Nintendo Switch

[Wildcat]

She had trouble with one of the Ganon incarnations (the "electric" one, aka the camel...I don't recall the name). But once past that, she got the Master Sword, finished the "lizard" level, and is now apparently in the main dungeon looking for the final (?) Ganon. We're wondering if that's all the game has to offer, as it seems awfully short given the vast size of the game overall.

The DLC will offer an additional story or level in December, I believe.

We do have the notorious problem with the wonky left JoyCon. That was part of the problem with the "camel" level above, when Link would start moving all over on his own. Hope they get out a fix for that.

 

[mhedges]

She had trouble with one of the Ganon incarnations (the "electric" one, aka the camel...I don't recall the name). But once past that, she got the Master Sword, finished the "lizard" level, and is now apparently in the main dungeon looking for the final (?) Ganon. We're wondering if that's all the game has to offer, as it seems awfully short given the vast size of the game overall.

The DLC will offer an additional story or level in December, I believe.

We do have the notorious problem with the wonky left JoyCon. That was part of the problem with the "camel" level above, when Link would start moving all over on his own. Hope they get out a fix for that.

BOTW has a very thin "main quest", for sure. Thats one of the common criticisms of the game. But there is a ton of stuff you can do if you want, that you don't have to do to beat the game - all the shrines, lots of sidequests, Korok seeds, collecting to upgrade armor etc.

I haven't experienced the Joy Con issue myself, probably because I really haven't used them detached. I've only played handheld or docked with the Pro controller. I agree they need to fix it, and I think its a real black eye on their part that this wasn't caught in testing.

Have you had any issues with the screen scratching going in and out of the dock? I haven't seen anything on mine, and there is so much clearance I don't see how it is happening other than willful carelessness. I'm trying to figure out if its even a real problem or not.

 

[Wildcat]

Our screen isn't scratched yet, but I am getting a screen protector for it in a couple of days. Given where we tuck it when it's not being used, i could see it being scratched if pulled the wrong way.

She did finish the final Gannon last Sunday. It wasn't too difficult. But she wants to start a new one next time she's over, and tackle all of the shrines and side quests.

Yes, the main quest is simply, but other than that it is a really well developed game.

Not sure what to do with the Joy Con yet. Reportedly they turn them around for repair in about a week.

 

[mhedges]

Our screen isn't scratched yet, but I am getting a screen protector for it in a couple of days. Given where we tuck it when it's not being used, i could see it being scratched if pulled the wrong way.

She did finish the final Gannon last Sunday. It wasn't too difficult. But she wants to start a new one next time she's over, and tackle all of the shrines and side quests.

Yes, the main quest is simply, but other than that it is a really well developed game.

Not sure what to do with the Joy Con yet. Reportedly they turn them around for repair in about a week.

I didn't realize they were offering a repair on the joy cons yet. And I ordered a tempered glass screen protector too, just to be safe.

What other games are you planning on getting? I'm planning on picking up Mario kart 8, Yooka Laylee, Mario Oddesey, Skyrim, RiME, and a couple of others.

 

[Wildcat]

The Joy Con announcement was, I think, just a couple of days ago. I don't know if they even have anything in place to send them in yet, but it will be along soon. It is definitely a communications issue though. And we noticed the longer the console was played, the worse the controller became (possibly due to a few hours of non-stop usage, and the battery level dropping).

We definitely will be getting Super Mario Odyssey. Super Mario 3D World is still used regularly here, and most of those older Mario titles are popular at Casa Wildcat. I saw no mention of Super Mario Maker, but without a stylus, that one would be harder to play on the Switch screen.

We never did get bitten by Splatoon fever, but we might finally cave in and get Splatoon 2 for the Switch when it comes along.

I am passing on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or whatever the Switch version is called, as we have this on the WiiU, and the enhancements aren't worth getting the Switch version for. I hope, though, that they use the same online connection for both versions of the game, and not abandon the WiiU online players a couple of years from now (like they did with the Wii). This is one of those titles that maybe down the road, we would buy if it came in the budget Nintendo Selects series. Or better yet, if they decided to let us download the Switch version based on our WiiU license (even if it were deactivated on the WiiU), that would be even better. (That reminds me that I have never really liked the Nintendo "friend codes" systems, as none of them are cross-compatible. You need a different code for each console.)

I wonder if Pikmin will see a Switch release. We've never owned any of those, beyond the Nintendo Land game that shipped with the WiiU (which actually has been a lot of fun here). My youngest was playing a little Minecraft on her laptop, but since Nintendo's port of it had limitations (not even sharing the same servers), we never bothered.

We are not really big on video games here, though. My youngest comes by on weekends to hang out, and we'll play some of the games on and off. But during the week, I usually don't touch the console. With her going to college in the fall (locally), I don't know if she will have less time for the gaming, or if she will need it more as a stress outlet.

 

[mhedges]

I'd love to see Pikmin on Switch. The first two GameCube titles were so fun. I'm hoping for a port of Pikmin 3 at least, since I didn't get to play it. But a new game would be better. Maybe we will get both!

 

[dodog]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread before.

I tried to preorder a switch, but when I saw the system at Wal-Mart (an envelope that they just randomly stuffed preorder tickets into), I took my money back. I asked how many they had for preorder and they didn't know, and they looked to have 50-60 preorders in the envelope. I also asked how they knew the "order" of who got when if they didn't have enough, since they weren't placing them in an order, just stuffing them in. They seemed perplexed.

I avoided GameStop as well. Given the NES Classic and it's near unobtanium status, I've given up on that place as well. One of the workers there told me that the employees "buy" the classics and flip them for profit, and that they haven't sold any to local customers. Yikes!

I waited about a week, checking Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target and, of course, they never showed up. I tried online and Target had them listed as in-stock but when I went there they told me that wasn't the case and that the status section is always wrong. Hrrmmmm. It was a Saturday and I asked when they would be getting more in. I got a bit of a run-around but with a bid of badgering, the guy told me that there would be some coming in overnight and that they opened at 8 AM the next day. I arrived at 7:45 on Sunday, there were already 13 people in line. A guy came out from the store, confirmed that I wanted a Switch, then handed me a ticket. Since I had a ticket I was guaranteed a Switch, when the doors opened they asked us to calmly walk back to the electronics and that everyone who had a ticket would be covered. I think they had, maybe, 20 of them come in. I picked up the gray set and BotW. I did some other shopping while there and saw a few other people come later and leave pissed, without Switches.

I really only get a chance to play on some evenings and the weekends, but I'm loving it so far. The tablet is nice but I prefer it on a TV. I have two kids so I also picked up a screen protector. Given it's size, this would be perfect for car trips and I'll keep an eye open for a car power adaptor.

I have a lemony left conroller stick as well and until this thread hadn't thought to Google it. I had noticed that if I played in a recliner or with my legs up that I could get signal drop-out. Same thing if I'm too far away. The only real solution is to move about 5 feet away and not have my kids playing tablets in the same room. I guess I'll send it in for a fix but I honestly don't want to wait a week for a replacement. However, having Link unexpectedly jump off a cliff after spending 20 minutes to unlock some puzzle has it's drawbacks. My only other beef with the controller is the sensitivity for the "click" section on the sticks. Crouching Link or zooming with the slate. I have a terrible habit of doing this when I need to be turning to run like hell from a Lynel and get wasted. Grrrrr.

I've had every Nintendo system except the Wii U. I had a Wii but my kids were a bit young to play along and when we did get in to Mario Kart, they got rid of the online play, which was awesome. I look forward to the update/port of MK8 as I haven't played it. Same for Pikmin 3. So far, the Switch is great, I'll just need to find something to do with the holes in my time when I'm not playing BotW.

 

[mhedges]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread before.

I tried to preorder a switch, but when I saw the system at Wal-Mart (an envelope that they just randomly stuffed preorder tickets into), I took my money back. I asked how many they had for preorder and they didn't know, and they looked to have 50-60 preorders in the envelope. I also asked how they knew the "order" of who got when if they didn't have enough, since they weren't placing them in an order, just stuffing them in. They seemed perplexed.

I avoided GameStop as well. Given the NES Classic and it's near unobtanium status, I've given up on that place as well. One of the workers there told me that the employees "buy" the classics and flip them for profit, and that they haven't sold any to local customers. Yikes!

I waited about a week, checking Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target and, of course, they never showed up. I tried online and Target had them listed as in-stock but when I went there they told me that wasn't the case and that the status section is always wrong. Hrrmmmm. It was a Saturday and I asked when they would be getting more in. I got a bit of a run-around but with a bid of badgering, the guy told me that there would be some coming in overnight and that they opened at 8 AM the next day. I arrived at 7:45 on Sunday, there were already 13 people in line. A guy came out from the store, confirmed that I wanted a Switch, then handed me a ticket. Since I had a ticket I was guaranteed a Switch, when the doors opened they asked us to calmly walk back to the electronics and that everyone who had a ticket would be covered. I think they had, maybe, 20 of them come in. I picked up the gray set and BotW. I did some other shopping while there and saw a few other people come later and leave pissed, without Switches.

I really only get a chance to play on some evenings and the weekends, but I'm loving it so far. The tablet is nice but I prefer it on a TV. I have two kids so I also picked up a screen protector. Given it's size, this would be perfect for car trips and I'll keep an eye open for a car power adaptor.

I have a lemony left conroller stick as well and until this thread hadn't thought to Google it. I had noticed that if I played in a recliner or with my legs up that I could get signal drop-out. Same thing if I'm too far away. The only real solution is to move about 5 feet away and not have my kids playing tablets in the same room. I guess I'll send it in for a fix but I honestly don't want to wait a week for a replacement. However, having Link unexpectedly jump off a cliff after spending 20 minutes to unlock some puzzle has it's drawbacks. My only other beef with the controller is the sensitivity for the "click" section on the sticks. Crouching Link or zooming with the slate. I have a terrible habit of doing this when I need to be turning to run like hell from a Lynel and get wasted. Grrrrr.

I've had every Nintendo system except the Wii U. I had a Wii but my kids were a bit young to play along and when we did get in to Mario Kart, they got rid of the online play, which was awesome. I look forward to the update/port of MK8 as I haven't played it. Same for Pikmin 3. So far, the Switch is great, I'll just need to find something to do with the holes in my time when I'm not playing BotW.

I preordered from Target online. Went fine. And I actually went to Target on release morning (mostly to get a pro controller) and walked out with a second one (and a pro controller). Pro controller is all I use docked, otherwise I play handheld. So I haven't had any issues with the left Joy Con.

The push-click thing on the analog sticks is kind of annoying, although it doesn't sound like that issue is unique to the Switch. From what I've heard every controller with that function has problems with accidental clickage.

 

[Wildcat]

On the WiiU, it takes a little effort to push down on the control sticks. And outside of Super Mario Maker, I can't think of another game that uses it. Smash Brothers may use it, though, but I use the Wii controller for that one.

I haven't actually tried the Switch myself yet, other than setting it up. I sort of wish it came bundled with a game like the WiiU had (Nintendo Land).

 

[dodog]

I preordered from Target online. Went fine. And I actually went to Target on release morning (mostly to get a pro controller) and walked out with a second one (and a pro controller). Pro controller is all I use docked, otherwise I play handheld. So I haven't had any issues with the left Joy Con.

While waiting in line in Target I was talking with the folks around me. Two things:

1) Two of the people in the line had had a pre-order at GameStop. When they showed up at the release, there was no Switch waiting for them. They also found out that their units had been sold to others (without preorder) who showed up, or so they were told. One can surmise "who" bought the units. Another reason I won't shop at GameStop.
2) While waiting in line, a woman showed up and stood in line. The Target worker came out to give her a ticket for the Switch and she was really perplexed. Turns out she was just early to the opening (8 AM), for regular Target stuff.

The push-click thing on the analog sticks is kind of annoying, although it doesn't sound like that issue is unique to the Switch. From what I've heard every controller with that function has problems with accidental clickage.

Yeah, I'm not a huge gamer and have shit reflexes, so click-controllers and I don't work so well. Heck, I could never master Portal because I couldn't fire the damn portal guns fast enough to manipulate gravity and objects.

I haven't actually tried the Switch myself yet, other than setting it up. I sort of wish it came bundled with a game like the WiiU had (Nintendo Land).

Yeah, you don't even get TWO controllers anymore, let alone a game. I wouldn't doubt, in the future, if they don't come with AC adapters.

So, neither my Switch or BotW came with manuals. It's mostly intuitive, and connecting a console isn't that hard (they did have that one quick setup pic on the side of the box), but it took me a while to figure out a save-state. I see videos of people saving and loading in BotW but I can't figure it out. Anyone? I just push the home button, put it to sleep, then fire it up later. Maybe not the best way to do it? Did anyone else get manuals?

 

[Wildcat]

I was too excited to open it and didn't notice if it had a manual. I know there is a Save button somewhere in BotW but can't recall where it's at (one of the menus?).

 

[Wildcat]

What I don't know, however, is how you can start a second quest in BotW. Is it even possible, without erasing the first one? We haven't looked into it yet. The WiiU offers three save slots for many of the games.

 

[dodog]

What I don't know, however, is how you can start a second quest in BotW. Is it even possible, without erasing the first one? We haven't looked into it yet. The WiiU offers three save slots for many of the games.

I think the only way to do it is to add a new user, then start a game with that person.

 

[mhedges]

Yeah, you don't even get TWO controllers anymore, let alone a game. I wouldn't doubt, in the future, if they don't come with AC adapters.

Well technically Switch did come with two controllers. Each Joy Con can be used individually for at least a few games. And they aren't going to drop the AC adapter. There will be the minimum in the box to get going.

That's why they included an HDMI cable, which surprised me. Most new Blu Ray players don't come with one. I would rather they included a USB-C cable since I didn't have one. I did have some spare HDMI cables.

I was too excited to open it and didn't notice if it had a manual. I know there is a Save button somewhere in BotW but can't recall where it's at (one of the menus?).

Hit + to bring up the inventory screen then R to get to the save screen. It also does auto save fairly regularly.

I think the only way to do it is to add a new user, then start a game with that person.

Correct. It only allows for one quest per user.

 

[dodog]

Well technically Switch did come with two controllers. Each Joy Con can be used individually for at least a few games. And they aren't going to drop the AC adapter. There will be the minimum in the box to get going.

Yeah, no. You need both joy-cons to play Zelda. That's one controller. Also, I have one of the faulty left joy-cons. So I either only got one controller, or half of one.

Hit + to bring up the inventory screen then R to get to the save screen. It also does auto save fairly regularly.

Along with the connectivity issues on my left joy-con, it leads to it de-syncing, even when it should be charging. Several times now, I remove the joy-cons from the tablet/dock, only to find that the left one didn't charge. That's nice. On top of that, when I fired it up tonight, it brought up a "load" screen which I'd never seen before, with about 5 or 6 save states (which must have been auto-save). I did do the "+" save tonight though, just to be safe.

I'm a Nintendo fan-boy for sure but I have mixed feelings about this console. Maybe the corner-cutting is the state of the industry these days, but the skimpiness is a bit much. At least have a digital manual/manuals on the damn console. I hate having to check the internet to figure out how to do something because half the time it leads to some spoiler of an enemy/boss/weapon, etc. The faulty joy-con kinda ruins it for me too. Don't even get me started on $70 "extra" controllers and real lack of storage.

 

[mhedges]

Yeah, no. You need both joy-cons to play Zelda. That's one controller. Also, I have one of the faulty left joy-cons. So I either only got one controller, or half of one.

Along with the connectivity issues on my left joy-con, it leads to it de-syncing, even when it should be charging. Several times now, I remove the joy-cons from the tablet/dock, only to find that the left one didn't charge. That's nice. On top of that, when I fired it up tonight, it brought up a "load" screen which I'd never seen before, with about 5 or 6 save states (which must have been auto-save). I did do the "+" save tonight though, just to be safe.

I'm a Nintendo fan-boy for sure but I have mixed feelings about this console. Maybe the corner-cutting is the state of the industry these days, but the skimpiness is a bit much. At least have a digital manual/manuals on the damn console. I hate having to check the internet to figure out how to do something because half the time it leads to some spoiler of an enemy/boss/weapon, etc. The faulty joy-con kinda ruins it for me too. Don't even get me started on $70 "extra" controllers and real lack of storage.

Well I would say they still count as two. Or one and a half, anyway. You can use them to play some simultaneous two player games without needing to buy anything else - that's my test. It's closer to two controllers than MS or Sony gives you, anyway!

I agree the left Joy-Con issue is inexcusable. It points to a total lack of testing. As far as manuals - I don't really miss them because I can't be bothered to read a manual anyway. I haven't felt the need for one with Zelda - it walks you through all the controls pretty well. And I think not having a manual helps prevent spoilers and preserves the initial mystery of the game. What (besides saving) have you had trouble with?

Storage is an issue. They clearly went with the minimum they could. I'm not saying they should have tried to get 500GB in there but they could have gone with 64 GB at very minimal increased cost. That would have allowed for downloading 3-4 major titles and still have plenty of room for saves etc. But at least its not too expensive to add more - a 64 GB card is about $25, right?

As far as the expensive extra controllers - that's how the business is now. Sure, the Nintendo controller is $10 more than Sony / MS charges, and that's a fair complaint. But no console has shipped with two controllers in the basic bundle for a long time now. As I said above, there is tremendous pressure to keep the price point down, so they aren't going to put anything in the box that you don't need to get started.

You get the "Load" screen when you close out the software. When you just suspend and resume then it starts back up. You can also go back and load an earlier save if say you get wiped out by a boss and want to try again.

 

[dodog]

Some of the controls in BotW, like either using the "+" menu over the fast selection buttons on the left controller (picking a different weapon or bow), to me, aren't the most intuitive. Perhaps one of the monsters, dungeons or other forced dialog lays this out but I must have missed it. It may very well be on one of the "+" sub-menus as well, but I'm not sure if I really get what all those are for either. It took me a while to figure out that I'd hit left or right in the "+" menu that got me away from weapon selection. Once you "get" it, it's OK, sure. I guess I'm just old-school in that I would read the manual quick, start playing, then refer back to it once or twice as I was learning the game. There is no right or wrong, just personal preference.

I'm still calling that joy-con thing one controller. In just handling the two, envisioning how they would work with two-player MarioKart, I scratch my head trying to figure out why the stick is at the and on one controller and the middle on the other. The middle layout feels more awkward, to me, than the end layout. I know which one I'll force my kid to take when we get a 2P game.

Having storage so small, with the main release (BotW) likely to take up the majority of it with a DL, is really unacceptable. Sure, I can buy a 64 GB card for $25, but then I'd have to pay another $25, on top of the price of the switch... which only came with one controller and zero games. I did pony up and bought one, but in discussing this with my wife (who is NOT a gamer), it's hard to explain that you buy a system, that doesn't come with a game, that only comes with one controller, that doesn't really have many/any games out for it, and the amount of money each part costs. It's like flying nowadays. The snack, meal, and "luggage" cost extra. Just roll the god-damned prices into the ticked and be done with it and stop itemizing it all.

OK, rant over.

 

[mhedges]

Some of the controls in BotW, like either using the "+" menu over the fast selection buttons on the left controller (picking a different weapon or bow), to me, aren't the most intuitive. Perhaps one of the monsters, dungeons or other forced dialog lays this out but I must have missed it. It may very well be on one of the "+" sub-menus as well, but I'm not sure if I really get what all those are for either. It took me a while to figure out that I'd hit left or right in the "+" menu that got me away from weapon selection. Once you "get" it, it's OK, sure. I guess I'm just old-school in that I would read the manual quick, start playing, then refer back to it once or twice as I was learning the game. There is no right or wrong, just personal preference.

I'm still calling that joy-con thing one controller. In just handling the two, envisioning how they would work with two-player MarioKart, I scratch my head trying to figure out why the stick is at the and on one controller and the middle on the other. The middle layout feels more awkward, to me, than the end layout. I know which one I'll force my kid to take when we get a 2P game.

Having storage so small, with the main release (BotW) likely to take up the majority of it with a DL, is really unacceptable. Sure, I can buy a 64 GB card for $25, but then I'd have to pay another $25, on top of the price of the switch... which only came with one controller and zero games. I did pony up and bought one, but in discussing this with my wife (who is NOT a gamer), it's hard to explain that you buy a system, that doesn't come with a game, that only comes with one controller, that doesn't really have many/any games out for it, and the amount of money each part costs. It's like flying nowadays. The snack, meal, and "luggage" cost extra. Just roll the god-damned prices into the ticked and be done with it and stop itemizing it all.

OK, rant over.

I forget how it taught the fast selections. They do take a little getting used to, and honestly I still can't use them reliably for switching out bows or shields.

Lets agree to disagree on the controller. We aren't all that far apart anyway. I am planning on getting MarioKart and playing it with my kids so we will see how they work individually.

The layout is a bit odd, especially on the right joy con. It seems to me they were going for a ying and yang type look, and I'm not sure there's a good practical reason for it. I've played it handheld quite a bit and overall it was fine but I think it would be better with the right hand stick up high.

As far as memory - yes I think they cheaped out and should have put in 64 GB. It probably would have cost them another $2/unit. But to play devils advocate - you didn't have to buy the card to play Zelda, even downloaded.

Having a pack in game at launch is pretty unusual now, right? I don't think the PS4 or XB1 had one. But my guess is that 1-2 switch was originally developed as a pack in, then they decided to make it a separate purchase once Zelda became a launch title. No console in my memory has ever had such a strong launch title. In essence they sold a bunch of $360 (or higher if you bought collectors editions) consoles with Zelda as a pack in.

 

[Wildcat]

So, how is everyone doing in Zelda BotW?

My youngest finished the first run-through rather quickly, but the second time around, she has taken time to get through all of the shrines (just finished the last one this past weekend). I doubt she is going to capture all 900 (?) Korok seeds though. I doubt I'll ever play it--there is way too much to memorize, and too many fast moves I can't counter-attack. And I have zero patience anymore. But it's fun to watch her play it. Mission accomplished.

Mario Kart is out--I'd debated getting it but really, it's barely different from the Wii U version we have already. Splatoon 2? Maybe. I'm not big on shoot-'em-up games, but the cartoonish approach might be fun. The big deal for me is the Super Mario Odyssey title late this year. If it's anything like the trailer, it should make for very interesting gameplay.

Still haven't purchased an SD card for it yet but will do so before the next big title is purchased. Now that we've been putting the cradle in front of the TV, we've had no Joy-Con dropout issues. Yet I still might send it in for the fix. And I might get the pro controller, if I see one for sale cheaper than the current outrageous pricing.

 

[mhedges]

I've gotten all the shrines, finished all the sidequests that I have found, and have about 200 korok seeds. Also beaten Ganon once. I wouldn't say there is a lot to memorize - the game has a quest log that helps you keep track of things. And don't worry about timing your counterattacks, dodges, etc. I actually don't think I've done the dodge move thing outside of that shrine near Kakariko village where they show it to you. Perfect Guard with the shield is OK but the only enemy it really helps with is the walking Guardians. Everyone else I just keep wailing on till they are dead.

I have Mario Kart. My kids like it, and I'm impressed with the amount of polish and detail. I haven't really played it solo much yet.

Did you get digital copies of the games or hard copies? I've considered getting an SD card but don't really have a reason yet - I've gotten hard copies so there's still plenty of space left.

I wouldn't count on the Pro controller dropping in price anytime soon. And just curious why do you say it's pricing is outrageous? It's only $10 more than the equivalent XB/PS controllers and it has better battery life and higher build quality.