Switch Buying Guide

I would die for Kirby! (The Kirby Robot game on 3SS »»»)

Not seen the presentation yet.

Yeah I could but still tempted by a version that is dedicated for a handheld console. I feel like your takes are a tad negative for what we saw (get yours are your views and elsewhere will be worse). I watched with an enthralled 8 year old and was really excited by what I saw too so maybe it was the rub from her enthusiasm. The Switch hybrid console/handheld is a different experience to a Steam deck/ROG Ally for many and so having a better handheld experience and a better console or docked experience is pretty much as good as you could expect I feel.

Also thought the DK game looked really decent.

I wouldn't let your 8 year old play Cyberpunk. Its got robot dicks in it.

I don't see what a "dedicated" version will get you. It runs at 60fps+ and has full pad support on the Ally. It also costs about 20 quid for the full version. I mean, maybe it'll have Switch exclusive features, but I doubt it. Also, you can dock and play an Ally on the telly if you want. No fan though.

I don't think I'm being that wildly negative. Mario Kart looked OK and there were a few bright spots, but it wasn't great. I mean, perhaps it's laser targeted at Gen Alpha/Beta, and the parental image of Nintendo will carry it through, but I'm not sure the brand has that much cachet with kids these days.

The launch lineup is:
Mario Kart World
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Street Fighter 6
Split Fiction
Hogwarts Legacy
Hitman World of Assassination
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
Deltarune Chapters 1-4
Civilization VII
Survival Kids
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Fast Fusion
Fortnite
Arcade Archives 2 Ridge Race

I mean, it's not a disaster. Whatever I guess. Maybe I'll be proved wrong and it'll also sell 150 million units.

I skimmed the video, but for some reason I've never really clicked with Nintendo, and this didn't sway me.

Mario Kart looks like Mario Kart. The 12fps video chat takes up a third of the screen. I'm not seeing the same DK Bananza everyone else seems to be. The Switch 2 Welcome Tour has all the charm of a corporate PowerPoint presentation - and they're charging money for it!? Astro Bot wants a word.

Astrobot is 59.99 on the PSN store though from a quick scan?

Smyths have opened preorders, so… that's taken care of, at least.

Amazon have an invite to purchase sign up now up too. Smyths pre orders already closed.

How has this not secured the Gar preorder asap?

I'm pretty excited by the Switch 2 personally, although I'm not sure how I'd be able to afford it. I'll have to paint a shit load of Space Marines, I guess. I don't know how a combination of Forza Horizon and Mario Kart would work, but then again those are two 10/10 games, and I trust Nintendo to make it good.

Incidentally, Kirby Planet Robobot is fantastic. You can't hate Kirby if you've played that, surely?

The fact that you have to pay for the thing that demonstrates the features of the console is absolutely ridiculous though. That's indefensible. That and the paid upgrades for existing games are going to be hugely unpopular, and considering how Microsoft in particular make a point of giving those kind of upgrades away for free, and Sony gave an excellent miniature game away with the PS5, I think people will see it as predatory and anti-consumer. I think it's a big mistake on Nintendo's part, and something that will put people off.

Overall, I'm still excited for it. I get that it's an incremental improvement over the Switch, but to be honest that's all I wanted. I'm basically a handheld gamer these days, so a handheld that I can play the next generation of Nintendo games on is pretty much essential.

I was not aware there was anti-Kirby sentiment. This deeply saddens me.

(I also thought DK looked really good. Maybe I’m the problem.)

I’m in, and even leaning towards trying to get one at launch, if I can, which I haven’t done in bloody ages. (The Dreamcast?!) Mario Kart, DK and Bravely Default all appeal, as does playing my existing/extensive Switch library on a console that, I’m hoping/assuming, will do a bit of a PS5 and play them faster, thanks to the SSD?

I think I was a Kirby and the Amazing Mirror truther until Planet Robobot TBH

I think Planet Robobot is better than any 2D platformer Mario has ever been involved in.

The fact that you have to pay for the thing that demonstrates the features of the console is absolutely ridiculous though. That's indefensible.

This bit was genuinely quite funny. The temerity to assume that people will pay money to learn where you've hidden your magnets.

Not sure how I missed the cow riding the stereo. That's worth the £430 on its own.

Cav's launch line-up list. Purely judging it on the amount of quality games, that's probably the best launch line up of any console ever? Of course, we've all played most of those before. But still.

I was tempted to sell the Switch OLED to help fund this, but I always regret selling my Nintendo consoles. I assume the original Switch will be hacked in 10 years, and I'll wish I had one again.

(No Man's Sky: Gorilla Edition) looked shit and if you're defending that, then I don't know what to tell you.

Red Faction: Gorilla, surely.

Also this was excellent and deserved more goddammit.

I was mostly just mad that it was better than the pun I'd come up with (Tears of the Kongdom).

I was having a right old time with Kirby last year tbh, I forgot the path I went on but it was like, Kirby ATMM, Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland, Kirby Ultra Star Slam or whatever that mini 'game' one was (not minigame, but as in each game was like a micro slice of a full Kirby game) and Robobot, I stopped just before the N64 one which includes power up combinations which is like errr hello that sounds amazing? All back to back bangers imo, this is before I tried any of his more 'comfier' games like the one where he has his best fwends. Also he is omega level cute I cry everytime I see him.

I reccomend the puffball to any people who haven't tried his games yet.

Oh, speaking of TOTK, I'm at that part of the presentation rn but while I'm not sure solid 60fps and HDR is enough to get me to replay BOTW/TOTK again (latter is a bit huge and the former is good but IDK, TOTK exists) but on the the other hand I think they're two of the best games of this decade TBH so maybe I'll try it

Path of Radiance spotted

Burn those Ebay scalper prices down to the fucking ground, do it!!!!!

This bit was genuinely quite funny. The temerity to assume that people will pay money to learn where you've hidden your magnets.

(No Man's Sky: Gorilla Edition) looked shit and if you're defending that, then I don't know what to tell you.

Red Faction: Gorilla, surely.

Also this was excellent and deserved more goddammit.

Yeah, you're right. I'm definitely going to steal it.

Regarding the launch line-up, I'm torn. It is objectively very good. I'm trying to adjust my brain a bit because for me, the prospect of playing Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring on a handheld is something I was already able to do perfectly well on the ROG Ally, and it gave me Mass Effect 3 on the Wii-U vibes, but it will be new for most people. I think most people will have already played those games on their PC or existing console already though, and nobody is going to pay £75 to do it again on the Switch 2.

That new From Software game looks tasty though, although it doesn't look like an exclusive.

That new From Software game looks tasty though, although it doesn't look like an exclusive.

The trailer claims that it is, though it's also (apparently) a multiplayer game, which may dampen some excitement.

Wait, can you play the Gamecube games online? So Soul Calibur 2 and GX online? that is bonkers if true. That said, if you follow me on Twitter you'll know I have been having a lot of fun with the single player experience of SC2 (oh wait I did mention it here last year) so either way, it's all good, fantastic fighting game.

Astrobot is 59.99 on the PSN store though from a quick scan?

Apologies - I meant the character, rather than the game Astro Bot; Astro's Playroom was the free tech-demo pack-in on PS5.

I just watched some trailers. Mario Kart looks good, really not feeling Donkey Kong. But the Switch has had some of my favorite games and I'm sure the Switch 2 will too. I'll get one at some point.

I just watched it all and holy shit that DK game looks amazing

Kyle Bosman has a pretty balanced (in my opinion) reaction video about the Switch 2 Direct

I love the fact that there is a special edition of Hitman coming out, with additional Luigi content.

Pre-ordered the Mario Kart bundle from Amazon. So you have me to thank when they drop the price a month after release.

I know we'll never get figures, but I'd love to know how many they're selling in this pre-order phase. Everyone seems to be saying 'not a chance at that price', but the pre-orders are also selling out in seconds.

Why on earth is this not what the official Switch camera looks like. Come on Nintendo.

Why on earth is this not what the official Switch camera looks like. Come on Nintendo.

I appreciate that it's also got a privacy cover built-in when you close the mouth.

That might be my favourite peripheral ever. I actually want one, despite thinking the camera was bloody stupid.

Nintendo’s dedication to being 15 years behind the rest of the industry with regard to the internet means that they have now arrived at Kinect.

Pre-orders delayed in the US. They're clearly thinking about raising the price after Donald the Chocolate Orange's tariffs.

Those 'worst case' prices everyone was moaning about could get a lot higher.

As cruel as it is I have actually enjoyed that happening to the US. My missus work were sending a lot of the things they manufacture to the US and now they are all drawing up plans to reduce hours due to projections, it has started to come close to closing the gap they missed with Brexit effectively killing all their Europe orders.

Got my Nintendo store preorder invite this morning, so I've put myself down for one of those Gamecube pads. (I've already preordered the machine at Smyths, because I don't want to be sitting waiting all day for a delivery.)

Watched the Mario Kart update thing today, very excited now. Not told my kid we have this pre-ordered as wanted to make sure its fully confirmed, will arrive etc, but our house is very excited.