How we feel about the Nintendo Switch
CNET editors weigh in on the hardware, the games and the hype surrounding Nintendo's game-changing new console.
We're all on the come-down after that Nintendo event, and here are the quickdraw, fire-from-the-hip reactions we had to everything we just learned about the Nintendo Switch. Yes, the cowboy bits of 1 2 Switch were hilarious.
I've had a Wii U in my house since launch and my kids have played it pretty constantly, so I was never down on this past generation like most people. It actually makes buying the Switch a little more complicated. My HDMI dance card is full. I think I'll be waiting for a while before we switch out (get it?) the Wii U and its library of still high-rotation games for the Switch. I think I can skip until at least Christmas and then see what's what.
I'd say Zelda was a nice mic drop ending, but we've been waiting for it for so long it was more of dealbreaker if it wasn't a launch day title.
-- Seamus Byrne
I'm trying really hard not to buy the Nintendo Switch at launch. Most Nintendo consoles, I pick them up and they gather dust. The screen on my Wii U controller might actually need a chisel to crack through the detritus at this point. The Nintendo Switch, though. A modular controller with haptic feedback wizardry. Playing at home or on the go (with non-proprietary charging!). The most impressive Zelda title I've seen in years. Super Mario Odyssey, which looks like a platforming dream. Travis G.D. Touchdown. The problem is most of what I want to play comes out months after launch. So yeah, I think this time around, patience is a virtue.
-- Luke Lancaster
I'm definitely keen for the Switch in theory -- with a two-hour commute to work every day, I do a lot of handheld gaming, and I've been a fan of The Legend of Zelda and Mario since I was a kid. The lacklustre launch lineup gives me pause, though -- although I'll be tempted for the sake of The Breath of the Wild, I don't think I'll be running out to get it on launch day. However, the USB-C charger is a really welcome change from Nintendo's proprietary charging ports.
-- Michelle Starr
They say once bitten, twice shy. I was bitten pretty hard by the Wii, and so shied away from the Wii U. Proving the saying right, I'm still reluctant to commit to a new Nintendo console. I was so soundly let down by the Wii that I never really considered the Wii U, but the Switch makes a more convincing argument. I've always loved handheld gaming, as being able to game while doing other stuff is the best. Plus, Super Mario Odyssey. But after what I experienced with the Wii, and what others experienced with the Wii U, I won't be diving straight into Nintendo's latest revolution.
-- Daniel Van Boom
A guy pretended to be a squid researcher. The host wore a giant hat with cartoon eyes. One of the most revered game designers in history pretended not to know the release date of the most anticipated 2017 title. This sort of craziness can only happen during Nintendo announcements, and it's that craziness that makes the Switch enticing. There's motion control, portability and maybe even a working internet service. There are a lot of ambitious, moving parts, and it's hard to not want Nintendo to succeed.
But it already looks underpowered, and most importantly, the games lineup looks like the same mix of scarce first-party titles, JRPGs, remakes and poor western developer support that doomed the Wii U. If a year in, the Switch has actually gotten that Mario game, the online network is functional and some exclusives are surprisingly good, I'll be buying one. If not, well, I still have my Gamecube for a reason.
-- Morgan Little
I'm hovering over the preorder button as I write these words, knowing full well that a transforming do-anything go-anywhere game system is my childhood dream come true. (I'm the kind of guy who pitched an article to his high school newspaper about how Nintendo could have totally made Smash Bros. work on the Game Boy and made a mint doing it.) And to see Nintendo embracing the touchscreen, taking what sounds like a real stab at online play (with voice chat!) and letting me import Japanese games with no fear they'll work in the region-free Switch -- these all make my heart thump in my game-loving chest.
But gosh, it sure sounds like everything I want to play (save Zelda) won't be out for months past launch, and I've had enough Zelda to last a lifetime.
Then again, will I be kicking myself months from now when the Switch is sold out everywhere -- whether legitimately or because Nintendo knows it needs a slow trickle of systems to whip consumers into a frenzy?
-- Sean Hollister
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