Fans anxiously await confirmation on what this latest version will bring, as rumors and conjecture have been wild. The original Switch was released six years ago, and the OLED model debuted two years ago. It would be an understatement to say that Nintendo fans are eager for a new system, and this enthusiasm is primarily due to the nonstop rush of speculations regarding the Switch 2.

This article will cover everything, from the anticipated release date to the technical details that might push gaming to new heights. Come along as we discover the fascinating Nintendo Switch 2 universe and its implications for video game development in the future.

Nintendo Switch 2 Expected Release Date

We will know the exact release date of this game once the company makes an official launch date announcement. Nevertheless, current speculation suggests a likely fall 2024 release date, which coincides with our anticipated launch of the PS5 Pro.

Due to a mix of leaks from an Altec Lansing news statement and a leaker SoldierDelta, we can estimate the release date of Switch 2 as best we can. As part of a GameShark AI declaration, the press release mentioned September 2024 as the Nintendo Switch 2 release date. The latter arrived through Discord, where SoldierDelta revealed that September 24, 2024, is possible for the arrival of the Switch 2. A backup release is also rumored to be scheduled for November 2024 in case the September 24 date proves overly ambitious.

Some assumptions indicate an early 2024 release for the Switch 2. However, most speculations and informants agree that fall 2024 is the most probable release timeframe. A March or April 2024 release date seems believable, according to a TechInsights research study, while a MoneyDJ story from China indicates that the Switch successor's first-quarter 2024 arrival might enhance sales.

Analyst research published in January suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be more accessible than previous console launches. At least 10 million devices will be produced in the first year of release. However, The same source implied that the anticipated Switch 2 Pro will not be released until 2025.

What is the Expected Price of the Nintendo Switch 2?

Price rumors for the Nintendo Switch 2 take a lot of work to come by. Nintendo may adhere to the initial launch pricing of the Nintendo Switch. The price is approximately $299.99 in the US and ¥29,980 in Japan. However, it is £279.99 and A$469.95 in the UK and Australia, respectively.

Although an OLED panel seems improbable, you may anticipate a $50–$100 price increase if the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 did come with one, similar to the subsequent model, the original Switch.

Dr. Serkan Toto, the CEO of Kantan Games, put his estimate and predicted that games would cost as much as $70 in an interview with GamesIndustry. He even proposed a $400 price range. He joyfully dropped leaks and said: “The time is finally here for a Switch successor, even though I can say a ‘Pro’ model actually did exist, and certain developers were already working with the dev kit. I believe the next hardware will drop for $400 [in 2024]. There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70.”

SoldierDelta also disclosed potential release prices. They claimed this next-generation console would come with a $449 standard model and a $400 (or, most likely, $399) digital version. If the report is accurate, Nintendo will make this next-generation system available only digitally, marking it as the first of its kind by the company.

With the selling price of the OLED model being $349 and the original switch being $299, this pricing prediction appears all that implausible. 

Nintendo Switch 2: Display And Other Specs

Rumors suggest that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature an 8-inch screen with 1080p resolution and a magnetic Joy-Con design. They predict it will be backward compatible with accessories and support 8K resolution when paired with a next-generation dock.

Initial internal correspondence on the FTC v. Microsoft case revealed efficiency levels similar to those of the PS4 and Xbox One gaming systems. There are rumors that Switch 2 will come with specialized Nvidia T239 graphics chips. According to reports, Nintendo’s upcoming console may include a co-processor chip. This chip could increase efficiency and video performance. Especially when connected and linked to a 4K TV.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that Switch 2 will be backward and compatible with the available Switch games. It will be fascinating to see if the latest design can hold more cartridge data, supposing we anticipate the same layout.

The Switch and Switch OLED currently have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. According to recent reports, the Switch 2 may contain 512GB of onboard storage.

Nintendo Switch 2: Features

There are a few speculations regarding potential Switch 2 features like design, battery life, speakers, or integrated sensors. Here is a conservative estimate of what we might see, though.

The Switch and the Switch OLED are estimated to have an average battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours. Even at the lowest display brightness, longer games, like Breath of the Wild, can frequently run for up to 4.5 hours on a one-time charge. We expect larger batteries with improved internals.

We would prefer to see a move from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 for speedier gaming downloads or streaming. However, no reports have mentioned that. Comparably, the Switch models that are currently available support Bluetooth 4.1; a future-generation console might support Bluetooth 5.1.

At least six games were teased in the trailer for the system being Skyrim Remastered, an untitled NBA game, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a currently unnamed Mario title, and what appear to be enhanced ports of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. Only time will tell if the remastered games are truly remasterings or are just proof of concept for the system's hardware. Additionally, a rather impressive list of developers (written below) have also signed on for supporting the Switch long term.

• 505 Games
• Activision
• Arc System Works
• Atlus
• AudioKinetic
• Autodesk
• Bandai Namco
• Bethesda
• Capcom
• Codemasters
• CRI Middleware
• DeNA
• Electronic Arts
• Epic Games
• Firelight Technologies
• FromSoftware
• FrozenByte
• GameTrust
• Grasshopper Manufacture
• Gungho Online Entertainment
• Hamster Corporation
• Havok
• Inti Creates
• Koei Tecmo
• Konami Digital Entertainment
• Level-5
• Marvelous
• Maximum Games
• Nippon Ichi Software
• Parity Bit
• Platinum Games
• Rad Game Tools
• RecoChoku
• SEGA Games
• Silicon Studio Corporations
• Spike Chunsoft Co
• Square Enix
• Star Breeze Studios
• Take-Two Interactive Software
• Telltale Games
• THQ Nordic
• Tokyo RPG Factory
• TT Games
• UBbisoft
• Ubitus
• Unity Technologies
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Web Technology Corp

I personally can't say if Nintendo knows what they're doing this time around, but the concept of the Switch is certainly promising and quite unique. I just hope that it has a decent battery life. The Nintendo Switch will launch in March of 2017 and I assure you I'll definitely be one of its early adopters, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

#1: Free Online Play

While this is something that Nintendo has already been doing, it is also something that they need to continue to do. I have personally seen a few friends of mine abandon XBox Live and PlayStation Plus/Now because the subscription costs were starting to drain their wallet dry, and guess where they migrated to as a result? PC, in which they were already paying for internet; and/or Nintendo which has free online as standard. Nintendo, don't let this feature die.

#2: Continued Amiibo Support

This is kind of an obvious one that they should continue as well. With all the amiibo figures that Nintendo has invested gobs of money on for their production, it would be counter-productive for Nintendo to make the Switch incompatible with them. Plus it would make the Switch port of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have less content on it as a result. There is no reason for the Switch to not be amiibo enabled, but I wouldn't completely put it past Nintendo to start from scratch with this system. Keep supporting amiibo, Nintendo.

#3: Joy-Con Mods

Now this is where things get interesting. I think the Joy-Con controllers are fairly decent in design; a bit like having 2 SNES controllers locked sideways onto the sides of a screen. But not too long ago, an interesting piece of concept art made by a rather imaginative fan surfaced in which he suggests that some games could come packaged with unique Joy-Con replacements specific to that game. While Nintendo shouldn't make it so the game can't be played without the custom Joy-Con, it would certainly be one helluva way to reinvent the console gaming scene and I really hope that that concept is more than just a piece of fan-art.

#4: Fair Pricing/Bundling

Now, I understand that a console like this would likely be a bit pricey; Nintendo themselves even said that they weren't going to be selling the system at a loss this time. So how can Nintendo make it appealing enough without reducing the price? I propose that the system's standard pack should come not only with the 2 Joy-Cons, cables, and the dock like Nintendo had already confirmed, but also the Joy-Con Grip accessory and possibly some cheap pre-loaded games and software to show off what the Switch can do. Sell this pack for no more than $419.99 and I wouldn't complain.

#5: No Region Lock

This NEEDS to stop, Nintendo. There is absolutely no reason why your systems have to be region locked and the fact that you keep doing this just makes it harder to enjoy games. Just about anyone can buy a plane ticket so they can go on vacation in another country, but they should not have to pay for another system from said country just so they can play their souvenirs. This makes buying games that they want less enticing because they can't afford the "whole package."

#6: Expandable Data Storage

It has been rumored that the Switch will only have 32GB of storage space. While I'm not pleased about this, Nintendo has been pretty good at allowing their systems to have some kind of expandable storage capacity. Now they did say that it wouldn't be compatible with any kind of usb hard-drive, but micro SD cards are always an option. As far as I know, SDXC cards can go up to 256GB, but I think the 128GB cards are probably the more widely available option. Make it happen, Nintendo.

#7: Enhanced Ports/Compilations

While Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Skyrim Remastered is a good start on this, it is nowhere near good enough. If the Switch is to succeed, it also needs ports of games with all of their DLC pre-installed on the cartridge, and compilations of older games that could benefit from portability or an HD remastering. I would suggest enhanced and/or complete ports of Hyrule Warriors, Super Smash Bros 4, Doom (2016), and both of the 3DS Senran Kagura games; and compilations featuring games that were originally on the Game Cube or Wii.

#8: Better Virtual Console Features

Nintendo obviously wants to keep their classic games alive, otherwise they wouldn't have made Virtual Console. But with the reveal of the NES Classic Edition, people have started to notice that the emulator on it is far superior than what is currently available on the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. So what needs to be done is Nintendo needs to make emulators that are of equal quality and have the same features and use them for the Switch. And while they're on that, they need to stop making their consumers repurchase all of the games they have already bought. Microsoft and Sony don't do this, so why does Nintendo? I think that if you already have the virtual console games on both Wii U and 3DS, then you should be able to get it for free on the Switch; and if you only have one, discount it. Also, bring back Master System, Mega Drive, Turbografx-16, Commodore 64, and Neo Geo games. Many of those games are awesome and aren't getting the appreciation that they deserve.

#9: Better Marketing

The Wii U's marketing campaign was awful; we all can agree on that. Although, while Nintendo has smartly showed off that the Switch is VERY different in design and feel from the Wii U, there is still that possibility that it could be a repeat of past mistakes. I think a catchy slogan could help boost sales like "Will you make the Switch?" or something like that. The current slogan of "There's no play like it" is good, but I don't think it'll be good enough to sell the Switch. I understand that this is not my area of expertise, but you get the idea. Nintendo needs to advertise the Switch better than the Wii U or otherwise there is the chance that Nintendo could leave the console market altogether.

#10: Connectivity

Connectivity to Wi-Fi and wireless multiplayer are kind of obvious as one is standard in all current gaming systems and the other was shown off in the reveal trailer, but what about the other two systems in Nintendo's arsenal: the Wii U and 3DS? If the Switch is to successfully intermingle with the other two systems that Nintendo has produced, then it needs to be able to talk to them in some way. If Nintendo neglects to implement this feature, then I can expect to see poor long-term system adoption in the future.

The Switch is definitely promising. It obviously needs a strong start, good third party support and good battery life, but I strongly believe that if Nintendo were to implement these suggestions then there might be a better chance at the device's survival. From my experience, hybrid systems need convenience and accessibility in addition to horsepower if they are going to survive long term. Sometimes gimmicks just aren't enough. So until next time, I'll be seeing you.

As always, if you are pressed for time, I will give you all of the juicy details and recap all of the news regarding the presentation to the best of my ability. So let's get started.

• The system will launch globally and simultaneously on March 3, 2017 with a price of 29,980 Yen in Japan, $299.99 in North America, and a varying price in Europe depending on the retailer.
• A new paid online service was revealed with a free trial period lasting until Autumn.
• Switch software WILL be region free.
• The system's battery life will vary by the game that's being played, but the general range is anywhere between 2.5 and 6 hours of continuous play. It will also come with a USB Type-C cable for recharging purposes.
• The screen is a capacitive touch screen.
• Up to 8 Switches can connect wirelessly to each other during local play.
• The Left Joy-Con was shown to have a "Capture" button which is used for taking screenshots (and eventually video footage) of the game you are currently playing.
• Two buttons on the interior of each Joy-Con were shown to be how the controllers lock into the console and also double as the L & R buttons for each player.
• Joy-Cons will also be available in other colors with the first 2 being neon blue and neon red.
• Each Joy-Con also has an IR camera at their bottom half which apparently is sensitive enough to detect the difference between rock, paper, and scissor hand gestures or varying distances from the screen.
• The brand new HD Rumble feature was shown off that somehow has the ability to mimic changes in shifting weight making for a more immersive experience.
• Two new games were shown off for showcasing the Joy-Con's features, one being 1-2-Switch which is a multiplayer party type game, and the other being Arms, a strange boxing game featuring characters with long spring-loaded boxing gloves. 1-2-Switch will launch along side the console and Arms will launch in spring.
• Splatoon 2 was announced which showed off many new features such as duel-wielding, dodging, and a bunch of new special weapons. It is planned to launch this summer.
• Super Mario Odyssey was revealed and showed Mario in a plethora of new areas all based around different parts of the world and showed of a new gameplay mechanic revolving around throwing his hat. It unfortunately won't be released until the holiday season.
• Two new games were then revealed after the reveal of Super Mario Odyssey. These games were Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Fire Emblem Warriors.
• Dragon Quest X, Dragon Quest XI, and Dragon Quest Heros I & II were announced for the system, but currently only for Japan.
• A new Shin Megami Tensei game and a new Square Enix game tentatively called Project Octopath Traveler were shown off in addition to Skyrim Remastered.
• What possibly might be a brand new No More Heroes game was revealed to be in development by Suda51.
• A brand new Fifa game was revealed to be coming to Switch with a 2017 release window.
• The complete package for the Switch was shown which includes the console and Switch Dock, a Left and a Right Joy-Con (either both gray or one of each neon color) with matching wrist straps, the Joy-Con controller dock, an HDMI cable, and an AC Adapter. The Pro Controller will be sold separately.
• And finally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was revealed to launch along side the Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017 with both Special Edition and Master Edition bundles also available at $99.99USD and $129.99USD respectively.
• Now outside of the presentation many other games were shown off such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which has new items, new racers, and a PROPER battle mode in addition to the possibility of having all DLC pre-installed on the cartridge.
• Super Bomberman R and Puyo Puyo Tetris were shown off in addition to the reveal that Sonic Mania would also be coming to the Switch.

I tell ya, this was one helluva presentation. While they didn't show off what the system's specs were, I still can't wait for the system to launch. March 3rd can't come soon enough. And as for the games, I am truly excited for many of the new games that are coming out for it (especially for Zelda, Mario, and Splatoon 2), and the fact that the system is only $300 is just icing on the cake. Granted the lack of launch games for the system is a bit of a letdown, but I'm sure the Switch is bound to thrive after the unfortunate failure of the Wii U. Only time will tell if it will last long-term, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

EarthBound Trilogy HD

No matter what forum or gaming site I visit, the one game I've seen that everyone wants on Virtual Console is Mother 3, and to tell you the truth, I'm one of them. I've played through the fan translation in its entirety and I loved it. But don't think that a Virtual Console release is what we need. Because the fan translation patch is already readily available to the public for free, I propose that a collection of all 3 Mother & EarthBound games redone with HD graphics would be the best way to go. It would breath new life into a series that had been neglected for such a long time.

Metroid Prime 4

We desperately need a proper new Metroid game, I think we can all agree on that. Now I'm not saying that Federation Force was bad; I actually enjoyed that game quite a bit. But I do think we need a new entry in the series where you play as Samus. There is so much that can be done with the game on the Switch, especially since both Prime 3 and Federation Force ended in a way that alluded to the enemy hunter, Sylux. I would think that if Prime 4 were made, you could have the ability to switch between the two characters and they would each have their own unique abilities and story line. Just a thought.

Hyrule Warriors Complete Edition

Hyrule Warriors was a helluva lot of fun despite its simplistic gameplay, but I think that Hyrule Warriors Legends on the 3DS was a little lackluster compared to the Wii U version. I think that combining all the features, content, and DLC of both games and releasing it on the Switch would make for a great collectors pack. But then again, since it would technically be the third iteration of the same game, I think a "casual mode" where you gain rupees, materials and EXP at a greatly accelerated rate would make the game much more enjoyable for those that lack the time to do all of that grinding.

Super Smash Bros for Switch

This situation would be similar to the Hyrule Warriors idea from the previous paragraph, but since both the 3DS and Wii U versions of Smash have vastly different content, I propose that having all of the characters, most of all the stages (with obvious duplicates removed), both Smash Tour and Smash Run, and the inclusion of Tag-Team Battles. And while we're at it, maybe bring back the Ice Climbers and Wolf. I was understanding of Ice Climbers being removed, but I was a little shocked that Wolf never came back.

Final Fantasy Hexology

This is another collection much like the EarthBound one I said earlier, but unlike EarthBound this wouldn't require a lot of work to do as the HD remakes already exist. Now the "hexology" I'm referring to is the first 6 Final Fantasy games on the NES and SNES which to my knowledge were all remade for iOS and PC in some form. Just port all of those to Switch and sell it for $40-50 and you're set.

Super Nintendo Land

I'm probably one of the few people that wished that Nintendo would make a sequel to Nintendo Land. The game was fun, so sue me. But as fun as it was, it was kinda lacking in the variety department. So I think a "deluxe" version of the game that has a few more attractions based around other games like Splatoon or Star Fox would probably make the experience more enjoyable in the long run. I personally think there should be around 20 attractions total, even if that means recycling the ones from the previous game.

Bayonetta 3

THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN. This series is criminally underrated and has been the subject of a lot of unnecessary backlash because people can't handle how the main character looks or acts. But the thing is, the series is one of the most fun, most polished games I've played in a very long time. And since the Switch seems to have a minor focus on paid online play, I think the online multiplayer this time around should be a MOBA of sorts where you make and customize your own Umbran Witch/Lumen Sage and play as them during the great war that happened 500+ years before the series starts.

Kirby Air Ride 2

Kirby Air Ride for the Game Cube was one of the most fun and most replayable racing games I ever owned. There was so much to do despite how little there was actually in the game. Now since the original game had a lot of focus around randomly selected events and challenges, I think a sequel could amp that up quite significantly if they also made the City Trial map and the race courses procedurally generated as well. And of course add more characters, air ride machines, and challenges as well.

Pokken Tournament Deluxe

I really liked the original Pokken; it gave me and a lot pokemon fans what we've been asking for for years. But I am a little disappointed that ONLY the arcade version of the game had been updated with 4 more characters since the release of the Wii U version. So I think the game needs to have a rerelease on the Switch with all of these new characters available, and maybe 3-6 new characters and a tag-team game mode to make it more worth your money to double dip.

Digilux: The Complete Art Style & Bit Generations Collection

I may like my fair share of difficult and challenging games, but that doesn't mean I don't want to kick back and relax with a simple game every once in a while. That's why I think a compilation of all the games from the Art Style and Bit Generation series would be perfect. These games have all but fallen completely off the radar in the past 7 years and I think a revival is in order. There's 15 games in these series each with their own gameplay styles and some of them even have multiplayer game modes; they would be perfect. (By the way, if you're curious about the name Digilux, it was a prototype name that Nintendo was originally going use before Art Style)

Well, those are my opinions on the matter. The Switch has a lot of promise for a great lineup of games, but only time will tell if devs will take advantage of the system's features. While just about none of these game ideas of mine actually do that, they are desperately needed regardless of what features they lack for the new system, even though this is just wishful thinking for me. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

First, lets start with the commercial itself.

Now as you can see, the commercial starts up with the song Believer by Imagine Dragons. A young man in his home wakes up and grabs the Switch console off of his night stand so he can continue his gameplay in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Then it switches to a different scene of an older man and his son playing Arms with the Joy-Con controllers in TV mode. During this time, the lyrics of the first half of the first verse are playing.

First things first
I'ma say all the words inside my head
I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh ooh
The way that things have been, oh ooh

In my eyes, these lyrics surprisingly enough actually have quite a bit of weight to them in this context. The way I see it, this bit represents Nintendo's quiet thoughts regarding the reception of the Wii U. The console did poorly, so Nintendo got "fired up" to create the Switch because they were "tired of the way that things have been."

In the next part, the scene changes to the present the Switch's tabletop mode with the Joy-Cons being used to play some party games with a second person. The second half of the first verse starts to play during this section.

Second things second
Don't you tell me what you think that I can be
I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh ooh
The master of my sea, oh ooh

To me, this part represents a frustrated Nintendo's response to the backlash of the Wii U. Also, by showing off that each Joy-Con can be used combined as one controller in the first part and as two separate controllers in the next, it mirrors the lyrics' message saying that Nintendo is the master of their domain. No amount of backlash will be able to tell them what everyone thinks they should be.

At this time, the song begins to reach the chorus and it switches back to the young man from the first part. He then proceeds to dock the console so it can switch to TV mode. Right when the TV screen flips on is when the chorus rapidly crescendos to display the feature that the Switch is both a portable system and a home console skipping the song's bridge in the process. The first half of the chorus couldn't describe Nintendo's situation better.

(Pain) You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain) You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer

This part to me shows Nintendo's struggles with the Wii U over the five years its been out. The Wii U broke them down to the point where they were built back up and inspired by it to make the Switch.

The second half of this part then shows off the Switch's local WiFi multi-player by using Splatoon 2 as the demo. The lyrics presented a nice pun during this part.

(Pain) I let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My luck, my love, my God, they came from
(Pain) You made me a, you made me a believer, believer

The use of Splatoon 2's gameplay during "I let the bullets fly" was a nice touch, but my speculation is that the other half of this excerpt is Nintendo's way of saying that despite the backlash, they appreciate the criticism that they've had to endure and they're better because of it.

It's here where they skip to the final verse where everything culminates to one final demo reel of many of the games that are coming out for the Switch in the coming months mimicking the lyrics in this part as well.

Last things last
By the grace of the fire and the flames
You're the face of the future, the blood in my veins, oh ooh
The blood in my veins, oh ooh

This last part right here has two meanings to me. It's both referring to the games coming out for the Switch in the near future, and the fans who are what shaped the company to what they are today and likely who will shape the company in the future. If it wasn't for us and how verbal we are, whether it be positive or negative, Nintendo wouldn't be able to survive.

This commercial was so masterfully crafted that I can't fathom how they manged to present such a deep message in a 1 minute 41 second long advertisement (assuming it was intentional). Now this is all just theory and speculation, but I believe it to be true. And if it is true, then you can bet Nintendo has made a "Believer" out of me. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

First time you start up the game you are greeted with a bright light and an audible voice calling out to Link, the player. Now even though it was confirmed quite a while ago that the game would have voice acting, it still was rather jarring to hear actual spoken dialog in a main series Zelda game. You are then presented with a simple, generic tutorial of the game's controls such as movement, climbing, and jumping (yes there is a dedicated jump button in this game) so you can properly traverse the world. Then you meet an old man outside of the cave Link was sleeping in, and he gives you a general idea on how the game works, but that's it. That's right, this game gives you no more than the information you absolutely need at the beginning, and then leaves you to fend for yourself. The last time Nintendo did something this drastic in a Zelda game was during the NES era, AND I LOVE IT.

Just about everything you find in this game from food and materials to weapons needs to be found during your time exploring as shops are few and far between, and not a single one has an infinite amount of stock. And to make matters even more interesting, weapons and shields are not indestructible, and you have a finite amount of inventory space. Fortunately though, your inventory can be upgraded through the use of Korok Seeds of which there are 900 to collect. In addition to the insane number of Korok Seeds to find, there are also 120 shrines to discover and each one provides a challenge that rewards the player with a Spirit Orb which can be redeemed for a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel for every four you collect.

Now one of the biggest changes in the formula that was made to this game was the complete absence of items and tools which were used in past games to solve puzzles in dungeons and to improve Link's mobility; not so this time. Instead of collecting the items gradually throughout the course of the game, the first four shrines within the first hour or so of gameplay present you with four runes for your Sheikah Slate (Remote Bombs, Stasis, Cryonis, and Magnesis) that will be used for the entirety of the game. By giving everything that you will ever need at the beginning, it makes all of the future puzzles entirely reliant on your ability to problem-solve without hints being thrown at you every five steps you take. It forced me to experiment with what I had and I felt a much greater sense of accomplishment when I figured out the puzzle on my own.

Now my favorite thing about this game would have to be the world of Hyrule itself. From the things I've read here and there, Hyrule is roughly 360 km² (Skyrim by comparison, which is known for being quite large, is roughly 37 km²), and I believe it. The fact that Nintendo packed so much stuff into this world and put in so many collectibles and hidden stuff in it, it is rare to ever find yourself with nothing to do. You can hunt, mine for ore, do side quests, fight rare and/or giant monsters, play mini games, the list goes on. I myself have spent many an hour just walking around aimlessly and taking in the scenery. Everything is just absolutely beautiful.

Now this review may seem a bit short when you consider how big the game is, I'm afraid that is all I can say on the matter as compared to past games in the series, everything about it is EXTREMELY open ended: The story is in pieces and must be found by exploring key areas in Hyrule, the map is also in pieces and fills in when the Sheikah Tower in that province is activated, almost all music in the game is of the ambient variety instead of it sounding exploratory, you can complete any dungeon and shrine what whatever order you want, all combat is very action oriented (as opposed to past games where you would just wait for an opening and then strike) with all enemies having a tell to their attacks, and the introduction of upgradable armor sets makes this game feel much more like The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher or Dark Souls lite than your standard Zelda affair. I'm not saying this is bad, I happen to like this format a lot and wish to see it as the new standard. What I'm saying is that it is different than what I (and a lot of fans) have been accustomed to for the past two decades, but this change to the formula was SORELY needed.

So needless to say, after spending roughly 100 hours in this game in such a short amount of time, this installment in the series is definitely my favorite entry thus far. While the world is quite expansive, the fact that each shrine doubles as a fast travel point is very nice, the ambient soundtrack is very soothing and exciting at the same time, the graphics are complimented by the lighting very well, the lore and societies within the kingdom of Hyrule are very interesting to learn about, and the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it is thoroughly liberating. So now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to farm for more Lynel guts so I can upgrade my barbarian armor. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

But as always, if you're pressed for time, I'm here to condense all of that information into bite-sized chunks for easy digestion. Here's what they showed off.

• They started with 3DS games first and showed off Hey! Pikmin which will launch on July 28 along with a band new Pikmin amiibo.
• More light was shown on Ever Oasis. It will launch June 23.
• Monster Hunter Stories was confirmed to be coming stateside this autumn.
• A definitive version of Yo-Kai Watch 2 was announced with the subtitle Psychic Specters. It will also launch this autumn.
• Culdcept Revolt was announced for the series 20th anniversary. It will be released August 29.
• RPG Maker Fes was shown off and will be released June 27.
• Miitopia, an unusual Mii-based RPG, was shown to be getting a localization this year.
• Fire Emblem Echoes was revealed to be getting DLC with some of it being free and some of it being paid. A season pass was also shown as an option.
• Kirby was shown to be getting a lot of love this year to celebrate the series 25 anniversary with the games Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (out now), Kirby's Blowout Blast (summer), and a currently unnamed multiplayer action game (holiday season).
• The final installment of the Boxboy series called Bye-Bye Boxboy! and is out now.
• 3 new 30th anniversary Zelda series amiibo (Majora's Mask Link, Twilight Princess Link, Skyward Sword Link) were revealed for a June 23 release.
• The Smash Bros amiibo series finally revealed amiibo for Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta and each character will have a retailer exclusive variant. They will launch July 21.
• A ton of info was revealed for Nintendo's new IP ARMS for the Switch. Character customization is a big feature of the game's main combat mode. A new character, Min Min, was revealed who's left arm is a powerful dragon. Character specific abilities were shown like Spring Man's ability to stay permacharged when his health drops below 25%. ARMS will launch June 16.
• A new Joy-Con color was revealed to launch alongside ARMS; Neon Yellow. Joy-Con battery extenders were also revealed.
• Nintendo showed off some of the online features for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which will launch April 28.
• Ultra Street Fighter II was shown off and will have both classic and HD graphics and two new characters: Evil Ryu and Violent Ken; along with a brand new game mode where you throw Hadokens with the Joy-Cons. It will launch May 26.
• Minecraft will becoming to the Nintendo Switch on May 11 and will include the Mario Mashup texture pack.
• More Neo Geo arcade classics are on the way to the Switch's eShop with Samurai Showdown IV being release on April 13.
• Sonic Forces showed off some of Classic Sonic's gameplay and teased a potential third character to play as. The game will launch this holiday season.
• In addition, Sonic Mania will launch this summer.
• A new competitive action party game tentatively called Project Mekuru was revealed where you stomp on tiles to claim them for your color. This eShop exclusive will launch this summer.
• Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star was shown off a bit and will launch on July 25.
• The definitive version of Disgaea 5 will launch on the Switch May 23.
• Puyo Puyo Tetris's release date inches closer and to prepare fans for the release in the coming weeks released a demo of the game on the eShop.
• The famous board game Monopoly was shown to be coming to the Switch this fall.
• A definitive edition version of Rayman Legends was announced for the Switch and will launch later this year.
• A shooter game called Sine Mora EX, which is being developed by Grasshopper Manufacture, was shown off and will be released this summer.
• A Battlechasers game based on the comics of the same name was announced for the Switch and will launch later summer.
• PayDay 2 is being ported to the Switch later this year.
• Namco Museum will be coming to the Switch's eShop this summer.
• You will be able to purchase additional Nintendo Switch docks starting on May 19.
• A Nintendo sponsored tournament for Splatoon was announced for the original Splatoon on the Wii U for a limited time.
• New Splatoon 2 info was revealed such as a new game mode called Salmon Run, a co-op survival mode where you and a team of three other individuals go to a run down island and fight a hoard of hostile salmon-like monsters to collect power-eggs en mass. Three new Splatoon amiibo were also announced which can be used to save outfit data and can be summoned in Inkopolis Square to have a companion for your character. Both the game and the amiibo will launch on July 21.

Well that's it for today. Needless to say, my wallet is going to be bled dry this year. I'm particularly excited for the new Smash Bros series amiibo. Getting cheap Bayonetta figurines have not been easy for me. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

But as always, if you're pressed for time I'll recap the news to the best of my ability. So let's get started.

• First they showed off that the arms that the player can equip have different weights that affect how they work in battle. I.E. heavier arms move more slowly, but pack more of a wallop whereas lighter arms are weak, but travel quickly. In addition each arm also have different attributes that activate when fully charged like Fire, Ice, or Electricity.
• Next they showed off the ten fighters that will be in the game revealing three new fighters in the process: Kid Cobra, an athletic snake-like fighter; Byte & Barq, a robotic cop with a robodog teammate; and Twintelle, a movie star who's hair does the fighting for her.
• The Versus game modes were shown off being a standard Fight, a 2-on-2 mode where you're tethered to your teammate, V-Ball which is volleyball with a twist, Hoops in which you grab your opponent and dunk them into the basketball hoop for points, Skillshot which is basically a shooting range type affair, and an arcade-like 1-on-100 mode where you're pitted against an army of weaker opponents one after the other.
• In order to get more arms to use in battle, you spend your fight winnings on the Arms Getter which is like a sideways crane game mixed in with the Skillshot game that was mentioned before. Duplicate arms collected are greater in strength than the previous ones you collected.
• The other modes were shown off next being Grand Prix, a single-player ladder climb that is a staple to many fighting games, Party Match an online mode for the game for up to 20 players per lobby (or 8 per lobby for local multiplayer), and Ranked Matches where you fight 1-on-1 online for glory.
• In addition to the content that was revealed right now, it was also confirmed that the game would be getting new fighters, stages, and arms as free updates throughout the life of the game.
• And finally, from May 26-28 and June 2-4 a free demo of the game will be available to try from the Switch eShop called the ARMS Global Testpunch.

That was all the info that was announced for ARMS, but the video didn't end there. As a surprise addition to the end of the Direct, brand new info for the single-player campaign for Splatoon 2 was revealed. Marie of The Squid Sisters appears to be the person you talk to do the missions and it appears that Sheldon of Ammo Knights from the first game supplies you with new weapons to be used against some of the new enemy types. Not much else was shown off besides a piece of art promoting the single player story. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

The concept of the game is simple: Put Tetris and Puyo Puyo in the same pack and experiment on ways for the two to coexist. First off you have your standard Score Attack and Marathon game modes of the two as well as a Versus mode where you can face up to three human or CPU controlled opponents either in person or online, but you also have these special modes like Big Bang (where you quickly clear out a pre-made set of blocks or puyos in succession to take out you opponents), Party Mode (which is basically Versus but with field affecting items), Swap (where you play both games at once by swapping between the two), and my personal favorite: Fusion.

Now Fusion mode is similar to Swap in concept, but executed very differently. Instead of swapping between the two playing fields, both the tetriminos and puyos occupy the same playing space which make for some very interesting ways to make combos and chains. Now you'd think it would be difficult to make lines with the tetriminos when the puyos would be in the way, but since the puyos are goo they can be squashed by the tetriminos to make room and will reappear on top of them; this also completely removes garbage puyos from the playing field.

In addition to all of these game modes you also have Adventure mode: a wacky and humorous story scenario featuring the cast of the previous Puyo Puyo games, plus a small handful of new characters that represent the Tetris series. The story is this: The crew of the S.S. Tetra crash land on the Blue Planet that the Puyo Puyo characters call home due to a little incident involving both the puyos and the tetriminos. So in order to fix these problems, the two teams battle each other through the means of Tetris and Puyo Puyo matches. Not exactly the most compelling plot, but it gets the job done. I just think of it as a glorified training mode for the online matches.

Overall, I think this game is a fantastic addition to both franchises and a magnificent crossover to boot. Both games are extremely addicting by themselves and in fusing them made them even more so, and the story is fairly entertaining at times and the voice actors certainly sounded like they had fun with their roles (keen listeners will notice that the voice of the Dark Prince is none other than Xander Mobus, the VA for Smash 4's announcer). I really hope that The Tetris Company does more crossovers like this in the future like with Dr. Mario or Puzzle League. So until next time, I'll be seeing you.

Score

The Wonderful 102

I loved The Wonderful 101. It was one of the few modern games that was able to take me back to my childhood. Now when I heard that Hideki Kamiya, the game's director, had ideas on what to do for a sequel, that got me REALLY excited. This game was extremely underrated and the fact that it was a Wii U exclusive kinda killed any hope for the game to sell well. I just hope that Nintendo sees potential in the series since they own the copyright.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Director's Cut

Even though Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was originally on my "to play" list, the censorship controversy that was surrounding it at the time kinda left a sour taste in my and many others' collective mouths. As such, I decided not to pick it up. BUT given the fact that it was on the Wii U, a console that was geared more toward younger players, it might stand a better chance if it were to be released fully intact and uncensored on the more mature-centric Switch, ESPECIALLY if they packaged it with all the DLC (even the hot-spring side story) on the cart. But that's just my theory.

The Zero Escape Saga

Speaking of Mature games, this series is grossly unheard of. I love me some quantum sci-fi and a good murder mystery as much as the next guy, but if you throw in some brain busting logic puzzles and a plot-heavy narrative not too dissimilar to the SAW franchise, then we got the formula for some interesting plot developments. I think these games would benefit best from being released as one whole package as once you start piecing the story together, it starts to become very difficult to put it down. Having them all together in one pack is just for convenience sake.

Solatorobo HD

Another underappreciated game, but for a different reason; its damn near impossible to get ahold of it for a reasonable price. Being a dieselpunk mech RPG set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, this game has a rather interesting concept but the execution is absolutely stellar. The only problem with it like I said is obtaining a copy. While I managed to get a copy on DS, that is the only system it is available for. Re-releasing it on a modern system like the Switch would be able to remedy this and give the game a second chance at life.

Mario & Sonic at the Dream Olympics

Now while I've greatly enjoyed this series, we all know that it has been less than inventive when it comes to making the Olympics fun for everyone, and even though I'm pretty sure the next game in the series (if there is one) is going to be Mario & Sonic at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games (God, what a mouthful), I really hope that they end the series with one final game and just fuse the Summer and Winter games into one pack and set it in both the Mushroom Kingdom and whatever the hell Sonic's homeworld is called nowadays. Maybe that would be the way to finally make the game fun for more than just a niche audience.

Wario Ware D.I.Y. Deluxe

There was one Wario Ware game that I feel didn't get the full use of the hardware it was produced for, and that was Wario Ware D.I.Y. on the Nintendo DS. Making my own music, comics and microgames was a lot of fun, but I felt that maybe it was a little bit limited with how the games were designed. I think if they were to bring this game back, they would need to include all of the content of the original DS game plus the companion game that was released on WiiWare, and give the player the ability to have make games that use the control pad and face buttons. That should drive the creativity options up a notch.

Ultimate Retro Game Challenge

My favorite reality show is Game Center CX on Fuji TV, so when I found out that the games based on that show were actually any good, I decided to pick them up. Now while I've never played the third game in the series as I've heard that it was quite awful, the first two games were some of the most nostalgic and creative games I've ever played on the DS. So what I think the dev of the first two games should do is compile all of the games and challenges from said games in one pack, and make around 8-10 more new games with 4 new challenges for each to justify excluding the contents of the third game. The real challenge would then be getting the game localized as only the first game was ever released outside of Japan.

amiibo Wars

The amiibo situation is starting to get a bit more under control now wouldn't you all think? That's why I think a new free-to-start amiibo game needs to be made to take advantage of this. When you consider the popularity of collectible object-type games in Japan like Kantai Collection, I think a tactical strategy game or a MOBA would benefit from this market the best. They're simple, easy to program, addictive when executed properly, and have great potential for additional content to be added to in the future. That, and I personally just want to see my massive collection of amiibo to get some use outside of unlocking some costumes or special missions.

Scott Pilgrim VS The World Collector's Edition

It was a real shame when Scott Pilgrim VS The World was removed from the PSN and XBLA online shops. It was a lot of fun and stayed quite true to its source material. But if in the event that the licensing issues are resolved in the future, I would want to see the game re-released in a physical format with extra content added. If it were to have all of the DLC, the complete film (and animated short film) in HD, a full color scan of the entire graphic novel all contained on the cartridge and a poster for good measure, I would be more than happy paying $60 for a game that would normally cost around $15-20.

NES Classic Collection

Okay now I know a lot of people, myself included, who were quite pissed when Nintendo ended production on the NES Classic Edition. That's why I propose that they port the contents of that device to the Switch, include digital scans of the manuals instead of scanning a QR code, and package it with a USB NES controller to hopefully give fans a similar experience and give them an alternative to something that was selling faster than a spare kidney on the black market. Plus it probably would be cheaper to manufacture something like that anyway and get away with selling it for $60. Plus if Nintendo really wanted to apologize, they could add another 10-20 games to it.

I continue to believe that the Switch has potential, but like any system on the market right now the games are what sells the system. Unless the console has games that people want to play, then there really isn't any reason to buy the Switch at all. This is still just wishful thinking on my part, but maybe and hopefully someone important in the gaming industry will see this and make some of these ideas a reality. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

As you can see not a lot of news can be announced in an 8 minute long video, but what can be said is certainly dense enough for a recap. That being said, let's begin.

• First of all, the first half of the Direct was presented in a blog/documentary style which showed a man on his way to visit his brother and give a few gifts to his nephews, but all of this was just a framing device for presenting the news in question.
• Pokken Tournament DX was confirmed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch. It was shown to have all of the content from the previous version of the game on the Wii U plus all 4 characters that were added to the arcade version after the Wii U's release and a brand new character in the form of Decidueye. A new pair of support Pokemon (Popplio and Litten) were also confirmed as well as Team Battles (3-on-3 matches), Ranked, Group and Friendly matches (when playing online), and daily challenges. Battles were shown to work in split screen when not playing wirelessly, but it is still unconfirmed if the official Pokken Tournament controller will work with it when in TV mode. The game will launch this year on September 22.
• Shortly after that, they showed off the new 3DS Pokemon game that was in the works being Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon. The story this time around is much different that what would be expected. Instead of it being a third version of the game or a sequel like what they did with Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2, the plot is said to be an alternate take on the events of the original games; much like an alternate timeline. The game will launch November 17.
• And finally, the Game Boy games Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver were confirmed to be coming to the 3DS via Virtual Console and will be compatible with Pokemon Bank. The games will launch on the same day as Pokken Tournament DX, but it is uncertain whether or not Pokemon Crystal will eventually be released on Virtual Console in the future.

Well that's the skinny folks. I for one am certainly happy as I said in a previous article that I wanted Pokken Tournament DX for the Switch, although I'm also a bit confused on the premise for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon. All in all though I'm excited all the same. So until then, I'll be seeing you.

But as always, I will condense as much as I can so you can read it during your busy schedule.

• First of all, all of the gear will be making a return in the same three categories: Hats, Shoes, and Shirts.
• New weapon variations were shown off like the Clash Blaster, the Flingza Roller, the Goo Tuber, and the Dapple Duelies.
• New sub weapons were also shown off like the Autobombs and Toxic Mist.
• Then the new special weapons were given a proper demonstration.
• You can now skip through Sheldon's long weapon descriptions.
• Turf Wars and all three of the ranked battle modes will be making a comeback, but all of the ranked battle modes will now keep track of separate ranks instead of all sharing the same one.
• A bunch of new arenas were shown off with some updated ones returning from the previous game such as Port Mackerel and Moray Towers.
• All battle maps and ranked modes will now rotate out ever 2 hours instead of every 4 like in the previous game.
• The tower in the Tower Control game will now stop at designated checkpoints throughout the match.
• It is now possible to raise your rank by more than one letter grade if you played exceptionally well in a match.
• Squad battles will be making a return.
• Customizing your gear's ability slots is now much easier and new abilities were shown off.
• The new Salmon Run horde mode of was shown to only be playable during predetermined times.
• New Salmonids were shown off like the Steel Eel and Fly Fish.
• There are some pieces of equipment that can only be won from Salmon Run.
• A new version of Splatnet will be coming to smart devices through Nintendo Switch's online service.
• The new amiibo will be used like memory cards to save your gear and weapon loadouts which can then be used to summon a "friend" you can take pictures with at the in-game Plaza.
• Splatoon 1's graffiti mode will be coming back without the need for Miiverse.
• Lan play is possible for more intense battles with minimal lag.
• A rhythm-based arcade game will be available to play using the music from the game.
• Some info about the Single-Player mode was shown off, but nothing new to report other than the fact that Marie refers to you as Agent 4.
• New content like maps, gear and weapons will be coming to the game over the course of around a year through free updates. One of these updates will include a brand new weapon type called the Splat Brella which is a close range scattershot that doubles as a shield, and another one called the Bubble Blower which makes large floating ink mines.
• With Callie and Marie being designated to the single player mode, two new pop idols named Pearl and Marina will be giving the player the news and will host the new Splat Fests.
• Splat Fests can now be played with players on your friend list.
• And finally, the game's first Splat Fest will go live on July 15 between the hours of 3pm - 7pm PT through a special demo from the Switch eShop. The theme will be cake VS Ice Cream.

So that's all I have to report today. I definitely can't wait for this game as I loved the original Splatoon quite a bit. I just hope I have time to play more Splat Fests this time around, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

1. Stealth is your best friend. The enemies you face may be powerful, but they're dumber than a sack of hammers and are as attentive as deer in the headlights. Be as quiet as possible when approaching from behind and you might be lucky enough to deal a critical strike on them or even steal one of their weapons before they realize you're there, but if you accidentally alert a hoard of them just run away and hide; they'll eventually lose interest.
2. Stalfos are extremely frail. Despite their intimidating nature and powerful weaponry, stalfos of all kinds can be easily dispatched with a headshot from your bow. Be true with your aim and they'll topple like a house of cards.
   
3. Fight smart, not hard. In many cases it much easier to have the environment do your fighting for you. Keep a look out for boulders to push off a cliff into a small gathering of enemies below or something hanging near campsites that will cause some chaos if it is severed from its tether.
   
4. Find the DLC Equipment. The Phantom Armor and Majora's Mask are invaluable very early in your adventure as the Phantom Armor has a combined defense of 24 and each piece in the set raises your attack power by one level, and Majora's Mask makes most monster types ignore you unless they are threatened. Be extremely careful when procuring these pieces of equipment though as they are all found in enemy territory.
   
5. Be confident in your abilities. Unless you are absolutely certain in your skill level and equipment, DO NOT engage a lynel. Early in the game these monsters are death incarnate and many will be equipped with bomb arrows.
   
6. If you own amiibo, use them. No matter what the amiibo is, scanning one will give you a small handful of food or materials that will definitely help later. Even better, if one of the amiibo that you own is Wolf Link, then you have a partner that will help you fight the many beasts that stand between you and your ultimate goal.
   
7. Study your cookbook. Remember when cooking meals or mixing potions that the right ingredients can make all the difference. Combining ingredients with different attributes will cancel them out so be sure to use like-named foodstuffs like "mighty" or "armored." Also, dragon parts are not classified as alchemy ingredients; they're considered seasoning, so be sure to use them in food instead of potions with their horns having the best effect.
   
8. Ancient arrows = death from above. If you happen to find a few ancient arrows on your quest, save them for when you are REALLY in a pinch. With perfect aim and the right bow equipped, these arrows are strong enough to one-shot a silver lynel. However, enemies are instantly vaporized when shot with these arrows so you won't be getting any spoils from them. Plus getting this ammo replaced is a rather expensive endeavor so only use them if you have no other choice.
   
9. Be a shutterbug. After you get the camera rune, take pictures of everything the next time you come across it. If you are having trouble finding ingredients and materials for armor or stealth potions, you can set them to the sheikah slate's sensor so it will ping when you get close.
   
10. The best offense is a good defense. Good shields are a commodity early in the game so mastering the perfect guard is a must. Even a pot lid won't lose any durability if you manage to successfully parry a guardian's energy beam. Also, shield surfing will wear your shield down faster than any form of combat; avoid being Legolas until you can easily get more shields. If you're brave enough, a good strategy would be to sneak into Hyrule Castle while wearing Majora's Mask so you can more easily obtain the Hylian Shield from the Stalnox in the castle's dungeon keep. That shield can last for an absurdly long time, but once it breaks you won't be able to replace it until the Tarrey Town side quest is finished.
    
11. Elemental weapons: Your own personal climate controller. Flame and frost weaponry are not just effective in combat, but when sheathed on your back they can keep you warm in cold climates and cool in hot ones. This is important to know if you run out of meals and potions that give you those benefits.
    
12. Take advantage of weather conditions. While it may be dangerous to travel out into a thunderstorm with a bunch of metal equipment, it may be a good idea to take at least one rusty weapon with you. Since the lightning will be attracted to the metal, you can use this to your benefit by throwing the blade at your victim's feet at the last second and have the gods smite your foes for you. Just be sure you don't get electrocuted in the process.
    
13. Gotta go fast. Even if you aren't going to do the trial the moment you arrive there, activate the shrine anyway. The more fast travel points you have, the better.
14. Ration your weaponry. Never, EVER, throw a weapon at an enemy unless it is a boomerang or it is already getting ready to break. Once a weapon is thrown at your foe, it instantly shatters meaning you now have one less pointy stick to defend yourself with. Also, some enemies like ice wizzrobes and fire lizalfos have elemental weaknesses, so you can prevent a lot of unnecessary weapon damage if you slay these fiends with the blade or arrow that has the element containing the polar opposite of the monster's name.
    
15. Full body baptism. With the exception of lizalfos and octoroks, most enemies cannot swim. If you can somehow lure them to deep water and knock them in, they will drown and die instantly. This feat can be achieved much more easily if you have Kilton's spring hammer.
16. A link to the past. And last but not least, if you've already played through the game on the normal difficulty setting, great! Use your memories of your previous playthrough to breeze though the side quests with ease.

Well that's all the info I can summon from my research so I certainly hope it helps. If you're still having trouble, then I have no idea what else you can do but to start farming for fairies; they might be able to keep you alive for a little while longer. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now compared to the first Splatoon, the gameplay is virtually unchanged. There are still many of the same main weapons making a return from the previous iteration, but in this game, two new weapon types make their first appearance: The Dualies, dual wielded pistols that give you the ability to perform a dodge-roll; and the Brella, a combination scattergun and shield which can be launched forward trailing ink behind it. In addition to this some new sub weapons were introduced, but that is nothing when you find out that EVERY special attack from the first game has been replaced with one of many brand new ones. These new specials force the player to think of brand new strategies that were not possible in the first game, and I for one welcome them.

Now when playing online, the stage rotation now updates every 2 hours instead of every 4 allowing for more varied arenas more often. Some stages are updated ones that have returned from the previous game, but most of them are brand new with some special exclusive stages that are only available to play during the game's occasional Spatfests, which are time exclusive parties to see which of 2 selectable teams is better in a themed competition.

When online you can play your normal Turf Wars and Ranked Battles like in the previous installment, but now you have 3 ranks for ranked battles; one for each mode. In addition to this, some elements from the battles have been updated. For instance: In Tower Control, you now have to pass by a certain number of check points before the tower can reach its final destination; and in Rainmaker, the rainmaker itself has been upgraded from being a chargable inkzooka to something more like a grenade launcher. Plus now if you want to play Squad Battles, you now have to have a minimum rank of B- to play them as it has been renamed to League Battles and now has its own unique stage rotation separate from the normal ranked battles.

The real star of the show here though is the game's new hoard mode: Salmon Run. In this game mode you and 3 other players will play cooperatively with a random set of loaned weapons to collect golden power eggs from the mutated salmonids living in the toxic waters just off the coast of Inkopolis. Now unfortunately this game mode can't be played whenever you want as it is on this bafflingly asinine clock where it is only open for about 12 to 24 hours every other day, but when it CAN be played I think I can safely say that this is probably my favorite of the game modes available and the unique rewards that come with it certainly more than make up for it.

Now like the previous game, there is a single-player story campaign. In this story we find out that Splatoon 2 takes place 2 years after the events of the first game. You have been chosen by Marie of the Squid Sisters to help her recover the once again stolen Great Zapfish and rescue her missing cousin Callie, the other half of the Squid Sisters. You will learn the game's basics in this mode and it will progressively become more difficult the further you get into the game, but now you can unlock and use any of the nine main weapon types found in online multiplayer and will also have more than double the number collectibles to find with some of them only found in the hub world.

And finally, the dojo from the previous game (which is was the local multiplayer game mode) has been completely removed in favor of a new local multiplayer mode called The Shoal. Instead of it being where you and one other person compete to see who can pop the most balloons before the time expires, it now is just a simple local wireless or LAN mode where 4-8 players can compete against each other in either a regular combat match, or a game of Salmon Run.

Overall, I love all the new content that was introduced and little improvements that were made here and there. You can now customize your hairstyle and leg-wear, the amiibo make a return as a way to save you loadout preferences, you can now assign specific abilities to equipment (assuming you have enough ability chunks), and I especially like that you can now have the ability to buy bonuses like double money or XP from the newly added food truck in the square. To some, the online mode, AKA the main focus of the game, may feel like "more of the same" but that isn't always bad thing. This game did everything right when it comes to sequels: Fix what was broken, and build upon what was already good. I just hope that some day in the future they remove the limitations from Salmon Run, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

Now while this isn't especially long for presenting new games, I'm sure a lot of you just want to skim this article for the key bullet points. So let's get started.

• First up was the unexpected surprise that Super Meat Boy would be getting an official sequel in the form of an auto runner platforming game called Super Meat Boy Forever. It will release some time in 2018.
• The King Knight campaign for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove was officially revealed and would feature a brand new card battling minigame as half of its story. Shovel Knigh: King of Cards will release early 2018.
• An unusual puzzle game called Mom Hid My Game was announced and will launch later this year.
• A golf themed RPG called Golf Story was revealed and will launch exclusively on the Switch this September.
• A new rhythm game called Floor Kids was announced where the main focus is break-dancing. It will launch this holiday season.
• A beat-em-up game inspired by medieval history called Wulver Blade was announced and will launch this September.
• The popular Steam game Poly Bridge was revealed to be coming to the Switch and would release this holiday season.
• Kentucky Route Zero was revealed to be getting a Switch port and will be released early in 2018.
  
• An unusual underwater shoot-em-up game called Earth Atlantis will be coming out on the Switch first this Autumn.
• A community driven action game called Next Up Hero was announced and will launch early next year.
• We finally get a launch date for Steamworld Dig 2 being September 21 of this year.
• A new adventure game inspired by the culture of the Tarahumara tribes called Mulaka was announced and will be released early next year.
• A very cute looking action/puzzle game called Yono and the Celestial Elephants was announced. It will launch exclusively on the Switch on October 12.
• A very arcadey action RPG called Dragon Marked for Death was revealed and will launch this winter.
• Adult Swim Games announced a new game they would be publishing called Battle Chef Brigade which is part combo-heavy action game and part match-3 puzzle game. It will launch this holiday season.
• A brand new team-based shooter was revealed called Morphies Law in which shooting your opponents steals their mass and adds it to your own. It will launch this winter.
• Sausage Sports Club, a game where you duke it out as one of 4 floppy animal friends, will launch this Autumn.
  
• A procedurally generated action board game called Light Fingers was announced and will be coming out early in 2018.
• A fantasy action RPG, not unlike Diablo, called Nine Parchments was revealed and will launch this holiday season.
• And finally, a brand new game in the No More Heroes series was officially revealed called Travis Strikes Again and it appears to be a collaborative effort between Suda51 and potential indie devs. It will be coming out some time in 2018.

Now while that was the last of the direct, there were some other games shown off on Nintendo's official YouTube channel that weren't shown in the main video. You can see them in the sizzle reel here. I am especially excited for the new No More Heroes game and I'm sure it's going to be one helluva ride once its released, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

First of all, once the game is started it just throws you right into it without pomp and circumstance. You are introduced to a cutscene of Mario engaging in fisticuffs with a sharply dressed King Bowser Koopa as he is abducting Princess Peach in order to force her to marry him. Mario loses and lands unconscious in the monochrome town of Bonneton in the Cap Kingdom and is greeted by a ghostly being resembling a white top hat named Cappy who is in a similar predicament in which someone he cares for, his sister Tiara, was kidnapped by Bowser to be used for his sham of wedding to Peach. He and Mario team up, which grants Mario the ability to possess certain objects, animals and enemies with an action known in-game as "capturing," so they can find a working airship that can chase after Bowser, defeat the wedding planners that Bowser hired known as the Broodals, and rescue Peach from his clutches as he commits grand larceny in several kingdoms so he can obtain only the best quality items to be used in the ceremony. Seems like a lot to take in all at once right here, but trust me it is much easier to follow the plot in the game than from reading my explanation here.

Now as to be expected from a 3D Mario game, Mario has a ton of movement options, but with the addition to his normal running and jumping techniques that have been a staple since Super Mario 64, Mario can also roll into a continuous somersault which can be linked into a long jump and back again, and he can throw his hat to be used as a temporary platform that can be jumped on. All of these movement options coupled with such fluid and responsive controls makes it feel REALLY good traversing the massive kingdoms that Mario must explore in order to find Power Moons, the game's chief collectible and fuel source for the Odyssey, Mario's top hat-shaped airship, and he will need a lot of these moons to power his ship so it can get to new kingdoms. Luckily each major kingdom has more then enough moons to find usually having around 30-50 moons each. In addition to the sheer number of moons, each main kingdom also has either 50 or 100 regional purple coins to collect that can be spent in a Crazy Cap store for special costumes or souvenirs for your ship. Not necessary for finishing the game, but needed for 100% completion.

Compared to some of the other 3D Mario games, this one has one major change that completely changes how the game is approached; There are no more 1-up mushrooms. Instead, every time you die you lose 10 coins and considering that coins are much more important in this game than in previous entries, those unnecessary deaths are much more of a problem now. Luckily though you will never see a game over screen no matter how long you've been playing; no 1-ups means no way that you can run out of lives. In addition to this, coins no longer restore health. Instead, if you are low on health then you will need to find and collect a heart to restore one portion of his 3-HP meter. These new mechanics make the game feel more modern and makes collecting coins fun again without devaluing them considering they are no longer a source of health.

Now my biggest fear before I started the game was thinking that a good chunk of the kingdoms would just once again be rehashed ideas that have been used in many Mario games before. Thankfully, Odyssey only follows this trend to a bare minimum instead using those old design tropes as merely guidelines and greatly expanding on those and turning them into their own thing. Instead of a regular water-themed area, you have Lake Lamode of the Lake Kingdom which is heavily inspired by Greek architecture and French fashion designs; instead of plain lava area, you have Mount Volbono of the Luncheon Kingdom which is all bright colors and low polygonal models; and my personal favorite and what could possibly be considered a fresh twist on the jungle-level trope, New Donk City of the Metro Kingdom: a vertically impressive urban jungle modeled after what could possibly be Times Square of New York City and the classic arcade game, Donkey Kong. Needless to say, I never found myself bored from exploring as there is so much detail in even the smallest things and there is a lot of stuff to do, and it is all condensed into an impressively small 6gb package.

There are just too many good things that can be said about this game. The music is fantastic, it feels really good to collect all of those power moons, the 8-bit 2D segments are a great nostalgic change of pace and don't break up the flow of the game too much, the capture mechanic is ingenious, and the worlds are so unique despite them mostly being the same old stage tropes from past entries. I only have one real gripe about the game, but I'll save that for another article; let's call that one part 2, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

Despite the video being less than 15 minutes long, they managed to show off a lot of new info for games we already knew about, and some brand new Switch games to be released on the horizon. Here's the info below.

• First off, there was a rather surprising reveal that The World Ends With You for the Nintendo DS will be receiving a port with some new content. The World Ends With You: Final Remix will be launching some time this year.
• Pokken Tournament DX will be receiving DLC in the form a 2 wave pass called the Battle Pack which will contain the playable pokemon Aegislash and Blastoise and the support pokemon pairs of Mega Rayquaza & Mimikyu and Mew & Celebi. The Battle Pack can be pre-order for $14.99USD right now, which will also contain some new Avatar equipment, with wave 1 being released on January 31 and wave 2 being released on March 23.
  
• New abilities were shown off in Kirby: Star Allies being the Artist and Spider abilities and team abilities that allow access to new areas. This game will launch on March 16 of this year.
  
• The demo for Dragon Quest Builders was released on the Switch eShop after the direct.
• Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition was confirmed to exist and would have all of the content from both the Wii U and 3DS version of the game and two additional costumes for both Link and Zelda based on their appearances in Breath of the Wild. It will launch some time this Spring.
  
• A new entry in the Mario Tennis series is being developed for the Switch under the title Mario Tennis Aces and would be the first Mario Tennis game to feature a story mode since Mario Tennis Power Tour on the GBA. It will also launch this Spring.
• Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was revealed to be getting a port on the Switch and will be released this Summer.
  
• A free update for Super Mario Odyssey was revealed and would add a new distraction to the main game called Luigi's Balloon World which is pretty much a glorified game of hide & seek. The update will also add new costumes for Mario and filters for snapshot mode. The update will be available in February.
• Another fighting game by SNK was revealed featuring an all female roster of charactes from past SNK games, all of which can be customized with different outfits. SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy will be available this Summer.
• Neo Geo's Art of Fighting 2 was also released on the Switch eShop as well.
  
• The new character that was said to be coming to Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was officially confirmed to be Donkey Kong and will be available some time this Spring.
• The Switch version of Payday 2 will have some timed exclusive content in the form of a hacker-themed character named Joy. The game will launch on February 27.
• The unusual new platforming game inspired by Nordic mythology called Fe by Zoink was revealed to be coming to Switch on February 16.
• Another game by the name Celeste was also confirmed to be coming to the Switch on January 25 and seems to focus heavily on precision platforming and dashing through the air.
• Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze was revealed that it was being ported to the Switch with the addition of a brand new game mode where you play as Donkey Kong's surfer mechanic brother, Funky Kong who seems to be geared mostly toward speed runners. It will launch on May 4.
  
• And finally, it was revealed that Dark Souls Remastered will be coming to the Switch on May 25 of this year.

Now I would say this was a pretty good direct overall. Not too bad, but had just enough new info to keep me satisfied. No info on the newly revealed Bayonetta 3, a possible Switch port of Smash Bros, or even any new amiibo though. One step at a time I guess, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

The narrative of the game is you are Ikk, who is on a journey to cheer up his only friend, Sally who is a giant landbound whale. While being mentored by Death (who supplies you with multitudes of abilities, along with an arsenal of guns, and ammo) you traverse an ever-changing land full of unwieldy creatures who don't appreciate your trespassing or Sally the whale.

The definition of insanity is doing the same exact thing and expecting different results. GoNNER definitely embodies the insane; just like The Binding of Isaac there is no ‚ÄúCareer Mode‚; though there are randomly generated levels that gets progressively harder as you vanquish your enemies one by one.

If you think you're getting the hang of the game, knock yourself down a few pegs as you try the latest daily challenge. I've made it a few levels in on a good day though there are some days that are just ragetastic where I can't even get past the first level. This game will leave you embarrassed, while crying live on twitch to a thousand followers retweeting the clip of you punching your green screen.

If you thought Edmund Mcmillen or Bennett Foddy where the only sadists in the indie game business well meet Ditto; he has been making indie games at his gaming studio Art in Heart for what looks like a good while now. With eight games he self released on itch.io, GoNNER is his first game being released with (Un)publisher Raw Fury getting it to the masses. If this Ditto’s Super Meat Boy or Qwop, I can't wait to see what he follows this amazing piece of art up with which has become one of my new loves and hates.

GoNNER is definitely one of the best indie games on the Nintendo eShop that went under my radar; And from what Raw Fury is putting out, they are the publisher that could be putting out my favorite Indie games for the Switch. 2018 is looking like another great year for the small developers making great games.

As someone who used to play with Legos, K'Nex and Erector Sets when I was a kid, I got extremely giddy when I saw this trailer. It gives the player the ability to build something they can actually use with their gaming system, AND makes genius use of the Joy-Con's HD Rumble and the right Joy-Con's IR camera. The first of the two sets that were shown is the Toy-Con Variety Kit which comes with a handful of sets that allow you to make...

• An RC car
• A fishing rod
• An interactive house
• A motorbike's handlebars
• And a 13-key piano

Now while the other kit, the Toy-Con Robot Kit, only provides one thing to build, it is one doozy of a project allowing you to basically make a visor for the left Joy-Con and this backpack-looking device that houses the right; all for the purpose of playing as a giant robot that is used to destroy buildings and invading UFO's. Now while these are the only two kits that were confirmed so far, the trailer teased other sets to be released sometime in the future that showed off devices like a steering wheel, a fighter jet's flight stick, a photography camera, and what appeared to be a handgun.

Now if the thought of it being cardboard is a bit off putting to you, think about it this way...

1. Cardboard may be cheap, but it is also surprisingly sturdy for its light weight.
2. It can be easily fixed with glue or tape should it tear or crack.
3. It can be customized with markers, stencils, or decorative tape like a school art project or by using the optional Customization Kit.
4. It can be cheaply replaced if it is ever destroyed.
5. And there is this level of charm that cardboard offers that you can't get from thick, heavy plastics.

The first two sets will both be released on April 20 of this year with an MSRP of $69.99USD for the Variety Kit and $79.99USD for the Robot Kit and both will come with the needed building sets and the software necessary to use them. Now Nintendo has confirmed that should any of the kits become irreparably damaged from overuse or poor treatment, they will be offering replacement kits that only contain the cardboard sets at a much cheaper price. I personally think this is an amazing idea and I hope to see it expanded upon in some way with other games. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

I've had the pleasure of playing some of the best games the indie gaming world had given us over the last few years. Edmund McMillen’s The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth + and The End is Nigh is what I started out with. Then I moved to Human: Fall Flat.

Human: Fall Flat is a rag doll, real world physics puzzle adventure simulator that lets you play any way you want; as long as you can do a leap of faith at the end of every level. It has been a lot of frustration with a overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Climbing walls, breaking glass with a 2x4, using a catapult to launch you over a castle fortress. With an E rating it's a great game to play with family and friends. Though it may seem straightforward; the games does have its challenges that a younger player may find very difficult.

I think this is a great game for a science class that is learning about the laws of physics and motion. With the way the joy-con controls are set up; local Co-op mode would be an interesting way for students to learn teamwork, along with scientific theories being tested in a fun and very safe (to the students) environment. I don't know if anyone has seen the educational value of the Switch yet though I believe with more games like this, and what Nintendo is do with the Labo series; I hope to see the console in more STEM classes around the world.

The one thing that is lacking in the game is being able to customize your controller layout. It seems to be the biggest downfall for a lot of the Switch games I have played over the last few months. I hope there is enough demand for this feature seeing it could easily be available with a small software update. Other then that I find this game a mix of frustration and fun. I look forward to what No Brake Games has up their sleeve next. I hope helps merge the gap between videogames, and education even more.

Atari Flashback Classics for the Nintendo Switch is a compilation of all three volumes previously released for XBox One and PlayStation 4 over the past couple of years. Individually they each had 50 games; roughly 10 arcade titles and a handful of home games, most of which from the Atari 2600, to pad out the total. As such the Switch version has all 150 games without the need to swap volumes. This is a very nice convenience especially since the Switch version is $20USD cheaper than buying each volume separately.

Visually, the games in the collection vary in terms of quality. Some look stunning even to this day, but many others look like a steaming pile of digital feces. This is also reflected while the game is undocked as many of the Atari 2600 games that had sprite flicker don't show up very well on the Switch's screen. That doesn't always reflect how the game plays though. There are a small handful of games in the collection that look like crap, but are some of the most fun games of the bunch. If you can just stomach past their looks and have a friend that will play with you, online or otherwise, I'm betting you'll have a grand time.

Now considering that most of the arcade titles on this collection, and some of the Atari 5200 games, used special controls like a trackball or dial, they can't be emulated perfectly. That being said, Code Mystics did a decent job with what they had. While the left stick controls are WAY too sensitive even on the lowest setting, they ingeniously managed to incorporate the Switch's touchscreen for controlling many of the games that had those unique controls. It's just a shame that those controls are only available when the system is undocked.

Overall while this collection is miles above the plug-n-plays that AtGames has been producing, it is not for the average gamer. It is for collectors, and for those who grew up with these games. Like I said at the beginning of this review most of the games on this compilation did not age well, but there still glimmers a shining light within those crusty visuals. The addition of achievements and the inclusion of the manuals for the 2600 and 5200 games is very nice and I love the fact that they also included the SwordQuest comics from back in the 80's. It's little touches like that that really make collections like this stand out, even if they only stand out an extra inch or two amongst the crowd.

AUDIO

CHALLENGE

CONTROL

VISUALS

ORIGINALITY

EXECUTION

PROS:

• Lots of games
• Cheaper than buying each volume separately
• Online play
• Achievements
• Touchscreen support
• Small download size

CONS:

• Quantity over quality
• Stick sensitivity is too high even on lowest setting
• Online leaderboards only work with paid service
• Visuals degrade when console is undocked
• Some games are duplicates for different Atari systems