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Nintendo Switch 2 - Post-Direct Thoughts

(I'm glad hardly anyone looks at this site and I can't be bothered to figure out what a comment section is, because otherwise I feel like I'd be getting a lot of spicy comments here.)

So the Switch 2 reveal Nintendo Direct just happened, and it seems like everyone's got different feelings about what was revealed. Within my little group of friends, I feel like I'm probably the one who still holds the most positive feelings towards Nintendo. Not to say I don't have my issues with the company or the direction they've been going over the last few years, but I'm not exactly at the point of saying I'd never buy new Nintendo hardware again or think it's better to pirate and emulate Nintendo games than it is to buy them. That said, I felt this Direct featured both a lot of good and quite a bit of bad, as well as a few things that just left me scratching my head or feeling unsure.

The Good:

  • The hardware itself looks great. The larger size and magnetic joy-cons are both solid improvements over the original Switch, and I'm glad they seem to be pivoting more towards a "portable" system rather than trying to keep it explicitly "handheld". It's also really cool that they're aiming for up to 4k and 120fps. The Switch 2 obviously isn't a powerhouse on the level of the Xbox Series X or the PS5, but with Nintendo I'm sure they don't need it to be.
  • The new games announced genuinely look incredible. Mario Kart World might be the best looking racing game I've seen in years, Donkey Kong Bananza is probably the most fun and original looking platformer in recent memory, and even some of the Switch 2 exclusive DLCs for Switch 1 games looked really good. Also, who ever would've expected Nintendo of all companies to get a Bloodborne sequel out of From Software?
  • Kirby Air Ride my beloved. I've been wanting to see a new Air Ride sequel for sooo long, and the fact that they got Sakurai to return to the Kirby series to make a sequel to his final game before leaving HAL is just icing on the cake.
  • Good job Nintendo, you finally figured out how to do party chat without routing it through a smartphone app. We're all very proud.
  • While the idea of using the new joy-cons like a computer mouse seemed silly at first, I'm realizing it's actually a pretty genius idea. It'll certainly be perfect for any 4X strategy games and first-person shooters, including Metroid Prime 4 of course. I could also see it being the perfect option for converting DS, 3DS and Wii U games that were formerly reliant on a touchscreen to a more conventional console.
  • After three console generations they finally figured out how to emulate the GameCube. Seriously though, it's great to finally see GameCube games get rereleased, and seeing titles like Soul Calibur 2, Pokemon XD and Chibi Robo return after all these years is honestly pretty cool. That said, seeing GameCube games get referred to as "Nintendo Classics" practically makes me feel my hair going grey...
  • Jumpscaring the entire internet with 10 seconds of new Hollow Knight Silksong footage and quietly confirming it for a 2025 release just randomly in the middle of a 3rd party software montage is possibly one of the funniest things Nintendo's ever done in a Nintendo Direct.

The Bad:

  • I know it's been said a hundred times at this point, but really, 80 dollars games? The transition to 70 dollar games over the last couple years was already hard enough to swallow, but Nintendo is already making the jump to 80 this soon? I'm sorry but even with how good the new Mario Kart looks, it's not 80 dollars good. That kinda pricing would be extreme even at the best of times, but throw in the current global cost of living crisis and it's practically insulting.
  • What's with Nintendo's recent aversion to free software bundles? Asking money for 1, 2, Switch was already a bold move after previously including games like Wii Sports and Nintendo Land as free bonuses, but now they're seriously even charging for an interactive manual? That's so scummy, who do they think would even want to pay for that?
  • Are we seriously still not getting themes or a built-in web browser? C'mon Nintendo, you were at the top of your game with the 3DS, what happened?
  • I'm not paying 10 dollars just to make my PS2-looking Pokemon games run at a framerate they probably should've been able to hit on the original hardware.

The Confusing:

  • OK seriously, what's even the deal with charging for upgrades to Switch 1 games? During the direct they initially made it sound like you'd have to pay 20 dollars to upgrade games when the Switch 2 versions feature new content, or 10 dollars if all you get is improvements to the existing game. With that I can honestly accept paying for an upgrade that comes with new content, since at that point it's basically just Switch 2 exclusive DLC, but I'm certainly not going to pay extra money just to get better FPS in a game I already own. However, after the Direct they went on to say some games would get improvements for free? And they even explicitly namedropped Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Super Mario Odyssey as games that would get free upgrades? If that's the case, then what's even the deal with this 10 dollar tier? Will all the paid upgrades get new content, and the price is just based on how much new stuff is added, or is it just a toss-up whether a game will be a free upgrade or a 10 dollar upgrade? If they're not all gonna be free, you'd think big, system-selling franchises like Mario and Pokemon would be the ones you'd have to pay for...
  • The fact that they felt the need to spend so much time explaining the concept of party chat, as if it's not something every other platform for the last 20 years has already done, is simultaneously really funny and really sad.
  • I get why some people are frustrated by Nintendo only allowing people with Switch online and a ton of in-game hours to preorder the Switch 2, but frankly with how insane the scalping situation has gotten in recent years I can't honestly say I blame them. I'd rather see actual fans get the console than some scammer who will just dump it on Ebay for 1000 bucks.
  • Who ever asked for smartphone integration for Breath of the Wild?
  • All this talk about Switch 2 enhancements for Switch 1 games and they don't mention the Xenoblade series once? C'mon Nintendo, I wanna replay Xenoblade Chronicles 2 without the game dropping to 500p/20fps every time I go into a city.

Closing Thoughts

Overall it was a solid Direct for the most part, with a solid game lineup and some interesting surprises. That said, while Nintendo is clearly still at the top of their game when it comes to making games, the steep price tag for new titles and various anti-consumer practices they demonstrated throughout the presentation do make me worry a bit for the direction the company is going. I don't think I'm gonna be running out to buy a Switch 2 day one this time around, but I'll certainly be keeping it on my radar.