Nintendo Announces New Console

By Adam Miklas
Contributing Writer

After the Nintendo WiiU’s sales underperformed, Nintendo announced a new console around a year ago codenamed “NX.”

While there were rumors and speculation as to what it could be, there was not any concrete information, as Nintendo kept a tight seal on any information released.

Rumors and speculation never stopped though. However, on October 20, 2016, Nintendo released a trailer for the NX.

The official name for it is “Switch.” It is a hybrid between a console and a handheld device. What this means is that you can play video games on your TV, but whenever you need to, can effortlessly switch it into a handheld device and continue to play the game anywhere.

It has a traditional controller, but also has controller slides on a tablet-like device connected to the console.

You slide them on the tablet and can game anywhere. You can also use the stand behind the tablet and slide the controller slides off and still play your game without having it connected to the tablet.

If the game is compatible, you can use one slide for one person and the other for another person, and have multiplayer.

It also does not use discs, but cartridges, similar to the Nintendo DS and 3DS.

The games so far shown for it are the next “The Legend of Zelda” game “Breath of the Wild,” “Mario Kart 8”, “The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim,” “Splatoon,” “NBA 2k17,” and an unnamed new “Super Mario” title.

They have also released a list of all of the third party supporters for the system.

If the controller is not suited to one’s liking, there is a more traditional controller that will be available, but it will only work for playing games on a TV screen.

This seems to be a unique idea; to be able to play games on your TV, then effortlessly switching it into a handheld is new and innovative.

It does have a headphone jack too; in case you want to hear the in-game sounds better. The one problem so far from what has been shown is the battery life.

There is no info on it, but to have the capability to play such powerful games anywhere will surely drain the battery life pretty quickly.

Regardless, people are clearly excited for it, since it became one of the most tweeted topics the same day.

Like any console though, the success or failure depends on whether or not there are games for it.

Nintendo Switch is set to release March 2017.

Email Adam at:
amiklas@live.esu.edu