Nintendo switches it up

By Kurlis Mati

Nintendo has released a new hybrid console that can be used at home or on the go.

The Nintendo Switch game console was released March 3. The console is built into a portable seven-inch tablet and can also be played on the television with the Nintendo Switch Dock. The console was released with much fanfare to the Windsor gaming community.

Many Nintendo fans in the Windsor area stood in line waiting for the new piece of hardware including George Villedas, 18, a long-time Nintendo fan. He says the main reason he was in line for the Switch was because of the new games coming out such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

“The launch lineup seems pretty small, but I think the overall hype of the games that are to come, carry [the system] through,” said Villedas. “ My favorite game for the Wii U was Splatoon so Splatoon 2 is definitely on my list.”

The console comes with two Joy-Con controllers that can be connected to the controller grip when hooked up to the television. The Joy-Cons can also be connected to the tablet when taking the console on the go.

According to Kris Darbison, an employee of EB Games at Tecumseh Mall, they have had over 40 pre-orders at their location and  pre-orders were sold out as soon as they were available.

“Being the first ever home and portable console is huge,” said Darbison. “Being able to play ‘A-list titles’ on the go is amazing.”

According to Nintendo’s press conference about the Switch, they are working on improving their relationship with game creators and third party game companies. In addition, the console has smaller cartridges instead of CDs like their competitors,Sony and Microsoft.

Jordan Girard, a lifelong Nintendo fan and EB Games employee, said the change from CDs back to cartridges is an interesting move on Nintendo’s part.

“It’s classic, the market loved the nostalgia with the Nintendo Classic edition so to go back to cartridges, it touches on that nostalgic bone in people,” said Girard. “I also feel like it would be a lot more difficult to pirate games on cartridges in comparison to CDs.”

Game console companies continue to use the advancements in technology to create  new and innovative ways to keep their consumers happy.