Nintendo thrilled us with their Nintendo Switch presentation yesterday, revealing the price ($299.99), launch date (March 3), hardware details, and game information. You can read our full recap of the event here.
Today at 9:30 A.M. EST, Nintendo streamed another live event, a new installment of Treehouse Live focusing on Nintendo Switch titles from last night’s presentation.
Treehouse Live kicked off with a trailer featuring a slew of Switch games, some discussed, some more mysterious. The presenters pointed out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, an upgraded port of Mario Kart 8 for Wii U. It wasn’t discussed in the presentation last night, but the exciting trailer released afterwards. They also chatted about various games they’re stoked for and cool new features, all of which are touched on in that recap article linked above.
An all-new hybrid brawler
ARMS was the first game Treehouse Live took an in-depth look at. It’s a fighter game that combines boxing and shooting gameplay styles with extendable arms used for attacking opponents. The Switch’s new Joy-Con controller, one half in each hand, is recommended to play ARMS because of its unique motion control capabilities. However, if you prefer traditional button controls, you can use the docked Joy-Con controller or a Pro Controller, sold separately from the console.
There are lots of different attack options, including using the Joy-Con controller to angle your punch, grab enemies, and block attacks. The presenters also showed off different arm options, like a classic boxing glove, a boomerang, and a missile-launcher. Different characters have different fighting styles and arm options, such as Ninjara with an electrocuted glove.
Get a load of that hardware!
Next up, the Treehouse Live presenters took a look at the actual Nintendo Switch console and some accessories. They showed off a Breath of the Wild game cartridge, which resembles an SD card more than the 3DS cartridges we’ve gotten used to.
The Joy-Con controllers were analyzed, and they pointed out how natural and comfortable they feel in your hands when separated into their individual halves. Each Joy-Con half features a clickable analog stick, directional/ ABXY buttons, and L and R buttons. Together, they also come packed with a Home button, a capture button, an IR motion camera, and an NFC reader for amiibo functionality.
As pictured to the right, a wristband accessory slides on to the Joy-Con for added grip.
Much like the Wii and Wii U, a wheel accessory will be available to use with the Joy-Con controllers as well.
Breath of the Wild Master Edition featuring Reggie!
Reggie Fils-Aimé from Nintendo of America made an appearance next to show off some Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild goodies. The game’s $129.99 Master Edition comes with a Master Sword statute, a soundtrack CD, a special coin, a Switch Zelda carrying case, and a beautiful Hyrule map. This edition will be limited in numbers, so hop on the presales if you want to snag one!
Another special edition with everything except the Master Sword statute will also be available in higher, but still limited, quantity.
Splatoon 2 comes with cool new weapons and stages.
The Switch presentation last night revealed Splatoon 2, which we originally thought was just going to be a port of the first Splatoon. The sequel features brand new weapons, clothing, and stages, some of which Treehouse Live delved into.
A few new weapons were shown, including the Splatoolie (not sure on the spelling), Ink Jet, Charger, and Curling Bomb.
You can shoot ink from both hands and utilize a dodge roll with the Splatoolie. The Ink Jet allows you to fly in the air and fire ink blobs down at enemies. The Charger, incidentally, charges its big attack, which can splat someone in one shot. You can actually hold onto this attack once its charged and save it for an opportune moment. The Curling Bomb slides over anything in its path and explodes when close to another Inkling.
Some weapons from the first Splatoon are back with tweaks and all new special attacks. The Roller spreads paint as you run and can fling out a wide wall of ink. When jumping with the Roller, you can fling ink farther with a thinner spread. The Splatter Shot, probably the most recognizable weapon, hasn’t changed much except for its new special attack.
As for the story, it takes place two years after first game, but they couldn’t share much other than that. Although, they did tease “some favorite characters returning.”
Watch for yourself!
The Treehouse Live stream is still ongoing while I’m typing, and we really don’t know how long it will last. Possibly the full six hours of the New York Switch event. You can watch it live on Nintendo’s YouTube and Twitch sites, though the stream has been quite laggy.
What new announcements and details are you most excited about? Have you preordered anything yet? Let us know in the comments!
