A video game system on the go
By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist
Nintendo was not doing great in the past few years, as the Wii U was not selling well. However, their next video game system seems to be the most innovative video game system that they have made yet, and it could change the way that we all play video games.
Nintendo announced the Nintendo Switch on January 12 in Tokyo. Before the announcement, a DJ warmed up the crowd with music, and then there was a laser show. Then the President of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima, announced that the Nintendo Switch will be a video game system that allows you to not only play games on your TV, but also on the go.
In TV mode, you can play games on the traditional TV. In hand held mode, you can play games like if you are playing a PS Vita or a Nintendo DS. In tabletop mode, you can play games by putting the system on a table, unattaching the controllers, and playing it wherever you are. The system has all of the innovative things that Nintendo made throughout its history, all in one system.
Switch General Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi explained and demonstrated one of the console’s key parts, the Joy-Con. The Joy-Con is like the Wiimote, except that it is smaller and it can be used in many different ways. When he demonstrated the features of the controller, it was my favourite part of the announcement, because it was very exciting and it showed that Nintendo could make a comeback.
In order to do online multiplayer gaming with the Nintendo Switch, you have to get an online subscription service that is similar to Xbox Live Gold and Playstation Plus, which ends an era of free multiplayer gaming for Nintendo systems.
They then announced the games that will be available for the Nintendo Switch. There are three games in the announcement that I think will be great. There is 1-2 Switch, which is like Wii Play, as it is a game in which you do various games, some even without looking at the screen. There is Super Mario Odyssey, which involves Mario exploring worlds outside the Mushroom Kingdom. There will also be a rerelease of Mario Kart 8 for the system with multiplayer features.
We also get the answer to the question that many Zelda fans were asking: When will The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild be released? The answer is at launch on March 3. The preview of the game looks like a preview of Game of Thrones and in the game, Link talks for the first time.
The Nintendo Switch is the most innovative video gaming system that Nintendo has ever made and it looks like a lot of fun. Most importantly, Kimishima announced that the Nintendo Switch will be released on March 3 for $299.99, or $399.99 in Canada.
