Hey guys, Ultra here. So today I went to Dock 5 of Union Market in Washington D.C.
Why is this place important you may ask? Well if you read the thread title, or paid attention to Nintendo's site, you would know that this is where Nintendo hosted a event for people to try out several different games for the Switch, which I had the honor of being invited to.
This is basically just a run-down on all my first impressions on the Switch as a whole based on this event, and I'll break it into two categories; Controllers and Games.
CONTROLLERS
Portable Mode
Let me start by talking about just the console itself, when it is in portable mode. As a handheld device, it felt pretty big. I didn't do specific comparison pics since you can find those anywhere, but I will say that I have an IPhone 6 with a battery case and a New 3DS, and the Switch felt much bigger, it definitely won't fit in your pocket.
As someone who finds all the 3DS models (besides the 2DS) uncomortable, I will say that the Switch is about what I expected; the device is kinda flat so the device doesn't exactly melt into your hands, but it's still a big device, so holding it doesn't feel like your trying to shrink your hands or anything. The screen on the device is very crisp and clear, and games like Zelda and Splatoon look great on it. Finally, while it wasn't great or super intuitive, the motion controls while in portable mode work pretty well, and it's still failry comfortable to use in games like Splatoon.
Joycons
The joycons themselves can be detached from the unit by holding two buttons on the top-right rear of the console, and they attach to a grip to make a traditional controller.
The controller in this style is fine, but IMO, the Pro Controller is much better controller when it comes to wanting to game on the TV and just sit back. The joycons themselves also have HD Rumble, and I felt the rumble during Zelda and 1, 2, Switch (Milk.)
The rumble was ok, but nothing mind breaking, and honestly, it just felt like regular rumble to me.
I also got to try both Sonic Mania and Snipperclips with one joycon by itself on its side.
Even though I was disgusted by the fact that the joystick was in the center at first, I must say, a single joycon was surprisingly comfortable. The joycons themselves are pretty small, so I didn't have to stretch my thumb just to move the joystick, and since games like Sonic Mania only require a couple buttons for actions, it is a nifty and viable control option if you're out for example, and maybe you just wanna kick back with the screen on the table while you play with one joy-con.
One bad thing I will say is that the triggers on the joy-con are meh. Even with the strap that makes the buttons easier to press, the buttons on those just feel chunky and gooey, and they just feel like they have a lot of resistance to them, which I don't like.
Pro Controller
I was kinda surprised that I got to try it, but they had the pro controller for both Zelda and Splatoon.
I will keep this part short, and just say that if you like the Wii U Pro Controller or an Xbox Controller, you'll definitely like this controller as well. The buttons are nice and big, and are easy to get to. Controlling Link around the world is very responsive, and shooting down Inklings with the triggers is satisfying.
Even though I like this controller, I do admit that I don't see why it's $70. I get that it has gyro controls inside, and the HD rumble and whatnot, but I still don't see this thing being that much more expensive to manufacture than say a Wii U Pro. Also, no headphone/microphone port which is a bit of a shame.
GAMES
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Ah, this game, probably Nintendo's most anticipated game of all time, and the reason many gamers want to get a Switch day 1.
Honestly, I don't have much to say, the demo was only 20 minutes long, and for a game of this calibur, I don't think I can articulate a proper impression. All I will say is that the controls are perfect, the combat feels great, the art and graphics are just beautiful, and the fact that this is an open world game makes me excited, as I feel this will be a brand new Zelda game that is nothing like the past ones.
I will comment on one thing, the framerate. The game runs at 30FPS like I expected, but I noticed that the frame drops were very noticable. I hope this is just the same early build from New York, before the game went gold, cause if these frame drops are in the final game, that will definitely hurt my experience for this game when it comes out.
ARMS
This game was a pleasant surprise for me, as this was a game I initially thought was just pure gimmick trash, and kinda ignored it for a while. Though after seeing the game in action, I warmed up to the goofy nature of the game, and the character designs, and thought I'd give the game a try, and, wow...
The controls with the joycons are basically that you tilt them to move, press L to dodge, throw your arms to punch, twist your arm or wrist during/after you throw a punch to arc your punches, throw both arms to grab, and then press ZL and ZR to do your super move.
The controls felt super tight, and knowing when to dodge and throw your punches is just fun. As a fighter, it's obviously not as deep as say, King of Fighters, but it's still mindless fun that I think anyone can get down with (keep in mind that you can just use traditional controls too.)
The characters I played were Master Mummy, Mechanica, and Ninjara. Master Mummy is the heavy character who is slow, but hit hards, and can slowly heal himself while blocking. Mechanica has better dashing and jumping compared to the rest, which makes her very mobile. Ninjara has an instant dodge, and his attacks are relatively quick.
Budget Genji and D.Va. :3
I wasn't sure about this game, but after demoing it, I'm definitely getting it day one!
Splatoon 2
I love Splatoon. Besides Overwatch, it's probably my second favorite shooter of all time, so I made sure to try the sequel and compared it to the original while playing.
Right off the bat, the controls are pretty much identical to the first game, except that you now jump with B, and X brings up the map for squid jumping. The inklings pretty much handle the same as well, so if you played the first Splatoon, you know what to expect.
For the weapons, the Splattershot is pretty much identical to the first game, as well as the Burst Bombs, and is a well rounded weapon for ink coverage and combat. The Tenta Missiles special locks on to opponents and rains them with missiles, a decent special, but not too hard to avoid and it leaves you wide open.
The Splat Charger and Splat Bomb are again, the same thing pretty much, although the Charger can now hold a charge while in ink, making it a much more deadly sniper weapon. The Inkjet special is a nice powerful attack that can catch opponents off guard, but I don't think a special like this works too well for a sniper, just what I thought.
With the Splat Roller, they added a new animation for flicking while jumping, so that the swing is now vertical, not horizontal. I think this really hurts the roller, as now ink isn't focused on one area of a swing, and makes killing harder to do as a result. The Curling Bombs are good for ink coverage, but I don't believe they kill in one hit, so they're not super great for offensive.
Finally, there's the Splat Dualies, which are probably gonna be my main weapon. The weapon is pretty much like a SMG, or the Jr. from the first game, so the fire rate is great. The weapon features a roll, where pressing B while shooting does an evasive roll, which can be useful for tricking opponents in close combat. The Suction Bombs function identical to the first game, and can be good for getting surprise kills around corners. The Inkjet special is pretty decent, allowing you to apply pressure from the air, and just be annoying overall, but it leaves you wide open for fire, so it shouldn't be relied on for killing everyone.
Overall, Splatoon 2 is a game I'm definitely looking forward to, and I can't wait to see just how much content awaits.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Not too much to say on this one, basically, Inkling is now playable, among a few other characters, battle mode is great, but other than that, it's the same MK8 you know on Wii U.
If you loved MK8, you're probably gonna get it, and if you're new to the series, it's a fun game with friends that I recommend.
1, 2, Switch
Most of you know the jist of this game; a party game featuring a wacky assortment of mini-games.
I only got to try two games: Milk and Quick Draw.
The Milk game is just a rhythm like game where you move the joycon up and down, while you press and hold the buttons in a specifc way, nothing else to it. The Quick Draw game was fun. It tests your reflexes, and being able to quickly draw the joycon and fire is just satisfying.
It's nice, mindless fun that is great for parties, but nothing outside that.
Snipperclips
A puzzle indie-game backed up by Nintendo that requires you to cut your partner into shapes in order to do various objectives.
You can cut your partner into different shapes if you can angle properly, and knowing which shapes to make is vital for completeting the task, such as cutting your partner into a triangle for popping balloons, or into a horseshoe shape for holding things like a ball or a wheel.
It's a fun co-op game, and has a charming look to it, I just wish it had online.
Sonic Mania
I'm not a huge Sonic fan, but I thought the Genesis games were great, so this is a game I am anticipating for sure.
If you played the Genesis games, then you already have an idea of how Sonic can handle. He can run and gain speed to run over hills and loops, or you can spin dash to get speed instantly. He can also now spin dash while in the air, which is a great new move to make the game even faster.
The colors of this game are very vibrant, and the bright greens and blues of Green Hill, to the pink hues of Studiopolis looks stunning.
Sonic just feels like a dream to control, and I'm hoping that this and the eventual Project Sonic 2017 will help return the series to its former glory.
Ultra Street Fighter II
I'm probably the biggest noob at Street Fighter, so I didn't spend a lot of time with this, but I still thought is was a fun re-release of a classic.
The game features both HD and Original graphics, and both look outstanding, especially the HD mode. The Pro Controller felt amazing, and I was able to do Ken's and Cammy's specials flawlessly with no problems. I guess one thing I will say is that if you're gonna get this game, the joy-con probably won't be great, due to the fact that the d-pad is all separated.
I'd get this game for sure if it didn't have a $40 pricetag.
Disgaea 5 Complete
Disgaea is a series I'm not super familiar with, but Disgaea 1 on PC is a game that I've been curious about for a long time, and this demo might get me to try the series very soon.
The game reminds me a bit of Fire Emblem, where you have unit characters that you must move around strategically, and use their abilities to defeat enemies. The game also has some pretty unique character designs and dialogue, which I find very amusing (in a good way.)
As a newbie to the series, I like what I see and I'll definitely pick this game up once I'm more familiar with it.
Puyo Puyo Tetris
First off, Draco is best girl, pure fact.
Anyways, I'm not a big Tetris guy, but I loved me some Puyo Puyo as a kid, and this game was pretty fun as well as stressful.
The game mode I tried was swap, where you play Tetris for about 15 seconds, then you play Puyo Puyo for 15 seconds, and the game keeps swapping. Getting Tetris and Puyo Puyo combos makes it so that more dummy blocks appear on your opponent's field, and it they can't get combos, their board will fill up, making it easier for them to get a game over.
Not a game I'll pick up personally, but it can be both fun and competitive with friends, and I'm glad Draco is in the game.
Final Thoughts
I love this system overall. While it may not be the most powerful system, nor get all the Western AAA games, it clearly has a good library of both first party games, and some niche titles like JRPGs as well, and the fact you can easily bring this console on the go is just great.
When March 3rd comes, I'll definitely be binging on Zelda, and enjoy the great feeling of holding a new piece of tech in my hands.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
"Just for comparison Uncharted 4 was 20x bigger than Splatoon 2. This shows the huge difference between Sony's first-party games and Nintendo's first-party games."
