The Switch 2 thread

Pretty much, and Falco's cursed bird legs

I don't really give a shit about the game—never understood the hype, even back when it came out—but am I crazy or did that Ocarina remake footage look fuckin awful? Real "AI-upscaled cutscene from PS2" vibes.

That was a very good direct for JRPG fans I think, a new Xenoblade out of nowhere was pretty crazy, just straight up out of the blue. Though I liked other stuff too, anyone else think the Wii Sports stuff looks super fun? Wii vibes all over again >_>

EDIT - I think it's way too soon to say anything about OOT Remake, we got barely nothing other than it existing, I'm not against the idea of a remake but I don't get why people have written it off already from that teaser

I thought it was a great series of announcements, made by people who have no clue how to build hype. (And, to be fair, who were subject to a shitty leak.)

If they'd not had that weird Starfox Direct out of nowhere, dropped the demo out of the blue today, and showed a bit more of Ocarina, it would have been an all-timer. Zelda, Starfox, a new Final Fantasy, Xenoblade, Kingdom Hearts… There was stuff here that people really care about.

I'm confused by everyone missing Mario. We know the Odyssey team worked on Bananza; I'm not expecting a mainline Mario game for years.

There was some good stuff in there. I'm looking forward to the Xenoblade upgrades as I picked up 2 in a sale ages ago and have been waiting for a Switch 2 patch to actually play it (only played 1 previously). New Pokopia content is exciting (and looks quite sizeable). New Fire Emblem is shaping up well.

The little we saw of Ocarina had strong "shitty fan project made in Unreal Engine" vibes about it but I guess we'll see when more is revealed. The challenge is not going to be making it look pretty, but creating a version of the game that doesn't feel absurdly small and boxy by modern day standards. I played a bit of the N64 version earlier this year and it's still an astonishing achievement for 1998 but it really isn't like a modern game in any way, shape or form.

I'm still baffled that they haven't done anything at all with Mario Kart World since release, though. It's crying out for new tracks, modes, anything really.

Do we think we are getting a new variant (not model) of the Switch 2 before October or should I just buy another of the original/current variant Switch 2?

There's a new model coming to the EU with a replaceable battery, but as far as I'm aware there've been no other hardware updates or themed bundles announced.

Its disappointing the lack of add ones, joycons etc this time around, in addition to S2 with different themes. Don't want to buy a 2nd and then them announce a Zelda themed one etc.

cavalcade Switch 2 update: I bought a Switch 2 case (it was really cool)

I bought a switch 2 case yesterday too. We went for basic black and my kid covered it in stickers.

The case was actually ridiculous and too big. So I bought a slim one WITH THE NEW SWITCH 2 I DONE GONE BOUGHT. I'm nearly 50, I almost died 3 years ago, so why wait, I thought.

So far, as someone else said here, it's effectively a Switch 1+ or Switch Turbo. A sort of realisation of everything the Switch could've been if it had technical grunt behind it. The menus all load quickly, and the entire thing is snappy. I love the click of the joycons. The form factor is very, very Switch (and I'm pondering if I get a grip for it) but still a lot more comfortable than the OG.

The screen is… fine? It's not very bright, but it's sharp and looks decent. I decided against doing a full transfer, and I've been loading across just titles I want on the newer machine. When I had the OLED OG and Switch 2 side by side there was a tinge of sadness that the screen tech has regressed a little, but the other tech performance is so good, I guess it's worth it.

The question now is, which Switch 2 optimised game to start with. I can't decide between:

Mario Kart World: I think I'll enjoy it, even if it's no MK8
Zelda: BOTW - I've waited an age for this not to be a technical shitshow and give it a go. That said, I could play it at 60fps on the Ally with enhancements, so whether I want to drop 70 quid on it…
TOTK is maybe just a bit "crafting loop" for me
Pokopia: I have no connection or love for the Pokemon francise or Mincecraft/city builders
Bananza: It's a possibility, but, again, maybe not for 70 quid.
Mario titles: I'd actually love to revisit Odyssey or Galaxy

Or…

Xenoblade Chronicles - which I have played a lot of, but all hobbled ports or old versions. I could emulate it, again, on the Ally. But might be a nice first port of call.

Not really sure. At the moment, I think I might use it to enjoy some of the sub 30fps strugglebus Switch titles I owned that I had to stop playing as they were so shonky….

You'll definitely have fun with Mario Kart World but so much of it just feels a bit lacking to me, waiting on the big deluxe super course DLC myself. Also I think the controls feel miles better than Cross Worlds, just getting that in there before the comparisons start…

I heard you can just make a hoverbike in TOTK and this makes the game shit apparently, so I wouldn't bother, but BOTW still has weapon degradation too, so it's not like you can escape really.

I recently spent months playing BotW on my Switch 2, having never previously gotten further than being repeatedly killed everywhere I went. It's now one of my favourite ever games. I can post you the cart if you want to play it. It's a Switch 1 cart so you'll either need Nintendo Online or the £8 upgrade.

I'm dying to replay TOTK again on Switch 2

I think that’s going to be my next long game. I’m almost finished Trails in The Sky, so it could be soon. Unless I jump straight into SC…

If you can resist jumping straight into it I'll be impressed lol

I recently spent months playing BotW on my Switch 2, having never previously gotten further than being repeatedly killed everywhere I went. It's now one of my favourite ever games. I can post you the cart if you want to play it. It's a Switch 1 cart so you'll either need Nintendo Online or the £8 upgrade.

That's very generous of you - I'm in the wilds of Ireland at the moment, so postage would be excessive. I am leaning towards getting it, and maybe you've convinced me. I always really enjoyed it on the WiiU (I have a copy of it for that) but the performance was always very variable.

Very generous B but I ordered it. It wasn't a bad price online for the S2 native version.

One thing I have enjoyed… Mouse controls?! I usually play mouse keyboard for FPS games. I installed Switch 2 Apex and… it was like the kombucha girl meme. It's good? And loads of games support it. I might get a little mouse shell for the controller….

The best upgrade you can get is a Pro Controller 2. They're things of beauty.

And if you do decide you want a grip, I'd recommend shipping the dBrand joycon grips from the US. Not the whole case, you can just buy the grips on their own, and they still fit the console when docked.

I have a Pro Controller 1, which is fine, apart from the not switchy on bit.

I know dBrand from their "hilarious" sponsorships on a lot of US tech videos. I have to say, so far, I find the S2 quite comfortable to hold. Maybe because it's so light. Compared to the Claw it's like a helium balloon….

So I might go sheathless for a bit longer.

I quite enjoyed the Starfox demo too. Even if the toad character was a little wet for my liking.

I have a Pro Controller 1, which is fine, apart from the not switchy on bit.

So did I, and I thought that was fine. Then I played a game with the Pro 2.

It's the most comfortable controller I've ever used. And the sticks are things of beauty.

The issue is I'll never plug the Switch 2 into a TV. I never did with the first one, so I'm the sort of reverse Garwoofoo.

We're still at the stage in the Switch 2 lifecycle where most of the really good games are things that are available on other platforms. So people that only own a Switch 2 and are now playing Cyberpunk, Star Wars Outlaws, Hitman, FF7 Remake etc are having a fantastic time. The rest of us are still getting drip-fed new stuff slowly and it's a bit more variable.

General review of stuff I've played on mine:

Mario Kart World - better than people say but desperately needs more content
Tears of the Kingdom - LOVED IT and barely touched the crafting stuff at all
Hyrule Warriors Age of Whatever The New One Is - really fun for a bit then got super repetitive, like all these things
Donkey Kong Bananza - didn't like it
Pokemon Pokopia - really enjoyed it but people who love building/crafting games will get a lot more out of it
Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 - really nice re-release and the controls work way better than I expected (can't see it being as good in handheld, sadly)

I've played on the NSO emulators quite a bit too and with the original controllers and CRT filters they're a surprisingly decent way of playing old games.

Star Fox this week, at least.

I have a new contender. I remembered I loved Fast RMX, and there was a Switch 2 sequel (Fusion). It's absolutely brilliant.

Rock solid frame rate, minimalist but very pretty, and the racing is really interesting, retaining the colour switching mechanic but adding a jump boost option. Absolutely hard as nails, but feels so good to play.

I also went through a lot of my old library, looking for stuff that looked or played better. One that really stood out was XCOM, which for some reason I own on Switch. It was unplayable on Switch 1, and it's lovely on Switch 2 (with the handheld boost thing). Lumines is also great. I'm going to be brave and try the Witcher 3 and see how good that is next…

I have downloaded the demo for Bananza to give it a try. Am I right in thinking for MK World for any of the online stuff you'd need a Nintendo online pass? And if so, has anyone played online recently and is it a cluster fuck of people exploiting shortcuts and the game mechanics to make it totally unapproachable for a newcomer? I do think FMX Fusion and Sonic Crossworlds maybe are enough arcade racing for the time being…. but I do sort of feel a pull to get MK World.

Am I right in thinking for MK World for any of the online stuff you'd need a Nintendo online pass?

I still have a couple of slots in my family group if you're wanting in on that.

That's very generous. If I drop the dollah on MK I might take you up on that x

Bananza. Well. It looks nice and it's very satisfying, but was it people here who said it was one of the only games they'd played that gave them motion sickness? Because after 10 minutes of the demo I wanted to hurl. Camera too close perhaps? Either way, that's off the list…

Great shout on XCOM 2, I also have it on Switch but it ran so badly that I never really played it. Haven’t tried it on Switch 2, I will have to give it a go.

It's quite startling - frame rate improved, memory leak gone (as I think that was a handheld issue and it's essentially running the TV code) and frame rate seems well above 40 so VRR is kicking in.

It still is maybe PC Low settings, but on a small screen it looks great.

Yeah the motion sickness with Bananza is mad. The camera is really close to DK, and it's constantly trying to auto correct, dragging your view in directions your brain isn't expecting. I think it's the only game I've ever had motion sickness on.

It's worth powering through though, it is a fun time.