The Switch is Almost HERE! Not long now until you pick up the new addition to your Nintendo family, I mean collection.
Now, hold your horses! Before you grab your console on Friday I have prepared this post about some information about the new console, and some things you might want to consider before you get knee deep in Nintendo’s latest hybrid gaming machine.
What’s In The Box?
The Nintendo Switch console will come with the following: The Switch Console, The Console Dock, AC Adapter, HDMI Cable, Two Joy-Con Controllers, Joy-Con Grip and two wrist straps. There are two “consoles” available; the Grey Console and the Neon Console (which has the Blue and Red Joy-Cons).
Ways to Play
“Switch” it up! There are three ways of playing this awesome new toy. You can do the usual; plug and play to a TV and attach the Joy-Cons to the grip for a traditional controller experience. Give a Joy-Con controller to your friend and you can play multi-player! Each controller is designed to operate as a separate controller during play on selected titles. Or, you can take the switch out of the dock and take it with you! By attaching the JoyCons to the side of the “tablet” here is your “on the go” portable gaming device with the capabilities of a at home console. Taa-daa! So versatile…
Games
There are only a handful of games coming out at launch. These games include; 1 2 Switch, Skylanders Imaginators Starter Pack, Super Bomberman R, Just Dance 2017 and of course The Legend of Zelda; Breath of the Wild.
While I believe that Nintendo wanted to launch this console with the hype of Zelda (and probably vice versa) it seems like they are missing some serious titles which could blow this launch out of the water. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example. This is the one game (aside from Zelda) that I am really excited for — and it’s not available until April. The END of April! I mean, Mario Kart 8 for WiiU has been out for years, howwwww? I am just confused… Anyway. I’ll be picking up Super Bomberman R and 1 2 Switch for some good old fashioned family fun.
The most exciting part is the partnership with Third Party Contributors for this new console generation. While I thought the WiiU was a great console, the released titles were repetitive and severely lacking. With the addition of these developers, here’s hoping for a lot more titles and playtime than the WiiU ever had.
Other titles that are on their way: Splatoon 2 (Q3 2017), Arms (q2 2017), Lego City Undercover (07APR17), PuyoPuyo Tetris (28APR17), Yooka-Laylee (TBA), Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (TBA 2017), Super Mario Odyssey (Q4 2017)
Joy-Cons
Please, please. For the love of Nintendo. Make sure you research your titles and your controllers and make sure you have enough Joy-Cons at the ready for the whole family. Even though Nintendo have changed the controllers to be more accessible for multi-player where you can simply split the joy-cons and share them, please remember that this might not be the case for all titles on the Switch. I know Nintendo (from a retail POV) and TRUST ME when I say “grab an extra pair of Joy-Cons at launch if you think you’ll need them later”, because, I can foresee a shortage on the horizon.
Accessories
Keeping in mind that this is a “touch screen tablet” console where you can literally take it out of your home, you might want to consider some extra accessories if you decide to take your switch on the go. Screen Protectors, Hard and Soft Cases, Portable Chargers, etc… There are lots of different accessories and gadgets available from Day 1 which might become a bit tricky to get your hands on first.
General Tips and Tricks for New Consoles
Here are my tips for first time console owners, or things to remember when you first set up a new console. (May or not be relevant to the Switch, but I thought it might be good to keep in mind.)
Give your Switch the best charge of its LIFE! Your Little Switchy has been patiently waiting — boxed, shipped, sitting in the storeroom and then on the shelf. Once you take him home and set him up, I would recommend giving him, what I like to call a “Boost Charge”. Plug him in to the power. Charge until the light goes off, and then unplug it just for a minute. One. Whole. Minute. Then plug him back in again! The light will (should) come back on… it wont take long for it to go off again. But this will make sure the battery is full and will wake up Little Switchy for much better and stronger battery life.
Update it as soon as you can. This will allow the system to be ready and up to date, in case some errors were found during testing after production. It will make for a more pleasurable experience.
If you experience any issues, please have patience. There is usually a “teething” period when new consoles launch, so please don’t get on the phone to Nintendo or the retailer who sold you the console… chances are there are more people having the same issues. First things first — Check online, google your problem, try turning it off and on again, update your system, etc. If all else fails, wait it out. It will be fixed in good time. 🙂
