Nintendo Switch: all of the news announced in Tokyo – The Verge

The Nintendo Switch won’t have Netflix or other streaming apps at launch

2017-01-20T00:36:21-05:00

Nintendo's focus at its Switch event last week was on the hybrid portable/home console's lineup of games, with next to no information on the operating system or other functionality. Now, via some answers provided in response to questions asked by Kotaku, the company has revealed a little more information - but stayed quiet on a lot.

Here are a few things we've learned:

The Switch won't support any video-streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu at launch. "All of our efforts have gone toward making the Nintendo Switch system an amazing dedicated video game platform," the company says, although this functionality is "being considered for a future …

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The best thing about Nintendo Switch is its slick new controller

2017-01-13T14:34:48-05:00

I spent about 10 minutes strolling through the lush green fields of Hyrule before I decided to change things up. I was playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild through a Nintendo Switch docked with a nice big television, which created an impressive sense of scale, showcasing just how huge of a world was out in front of me. But I didn't feel like being tethered anymore. I deconstructed my controller, snapped its pieces on the side of the Switch tablet, and within a few seconds I was playing a huge Zelda game on a 6.2-inch tablet.

One of the biggest selling points of the Nintendo Switch is its hybrid nature. It's a tablet that's fully …

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A closer look at the Nintendo Switch

2017-01-13T14:08:43-05:00

Nintendo finally unveiled launch details for its its new Switch console today (to recap: March 3rd worldwide for $299). While the pricing and availability are big news, the bigger news for me was the ability to actually play with the new console at an event in London. The console consists of a 6.2-inch 720p display, with the ability to attach two Joy-Cons to either side of the tablet portion. It's tablet hardware that's designed to be used at home in a special Switch Dock, or on the road with the Joy-Cons either attached or detached for wire-free play. There's even a Joy-Con Grip to house both the sections into a single controller.

I played …

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Nintendo’s motion-controlled Arms is a fun but frustrating fighting game

2017-01-13T11:41:44-05:00

As one of a handful of new games announced for its Switch console, Nintendo's fighting game Arms had pride of place in Tokyo today. I spent a few bouts getting acquainted with its motion controls, while getting punched in the face by an ultra-buff mummy with fizzing purple balls for fists.

Arms' control scheme is simple. Joy-Cons are detached from the base unit and held, one in each hand, in a thumbs-up pose. Tilting them forward sends your character walking forward, while backwards motion has them backpedalling. Lean them left and you'll sidestep to the left, tilt right to go right. Punch a Joy-Con forward and your character will throw a c …

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Watch Nintendo demo Switch games live

2017-01-13T10:17:37-05:00

Last night, Nintendo announced a slew of games for its new Switch console. Today, the company is demonstrating many of those games live on YouTube and Twitch. At the time of publish, the team is playing match after match of the wacky boxing game ARMS. The stream will show other games throughout the day.

A list of demonstration times isn't currently available, but we expect to see demos of 1-2 Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Fire, and Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo execs and creators tend to appear on important Nintendo Treehouse streams, so don't be surprised if Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto or president of Nintendo of America Reggie …

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Watch trailers for 11 Nintendo Switch games, including Mario and Zelda

2017-01-13T09:15:02-05:00

At last night's Nintendo Switch press conference, the game publishers showed a mixture of sequels, new games, and third-party staples. The roster provides the first real look at Nintendo's software strategy for the first year of the Switch.

The sequels appear to bolster the catalog. The long-delayed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally has a serious release date, launching alongside the console on March 3rd. After years of 2D and 2.5D iterations, Mario will appear in a fully 3D open-world adventure called Super Mario Odyssey. And Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe appear to build off the great, but under-appreciated games designe …

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The Nintendo Switch launch games lineup is disappointing and needlessly confusing

2017-01-13T09:10:01-05:00

In less than two months, Nintendo will release the Switch, its follow-up to the troubled Nintendo Wii U console. The new hardware certainly looks more promising than its predecessor's did. The Switch's hybrid console/portable concept promises a future in which players race in Mario Kart 8 and battle in Splatoon 2 whenever and wherever they like. But on March 3rd, it remains unclear which games will be available.

The only two games promised for launch during the January 12 press event were The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and 1-2-Switch. The former was meant to be a Wii U game, but after many delays, the title was tweaked so it could …

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo’s Skyrim

2017-01-13T09:07:55-05:00

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is less than two months away, we found out today, and will be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. I got the chance to finally play Nintendo's next huge RPG in Tokyo today, taking control of main character Link for what appeared to be the first 20 minutes of the game - essentially a playable version of the demo we saw at E3 last year. What I found was a game that felt like a classic Zelda, but was also more clearly influenced by trends elsewhere in the games industry than other 3D titles in the series.

It takes place in an open world and you can collect mushrooms

It takes place in an obviously open …

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Nintendo’s Switch already gets right what the Wii U got wrong

2017-01-13T08:00:04-05:00

There are still a lot of questions about Nintendo's Switch, and the Kyoto gaming giant has everything to prove. But after spending a few hours in the hybrid console's company this afternoon in Tokyo, I think Nintendo might be onto something. At the very least, there's evidence that the Switch is a more credible effort than its predecessor, the Wii U, which was Nintendo's biggest home console failure to date.

I say that because of product decisions that cut to the core of how each system is used. With the Wii U and its tablet-style GamePad controller, developers essentially had two options - beam the same image from the TV to the portable sc …

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How to preorder the Nintendo Switch right now

2017-01-13T02:39:44-05:00

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Nintendo finally revealed all the important details about its new Switch console today, and preorders for the device are already live. If you'd like to get your hands on the $299.99 console when it launches on March 3rd, you can head over to Target or Best Buy to place an order. The Switch comes in two variations right now. One is a standard gray model, and the other is a "Neon" version with blue and red Joy-Con controllers. The company is also conducting a limited preorder run at its Nintendo World location in New York City, but online orders are probably a safer bet at this point.

As for launch games, Amazon has listings up for high-profi …

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