DrMonk

It took a while to get working and seemed to cut out after 10 minutes of working (this happened a couple of times, maybe it's my receiver switching off due to no signal?). It obviously a better experience than Labo VR, although no head tracking of course. Seems like a good way to play Breath of the Wild in stereoscopic 3D, if you're into that. Obviously the resolution drop is still there (not sure if it's getting a resolution bump when going through the dock). I also tried using the 3D mode of my TV and that works to decode the VR signal into a stereoscopic image too, though drastically less immersive and limited to a little fisheye lensed letterbox mode. Anyway, I'm tempted to play more on PSVR and see if I can get it to maintain the signal, as fights were pretty intense in that immersive 3D view!

My biggest complaint is that there are no two-player co-op tournaments (online or offline). Multiplay is limited to free play mode, which also has the tiebreak scoring. This seems like a huge omission and honestly something I assumed would just be in the game when I bought it. I agree the lack of rule controls for games is also frustrating. It's just weird, it wouldn't have taken much to include these options.

There is a small change indicated here, which is like allowing you to play on any console, but is really leveraged through the cloud save feature. So with the change you can have all your saves on all your consoles, and just use the one that has the digital content you want. For example, you could use one switch for physical games and one switch for digital games across multiple users/accounts, rather than having your saves locked to one and having to activate/deactivate primary switch's to give access to digital content. I don't, however, think this means they'll let you have more than one primary switch for digital content, but it gives you more flexibility to manage this across multiple players in your household.

Like many people here, I've really enjoyed your articles over the years Tom. Often when reading an article I would think 'this is really well written' - only to look up and see your name. Sorry to see you go as a fan of your work, but hope you enjoy the new challenges and opportunities ahead!

@BulbasaurusRex You do fire the direction you're facing and don't have to use the right stick if you don't want to (but it allows you to move and fire in a different direction). There is also single joy-con support.
@Toadie No, if you are single player you play alone. When additional players join in the enemies become more numerous and harder.

Can anyone answer my questions? Has anyone tried local wireless play?

My partner and I have poured 20+ hours into this already, and despite running into several bugs and the mentioned save issues we have had heaps of fun (almost finished our second play-through, still have one more character to unlock). We have a second switch and have wondered if there are any advantages to using local wireless - is the screen view the same and are you still locked to the same area during battle? Has anybody tried this?

First one is so hard - Mario 64 and OoT are two of my favourite games of all time. In the end I had to pick Mario because of what it achieved mechanically, but both are so magical for me it's hard to compare. Other generations are easier - Wind Waker trumps Sunshine, TP and Skyward Sword trump the Galaxies (probably the two best Zelda games in terms of storytelling), Wii U Mario wins again since Zelda basically had nothing new (sorry, I count BotW as Switch gen to be able to compare there). And finally, with the last two games the decision is hard again. Mario still needs more time to work on me, but I find myself going back to Zelda even when Mario is unfinished. For me, BoTW is the game of the year, and Mario is so close but hasn't quite taken the same giant leap ahead that Zelda did.

Yeah, old news, but is exciting to see Nintendo reaching out through Asia again. Nintendo disappeared from Taiwan during the Wii U era, and I know a lot of gamers are excited for Switch there. Also good to see more language support options with these launches.

I was trying to do some searches the other day and was delighted to see more sorting options in the overall list view (e.g. sort all games by popularity or price). However, I couldn't search by the attributes of the game, which would be quite easy to set up. For instance, I was trying to search for games that are 2 or more players in the local wireless category, or you could sort for games by supported mode (touch for example), etc. They have this information for each game in the database so wouldn't be that hard to set up.

Take it easy guys. They are a team of four and I'm sure they'll work to make the game the best it can be on Switch. If they weren't Nintendo fanboys they wouldn't have worked so hard to get the game out on Switch as a timed exclusive.

@ThomasBW84
Just a heads up the developer name is Team Shifty. Cool group of ex-Halfbrick guys based in Brisbane.

This is a huge concern for me, and I think they need something generous to get the hardcore on board. Ideally it would go back to Wii (to incentivise that larger install-base) but Wii U/3DS is needed at a minimum. Since they seem to be branding this as more of a home console, and the 3DS is still alive this year, I am thinking there will be upgrade/transfer options from Wii U rather than 3DS. A fee would not be a surprise, but really they should have figured licensing out on Wii U and be able to offer VC titles for free to those that have purchased them on prior systems as they are released on Switch.

Not surprised either. It enhanced gameplay in some very limited contexts on Wii U (Zombi U, Splatoon, maps, Nintendoland), but honestly it always felt too separated and I'd prefer to pause than leave the top screen hanging while I figure things out on the bottom screen.

I would be amazed if the screen doesn't have touch capability. There's no reason not to support it, and I think consumers now expect that with any tablet-like device. Likewise, wouldn't we all be amazed if this thing doesn't have an internet browser? Forgoing touch would also limit backwards compatibility through virtual console.

It seems like the functionality of the Apple Watch app is being purposefully limited (fitness focused rather than pokemon/experience/item focused) to make this device more worthwhile

FYI if you go to buy a solo game through the regular process the bunny will also offer the combo deal instead... it is a bit hidden but it seems like it at least offers you that option before you waste any money on a solo buy.

My favourite from the original trilogy. I've rebought this game three times though and can't justify doing it again. Lack of cross-buy or a commitment for future support (e.g. On NX) has to be killing the sales for these games.

All I really want in terms of options to add friends is the ability to add from my existing friend lists on Wii U/3DS... figured this would have been in the initial release, because these are the people that are most likely to still be using the app. It does still need to be much faster though, and the rort that is miitomo drop needs to be fixed.

Nevermind, it seems the Fire Emblem Fates discount will apply to "purchases" (plural) from the eShop. Here's the precise wording: "My Nintendo members will also be able to exchange 20 Gold Points for a 10% discount for Fire Emblem Fates ahead of its launch, with the discount applied for purchases from Nintendo eShop between May 21 and June 16." So potentially that's worth $12 in Australia (or more if it covers DLC), almost as much as you spent to get the 20 gold coins in the first place.

Wish they were clearer with what the Fire Emblem Fates discount applies to. Does it mean Birthright or Conquest, or both and anything within the valid time period?

@oberkron
Sorry mate, they eventually refunded the purchase so I tried again with a different payment method and got the Aussie codes this time. Supposedly I got US codes because I paid with US paypal.

@Starwolf_UK Yeah man, thanks. No reply yet (it's been about 24 hours).

I bought for AU/NZ but it's given me US codes that are useless to me

I already bought all these games on Wii U. I can't believe they aren't launching cross-buy already. Surely Nintendo Account or My Nintendo will do something about this, but then pretty crappy to make you pay right before it launches!!

I am one of the weird ones that never played this before. I hadn't read any guides before playing but had heard anecdotally about some of the mechanics (like the need to find shelter at night, for instance). I found it so addictive that I ended up spending 10 hours playing in my first session. I guess it's not for everyone, but I can understand now why this has become a worldwide phenomenon.
So, when you die do you spawn in your original spawn point? Is there a way to spawn inside the shelter that you've built for yourself?

I would love this. I think I now actually prefer this game to both Skyward Sword and Wind Waker. Was just thinking how I wished I'd never sold my Wii copy, or that they would release it on the eShop... but a HD remaster would be even better!

To be clear to everyone freaking out about Wii U, they only announced this now as they couldn't announce such a large shift in strategy without reiterating their dedication to in-house development and serious gaming hardware. They may very well (as Iwata said) say nothing more on NX until next year, and probably not until mid-next year. That would mean a 2016 reveal, 2017 software focus and late 2017 launch at the earliest. In other words still almost two years of Wii U lifespan. And it may not directly compete with Wii U either... if the idea is very different (like a hybrid platform) it may interact with Wii U and/or sit along side it for a while until it builds in strength (if it is an isolated platform).

Sorry if this has already been pointed out, but don't have time to read all the comments here. Look at the colouring in the infographic. Wii U is a similar colour to the tablet, 3DS is a darker blue, and NX is a shade of blue in between the two. Surely this can't be unintentional, when the other platforms are clearly different colours. I think this basically confirms NX as a hybrid handheld/console platform (it may even be N for Nintendo and X for 'cross' as in cross platform, rather than 'ex'). It could be they won't completely abandon 3DS and Wii U until they are confident NX will gain a foothold (like the third pillar DS approach). It sounds like from this new discussion that they now see a dedicated gaming platform as one pillar they can support, and they want to use the other devices to capture gamers and lead them there. Removing the handheld/home console distinction/decision in the next generation makes this argument much clearer to the average consumer (and obviously has huge development benefits). Fascinating move by Nintendo... can't wait to explore more and analyse it further.

Played a couple of hours of this so far... very impressed with it. Was turned off by the style in early trailers but it makes sense once you see the narrative and how it looks in 3D. By the way... credit earned in this demo will transfer to the full game, and unlike other demo's it actually saves your progress. Seems there is a fair bit of content here.

@liljmoore just eShop download. Just like putting the Wii disc in except it goes straight to the game and back out again (rather than through the Wii menu).
@unrandomsam I was wondering that... that's really the only game. I mean it's cool 'cause I never played it but was hoping there were more games that would be playable with Gamepad/Pro controls.

@stefostyle umm yeah, it's either side of the camera on the front of the gamepad. It becomes active in Wii mode if you choose 'TV and gamepad' or in some games that use it like golf in Wii Sports Club and in Wii Party U. You could just sit your gamepad underneath your TV and use that as a sensor bar if you want.

@RaphaBoss Yeah, seems like it is a bit delayed there... other people were complaining about it earlier. Noon was mentioned earlier... not sure if that's East coast or West coast time though.

@BaffleBlend Ahh, good question. I think the only NWFC game on the list is the sharing of friend tokens in Metroid Prime Trilogy? My guess is this will still be lost, since the game is just playing in Wii mode.
@rjejr what you describe sounds amazing! I wish they would do that too... my Wii U menu would be so full!
@stefostyle yeah, or you can use the gamepad's built in sensor bar
@RaphaBoss It's highlighted at the top on the main page in Aus... I'm guessing it hasn't launched in your region yet...

@Whopper744 I already confirmed above - save data carries over from the Wii mode. No need to restart games you previously owned.

@Kaze_Memaryu analog triggers on the touchscreen (well back touch surface) is what PS vita does to emulate analog triggers when playing a PS4 game remotely... but yeah, front touch screen would be weird. I don't see anything that is too much development effort happening on Wii U unless sales increase dramatically - it's just not worth it.

@rjejr yeah... it's a bit sad they couldn't do more with this... It is just running on the Wii chip on the console, and using the Wii U's hard drive as the disc reference. If it was emulated they could have changed the Wii menu to at least say "Return to Wii U menu" rather than "Return to Wii menu".

You can't even press the HOME button on the gamepad - same notification shows up - "Wii software cannot be controlled with the Wii U gamepad"... I assume this will turn into the Wii home button for classic control compatible games though.
I'm wondering if it's worth trying to trade Metroid Prime Trilogy disc in tomorrow morning (before they adjust the price) and see if I can get more than AU$13 for it!?

Also, FYI, full colour manual (a la GBA titles on Wii U) available at game launch, but not during play. The game shows up in the quick start menu, but you can't just start it from the gamepad since you need to select the 'TV only' or 'TV and Gamepad' icons on your TV.
@TruenoGT @Azooooz It would be great to extend this to disc games from the Wii U menu, but that would require a system update for each game (or an eShop download or something). Seems unlikely...

It will be interesting to see if it really does make the games visually crisper. I have Metroid Prime Trilogy on disc, so could compare with that, but don't have Mario Galaxy 2 to compare. Unless there is a visual difference it seems it's only worth getting games you don't have on disc or games that supported classic controller.

@Eight-Bit-Yoshi you can't use the gamepad as a controller (unless the game supported classic controller), just as a display like regular Wii mode on Wii U

No Wii U features available during play. Same Wii menu when you hit home, but that takes you back to the Wii U menu instead. Says 1080p resolution and looks very crisp but no texture changes, just sharper (I don't have the disc version in Wii mode to compare). The game is not available in Wii mode (only through the Wii U menu). Still forces you to prove you have a Wii remote ready when going into the game, and you can choose TV only or TV and gamepad. It is not playable with Gamepad controls (since Mario Galaxy 2 wasn't)... I'm guessing that means DKCR is still Wiimote only

Galaxy 2 Out on Aussie eShop and downloaded (1.3GB). It recognises the save files on your Wii menu on Wii U, so no need to restart games you've owned in the past.

Yeah, I call foul on this... can't reproduce it on my Aussie New 3DS XL either.

Needed to do a very quick system update on the new 3DS before transferring (my old one was already up to date).
New 3D is great!

The touch screen feels more sensitive to finger touch (more like the Wii U... maybe even better).

All European and Oceania countries can be selected during setup.

@mr12calvin so right off the bat, it supports all the European languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portugese and Russian).

Interestingly it has a shorter but thicker stylus (talking about new XL compared to old).

@smashbrawler It is very comfortable to hold, even compared to the old XL. Smooth all around the edges. D-pad and circle pad moved up slightly which feels great in my hands. I only held a new 3DS (small) briefly, so can't really compare to that. That did seem small compared to the XL though, which is what I'm used to... but I do have big hands.

Just a few hours now...

@Kaine_Morrison Nintendo's support FAQ for the new 3DS (live on the Nintendo Australia site) outright states the SDXC format cards are not supported. It lists a few microSD and microSDHC cards that they've tested as being compatible.

Vooks got early review hardware. I'll be picking mine up in 26 hours (at the official launch time), so if anyone has questions I'll be happy to answer them then.

Yup, not buying now. If it had wider functionality then it was a must buy.

@GamerZack87 Apparently some Aussie Club Nintendo users did get the set of four codes. There's exchange of them across multiple sites, and the codes appear to be specific to the Aussie eShop (i.e. Europe codes don't work). I didn't get them though, and I'm a pretty heavy Nintendo user subscribed to all announcements.