Launch Details
Nintendo held its Switch Presentation live from Tokyo on Thursday night and finally pulled the curtains on the systems capabilities, as well as a price and launch lineup. Nintendo Switch launches March 3rd for $299.99 in the US. Two configurations will be available; the standard grey and black model we've already seen, as well as a version with neon blue and neon red Joy-Con controllers. There's a few titles releasing on launch day, headlined by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More first party games, including a port of Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, and the new Super Mario Odyssey will be available in the months following.
The Good
I honestly think $250 would have been the perfect price point, and would have guaranteed more demand for the console, but $300 is a fair price. I also think launching with Zelda was necessary, and I really don't think Nintendo can get away with delaying it again. The Joy-Cons are packing loads of new tech (think next gen Wii Remote) and the whole device just seems interesting, and unlike anything on the market today. The console has several different play styles available, and I think it'll be the most versatile gaming device yet. Add on an incredible looking Mario game (due out holiday 2017) and I'm all on board for Switch.
The Bad
While Nintendo knows what its hardcore fanbase wants, there was a real lack of games shown. The launch lineup only includes a handful of games, most of which seem forgettable. And Nintendo must be losing their minds if they expect customers to be fine paying $70 for a pro controller or $80 for an extra set of Joy-Cons. They are Apple-ing the hell out of this console launch, in a bad way. And worst of all, their "solution" for online functionality requires a smart phone app to operate voice chat and communicate with your friends. Nintendo still has loads to learn about the modern day gaming world, and I hope they catch on sooner than later. I'm still optimistic about Switch, just a little underwhelmed after the presentation.
