Nintendo Switch launch presentation finally answers many of the questions we had

Nintendo officially presented their new flagship console, the Nintendo Switch. The presentation answered many questions we had about the new console, while also showcased some of the games that may come out in the following months, or years.

Ever since the first official announcement, there has been a lot of speculation about games, specs, and especially the price and launch date. During the official launch, people in charge of different aspects of the console, as well as some of the games, showcased some of the features of its new game console, mostly focusing on some of the games that will most likely be released with the console, or in between the console’s official release and the end-of-the-year holidays this year.

While a most of the functionality had already been shown in previous weeks, the most important questions were finally answered; the price and the official launch date. The Nintendo Switch will be available in stores everywhere on March 3rd, 2017 for $299.99 USD.

Many were speculating the possibility of the price being about $50 cheaper, but considering this is both TV console and a handheld device, I’d say the price sound reasonable. Why do I say that? A decent Android tablet falls in the $300 range, so this is about right. I’m not saying it sounds affordable, but I really thought it would be selling for about $349.

As for pre-orders, Best Buy is already taking them right now. Walmart is also displaying a page for pre-orders, but it shows an “out of stock” message. As for other big sellers, like Amazon, the product page still shows no activity. Also, a lucky few will be able to pre-order them in person at the Nintendo store in NYC for a starting at 9am, but supplies are limited.

One question that was answered by the website is the look of the game cards. I thought they were going to be more like either an SD or Micro SD card, but it’s actually like this:

The console comes with 32GB of internal memory, and a portion of which is reserved for use by the system. Users can easily expand storage space using microSDXC cards, so that pretty much answers the question about downloading games directly into the console’s internal memory.

As for the games themselves, Nintendo says there are 50 different companies developing 80 games for the Switch. Here’s a quick look at some of the games mentioned in the presentation:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Probably the most expected game of the bunch. It will launch alongside the Switch on March 3. Amazon is already taking pre-orders for this game.

Super Mario Odyssey: A new 3D Mario in a “sandbox world,” similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. Released sometime this year around the holiday season.

1, 2, Switch: a multiplayer “party” game that makes use of the Joy-Con as motion controllers. It will be released with the Switch at launch.

ARMS: A boxing motion-based game where players box using characters that stretch their arms like springs. It will also be released with the console.

Splatoon 2: A sequel to the breakout hit “Splatoon,” a third-person shooter on Nintendo’s Wii U. It will be released sometime this summer.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: A remastered version of “Mario Kart 8” for the Wii U, with extra maps and new characters from the “Splatoon.” Released on April 28.

Other games mentioned include Project Octopath Traveler from Square Enix, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, a few games from the Dragon Quest series, and Bethesda announcing Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls for the Switch sometime in the future.

One thing to note is the battery life on handheld mode when playing some of these games. Intense games, like Zelda and Skyrim will probably make the battery last no more than 3 hours. The console may last up to 6 hours on non-graphic intense games.

I would’ve liked to see more in-game graphics and not as many in-game video or people doing magic tricks.

As for my general opinion, I think I’ll wait and see how it goes during the first few months, mostly because I fear this console might be mostly a testing ground and they might end up pulling another Wii U thing with a second version of the same console. Let’s hope I’m wrong.