We Played With the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s Refined but Unsurprising

The name of Nintendo’s jurisdiction of Switch may seem a fairly simple choice, but the developers say they have spent years during the development process, thought about the names and delete them. Finally, producer Kouichi Kawamoto, director Takuhiro Dohta, and the technical director Tetsuya Sasaki landed on what was, for them, an unconventional route: The Switch 2.

They first discussed calling him Super Nintendo Switch, Kawamoto told Media at a private event held in New York, paying tribute to the original Nintendo jump to the Super Nintendo console – but there was an important distinction. The NES and SNES do not share compatibility between their games.

“We wanted to make sure that the name really reflected the idea that it is the last Nintendo switch, this is the latest standard, a new standard for what Nintendo Switch is,” adds Kawamoto.

After a few hours spent with the hybrid pocket computer during a practical event, this description seems appropriate. Controlr 2 is not a leap forward, because the original switch was Wii U, but rather an iteration product. It is a collection of refined ideas and conceptions to create a product that feels both familiar and improved by its predecessor.

It’s bigger. Nintendo has increased the size of the original screen of the original screen of 6.2 inch to a 7.9-inch LCD screen and magnetized its Joy-Con controllers, which are also slightly longer to adapt to the change. In my hands, the difference was barely noticeable. The Switch 2 always feels comfortable to hold and play like a pocket computer, neither too heavy nor too clumsy; I had more difficult tactile upgrades with my iPhone.

During the event, I played the newly announced Mario Kart World Both on the console itself and on a television with the juys-conspiracies attached to a Joy-Con handful. I have always preferred the portable mode of the original system, and the gaming experience on switch 2 is almost the same.

The biggest change in Joy-Con functionality is its new mouse type mode. While the Joy-Cons of the previous system have slipped from the pocket computer, those of switch 2 are magnetic; By clicking on a release button on the back of the controller, they take place. For Rattach, you simply bring them back with a very satisfactory click. But once detached from the pocket computer, the two can be used, separately or together, like an impromptu mouse by placing them on a surface to the point that they generally fixed.

My experience with the mouse functionality was a little affected. I played two games that used it: DRANT Xa wheelchair basketball match, and Metroid 4: Beyond. DRANT XAnnounced during the event for a summer version, uses the two Joy-Col simultaneously, the left and right controls corresponding to their respective wheel. To move around, you push the joys against the surface you can find – Nintendo has set up a large flat table for demo, but they also worked well on the surface of my clothes, including tights, which means that your knees will do a pinch.

The game requires a constant movement with the Joy-Cons, that you slide them on the available surface that you need to weave on the ground, turning your virtual wheels to make tips or targeting a shooting by turning your hand in the air. TechnicallyIt all works very well. But physically, it’s tiring. My arms were bad quickly, and unless I decide to suddenly become very good in Pilates, I can’t imagine long game sessions.

Metroid 4: BeyondThe experience was much better. As a photo certainly terrible, my goal on a typical controller could use a little work, and with the joys-corned detached and free to signal, I am even worse. With the new mouse feature, however, I was able to use the right joy-con on a table to stabilize my oscillation and reach my targets.

The most impressive experience has been to be able to transparently passing regular joy-cons controls to mouse functionality. But according to director Takuhiro Dohta, during a developer round table held with the press, how players are able to use the functionality, is entirely in the game. “We wanted this to be an option available for developers to explore,” said Dohta. “If a [developer] Decides that it is actually preferable to have a parameter or a switch which makes him go from the fight against the mouse to the control of Joy-Con, which is also available. »»