Postby Danny » Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:02 pm
So, after fanboying, and then analyzing, I've got a few questions to ask the general public so you can share your thoughts on this.
My first question is, as much as the Switch is innovative, what with the controller swapping and all that, and the fact that it's portable, does it not seem like an over-glorified current-gen console? I want to set aside the portability, cartridges, and the controller itself and focus on the fact that it practically is just a slightly better PS4/XBone, maybe with a little more console exclusives. I won't deny that it certainly is unique and innovative, that's a definite plus, but I think one of the things that will make it a slight downfall is its similarities to the current-gen consoles, since Nintendo hasn't really done that up until now.
My second question derives from the first. Should the Switch be a success, what will this mean for Nintendo? Chances are, and rumors say, that the third parties are all over this thing. While that's a somewhat good thing for Nintendo, will it kill the originality, and will Nintendo start to pander to the third party developers? I trust that Nintendo wouldn't do this, but the possibility is still there, and that's slightly concerning, at least for Nintendo's sake.
Third, how will multiplayer play out? If they're selling it as a family console, will it come bundled with additional controllers or "Joy-Cons"? I would imagine that it would, but how would you connect as a second, third, or fourth player? I don't want to have to use a single Joy-Con (those little things) for multiplayer play. Another situation that comes to mind is that they never showcased more than two players playing on a console at a given time, they've always had multiple console. What will this mean then? You can only play with up to one other person? That seems like a step backwards.
Fourth, what ports would we be able to see from the Wii U? Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon have already been confirmed, but will there be other ports like Smash Brothers, Mario Maker, Hyrule Warriors, and the like? I can at least picture Sm4sh making the cut to the Switch, but what about Mario Maker? That game seems to be a big staple and it would suck to have to lose that. Also, how about Amiibo support? I think we'd see that at least.
Fifth, would there be a home screen similar to the Wii and Wii U's home screens, as well as the DS line's home screens? I wouldn't think Nintendo would drop the eShop or anything like that, since that's a staple, but how would you access it? I can at least imagine there being some form of home screen similar to what they've done before, but if there isn't, then something might feel off about the console, since most current-gen consoles have home screens anyway (PlayStation 4, XBone, and Wii U currently all have home screens, as does the 3DS).
My final question is, what do people think of the name? Nintendo Switch. It seems kind of odd, but it certainly is interesting. Personally, I'm not the biggest of fans of it, I still call it the NX sometimes, but I guess you have to fight your own battles.
Overall, seems like a really interesting console, but since I haven't delved into the Wii U, I might pick one up by the end of the year and wait to see which direction the Switch goes in.