Nintendo Switch's Release Date, Price, and Launch Games

By: Max Cannon

The Nintendo Switch will release worldwide on March 3, 2017 for $299.99 in United States. 

Nintendo's New Online Focus

In a very progressive move for this classic gaming company, Nintendo Switch will have a focus on online gaming that they have struggled with in the past. The service will start free but in fall of 2017 will require payment to play online. This includes an app for your smart device that allows you setup gameplay sessions on the go.

Nintendo Switch will also drop the region locking of its previous consoles. For those unaware, region locking is when a console requires you to purchase games from the same country the console was purchased - satisfying to know that this won't be an issue.

The Console Itself

As seen in the initial reveal, there will be multiple different ways to play on your console. You could use standard TV mode by plugging your Nintendo Switch into a dock and hooking that dock to your TV. Tabletop mode allows you to use the kickstand to set the console down and play it from the console itself, similar to Handheld mode which is exactly what it sounds like. 

If you're not in the dock, you can use the console's battery which varies depending on the game you're playing. Nintendo stated that the battery will last anywhere from 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours. Similar to Nintendo's recent handhelds, this console will also feature a touch screen. You can connect to other players via Wi-Fi or local multiplayer with up to 8 different consoles. 

The JoyCon controllers take a page out of PlayStation's book by adding a button to share your video and screenshots to social media. In addition to the standard black controller, the JoyCon controllers will also release in Neon Blue and Fire Red. The Right JoyCon has a camera built in that is capable of telling distance and shapes of various objects, it was shown off detecting the different hand shapes to show off "Rock, Paper, and Scissors." If you want to use the Pro Controller don't worry, it'll still be applicable.

So when you open the box, you'll get the console the dock, a left and right JoyCon, a JoyCon dock, and your plugins!

But What Are The Games?!?

The first game to be shown off was 1, 2 Switch. A simple, WarioWare style game about beating your opponents in competitions to see who has the quickest draw. The next game shown off was a boxing game titled Arms, the game had a strong focus on online competition and will be releasing in the Spring of 2017.

Splatoon 2 - Trailer

The next couple of big games shown off were definitely as triple-A as Nintendo gets. Splatoon is getting a sequel and Splatoon 2 will launch this summer. New characters, new maps, and new special abilities will be added onto the new game. 

The real star of the show was the newest Mario game. Super Mario Odyssey has our favorite plumber leaving the Mushroom Kingdom in the first open-world Mario game since Super Mario Sunshine. Of all the worlds, the real standout was Mario running through a giant city that looked like New York City, with regular proportioned looking people occupying the same world as our hero. The game will release in the holiday of 2017.

Super Mario Odyssey Trailer

 

Some other games shown off include:

• Xenoblade 2
• Fire Emblem Warriors
• Dragon Quest 10
• Dragon Quest 11
• Dragon Quest Heroes
• Dragon Quest Heroes 2
• Shin Megami Tensei
• Project Octopath Traveler
• Skyrim
• Fifa

The show began to wrap up with a sizzle reel to show off a ton of games coming to the console! Take a look at the montage below!

Nintendo Switch Games Montage

The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of The Wild

The new game is releasing during the launch of the Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017. It was announced alongside a gorgeous trailer which you can check out below.

Have Your Say!

So what do you think? Do you want to get your hands on the Nintendo Switch or any of the games? Share your thoughts below!