Mainsaile

@JaxonH
It's not a matter of ONLY liking third party AAA games. It's a matter of liking BOTH 3rd party AND Nintendo AAA games. I know you know that. Nintendo doesn't want the crux of the best argument around third party support to be 'you probably don't need a SWITCH'...

Most people do like both, so if Nintendo wants SWITCH to have a wider install base, and thusly last longer, than they need to appeal more to 'most people' - not by compromising their own properties, but by doing what they're already doing to expend the brand (mobile, theme parks) and then by powering up their consoles.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE

Or get a PS4.

I'm not particularly deflated by a lack of COD's but a lack of everything other than gimped ports and third party shovelware? That pops my balloon AND more importantly it may very well leave the wider public generally disinterested.

Everyone that says "we don't need third parties" is basically saying "we don't need a wide install base or a long-lived console".

@Action51 Nintendo's nostalgia products generate more interest from non-gamers and lapsed gamers than their current products.

If the hardcore gamers can't even get one, then they will never realize their full sales potential. The news should be that they're flying off the shelves not that they literally never reached the shelves. That is what's damaging to the brand.

This is what I want to see - the JRPG legacy of the 3DS continue on SWITCH.

Didn't they say the same thing about Hyrule Warriors? I hope this does well, but I would have been a lot more interested in that.

I like him.

@Bolt_Strike
I was sad to see AM2R taken down; I think Nintendo should find a way to embrace some of these projects and their creators - they often look better graphically than what Nintendo offers, but I also think they did the right thing for their property.

As regards Reggie referring to AM2R as a commercial product, please see @introvert's excellent comment at #10.

They need to be back on the design team.

I think what people want out of Metroid Prime is slightly different than this but the open world and ambience they imagine should inform Prime 4's development and then the next game in the series should certainly aspire to their vision.

A game like that could make Metroid a mainstream success. Though they should sell well, most likely neither of the two much-anticipated forthcoming titles will quite do that. Could be wrong though. Prime on Switch could be gorgeous and complex.

@HappyMaskedGuy The best art is born out of adversity and diversity. Let's hope the next generation have their own under-appreciated forms that they have to make the case for to us old heads.

@Mogster Great examples. Creativity and console power are not mutually exclusive. Do Sony and Microsoft and developers for their respective consoles phone it in more often than Nintendo? Maybe. But Nintendo creativity needn't be stifled by a little extra horsepower. Nintendo can do a lot with a little but why should they? Games like Smash, Kart, Breath, and Odyssey would only be improved by extra processing in the background.

Yes. It's just what the WiiU should have been.

That said, I like both consoles, and love Nintendo.

I wonder if those extremely satisfied fit into one or both of these groups:

A. Own a Switch AND a PS4/XBox One
B. Are in the Pokémon generation

Not desperaging either descriptor but I wonder if those of us who are not as thrilled are:

A. One console kind of people
B. Older than the Pokémon generation - so like 35+

If I had a PS4 and a Switch and was therefore not missing out on any AAA titles I would be really happy with the presentation. As it is I'm still trying to decide whether to get a Switch or a PS4.

@Sakura
Just discovered and DL'd Broken Sword on my SGalaxyS. Love it. Point and click is my new old favorite thing. I played many of the classics to death in the 90's and hope to see tons of remasters on Switch.

Star Trek the 25th Anniversary, Hand of Fate, and every Telltale and Lucas Arts title please.

Excited for Syberia and Blacksad. I am digging point and click/graphic adventures these days and if Switch becomes a home for remakes, remasters, and new additions I may get one.

The best news.

@IceClimbers
Maybe most people only bought yellow instead of double-dipping.

@SwitchVogel @AlexOlney Did anyone notice the typos and strange grammar in the leaked concept slides for Mario + Rabidds:

"Turtle Shelves?"

"Twisted Mario's World"

"7 enemies archetypes"

ANYONE could be forgiven for thinking this was fake. Thoughts?

Seems like April Fools.

I hope Nintendo has a lot more up its sleeves.

It has not yet been prohibitive for most core fans or early-adopting tech connoisseurs but the price will have to drop to maintain momentum beyond a certain point.

It's still too expensive for me and I'm hoping sales slump prior to Christmas or just after because I won't purchase it at these prices. The price tag on the flagging Wii U was ludicrous though so Nintendo will be stubborn.

Microtransactions are for suckers.

@Mando44646
I am not on board with the Switch yet...I'm hopeful and waiting it out (it's way too expensive with far too few games). You're right, continuing support for my 3DS is making the waiting a lot easier. I think it's a poor decision.

The third question should be, "Do you think a lot of people who don't ever visit this site would be more likely to think of Switch as a viable option if it had Call of Duty: WWII and games like it?"

@Al_Godoy

Exactly. It is far beyond clear yet if this is a phenomenon like the Wii so games in the Summer and over the holidays will make the difference.

I personally think that it is on the cusp of being a lasting hit. That's just based on sales, my own evaluation of the core concept, and also on anecdotal awareness across all demographics in my personal sphere. It seems that significantly more people I know - peers, parents, and their kids - are aware and interested in the Switch than even knew what the Wii U was. The web seems to echo the trend I'm seeing personally.

I also think; however, that the novelty- and Best-Game-Of-All-Time-effect are obscuring any ability to predict a long-term trend. I think these two factors shouldn't be underestimated.

As much as people hate mentions of AAA titles and third party support, I think it's necessary. Maybe not. Maybe many of you are right and first party+concept can make it a smash but I still think price-point and a wide variety of games will make it or break it.

Exciting times!

FFXV
FFVII Remake
Kingdom Hearts Remasters
Bravely Third
Super Mario RPG 2

Looks fantastic.

@PlywoodStick

That's good news if your hunch is correct. Hope so!

Two questions:

Do you feel that the lack of an overworld detracts from V or focuses it?

And

What do you think the future fate of the franchise will be now that duel screens are becoming naught but a retro memory?

I'm hoping that with the portable and home console development teams now combined and with the software that necessitated that change finally out in the wild there will be a push like there was in 2012/13 for the 3DS. With all of their resources properly devoted to the Switch there's no reason for there to be a slow trickle of titles. I'm counting on E3 to convince me to get one.

@PlywoodStick @CrazedCavalier @Gorlokk @Honelith @Damo

I love seeing the RPG machine get more love but TROLL ALERT: I'm not that interested in the mystery dungeon series nor am I yet an SMT fan but came in here specifically to link to anyone that mentioned the lack of EO V news.

Why is there no mention of it anywhere? Anybody know? A thorough Google search yields crickets and tears.

So I have been hearing reports of very poor Switch wi-fi connection. Anyone own one and have an opinion?

If it's legit, how do you think it will impact events like the global testfire?

Perhaps they are looking for a series to take the place of Etrian Odyssey in the development cycle. I suspect that the series is on indefinite hiatus due to the death of duel screens.

EDIT: If it is indeed for the 3DS I retract the above supposition but I still wonder at the fate of EO in the future and also at the wisdom of continued support of the 3DS despite favoring it over an early Switch purchase.

@JHDK I think he was referring more to gimped versions of AAA titles like Ghostbusters and Call of Duty.

@Grandpa_Pixel
Awfully expensive for a handheld.

@DanteSolablood
Thanks. Not to get too far into the weeds, but I do hope that the innovative nature of the DS family carries over to Switch titles. The relatively lower power of Nintendo's portable family of systems seemed, astonishingly, to be a benefit rather than a hindrance. Developers got very creative (Etrian Odyssey springs to mind) and the results were impressive.

I wonder if the Switch hardware will nurture similar creativity. Will the next Mario & Luigi RPG in HD have the same charm without the retro-isometric look and the lovingly animated sprites? Maybe they won't abandon those elements? And what about dual screen titles like Mario Maker? Will they function as well without the touch screen or will there be a fair number of portable-only titles?

If they can address these questions and harness the possibility of the Switch as a portable and console device that both introduces new IP's and creatively iterates on franchises already established in both ecosystems then they can really succeed.

A reminder that buying a Switch is a risk. I am a Nintendo fan first, and while there are many understandable reasons why this slump is occurring (and also reasons to hope for a successful future) Nintendo has a lot of work to do to restore and then maintain post-launch momentum.

Even with the innovative tech and the well-earned praise it's received from the general public, the higher price tag attached to a Switch investment and the lack of a solid lineup of third party titles makes for a difficult sell to those outside the Nintendo fan base and also to those inside who are hesitant to pay something like $430 dollars for a system, a controller, and one game (especially if they feel wary due to the short life of the Wii U).

I'm rehashing the obvious but one can get a PS4 Slim with a bundled recent classic (Uncharted 4) and another brand new game of their choice for around $350. The debate about whether you NEED that pro controller along with your core Switch purchase is valid, but outside the fold most people will EXPECT it. I want it.

My point is that it's an expensive system and even hard copies of the software for the Switch seem to be considerably more expensive than the competition.

Add to that the fact that purchasing a PS4 or an Xbox One even this late in the generation guarantees years of support, upcoming AAA games, access to just about every indie title released, and a huge back-catalogue of excellent software.

Purchasing a Switch gives you access to one stellar title that shouldn't be underestimated. It also gives you the chance to play more powerful software on the go than has ever been possible. The Switch, too, carries the promise of titles sporting Nintendo's singular magic touch (Super Mario Odyssey). The surprise HD Rumble feature is also a winner as gimmicks go.

Personally I think "gimmicks" like the new rumble, motion control, duel screens, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D, and now console-gaming on-the-go can reinvent and reinvigorate the hobby but Nintendo's efforts are widely panned or ignored as often as they're wildly embraced for a variety of reasons.

It is still my opinion that the primary reason for this is that Nintendo systems for the last three generations are not powerful enough to support the big third party games. Yes, many of them are disposable, but many of them are unquestionably worth every unprejudiced gamer's time. We don't seem to have a system here that can both innovate like only Nintendo can AND support highly anticipated third party titles like Red Dead Redemption 2.

They call this "home console level gaming on-the-go" but in my opinion the open question is what kind of home console gaming they're talking about: take your Wii U with you? They need to shake off doubts surrounding that perception and how they do that will either ensure a stellar success or another middling few years for the company.

It remains to be seen what Nintendo has up its sleeve with third parties beyond five-year-old ports but the task now is to foster an affordable software lineup that makes use of the innovative software (in ways that generate AAA buzz of their own), and that incorporates outside developers.

As has been stated by many, E3 will be critical and announcements and releases for the holiday season will make or break the system.

@Spoony_Tech
Actually the issues should be found during product testing.

Everything looks like an add on mobile and the text is too small. Also screens auto-load to the bottom on my iPhone.

@MysticX

Firstly, the vast majority of people in the world want to "surf the web and do all that stuff" so Nintendo's market PROBABLY includes a fair number of people in that demographic. Like it or not, Nintendo IS competing for backpack real estate.

@Nintendo69 Unless they were waiting on the Switch lineup to finally pull the trigger on a new console.

Bad news and seriously an X in the cons column for getting the Switch. The checks are already so high in this PS4 pros column. Including the fact that PlayStation would be cheaper.

@ollietaro I missed the Pokémon craze by about 4-5 years in the 90's so there's no nostalgia there for me. I admire it from a distance but the free demos have been consistently unconvincing. I did just download yellow to see what I think but, yes, I passed on Sun/Moon.

Is there no 3D because of performance slowdown? In any case I may be softening my stance a bit for this game. The changes make it more appealing than going back to the PS2 version.

@bonham2 I agree, but 4K aside, do you think that the Switch versions of multiplatform titles will at least be on par with those currently being released on first edition PS4s or XBoxOnes?

Skyrim has been graphically and technically surpassed on those systems so it is a poor example of whether or not the Switch can keep up with current releases. If it can't I don't think devs will bother because people won't buy a gimped version of a AAA title.

It is a big problem for my decision making.

I like him.

My problem is that the Switch is being explained by so many as supplemental to your XBox or your PS4; which, might be OK and I hope it thrives. But it's not what I want and it's not priced like a supplemental system at all (especially considering peripherals) so I have to make a choice.

This is made further baffling because Nintendo is trying to sell it as a powerful home console that can travel if you want and they are holding back on the "portable" rhetoric. Well, if they plan on delivering huge HD experiences that can also be carried over to a small screen then games like Borderlands should be there and not be gimped. I still fear that Switch is a Jack of all Trades, Master of None.

@ollietaro DQ VII is a complete remake of the PSOne game. 2D to 3D. It's very attractive. I agree with you about these big releases late in the console's life cycle and I'm passing on all 3DS games not in stereoscopic.

@Azooooz, yes you can play these games everywhere but the question is still whether or not the specific home console software on offer here will be something a lot of people want to play ANYWHERE. As in AT ALL. Of course fans like me will want to play Zelda and Mario, but what about the more crucial and wider market? You reiterate Nintendo's claim that this is home console gaming on the go but by what standards will it be jugdged as real home console gaming?

Elsewhere folks are encouraging skeptics to cut this thing some slack because it's more of a seriously powerful portable rather than an underpowered home console. Which it is and which it will be perceived to be is a very open question. There will no doubt be a great many games that the Switch will inherit from development teams formerly devoted to the 3DS, but the hardware of Nintendo's portable lines was the inspiration for many of those games. Is the Switch unique enough to inspire the development of breakout titles like Etrian Odyssey or to be the home of successful remakes like Dragon Quest VII or of massively successful niche titles that boast modest graphics but still push systems (i.e. Pokémon).

It really boils down to whether the power disparity and resultant lack of third party support was really the main reason people remained uninterested in the Wii U and whether or not 3DS owners view it as a worthy successor.

I think it may not matter if you can play Mario in the park if you can't play Red Dead Redemption at all.

I was very excited, but stopped reading the review when I reached the bit about "2D through-and-through"; as the 3DS presumably winds down I want its last hurrahs to be in, um, 3D. I am the rare individual who never turns the scaler off and these late-life omissions remind me just how much I will miss the effect on the Switch. I have been compiling a shortlist of PS2 backlog games and this just moved onto it.

@Billsama,

The problem is that I get the point and love Nintendo and I would like the free time and money to have every system but I'm going to make a choice. Someone on here was throwing around some conflicting polling data and lambasting people for whining about their budget; basically, claiming that if you really love gaming you have multiple systems. That just isn't the real world for a lot of people. I hope Nintendo takes off with this (and that I get one as a gift) but my priority right now is trending toward a backlog including Fallout 4 and other games I've missed out on for basically a generation and a half.

Love my 3DS, and while I bought a Wii U for my brother and played many stellar first party titles over at his place, I never ended up buying one for myself solely because of the lack of third party support. The inherent charm of the DS family seems absent from the Switch and unless they really wow me with something unforseen and if there are no AAA releases or possibly worse, gimped versions of AAA releases, then this system just won't be for me. I hate it because I've been holding out on getting a PS4 for half a generation waiting on the NX announcement.

Picked it up upon GameStop price drop. Excellent and charming indeed. The 3DS era of JRPG's has been so great that it could go on for another generation as far as I'm concerned. A bit worried that the Switch is much less suited to this continued genre revival.

As long as the ports aren't gimped.

All I can say is that if this console allows me to play full versions of Skyrim and potentially Fallout 4 on the same console as Zelda and Mario...and on the go...it's mine.

If not, I hope it still soars while I play my shiny new PS4.