(Image via cnn.com)
Staff Writer: Aidan Danforth
Email: adanforth@umassd.edu
After months of speculation, a new Nintendo Switch called the Switch 2 will be on store shelves starting June 5th.
The recent Nintendo Direct showed audiences what the new console was capable of as well as all the new games. And it wasn’t just any Direct一it was one of the most exciting and anticipated showcase since 2017, when the first Switch was announced.
Nintendo fans are ecstatic for what is to come with this new console and its games, but there also remain some worries pertaining to unanswered questions that leave fans concerned about the Switch 2’s future.
Good: The Console Itself
One of the biggest things fans have anticipated with the new switch is enhanced features. Nintendo is constantly behind the console race because they take longer than other companies to release new consoles.
The Direct showcased the Switch 2’s physical features一the smoother joycons, the additional USB slot, and the upgraded cooling fan. There’s also enhanced HD graphics, 120 fps, the speakers, and eight times the storage of the original switch.
It is just what fans wanted: Nintendo utilizing the similar concept with the Switch 1 while vastly improving everything to catch up with the new generation of gaming consoles.
Bad: Voice Chat
Voice chat is a great feature for a console, and Nintendo’s idea of voice chat isn’t terrible. It’s mainly the way Nintendo advertised this feature by making it look like it’s something innovative.
Voice chat has existed as a feature for a long time for Sony and Microsoft while Nintendo has finally caught up. And with the Direct, Nintendo spends a long time showing a concept many people already knew how to use…
This is especially considering that Nintendo fans already use other means to communicate with others like Discord. It was long overdue for Nintendo to introduce voice chat, resulting in its reveal being underwhelming.
Good: The Launch Game
Not counting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its overhaul of DLC, it’s been 11 years since a new Mario Kart game. With the new era of the Switch 2, it’s fitting the console’s launch title is a brand new Mario Kart Game titled “Mario Kart World”.
Fans were instantly hyped with the trailer. An open world Mario Kart featuring a huge variety of characters, tracks that connect to one another, and a free roam mode where fans get a chance to deeply explore the tracks? Now that’s revolutionary.
A whole new racing game that is accessible for anyone to play will help Switch 2 sales skyrocket for Nintendo as well as keep their diehard fans happy with a game that changes the Mario Kart formula.
Bad: The Other Launch Titles
Aside from Mario Kart World, fans don’t have any other unique games come launch day. The other launch titles are a tech demo and additions of Switch 2 games that have received negative responses.
Like the Switch 1’s 1-2 Switch being its sort of tech demo, the Switch 2 has its own demo to show off its features called Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The issues with this are its lackluster presentation and having to pay ten dollars for a tutorial that should have been included in the base console.
The Switch 2 additions of games like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Super Mario Party Jambore offer much needed graphical changes and add-ons. However, having to pay extra for the add-ons or full price has not sat well with people.
Good: What’s to Come
Not only has Nintendo leave fans excited for the release date of the Switch 2, but they also have fans looking forward to what’s coming for the future, which includes an overhaul of new games.
One of these games is a long-awaited Donkey Kong game that is most likely developed by the same team responsible for Super Mario Odyssey. There’s also a new Hyrule Warriors game called Age of Imprisonment, which looks to add onto Tears of the Kingdom’s story.
This is without even mentioning the amount of third-party support, including Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy. There is even a game that offers a similar feel to Bloodborne called The Duskbloods that acts as a new Nintendo IP.
Bad: The Prices
The thing that’s been at the forefront of everyone’s mind since the announcement of the new console: the cost. During the livestream, fans continually spammed Nintendo’s YouTube stream asking about the prices as well as criticizing them for the outrageous costs.
A Switch 2 being $450 doesn’t sound bad if you compare it to the price of other consoles. It’s when the games come into play.
$70 – $90 dollars for new digital and physical games, respectively, appears to be the new norm for Nintendo games.
This is only going to get worse with the tariffs President Donald Trump has passed on other countries. It will force Nintendo fans to ask themselves if paying over 500 dollars for a new system is actually worth it. Others may have financial trouble which will cause them to make a choice and likely be forced to wait until prices drop or buy everything second hand.