Nintendo finally reveals the Switch console

I struggle to beat games, especially on regular consoles. That happened with Heist on the Wii U. I’ll absolutely be buying it again on the Switch and hopefully will see it through this time! This game will be fantastic portable.

I can confirm it is! I played it on my Vita and it was tremendous.

Hmmm. I have it on iOS, but never finished. Definitely neat, but I didn’t love it the way I did dig 2 (and I generally like tbs a lot)

This caught my eye yesterday:

Apparently there is an earlier game out on iOS and android but I’ve never heard of it. Translation looks to be bad, but the game looks rather cool. Anyone know more about the series?

So I got this…

…and it is very cool. I’m really hoping more vertical games come to Switch. Please don’t mind the total disaster of a desk around it.

I also picked up Top Hunter for Neo Geo last week. That’s an entertaining side-scrolling action platform game that really has no clone of any kind. Ristar is sorta like it but that’s much more platform than action while this is more action than platform. Totally unique in the Neo lineup and super expensive on cart.

What does everybody think about the new Farsight and Zen pinball games that were released today?

I prefer the realism of the Farsight tables in general, BUT the Switch port doesn’t run super well. Slow load times, glitchy frame rates, not especially optimized to the strengths of the Switch, etc.

The Zen port loads faster, frame rate is more stable (docked for sure), AND there are nice features that are custom to the Switch like optional vertical play mode, HD rumble, and support for multiple controller configurations (one docked joycon, separated joycons, pro controller).

Overall I think Zen is the winner here. Hate to pay for these tables for like the 4th time but…

Diego

Farsight seems to really suck at optimization. It’s pinball, man. Those tables should run like Pittsburgh. I wish they’d hire some guys that can code better. The real tables are just way better than almost any of the FX stuff. :(

Dig and Heist are in completely different genres and don’t share a story.

Dig 2 is a massive improvement over Dig, and IMO is not only the best in the “series” but also one of the best games I’ve played all year.

Heist is excellent in its own right, and is one of the only turn based strategy games I’ve ever completed. I normally get stuck or frustrated, but Heist was just so much fun, innovative, and I can’t wait to play it again on Switch!

I’ve had Dig in my Steam backlog for about 5 years. I finally installed it and have been playing through it in anticipation of getting #2 on Switch. I’m as far as getting to the second map (Old World? I forget the name) with the chute that leads outside, but so far it’s much more linear and the puzzles simpler than I expected. I’m expecting things to ramp up now that I’ve got a few unlocks and have hit map 2.

I have Heist on 3DS, and it is fantastic. It’s better than Xcom 2, but falls just behind Xcom 1 for me. I’m guessing it’s the same on all platforms? If there are differences on the Switch version I might get it there too.

What the heck! I was looking through upcoming releases last night and those weren’t there…

I’m revising my opinion a bit now that I’ve also had a chance to play in mobile mode.

Pinball arcade runs no better or worse than before, but Zen sees a lot of frame rate chugging in mobile due to the extra effects and lighting on the tables running at the slower clock speed.

Your preference may vary depending on whether you play mostly docked or mobile and how you feel about the tables on one vs the other (nothing new there).

Diego

Can the effects be lowered undocked and does that help?

No. The options are very sparse. Gamma adjust and ball trails are it.

Diego

That’s disappointing. Vertical mode is the major draw of this version, and obviously that’s undocked only.

Steamworld Dig is basically a prototype, almost more of a flash game. It does get more interesting as you go on but for the most part it’s a pretty easy romp that takes 2-4 hours to complete.

Steamworld Dig 2 is a fully-fledged Metroidvania / Platformer which happens to also have some digging elements like the first game. Everything is bespoke - no more procedural generation of any terrain or challenges - all of the new abilities are tons of fun, and the progression curve behind finding those abilities is immensely satisfying. It’ll take around 10 hours to complete, and maybe as many as 15 to find everything.

Yes, exactly! The lighting in the iOS version isn’t as good, but an iPad in vertical mode looks like it’s still the best mobile platform.

Diego

In a interview with Variety, Reggie revealed the Switch has sold over 10 million copies since launching nine months ago.

The lineup of Nintendo-published games also has fueled fueling Switch sales, Fils-Aime said. Three titles have been purchased by more than 50% of Switch owners: “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” — which won game of the year at the 2017 Game Awards — “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” and “Super Mario Odyssey.” Another title, third-person shooter “Splatoon 2,” has been purchased by one in four Switch owners, he said.

Great info, thanks. I might just buy and play the second without finishing the first. I’ve been looking forward to trying it on Switch.

More perspective on that number from the same article…

In October, Nintendo raised projections for Switch shipments for its fiscal year ending March 2018 from 10 million to 14 million units. That would put the Nintendo Switch at 16.7 million units sold in its first year of release, on pace to exceed lifetime sales of the Nintendo Wii U (which shipped 13.6 million units over a five-year period).

From this article at Forbes to give you some launch aligned numbers…

With a March 3rd, 2017 launch, the data on December 10th, 2017 says that it took the Switch 9 months and 7 days to sell 10 million units.

In contrast, the PS4, launched on November 15th, 2013, took about 8 months and 29 days to sell 10 million units, almost identical. The difference being that Sony had a full holiday sales window while Nintendo hasn’t had that with the Switch yet.

The Wii also took about nine months to sell 10 million units, and that was when it was a worldwide, non-gamer craze unlike anything the industry had seen.

The Xbox One took about a full year to ship 10 million units, not sell-through, and we don’t have the data for those exact figures.

The Wii U, Nintendo’s last console, took 2 years and 7 months to sell 10 million units, and it ended its run at 13.5 million units. It is entirely possible, if not likely, that the Switch could outsell the Wii U in totality in its very first year on the market.

Kyle Orland gives even more comparison numbers here…

I need bigger Joy-cons, these are just absurdly small for me in dual-wield mode. Has anybody found better/larger alternatives, or custom grips/wrap-around things I can use with them?

One thing I’m impressed by is that it’s been available everywhere since Black Friday. Every time I go to Walmart or Target for baby food, I also check Electronics, and they all have Switch units available for sale now.