Feature: Switching It Up In NYC at the Nintendo Switch Event

Steve Bowling, Narelle Ho Sang and Lee Meyer share some thoughts on the press and fan event for Nintendo Switch in New York.

Nintendo's New York Switch event took place in the heart of midtown Manhattan. Attendees were led up a staircase and funneled into a narrow hallway; on either end of the wall was a set of double doors, which Nintendo enthusiastically threw open as they greeted guests and invited them to play anything on the floor. The atmosphere inside wasn't unlike that of a night club; there was loud music and a DJ playing, complimented by dim lighting and neon spotlights.

Lounge chairs accompanied some of the game stations for fans to delve into demos for some couch co-op or competitive gaming. Others, like Splatoon 2 and ARMS, had standing kiosks for free range of movement to splat and pummel opponents. Mario was represented by a Super Mario Odyssey background and his new hat as a prop for fans to take pictures with; another game kiosk was set up as a Mario themed diner. A giant pink squid was also present for the Splatoon 2 demo stations. These Nintendo props and the plethora of gaming stations, in short, created a relaxed yet exciting gaming paradise, with quieter corners for games such as the announced localization of Puyo Puyo Tetris or the busier stations for ARMS.

When we first entered the Nintendo employees on hand applauded the guests and everyone in attendance hurried to the game in which they were most interested, which in most cases was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Eventually, as the event space filled it became abuzz with eager anticipation with delighted fans and curious press outlets playing together. Strangers tested out ARMS, duking it out for two set matches, each with three rounds. At the end of some of those matches we heard enthusiastic players' thoughts on the games, prompted by questions from the very helpful Nintendo demo representatives. Fans also shook hands with congratulatory "good game" declarations to each other.

On the show floor the most popular games were the aforementioned ARMS, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Zelda. There was always a line for 1-2-Switch, which no doubt piqued interest thanks to its weird presentation and the oversized cowboy hats representatives wore to promote the game. No station was ever quiet for too long, that said. There was genuine excitement in the air for everything, including smaller titles like Puyo Puyo Tetris.

Nintendo set up the various games with the Switch's different modes; tabletop mode was shown off with Snipperclips, for example, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was set up using every available system configuration. It was interesting to see how gamers took to playing games in tabletop mode. At one point we sat down to play Snipperclips and one of us played with a complete stranger. It was awkward trying to exercise great teamwork with someone we'd just met, but any discomfort was put to rest as we had fun completely screwing up and getting unexpected results. Splatoon 2, meanwhile, had both TV and portable setups, both of which seemed equally popular among guests.

1-2 Switch was housed in an enclosed chamber for participants to be able to hear the sound cues the game relies upon. Up to 6 people were invited in at any given time. While party games can be a bit awkward for strangers to jump into, our groups warmed to the idea quickly. The cow milking game was probably the biggest hit for its sheer weirdness, spurring competitive gaming in the best, unexpected way. The experience of interacting with opponents directly via eye contact and not at the game screen is one that takes getting used to, but all it took was a little silliness to loosen everyone up and ease right in.

Overall, it was a grand time, with almost four hours of play with various offerings by Nintendo on its latest console. The setups for each station aptly showed the various ways the Nintendo Switch can be used with the games, showing off so many ways to play competitively, with co-op play and a focus on party options, too. When we walked out of the event it was already evening, with a mix of buzz from fellow excited attendees and the general hustle of New Donk...uhhh, New York City on a Friday night.