Nintendo Switch Event Recap First off, the Nintendo Switch launch event was fantastic. They had demos for most of the games (Xenoblade 2 and Mario Oddesy did not make an appearance) and they had different scenarios set up that showed off the Switch's various modes. Handheld, tabletop, controller, pro controller and Joycons were all used variously through each. I'm just going to run down my experience. I walked in and I was shocked to see a Bomberman demo. That was the first thing I tried out. They only had the battle mode to display but it was classic knock out Bomberman. I played using the pro controller, other used the Joycons. The pro controller was how'd you expect, a classic game play. It was unsaid if the game would have a campaign mode, but I'm crossing my fingers for it. The artwork they had for the demo displayed characters that I didn't see in the game I played. Next I ran to Breath of the Wild as that was obviously the main draw of the event. Each person got to play 20 minutes of the story. You could either roam around or you could follow the story, I chose to follow the story. Throughout the demo, the gentleman assisting me would change the controllers to show off how the game could be played in various ways. BOTW controllers: First he had me set up on the Joycon controller (the controller where the two Joycons click with a game pad). I really liked that controller, it was a good substitute for the pro controller that I played Bomberman with. Had a similar feel. My only complaint would be that the joysticks felt small in comparison to the Joycon controller. Kind of like I expected a larger radius that the joystick could move but it was quite small. Next, about 5 minutes in, he switched me to the handheld mode. The two Joycons slide out of the controller pad and onto the console. The console clicks out of the dock and instantly the game appears on the screen. This definitely felt like a better WiiU gamepad experience. It wasn't as heavy as the WiiU gamepad and the screen was a much nicer display as it's not an LCD touch screen. This gameplay was fun, I could totally see myself undocking the console for some in bed game play or just on the go gameplay. The handheld experience was surprisingly better than I thought in that the whole console with the joycons attached isn't as large as I pictured. But that's nice, it won't be as obnoxious to play in public as I pictured. After this, the gentleman had me play with just the two Joycon's nunchuck style. This was my favorite game play as it freed my hands from a controller position and let me relax a little. I told the representative that it reminded me of a better Wii nunchuck experience. When he asked why I said because the Joycon's fit better in the palms of you hands. The wiimotes were long rectangular remotes, these are more shaped for you hand so it's like you're just playing from your hands. I could totally see myself hanging off the couch with my hands totally relaxed just roaming Breath of the Wild. BOTW gameplay: The gameplay is STUNNING. Not going to lie, the graphics are a little poor as most Nintendo games are. But the gameplay makes up for it. Right off the bat you're given some clothes and some heavy and light weapons. The combat feels very similar to Final Fantasy XI in that you're fighting enemies one on one. I can definitely see how shielding and dodging is going to be a big part of survival in this game. The combat is also similar to FFXI in that it feels sort of hack and slash but the animations change depending on the enemy and your location. It felt more intuitive than just running up to something and slashing it to death. The open world also reminds me of FFXI but more Skyrim and classic OOT/MM than anything. You can explore literally everywhere, like Skyrim. You see a mountain in the distance? Run toward it and check it out, don't be surprised if you don't survive on the way there though. The stamina is also a weird new addition as it depletes when you use heavier weapons and you can charge attacks to do more damage. It also depletes when sprinting. They're just following the modern gaming meta, most games now have this stamina bar. In addition, items are going to be pretty important in this game. You'll have to find better equipment to venture into dungeons and you'll have to craft potions. Oddly enough, my biggest positive comment is that picking up items is so quick. You know those games where spoils drop and you have to press "ok" when you pick it up? That doesn't happen. You just pick up spoils and it gets added to your bag. A small feature, but definitely appreciated. So, I played linear through the storyline for 20 minutes and the girl next to me decided to explore more. I wish I had explored more, she ended up finding some cool equipment and weapons. I can definitely see how you'll miss A LOT if you don't explore. Overall, it's going to be a great game and I'm going to be thinking about that 20 minute gameplay period until March 3. Next I got paired up to do 1-2 Switch with a group. I can definitely see the gimmicky portions of this, but I think it'll be a great game for parties. They demo'ed four modes: milking a cow, guessing the marbles, cowboy shoot out, and samurai. This presentation specifically showed off the Joycon's rumble and feeling. The samurai and shoot out games both test players reaction time and at the end of each match it'll show you how fast both player reacted. In the shootout game you're just doing an old western style shoot out and in the samurai game one player is given a sword and the other has to have the reaction time to defend when the opponent decides to swing. The milking the cow game was weird but hilarious, you use the Joycon in an upright position and squeeze it like you're milking an utter. The player who fills the most glasses wins. The last one was my favorite, it was a game where you had to guess how many marbles were in a box. So, you hold the Joycon in the palm of your hand and tilt it it side to side. You'll feel marbles rolling around and you have to guess how many there are. It was incredible, if you closed your eyes you would swear there was a box of marbles in your hands. Overall, these games were definitely gimmicks. But, great for a party with shots for the losers! Next I went to ARMS and to be quite honest, I think that was the underdog of the whole presentation. People we're skeptical at first, but as the morning went on people were getting so competitive and getting a hang of it. I went back twice to play and could see myself wanting more. Essentially it's a boxing game and each character has different gloves they can use. They range from boomerangs where your punch's swing could move in an opposite direction to a popper punch where three streamers pop out of a box to attack your opponent when you swing. The controls for this consist of two Joycon's held upright so your thumbs are resting on the L and R trigger/bumper buttons. Kind of like you're holding two palm length joysticks. The movement is actually a lot easier to learn than I expected. To move you tilt your controllers and jump/dash to avoid attacks. There are also 5 characters (many of which look like Overwatch characters. The mech one is definitely DVa) with different skills and specials. At the end of the day it's a pretty simple concept, swing your punches and block to defeat your opponent. I heard a lot of people saying they can see this game becoming an esport competitive game and I agree. The $60 price tag is a little high for this game honestly, I'll be interested to see if they add new characters or a campaign. I also played Splatoon 2. I can't really give it an accurate review since I don't really know Splatoon. But it was fun! The representative said that this game is 2 years since the last one so the characters have clearly aged and look different. But it seems like the same old Splatoon, nothing too different other than it being on a different console. Last I wanted to try the table top mode. I hopped over to where they were demoing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in a simulation "airplane." Where you were given an airplane seat and a table in front of you with a Switch set up with the kick stand. The screen is pretty tiny, but if you're playing at a Starbucks or just in the park, it's perfect. I can totally see myself using the kickstand in bed, honestly. I started by playing with a partner, we both used one of the Joycon's to steer our Kart without a wrist strap. Meaning, we didn't have the plastic piece that comes with the Joycon to add a strap. This was interesting because the bumper buttons are still there, they're just at the top of the Joycon and are a little difficult to press. But with some time I got used to it. The Joycons are motion sensor so you could steer by tilting or by using the joystick. I preferred joystick. The Joycon sideways didn't feel too small in my hand but I can see if someone has larger hands how it might be a problem. Definitely a really really cool way to play a game on the go though! I also played Mario Kart this way solo so I was using both Joycons and that was also nice. Definitely a cool way to set yourself up to play if you're outside where you don't have to have the whole console on your hand and looking down. Now you can just set it up in front if you and play. And that's it! The event was only 3 hours and I'm surprised I got through that much. I totally recommend it but completely understand waiting. A lot of people I spoke to said they're going to wait for the next gen where there will most likely be better battery life. The battery life was a point of concern for everyone there. But with the universal charging port, there are definitely ways around it. Hope I was able to give you some kind of new information here!
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