Yummy
For reference only - this is not a Chinese Switch cart. It is yummy, though. — Image: Nintendo Life

What's the first thing you did when you opened up that launch copy of Breath of the Wild nearly three years ago? Before you popped it in your brand new Switch and lost 300 hours of your life to it, we mean. Could you resist giving it a little lick? Just us?

Well, if you managed to ignore the fact that each cartridge is coated in a bitter agent to discourage children, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and other pets from eating your games, you're stronger than us! Having recently launched in the Chinese mainland thanks to Nintendo's partnership with Chinese giant Tencent, it has now been independently confirmed by @zhaochen0507 that Chinese cartridges taste just as bitter and awful as they do in the rest of the world.

Interestingly, it has been suggested that the reason it took so long for the physical games to appear in the region was due to the bitter coating itself being scrutinised by the powers that be:

The launch of Nintendo's console in the territory has generated interest thanks to a 'bespoke' roll-out that has means the choice for Tencent Switch owners is rather slim at the moment. Going against the precedent in all other markets, games in this territory are also region locked to the Tencent Switch, so importing Rabbids Adventure Party isn't an option at present.

Still, with all these irritating differences it's pleasant to hear that regardless of where you live in the world, an official Switch cartridge will taste terrible. As opposed to those delicious 3DS cartridges we used to munch down like After Eights.

We've raised a few eyebrows by encouraging friends and family - perhaps a little too strongly - to give their games a shifty lick. Rumours that Denatonium Benzoate is the main reason we refuse to go all-digital are totally unfounded.

[source twitter.com, via twitter.com, gonintendo.com]