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There are still some that bemoan the fact that the Nintendo Revolution became the Wii; it's an interesting perspective to take, as it's quite likely the console would have been hobbled by a clunkier name. Think about how iconic the brand became, right from the start, with Wii Sports. Would Revolution Sports have had the same ring to it? Remember, also, that Nintendo's reasoning was to pick a name that was pronounced the same worldwide and would portray fun through its simplicity and the very sound itself. It just worked.

Revolution was a terrific codename, nevertheless. As Satoru Iwata explained at the time of its reveal the console was all about changing how we play games and, in the process, making them accessible to an entirely new group of gamers. In many respects the DS started it with its touchscreen, but few gaming experiences are as instinctive as bowling or playing tennis on the Wii. That simple act, the illusion of recreating familiar actions in a game (prior to the added precision of Wii MotionPlus the effect was relatively illusory) captured the imaginations of millions of gamers. In the case of Wii and beyond, 'gamer' has meant a wider demographic than it did in past generations.

Of course, with the cleverness of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk there were some negatives, namely plastic tat accessories and some waggle-tastic games that were sloppy, to put it generously. Nevertheless the positives easily outweighed the negatives; not only did the Wii generation bring more people into gaming, but it gave us terrific controls in some 'core' games; just play Metroid Prime Trilogy to see how handy the pointer and Nunchuk setup can be. There was also the rather simple Classic Controller / Pro too, which clipped into a Remote and served as a basic conventional controller.

Still a standout in Wii U GamePad implementation

The Wii U, for its part, ditched simplicity for variety. Out of the box it offered the GamePad, which was full of a lot of tricks and in theory blended the best of the DS, Wii and 3DS into one. Motion controls, a touchscreen / second screen, physical button inputs including dual analogue sticks (which was missing in the default Wii control options) and a bit of amiibo scanning as a bonus. When used well the GamePad was a triumph, offering asynchronous multiplayer but also a pleasing dynamism to single player games, such as the real-time inventory management in ZombiU. In fact, a complaint with the Wii U edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is that the initially-teased use of the controller for a dynamic map and so on was dropped in favour of accommodating the single-screen limitations of the Nintendo Switch.

The confusion with Wii U, some suggested, was with less savvy consumers eager for multiplayer gaming. As the system supported most Wii controllers and struggled to distinguish itself as a new brand its identity became a mess. Nintendo enthusiasts would dig out old Wii Remotes etc easily enough, but those that hadn't been Wii gamers and didn't follow games media may have been left a tad baffled by what controllers to buy. This writer doesn't entirely agree that was an issue, but some did make that point back in 2012 / 2013; the Wii U's identity crisis, we'd suggest, went much further than branding on Remotes.

In any case, what's intriguing as the Switch settles in is just how flawlessly it resolves a number of those 'issues'. In creating a new line of hardware there are no branding concerns, for one thing. Plus, the obvious point is that the Joy-Con controllers have changed the game, and play an integral part in the whole concept of 'switching' beyond the obvious hook of going from portable to TV play. There's a reason that rumours - we suspect with little real foundation at this stage - are doing the usual rounds saying that Sony are contemplating a Switch-like concept. That seems like a longshot considering the priorities the likes of Sony and Microsoft have in the gaming market, but the point is that Nintendo has found a way to deliver impressive flexibility that turns heads, and the Switch controllers are key to that.

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As many point out the idea of detachable controllers is hardly new - many clip-on controllers of various shapes and types have been released for smartphones and tablets over the years. The key point for Switch is that the mechanism for attaching and detaching is solid and is designed not as an optional feature, but as integral to the concept. Equally key is what the Joy-Con can do, which is pretty much everything. The right Joy-Con can scan amiibo, while both have physical inputs to suit vertical or horizontal control schemes, along with motion controls and HD Rumble. The pack-in Grip then turns them into a conventional controller, albeit one with the same tricks of rumble and motion. As a result, a simple slide and click motion with the left and right Joy-Con allows Remote-style gaming or, alternatively, a standard dual-stick controller. The recently shown off control options for ARMS highlight this flexibility rather nicely. Let's not forget that key selling point, of course, that the Joy-Con provide Remote-style multiplayer out of the box for various games; a downside, some suggest, is that some consumers may think this will apply for all games, whereas multiplayer in something like Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition needs two sets of controllers.

Beyond that Nintendo has finally brought the Pro Controller up to speed. With the Wii Classic Controller / Pro and the Wii U Pro Controller we lacked some functionality from the primary controllers for each console. The Switch equivalent is pricey, for sure, but it delivers pretty much all the core features of the Joy-Con (aside from functioning as a pointer) - it was pleasing at early preview events in January when a game like Splatoon 2 was demoed with the Pro Controller. Whatever controller sets you buy as extras, in other words, they all share the same impressive feature-set. Of course let's not forget the console's touchscreen, either, which does open the door for portable-only games and apps, such as Voez. It wouldn't be surprising to see the role of the touchscreen expand in months and years to come.

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When Nintendo pitched the Nintendo Switch in January, part of its presentation highlighted the system as an evolution from 30 years+ of home console hardware design from the company. It's an intriguing point, and it can be argued that it also incorporates core ideas and principles from Nintendo's history of portables; after all, Switch is a hybrid; its design also plays into very current trends. The tablet form factor of the system makes it immediately familiar and interesting to a huge audience, as we all interact with smart devices such as phones and tablets on a daily basis. 

It's going to be fascinating to see whether the initial interest and high demand for the Switch converts into impressive and long-term success; we don't yet know, of course, whether it will be a Wii-scale success or whether there are struggles ahead. Early signs are good, but it's never wise to get over-confident.

Nevertheless, there's reason for optimism. As a system the Switch seems to intrigue and draw in consumers from a broad spectrum. The sheer variety of how we'll be able to play and experience games over the next few years plays into that wide-reaching appeal. Nintendo has smartly (like in the past and similarly to hardware rivals) used familiar technology, allowing third-parties to also contribute. We saw lots of interest today in the news that 8Bitdo pads have been updated to support Switch, for example, which is great for those that want to recreate nostalgic retro-style experiences.

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Moreso than Wii, Wii U or indeed consoles from before the days of mainstream motion and touch controls, the Switch delivers a truly dynamic and diverse set of control options. It's easy to forget at this early stage, especially as many of us have young games collections that use 'standard' controls, but in the months and years to come more games and apps will show off the diversity of how we can play games on the Switch. From handing out Joy-Con controllers for a bit of local multiplayer, to swinging our arms around or maybe opting for a third-party retro pad for some nostalgia, we'll be able to do it all on Switch.

And that, we suggest, is rather exciting.