News:: Nintendo Switch battery lasts three hours of portable 'Zelda'

Nintendo's new hybrid console is rated for "more than six hours" of use away from an outlet, but mileage will vary depending on the game. In a press release sent out following last night's Switch event, Nintendo says that launch title "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can be played for roughly three hours on a single charge." Obviously, less-taxing games will last considerably longer, allowing Nintendo to claim six hours of battery life with a clear conscience.

Whenever the Switch is docked to the TV it automatically charges, so you should leave the house with a full battery every time. However, the Switch uses regular USB Type-C for charging, so you could feasibly top up with the same charger you use for your laptop or phone.

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News:: Nintendo Switch peripherals priced, Pro Controller costs $70

Nintendo has just posted pricing information for their Switch peripherals. Of note is the Pro Controller, set for a MSRP of $69.99, while a pair of Joy-Cons will cost $79.99. The Pro Controller has motion controls and amiibo support, along with "HD Rumble," whatever that actually means. Joy-Con packs are available in grey, red, blue, and blue/red. If you want a single Joy-Con for any reason, you can buy a single grey controller for $49.99. The Joy-Con charging grip will run you $29.99, and the now-standard wheel controllers cost $14.99 for a set of two.

Curiously, you will also be able to purchase an extra Nintendo Switch docking station (and accompanying HDMI cable and A/C adapter), allowing you to, say, bring your Switch from the bedroom to your living room. The official Nintendo site makes no mention of a pack-in option for the system, leading me to believe interested players will have to make a day-one software purchase if they actually want something to play on their new Switch.

What's included, options, bundles [Nintendo]

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News:: Breath of the Wild is a confirmed launch title for the Switch

While the President of Nintendo was reluctant is actually say it, the trailer shown at the end of the Switch presentation confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. This doesn't necessarily mean the Wii U port will be launching at the same date, but I think Nintendo would be unwise to make the same mistake they did with Twilight Princess on GameCube and Wii.

Along with a ridiculously epic trailer comes another small confirmation; this Zelda title will actually have voice acting. Link didn't utter a word, but every other character, including the Princess herself, spoke. It looks like they won't be going with a made up language, either.

In all honesty, I'm down for that. I've been a bit reluctant to have voice acting in a Zelda title, but having them emote more and act melodramatic just looks too good. This is like some Yakuza style drama going on and I'm down to see the plot of Breath of the Wild play out.

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News:: 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' lands on Switch at launch

Game consoles don't tend to have stand-out, killer software at launch, but Nintendo is bucking the trend again. The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild will be released in concert with the console itself on March 3, 2017. Not picking up the new console? The game comes out the same day for the Wii U. If this seems familiar it's because Nintendo did something similar with Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, launching it on the Wii and Gamecube simultaneously.

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News:: Here's everything you get when you buy a Nintendo Switch

console, left and right joy con, wrist straps, joy con grip, switch dock, hdmi cable, AC adapter. Pro controller is separate. Two bundles. one w/ red neon and blue neon, other with grey. both cost the same. 

If Nintendo's unveiling event for their new console has convinced you that you gotta get your meat mitts on one o' them Switches, you might be wondering what all you get for your $300. Here's what's inside:

The console itself,  a Switch Dock for when you want to play on your television,a Left and Right Joy-Con, wrist straps for both, an HDMI cable, and an AC adapter. 

There are two different bundles at the same $300 price point. One has a neon blue Left Joy-Con, and a neon red Right Joy-Con, and the console itself is gray. The other has gray Joy-Cons as well as a gray console.

Are you guys gonna try to be colorful or stick to the monochromatic scheme?

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News:: Travis Touchdown is coming to Nintendo Switch

Suda51 got up on stage at the Nintendo Switch event and talked for a while without saying a whole lot. He hears the Switch is easy for independent developers to makes games for. He's currently working on a game that will have Travis Touchdown in it, but it didn't sound like it was another No More Heroes.

The only detail given past the concept art of Travis is that this unknown game is "heavily influenced by pro wrestling." No word if Travis Touchdown's beam katana will be in it, but that'd one way to get me to watch pro wrestling.

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News:: Project: Octopath Traveler is a new RPG by Square Enix for the Switch

Square Enix has unveiled a new JRPG for Nintendo's new Switch console.

Project: Octopath Traveler appears to combine traditional sprite-based artwork with three-dimensional backdrops and environments. Square Enix's trailer for it also appears to show that the game will feature a turn-based combat system.

It's very likely that this game is fairly early on in development, as there's not much else that's been confirmed about the game. There's also no confirmed release date at this point in time.

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News:: Dragon Quest Heroes 1 and 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch

Nintendo's talking third-party partners for Switch games, and it mentioned that there are over 80 titles in development right now. Take a look at all these names:

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News:: The next Shin Megami Tensei will be on Nintendo Switch

As the 25th anniversary for Shin Megami Tensei looms, Atlus teased a new entry at the Nintendo Switch event. Little was shown, because "development has only just begun," but there you go.

A new SMT game, and it's gonna be on Switch. Good enough for now!

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News:: Super Mario Odyssey takes Mario to some weirdly mundane places

Mario has been to such strange and fantastic places over his lifetime, it's ironically strange to see him hopping around a regular-ass city. At the very least, his hopping is augmented by his new physics-defying hat. He can throw it and jump off it in mid-air. Oh, and the hat has googly eyes. (Taking a page out of 1998 Rare's book?)

There are some appropriately wacky places for Mario in Super Mario Odyssey too. The brief trailer shown at today's Switch event showed off a sherbet-colored world, an area with larger-than-life foodstuffs, and a place where Peach and Bowser have some sort of stage show playing. It might be called New Donk City, which is amazing.

Super Mario Odyssey is currently scheduled to release this holiday season.

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News:: Xenoblade 2 is coming to the Switch

Monolith Soft is bringing the next installment in the Xenoblade series to the Nintendo Switch. There's no release date as of yet, but it sure looks purdy, and I always love a JRPG on a new console.

Oh, and Yasunori Mitsuda is behind the music, so get ready to feel alternatively rockin' and sad in your heart.

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News:: Koei Tecmo is doing a Fire Emblem Warriors game

Not much was shown apart from a quick teaser, but Koei Tecmo is going to be making a Fire Emblem themed Warriors game for the Nintendo Switch. Seeing as Hyrule Warriors was incredible, I have no doubt this game is going to be just as awesome. Fire Emblem has all the proper makings of a great Warriors title, what with an eclectic cast of characters and plenty of fantastic weaponry.

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News:: Splatoon 2 will be coming to the Switch this Summer

So, it turns out that the upcoming Splatoon title for the Nintendo Switch will, in fact, be a sequel and not a straight port of the original Wii U game.

This sequel will feature new weapons, forms of movement, maps, and even newer varieties of playable squid.

Splatoon 2 will be compatible with both the Joy-Con controllers and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Much like in the first game, gyro aiming will also be incorporated as an optional control mode.

Alongside that, it will be possible to play Splatoon 2's multiplayer both online and in a local environment.

No official launch date for the game has been announced, although Nintendo has stated that it should be on store shelves this Summer.

I do have to admit that it's a bit of a wasted opportunity not to call this game 'Spla2n,' of course.

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News:: Nintendo unveils fighting sports game Arms

During the Nintendo Switch presentation, we got a glimpse at a new property called Arms. Yep, just Arms. It's a "fighting sports game" in which players duke it out with their extendable arms.

The feel of the game was described as a mix of boxing and shooting (in that aim is involved). You'll hold a Joy-Con in each hand, and when you punch in real life, your character will mimic you. You can even alter the trajectory of punches by curving your wrists, or dodge by tilting the controllers.

We saw a bunch of characters of various form factors, including "Spring Man" and "Ribbon Girl," as well as a multitude of moves like dashes, blocks, and uppercuts. There's some depth here.

Arms is coming to Nintendo Switch in spring 2017 and it'll support online and local multiplayer.

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News:: Nintendo Switch battery life runs between 2.5 and 6.5 hours

With a console that can be taken on the go (or a handheld that can be set up on a TV), battery life is going to be an important consideration. In today's Switch presentation, Nintendo reported its battery life to run anywhere between 2.5 and 6.5 hours.

That's a pretty big time window, and it's a function of how complex the chosen software is. So for those long flights across country, it would probably be wiser to go with a hypothetical Picross title over, say, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The Switch battery can be charged while playing.

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News:: Nintendo Switch controllers tout sharing and object detection

It was evident from the get-go that the Nintendo Switch's JoyCon controllers weren't just your ordinary gamepads. However, the console's launch event has revealed that they do much, much more besides detach and offer local two-player play. The left-side JoyCon has a sharing button, for starters -- you can take screenshots to show off memorable moments. The Switch won't share video right away (one area where the PS4 and Xbox One have an edge), but Nintendo is promising that it's in the works.

Source: Nintendo (YouTube)

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News:: 'Splatoon 2' brings new weapons, stages and fashion to Nintendo Switch

When Splatoon announced that it's late July Splatfest would be its last online multiplayer event, there was a collective sigh from Miiverse. The multiplayer shooter dragged Nintendo into a competitive gaming space it had never competed in before -- it was fun, frantic and had a lot of personality. Thankfully, the franchise lives on. Today Nintendo announced that the Switch version of Splatoon isn't a remastered port, but a full sequel.

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News:: 'Super Mario Odyssey' puts Nintendo's plumber in the real world

Super Mario Odyssey is Nintendo's latest Mario game and it's due to hit the Switch during the holiday season this year. The new adventure is a sandbox-style game that throws Nintendo's famous plumber into the real world.

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News:: Let's take a moment to fully appreciate this

Nintendo's Switch presentation is moving at a million miles per hour. For a company that seemed to draw out every morsel of information over the past two years, this show is full speed ahead, telling us something new every second. It's a lot to take in.

That's why I'm concerned that this moment will go overlooked. It's just so magical. Savor it.

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News:: 1-2-Switch is the first game announced at Nintendo's Switch event

The first game Nintendo showed off during the Switch event wasn't one where you look at a television. Instead, it's focused on personal interaction, and reading the people around you.

It's called 1-2-Switch, and Nintendo wants to position it as a party game. You know, kind of the way Wii Sports dominated so many social gatherings a decade ago.

The main variation of 1-2-Switch that we saw was a cowboy quickdraw mode. Basically, try to "shoot" your opponent as quickly as possible in a family friendly way. This one's a real reflex tester.

There seems to be plenty more to 1-2-Switch, though. That will surely be detailed in the near future. 1-2-Switch releases alongside the Switch on March 3.

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News:: The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con has a capture button, but it only does screenshots right now

The rumored Share button for the Nintendo Switch is real after all. Soon you'll be able to pester all of your friends with game screenshots and send them out with social media. Video capture will be possible some time in "the future."

Also. inside each Joy-Con is also an accelerometer and gyro sensor allowing for independent motion control. I can't wait to see how that'll translate to recorded segments that y'all can send to your friends. 

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News:: The Switch Joy-Cons will come in multiple colors

It looks like we won't need to be waiting for additional Joy-Con colors for the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Shown off during the Switch presentation were an almost neon red and blue color scheme for the Joy-Con controllers, along with some funky wrist straps.

Seeing as how the Joy-Con has motion controls built-in, I guess Nintendo is just covering themselves from another Wii mishap style injury lawsuit. Those damn things are so small, so I wouldn't imagine you'd do much damage with them.

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News:: The Nintendo Switch won't be region locked

Back in October, when Nintendo first announced its upcoming Switch console, I couldn't help but feel a bit concerned about the prospect of the hardware manufacturer implementing a form of region-restrictions that may impede on a user's ability to utilise the hardware in a way that best suits them.

In fact, I even went so far as to write an opinion piece about why I felt that Nintendo potentially implementing such a feature on the Switch would be a terrible idea.

Well, it turns out that Nintendo has listened to much of the feedback and criticisms that it has received relating to its use of region restrictions on its past consoles. Yep, that's right. The Nintendo Switch will launch completely devoid of region restrictions. This means that it'll be possible for a console acquired in any region to play any game on the platform, regardless of the hardware or software's point of origin.

If I may editorialise for a moment; Hell. Yes. This is precisely the news I wanted to hear.

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News:: Nintendo Switch will have a paid online service

Right out of the gate, Nintendo spoke briefly about online play on the Nintendo Switch during its presentation this evening. While specifics were sparse, there's one big detail: a price tag.

Players will be able to engage in online multiplayer, invite friends, chat, and set play appointments in compatible Switch games using an application on their smart device. Following Sony and Microsoft, the Switch's online will be a paid service, beginning in the fall of 2017, but users will be able to try it for free in a trial period after launch on March 3, 2017.

More details at a later date.

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News:: Nintendo Switch releases on March 3 for $300

We finally know. Nintendo kicked off the Switch event by answering the biggest remaining question marks: When it comes out and how much it costs.

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that the Switch releases on March 3, 2017 at a price of $300. That date applies to the United States, Japan, major countries in Europe, Canada, Hong Kong, and "other territories." The price in Japan is 29,980 yen; Kimishima told European audiences to check with their local retailers.

There you have it, folks. Three c-notes and it's less than two months away.

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News:: Arms brings shooter-esque boxing to the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo isn't wasting any time with original games for its new Switch console. During its launch livestream tonight, the company announced Arms, a new boxing game that also shares a lot with shooters. It relies on motion controls to attack enemies from a distance. In practice, it looks like you're punching with a bit of a delay, thanks to your freakishly long arms. In many ways, Arms looks like the successor to Wii Boxing that we've been waiting for. You can expect it sometime in spring.

Developing...

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News:: Nintendo finally discovered capacitive touch screens

At Nintendo's Switch press conference today, the company revealed that its upcoming gaming console will have -- wait for it -- a capacitive touch screen. This is a pretty big move for Nintendo, which has traditionally gone with resistive touch displays -- the DS, the 3DS and the Wii U all had resistive touch screens. Resistive touch screens are typically more inaccurate and much harder to use than the capacitive displays that are widely used in smartphones and tablets today. It's a small difference, perhaps, but it's a move that makes the Switch that much more enticing to a modern audience.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from Nintendo's Switch event.

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News:: Nintendo Switch online multiplayer won't be free

There's a lot to love about Nintendo, but it's always been a generation behind the curve when it comes to online services. The Nintendo Wii was hampered by an awkward friend code system, and the Wii U's network services were weird, goofy and heavily monitored. With the Switch that all might change: Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima just announced Nintendo Online Services -- the company's latest attempt to figure out online multiplayer. Kimishima didn't reveal much about the service, but the in general the news is good: Nintendo Online Services sounds a lot like Sony and Microsoft's multiplayer services. The bad news? Just like those services, it'll cost you a monthly fee.

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News:: Nintendo Switch software won't be region locked

Nintendo has always been aggressive with region locking, but that's changing with the Switch. That's right, the Switch will be able to play games from any territory. Meaning, importing games from Japan and playing them on your US-based console will be totally doable -- no need to buy a region-specific hardware for those anymore. Nor will you have to wait for a certain game to get translated to English. Hey, alright!

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