterbirth expansion to that new version ($11)
  • Everything from the brand new Afterbirth+ expansion ($10)
  • Ability to play the same game anywhere, whether on the go or on my TV (Priceless)

Oh yeah, and it is the same price on steam (though currently discounted 5 bucks) but I am more surprised that flash game costs 40 bucks now. I guess they have added quite a bit.

Companies will use any means necessary to get more out of you so some third parties will play the “cartridges cost more!” card on some Switch games. If you think they’re gouging, don’t pay it. Eventually it will come down via a sale, even digitally. Nintendo runs regular sales on the eShop just like any other service from the other console makers or Steam, etc.

That said, depending on the game, it may be worth the “cart tax” because the game is portable on Switch an isn’t that anywhere else.

Kamiko is like an hour long. It’s a $5 game. Neo Geo games are tough for me personally because even at $8, I often find the emulation isn’t right if I’ve played the original on original AES hardware (or own it already…). That said, I’ll probably buy Baseball Stars 2 again as soon as it’s on there. Same with League Bowling.

Sorry to double post but I just read this and I’m getting pretty excited for Tumbleseed which I think is available on Thursday. HD Rumble ftw. Polygon… I know, but the dev does the talking.

I know I’m in a minority here but I’ve never understood the appeal of rumble. I want the controller to pretty much melt away in my hands when I’m playing a game and rumble has almost always done the exact opposite of that. It’s like the 3D in movies for me, something that’s meant to be ‘more immersive’ but actually detracts from the experience.

That said, I’m keen to feel this ‘HD rumble’ just out of curiosity.

Granted I haven’t played 1,2 switch but so far hd rumble is basically a slightly more nuanced rumble than other controllers. The most notable use for it that I’ve experienced is in Mario kart where you feel your engine Rev when you boost and certain attacks have certain vibrations. Neat little details but nothing revolutionary so far. At worst blastmaster was unplayable in bed because the hd rumble was so loud it would bother the misses.

Let’s talk accessories!

First, a portable battery pack. Seems kind of difficult to find the right one because of the voltage and current the Switch ordinarily requires. After a bunch of research though and reading through reviews, I purchased this one, which seems to be working well so far:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z9QVE4Q/

It has enough capacity to fully recharge the Switch a few times, is really small and compact, and isn’t very heavy at all. And when you don’t need it for the Switch, you can charge two devices at the same time with it.

Got this cable to go along with it, which is nice and sturdy, and short enough to easily take around with me when I need it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A6F3WHG/

I got this case, which seems nice and slim, was only $15 when I purchased it a couple days ago, and will hold both cables and carts (if I end up buying any carts):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XNNV7ZY

Finally, I got an Ultra High Speed SD card. 128GB seems like more than enough for now, and from what I read, there’s no benefit in splurging on a UHS-3 card instead of UHS-1.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143IISD0/

I bought a screen protector, a case, and a 128 gb card. So far.