Hello everyone! I hope all of you are having a great start to 2025. My January has been pretty busy with work and taking care of family. So finding time to sit down and write a blog post is getting more difficult to find. Same with playing video games. I love to play video games both old and new. I am currently playing through Peter Jackson's King Kong for the GameCube and will be doing a review on that as it will be the game's 20th anniversary. As with life, there is always something that comes up that has to be focused on first before I want to do the more fun stuff.
The kind of games that I like to play are Nintendo games. I love Mario, Pokemon, Luigi's Mansion, Smash Bros., and much more. Nintendo is what I grew up with and have continued playing now with the Nintendo Switch. My favorite game on the Nintendo Switch is Super Mario Odyssey. I loved the game being semi-open world, every level is colorful and vibrant, and I just have so much fun exploring and finding moons for Mario to collect.
So it has me excited when Nintendo finally announced their next generation system, the Switch 2, on January 16th and… it is exactly what I expected the new console to be. It is a larger Switch console. That's it. I didn't expect it to be anything else. I didn't expect some new gimmick to come with it. I expected a slight graphics upgrade like Nintendo always does. Nintendo is not one that gets into the power scale race like Sony and Microsoft with the PlayStation and XBox that are aiming for constant 60fps in 1080p or 4K resolution and hyper realistic detailed games. Nintendo is the company that focuses on being family-friendly and affordable.
There are no details on what kind of new features the Switch 2 will have yet. One speculation is that you can use the joy-con controllers like a computer mouse as teased in the reveal video. Another big thing is a new "C" button on the right joy-con that is located below the Home button. Many people speculate it could mean "CAST" so you can display the game on your TV without needing to dock the system. Others say it means "CHAT" for voice chat. Voice chat was a big letdown when the original Switch was released. Nintendo tried to implement voice chat through an app rather than allow native voice chat from the console. So the whole voice chat was awkward on the original Switch. So this new "C" button might mitigate that issue for voice chat.
Lastly, we have to talk about the elephant in the room. All of the details of the Switch 2 has been leaking since September. This system became the most leaked console ever. From the size of the console, to the technical specs, graphics, the game cartridge, controllers, the new "C" button… just every detail about the Switch 2 has been leaking out for months. I am not even looking for it and I see new information pop-up on my feed on X and on YouTube. It is a bummer when people can't contain themselves and feel the need to share every bit of detail as well as pictures from the manufacturer in China and 3rd party developers. It has been a long, frustrating wait when each bit of detail gets leaked because as soon as the someone 3D prints the console you just want Nintendo to reveal the console as soon as possible.
Now, Nintendo has revealed the console and reactions are very hypocritical because the people who shared every leaked detail or has looked for every bit of leaked info are upset that it is just another Switch console and not some beefy computer console like the Steam Deck or as powerful as the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
As I have said, Nintendo does not follow that power scale race. They are never aiming to compete with Microsoft and Sony. Their aim has always has been on affordability and family-friendly. If rumors are true about the Switch 2, it is going to be impressive enough. To be as powerful as the PlayStation 4 in handheld and Xbox Series S in dock would be quite the leap in graphics I can't complain. Of course, the games will be 30 fps, but to utilize graphics from the PlayStation 4 era in a handheld is impressive enough.
Especially since 3rd party titles such as Halo, Elden Ring, and Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth are rumored to come to the Switch 2 should be telling enough. Graphics for those games will most likely be scaled down, but if they can be ported to the Switch 2 and they turn out to be good ports imagine what other games can come to this console. Maybe Horizon: Zero Dawn or God of War could come to the Switch 2. Maybe the long rumored Half-Life 3 along with a Half-Life collection could make it to the console. Those games would go well with the mouse functionality of the joy-cons.
The only thing I find hard to swallow is the rumored price $400 USD. I don't know if I want to shell out that much money for the console. I would like to get a couple of games to go with it. If I do get it I would probably only dedicate one game a year.
I would like a new Mario game to go with it. The reveal video did tease the new Mario Kart game, which I don't doubt will sell very well. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has outsold every Switch title this generation selling 64.27 million units. Following in second place is Animal Crossing: New Horizons with 46.45 million units, third is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with 35.14 million units, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in number four selling 32.29 million units, and Super Mario Odyssey in number five selling 28.50 million units. So I expect really do expect the new Mario Kart game to be the hot new game that comes out on launch day.
There will be a Nintendo Direct on April 2nd that will be dedicated all on the Switch 2. A long ways away from January, but I expect a new Mario game to be revealed. I may do a follow up after that Nintendo Direct.
Those are my thoughts on the reveal of the Switch 2 and I want to know what you thought. Was it exactly what you expected or did you feel let down? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the Switch 2 reveal. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Minds, MeWe, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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