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Nintendo's first-ever Super Bowl ad is for the Switch, of course
When you consider the fact that Nintendo and its mustachioed mascot are household names, it's a bit strange to realize the company has never run an advertisement during the Super Bowl. That's about to change. A new video on the company's YouTube channel touts itself as the extended cut of the company's first-ever Super Bowl ad. The commercial highlights the portable and home console modes of the Nintendo Switch to an intense soundtrack -- but this is more than your average peek at the company's next game console. It's a five million dollar investment toward the Nintendo Switch's success.
Nintendo will charge under $30 for Switch multiplayer in Japan
When Nintendo announced that the Switch would have a more robust online multiplayer network than previous consoles, fans were split. The new console's online service promised voice chat and online multiplayer, but like Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus, it was going to cost an annual fee. Fans worried Nintendo wouldn't provide enough value to warrant the price of entry can breathe easy -- Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima says the new console's online features will cost less than a new 3DS game.
The Nintendo 3DS is here to stay (for now)
With the Switch fast approaching, you might think Nintendo is ready to give up on the 3DS. Not so. The company has a small, but significant stack of games planned for the handheld in 2017, and it wants you to know about them. In a press release today, the company highlighted Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, which comes out on February 3rd, Mario Sports Superstars -- which now has a release date, March 24th -- and Pikmin, a side-scroller spin-off featuring Captain Olimar and his color-coded friends. A (rather fantastic) Pikachu-themed new 3DS XL is also coming to America for $199.99 on February 24th, following its release in Japan late last year.
Nintendo's Switch won't have video streaming apps at launch
We've been up close with the Nintendo Switch, tried some of its games and heard the company's pitch for the system. But still, questions remain. Thankfully, the folks at Kotaku have managed to prise some new information out of the house of Mario. Namely that the system does support multiple users -- up to eight accounts can be registered on a single system -- and that Nintendo's colorful Miis will be making a return. "There is a Mii Maker on Nintendo Switch," a spokesperson confirmed. "Mii characters can be used to represent a user profile, but are not required. [They] can still be used in games if developers choose to include them."
A single image of the Nintendo Switch tells us three things
Nintendo has shown precious little of the Switch's user interface so far -- just a few seconds teasing the console's menu during last week's livestream and a fleeting glance during a Treehouse livestream. Apart from showing off the general layout and confirming the presence of the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo's tease didn't tell us much. Now, an image tweeted out by indie developer Nicalis tells us a lot more: The Switch may have multiple users, menu themes and even a couple of unannounced games.
A new 'Fire Emblem' game is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018
Good news, Fire Emblem fans: Today Nintendo announced that the next major title in its tactical RPG series will be for the Switch -- making it the franchise's first game on home consoles in almost ten years. The bad news? You won't be able to play it until 2018.
The Morning After: Tuesday, January 17th 2017
Why are there so many sketchy ads for fake goods on Instagram? Why have e-waste levels jumped? And why is LG boasting that its next phone won't burst into flames? That's a lot of questions for a Tuesday morning.
The heart of Nintendo's new console isn't the Switch
I spent half of last Friday tearing my way through games at Nintendo's big Switch launch event. More than any particular title, the highlight was the hardware itself: a $300 console-hand-held hybrid that's harder to describe than the latest Xbox or PlayStation. The Switch console is actually a tablet: It's the piece that does all the processing and acts as a screen when it's away from your housebound dock and TV. But if the tablet is the brains of Nintendo's strange new 2-in-1, the heart is split between the two included Joy-Con controllers.
Nintendo's Switch doesn't come with a charging Joy-Con grip
If you're dead-set on owning a Nintendo Switch, you should probably start thinking about your charging setup. In addition to the main unit, you'll need to keep the detachable "Joy-Con" controllers topped up, which could prove tricky if you're playing the console exclusively at home. That's because the Joy-Con Grip bundled with the Switch (shown above) doesn't have any charging capabilities of its own. As Eurogamer reports, it's basically just a plastic shell designed to keep the two Joy-Cons in place.
The Nintendo Switch will have Neo Geo games (updated)
The Nintendo Switch will support a handful of new games, of course, but it's also going to feature some fan-favorite classics from the Neo Geo era, Famitsu says. The Arcade Archive collection from Japanese video-game publisher Hamster Corp. will land on the Switch worldwide beginning in March with King of Fighters '98, according to the report. Keep in mind that the Switch itself is scheduled to come out March 3rd for $300 in the United States.
Nintendo's HD Rumble will be the best unused Switch feature of 2017
If I had to describe Nintendo in just three words, I'd steal the shared city slogan of Austin, Santa Cruz and Portland: "Keep Nintendo Weird." The Japanese game giant delights in its unique character and has made a habit of defying convention. Nintendo's gimmicks are always fascinating, but they don't usually work out. The Wii Remote's speakers largely went unused. Most third-party developers failed to take advantage of the Wii U touchscreen. So what's Nintendo Switch's soon-to-be-overlooked innovation? A haptic feedback system called HD Rumble.
Nintendo will have a Switch app to help with parental controls
Nintendo dropped all the official details on its new Switch console that's set to arrive in March while most of us were sleeping. Along with a truckload of hardware and software info, the company also has an app for Android and iOS to help parents keep tabs on their child's gaming habit. The appropriately named Nintendo Switch Parental Controls mobile software will allow you to set time limits for playing sessions and more.
Nintendo's Switch Pro controller is refined, but not perfect
Nintendo's Joy-Con controllers for the Switch are wonderfully unique, but they might not be ideal for every situation. That's why the $70 Switch Pro Controller exists — it's meant for gamers who need a more-traditional-feeling gamepad for titles like Ultra Street Fighter 2 and Super Bomberman R. It's not exactly a surprising accessory, as Nintendo had a similar Pro accessories for the Wii and Wii U, but it's still nice to see the company refining its concept of a classic game controller.
Playing all the games at Nintendo's Switch event
We've touched the hardware and were left with some good impressions. But that's only half of the equation: What about the games? Nintendo is offering several upgraded (and some brand new) titles for the Switch. While some depend on the new controller interfaces (Arms) and sharing aspects of the new console (1-2-Switch!), others, in classic Nintendo style, tap in our nostalgia (Sonic Mania, Ultimate Street Fighter 2). And there was another chance to play Zelda. Here's every title we could get our hands on at the Switch event.
Nintendo's Switch makes a great first impression
Well, this is different. In my hands is Nintendo's Switch, a $300 (£280 in the UK) console that's like nothing I've held before. Well, it's like quite a few things, but nonetheless a unique device. It all starts with a tablet, dominated by 6.2-inch 720p capacitive touchscreen, with speakers in the lower corners. It's thick, by anyone's standards, but it's not too heavy, and is generally well-balanced and comfortable to hold. The screen, although low-res compared to most tablets, looks sharp, bright and rich. Viewing angles also seemed good -- vital for two-player sessions. At the top of the tablet portion is a slot for proprietary game cards, a headphone jack, two volume keys and a recessed power button. Below is a microSD card slot and a USB Type-C charging port. Around the back is a sturdy kickstand that lets you rest the tablet on a table. Adorning the vertical edges of the tablet are detachable "Joy-Cons" that connect via rails.
Watch the Nintendo Switch event in less than 12 minutes
What a night. While you were (probably) fast asleep, Nintendo ended months of speculation by revealing a ton of new info about its upcoming console. Most important, the Switch launches globally March 3rd and will cost $300. Nintendo also announced a number of new games for the system, including Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, a custom Switch version of FIFA, Xenoblade 2, Skyrim and a weird but fun-looking new IP -- Arms. There are also new titles and ports from big hitters like Ubisoft and Square Enix, and we're even promised a sequel to No More Heroes.
Here are all the trailers from the Nintendo Switch event
When Nintendo revealed its mysterious NX game console as the Switch in October, we still didn't know much. Yes, it was a hybrid portable game console with new games in the Super Mario, Legend of Zelda and Splatoon franchises -- but how much was it going to cost? When was it coming out? What else would we be able to play? Now that the console's official reveal is over, we have answers: $300, March 3rd and a whole lot. On top of teasing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo's Switch reveal event showed us trailers for a new Fire Emblem game, a second Xenoblade Chronicles, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and so much more.
Nintendo classics get online multiplayer on the Switch
The Nintendo Switch features a new, paid subscription model that grants players access to online multiplayer features -- and something extra. According to the Nintendo Switch Online Service website, anyone who subscribes will be able to download and play one classic game from the Nintendo Entertainment System or Super Nintendo Entertainment System per month, "with newly added online play."
Nintendo Switch battery lasts for three hours of portable 'Zelda'
Nintendo's new hybrid console is rated for "more than six hours" of use away from an outlet, but mileage will vary depending on the game. In a press release sent out following last night's Switch event, Nintendo says launch title "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can be played for roughly three hours on a single charge." Obviously, less-taxing games will last considerably longer, allowing Nintendo to claim six hours of battery life with a clear conscience. Whenever the Switch is docked to the TV it automatically charges, so you should leave the house with a full battery every time. However, the Switch uses regular USB Type-C for charging, so you could feasibly top up with the same charger you use for your laptop or phone.
'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' lands on Switch at launch
Game consoles don't tend to have stand-out, killer software at launch, but Nintendo is bucking the trend again. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild will be released in concert with the console itself March 3rd. Not picking up the new console? The game comes out the same day for the Wii U. If this seems familiar, it's because Nintendo did something similar with Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, launching it on the Wii and Gamecube simultaneously.
