Clint Kelly
Game Designer
October 2016
10/20/2016
I'm going to be honest, today's post is going to be a little outside of my comfort zone, as I'm not primarily a console gamer. I'm PC through and through (PC MUSTARD RAAAAAAAAACE). Today's post is going to touch on a few things, but mostly my thoughts on Nintendo's new console, the Switch. For quite some time, Nintendo's been hush hush about a project publicly known as the "Nintendo NX". Rumors swirled all around gaming communities. "It's going to be another mobile console!" "It's going to be a phone!" "No, it's gotta be VR!" "It's just a shitty PC." And of course, as all rumors go, at least half of them were true, to a degree. I've provided the trailer below for reference and because...okay, this is actually really cool.
So what exactly is it? From the trailer we can confirm two things: it's mobile, and it's a console. It's both. In a beautiful hybrid of both worlds, the Switch can smoothly swap from one to another. The controller is variable. The screen is variable. How it's played is variable. This gives the player lots of choices, and as you know, I LOVE when the player has more choices. Makes me a a happy Vol.
Analyzing this trailer, the visual fidelity looks amazing, and I'm certain that the footage involving Breath of the Wild (the new Zelda title) is actual footage, the rest of it seems...too good to be true, at least for the mobile portion. I'm pretty sure the footage of Skyrim is simulated, rather than actually being played. It would stand to reason that while connected to the home dock, visual fidelity and hardware performance would improve, and while mobile, it would cut back on these to keep the product usable. Granted, an opportunity to play Skyrim or Fallout 4 on the go is kind of a personal dream come true.
I'm legitimately impressed by the product, because I've thought for several years now that Nintendo was quietly dying. Nintendo has stepped their game up, and will likely get my money again at some point in the near future. Also, props for not dying, Nintendo. What about your thoughts? Let me know in the comments section below!
Also, quick reminder (shameless plug time!), my album "Bonehead by Tonehead" is available on my music page for $2.99, and if you want to help support me, either buy a copy or donate using the button at the bottom of the screen!