“There, you have it, now stop bitching about it!”
After months of leaks, primarily from multiple accessory makers, Nintendo has finally officially unveiled the Switch 2. Much sooner than A.D. 2099.
And it’s pretty much everything you’ve been told it was. A more secure connection for the Joy Cons, expanded everything, backwards compatibility, the whole nine yards. Notably, there seem to be rings around the base of the control sticks, theorized by some to avoid dust travelling inside and causing drift. Which, if as rumored they’re using hall-effect sticks, doesn’t make too much sense, but we’ll take it.
Also shown off is what’s theorized to be Mario Kart 9, the first new Mario Kart game in over a decade. Notably, the sharp-eyed found that these character designs are new, with this being the first time in roughly 30 years that Nintendo has gone back to the pre-Donkey Kong Country design for the titular ape. Some think this is mostly to match up with the design used in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, but it could simply be the end of an era.
While the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, which means that OG Switch games will fit in the new slot, we still don’t know what form the newer game cards will take. The differentiation is also pretty important, as demonstrated with the changeover from the DS to the 3DS. Will they once again use a tab on the corner of the card to key things and avoid users sticking a Switch 2 game into the original Switch? We’ll simply have to wait to find out.
Also, that backwards compatibility doesn’t mean that all Switch games are compatible. As the above image states, some might not be compatible with the Switch 2. That said, there’s reason to believe that this is less a software issue, and more of a hardware one: things like Nintendo Labo games and Ring Fit Adventure were designed around the smaller Nintendo Switch Joy Cons, both of which use accessories made to fit the original controllers. Since the Joy Con 2’s are larger and longer, they won’t fit. There may be other reasons, but this is theorized to be the most likely.
All said, this is very obviously not how Nintendo wanted to do this unveiling. They probably decided to call it considering that massive string of leaks causing problems. And it’s not like everybody’s necessarily happy about it. The legendary Hideki Kamiya, for one, had some pretty pointed words to direct at the leakers.
I hope that all of the people who leaked Switch 2 information/those who helped leak it will be cursed for the rest of their lives to always have poop on the soles of their shoes when they get home…
…Now that I’ve enjoyed the surprise announcement of Okami with all the users, I truly believe that… all those damn leakers should be cursed…The shitty leaker only acts for his own pleasure and self-satisfaction, not only is he not contributing to anyone’s benefit, he is incurring all sorts of opportunity losses, and has done nothing to be proud of in front of others. He is the worst of scum, so he should be covered in shit from head to toe and thrown out of the atmosphere… and then stop thinking and wander forever…
These damn leakers are in a position of responsibility where they have access to information that only a very select few know, yet what they do is nothing more than an expression of a filthy desire for approval that lacks a shred of rationality; they are shameful people, so it is not the manufacturers whose secrets have been exposed who should be blamed, but these damn people, and they need to be crushed as soon as possible…
Hideki Kamiya
The Switch 2 trailer ends with a promise of a presumably console-focused Nintendo Direct on April 2nd this year. Also announced was a series of hands-on events in multiple cities taking place in April. Tickets are free, requiring only a free Nintendo account to apply for them. While there is no guarantee you’ll get tickets, registration opens Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. PT / 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET, and ends on Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. local time for each event location.
New York: April 4 – April 6 Center415 415 5th Ave New York, NY 10016
Los Angeles: April 11 – April 13 Television City 7800 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036
Dallas: April 25 – April 27 Embarcadero Building at Fair Park 1229 Admiral Nimitz Dr. Dallas, TX 75210
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