To put it bluntly, Nintendo’s new Switch 2 is the most controversial game console since the release of Xbox One. On today’s Internet, you can easily find all kinds of true and false rumors about Switch 2. What about "five years behind the times", "480P camera", "first game 4399", "performance benchmark 1050Ti"... Even after many rounds of verification and refuting rumors, the situation has not changed much. After all, the console has not been released yet, and the machine has not been received yet. How to promote it is decided by the manufacturer and the so-called "money-filled media" - whether it is a mule or a horse, it has to be led out for a walk.
Perhaps understanding this, Nintendo held a "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience Session" similar to the one before the release of the original Switch during the golden announcement period, which was less than two months before the release of the console. Only this time, Nintendo brought the trial session to the doorsteps of Chinese players. This press conference held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center was completely in line with the experience conferences held in other regions in terms of scale and game lineup. Thanks to this, we also got an opportunity to play the actual Switch 2 first and try out a small number of Switch 2 games.
Yes, it's a small number of games - since the actual experience content of media trial qualifications is no different from ordinary players' trial qualifications, we can only queue up with "sorting tickets" to experience two or so new Switch 2 games during the limited one-hour free trial time. Therefore, the game-related content in this issue only covers "Mario Kart World" and "Metrodrome Ultra 4: Crossing the Unknown", please forgive me.
So, let's get to the point - first, let's talk about the "external" of Switch 2, that is, the parts such as feel, screen, appearance, etc., which are greatly affected by subjective factors.
Look and feel
After touching the actual Switch 2, my first feeling was "solid".
This "solidity" not only comes from the fact that this machine has an area that is about 30% larger and weighs more than 100 grams compared to the previous generation, but is also based on comparisons with previous handheld consoles and consoles produced by Nintendo, including the original Switch. In fact, I have always criticized the appearance and feel of Nintendo game consoles, except for the Game Boy, which was produced in 2005 and used a metal shell. Except for MICRO, its non-limited edition products always have a strong "plastic feel", and the holding feel cannot be said to be excellent.
On Switch 2, this long-standing pain point with any system machine has been significantly improved - the entire shell of Switch 2 is made of matte skin-friendly material. This material can bring appropriate friction when held, making the machine more comfortable to hold even though its size has expanded by about 30% and its weight has increased by more than 100 grams. At the same time, the simpler black matte coating, the more refined workmanship of the buttons and joysticks of Joy-Con 2, and the just-right damping of the U-shaped bracket on the back all make it rare for the word "high-end sense" to appear on any handheld device (of course, the price is also one of the sources of the high-end sense).
By the way, the Pro controller of Switch 2 also adopts a skin-friendly design similar to the main body. The feel is much improved compared to the first generation, and it also has new back buttons. However, due to space limitations, we will not elaborate further.
Regarding the Joy-Con 2 connection method that players were generally worried about before, that is, the "magnetic connection" part, Nintendo also gave a very satisfactory answer - compared with the snap-on design of the first generation, the magnetic suction of Switch 2 is a step forward in both the convenience of fitting and the stability after fitting. I tried unplugging the Joy-Con 2 connected to the body a few times without pressing the "release" button, but it didn't move at all.
I dare not say whether the Switch 2’s magnetic suction will have problems such as reduced suction after long-term use. But at least now, the stability shown by this connection method is quite reassuring.
It is worth mentioning that since the size of Joy-Con 2 has increased along with the Switch 2 body, the shoulder button area that was criticized after the original version was disassembled has also been expanded. Now, when playing "Horse Party", you no longer have to hook your fingers and use your fingernails to "poke" the shoulder buttons. This is undoubtedly good news for players who like party games.
Overall, Switch 2 has made solid progress "step by step" without major changes to its overall form. This progress may be conservative, but it is also another excellent iteration of the excellent design of the first-generation Switch. Unfortunately, the basic Switch 2 still uses an LCD display. Although the display effect is remarkable, it is really a pity not to use OLED - well, at least we know what will happen with the half-generation upgrade of Switch 2.
However, these are just the qualities of Switch 2 as an "industrial product". But as we all know, the real appeal of a game console comes from the games it carries - this is also recorded in stories such as 3DS overtaking PSV and Wii sales exceeding 100 million.
escort game
In the limited time, I chose to spend most of my time on the Switch 2 escort work "Mario Kart World", trying to fully experience all modes including Grand Prix, Survival and Open World as much as possible. In the remaining time, I chose to experience Metroid Ultimate 4: Crossing the Unknown, which showcases the new feature of the Joy-Con 2 controller, "mouse mode."
Let me talk about the conclusion first - based on my personal feelings after the trial, "Mario Kart World" is fully worthy of its status as a "escort masterpiece", and the quality of "Metrodrome Ultra 4: Crossing the Unknown" itself is also quite good, but the "mouse mode" may not be suitable for all play scenarios.
"Mario Kart World"
Before seeing "Mario Kart World", I always felt that the "Cart" series was actually a bit over the top. After all, the real "predecessor" of this work can be traced back to the Wii U period eleven years ago. With as many as 96 tracks and a racing gameplay of dominating sea, land and air, people really can't imagine how this series can innovate.
The answer given by "Mario Kart World" is "stacking", all-round stacking.
The most obvious of these is that the game mode of this game has shifted from "fixed track" to "open world", but this change in mode is very different from traditional open world racing.
The overall idea of traditional open world racing, such as the "Forza Horizon" series, is similar to that of a real-life "nature reserve" - their usual method is to "enclose the race" with real-scene scanning and other methods, and then delineate routes suitable for racing as a competition venue The advantage of this approach is that the map can be made quite large and there are many potential track route choices. However, it also has the disadvantages of homogeneous tracks, limited interesting elements, and high reliance on "off-site elements" (such as car farming, collectibles, and other list items) to achieve a gameplay loop.
In comparison, the open world of "Mario Kart World" is more like a giant "carriage" theme park. This game has designed more than twenty "themed scenic areas" with distinctive features. Each "scenic area" has its own unique design - the "haunted house area" will have shy ghosts spawning on the road, the "pirate area" will be filled with continuous cannonball assassins, and the "snowy mountainous area" will be filled with steep ski slopes, which ensures that the experience of each area is unique. The "track design" of this game, which focuses on rally racing, can connect these scenic spots in a reasonable route, allowing players to experience the excitement of multiple track elements as much as possible in one race.
At the same time, the new track elements "sliding rail" and "sliding wall" in this game take on the role of some "collection items" in the traditional open world.
In this game, when the player's car "jumps" onto the "slide" in a specific way, the car will receive considerable acceleration, and the effect can also be superimposed with the acceleration mushroom. Various scenes in this game are full of similar slide rails, but when players first encounter them, they often cannot find a suitable way to make their car "fall off the rails".
Therefore, exploring the "falling method" in the open world map has become an important way for players to improve their own skills and increase their lap speed. Compared with the traditional "hard list", this kind of "soft list" with excellent gameplay quality may give players more motivation to explore.
In addition to the shift to an open-world map design, another major "stack" of this game is the doubling of the number of people competing on the same screen. Thanks to the improved performance of Switch 2, the maximum number of people online in this game has reached 24. The biggest change brought about by the increase in the number of people is that the "liveliness" of the game has increased by more than one level - imagine that the already dense turtle shell snipers, fire flower barrages, shell assassins and Invincible Star Dump Trucks in "Carriage 8" are doubled again. The game in "Mario Kart World" is such a picture of hell.
But what surprised me was that despite the sharp increase in the number of flying props, the gameplay experience of this game did not become too chaotic because of this - first of all, each "strike prop" headed by the red turtle shell has been weakened to a certain extent, and the hit vehicle will not completely lose speed. Players can even use props such as accelerating mushrooms to quickly cancel the attack situation and return to full speed; at the same time, the "wake effect" of this game is It has been greatly enhanced. Even without props, lagging players can regain their position through better route selection; coupled with the addition of new elements such as sliding rails, wall sliding, continuous aerial stunts, and an overall longer and more fault-tolerant track, the experience of high-level players will not fall into a bottomless pit of chaos as the number of people increases. Light players can also find plenty of fun in the overall more lively atmosphere.
If the gameplay is still not enough, this game also adds a "Battle Royale"-like "Survival Mode". This mode will divide the stage into 6 stages, with four players eliminated in each stage, and finally four players will compete for the championship. In the early stage, the chaos caused by the huge amount of props and the dense car formation will make the scene unpredictable. The player who was at the top one second ago may also suffer successive blows and fall to the bottom of the team. In the later stage, the gradual decline in the number of people will make the game gradually develop in a "serious" direction, especially in the last four When people compete, due to their higher rankings, almost no one can get props such as cannonballs, golden mushrooms, blue turtle shells, and lightning that can determine life and death in one wave. Driving skills will become a key factor in determining the outcome of the game—definitely good news for players who suffer from "blue turtle shell PTSD before crossing the line."
By the way, in all the above-mentioned modes, whether it is console mode or handheld mode, split-screen battle or 24-player online, "Mario Kart World" maintains a smooth operation of more than 60 frames throughout the entire process, and the game's graphics are also pleasing to the eye.
In short, the current overall performance of "Mario Kart World" is quite excellent. As an escort work for Switch 2, I have no doubt that it will continue the sales miracle of "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition". This game will also become the most worthwhile first game for Switch 2.
"Metrorod Ultimate 4: Through the Unknown"
As a "cross-platform" game that is available on both the original Switch and Switch 2, my expectations for Metroid Ultra 4: Crossing the Unknown are mainly focused on two aspects - first, the performance of the new machine will enhance the visual expression of this cross-platform game; second, whether the "mouse mode" brought by the Joy-Con 2 controller can bring immediate hand-feel optimization for game types such as FPS.
It can be said that Switch 2 perfectly met my first expectation: in console mode, "Metrodrome Ultra 4: Crossing the Unknown" with 4K60 frames and 1080P120 frames looks quite good - compared with the screen released at the Switch direct meeting on March 27, the Switch 2 version has achieved dimensionality reduction over the original version in many aspects such as resolution, light and shadow effects, landscape quality, and texture fineness. With the support of excellent art design, the visual effects of the Switch 2 version of "Metroid Ultra 4: Crossing the Unknown" have achieved "not losing to contemporary mainstream large-scale games."
However, in terms of "mouse mode", the experience of this game is a matter of "different opinions".
First of all, it is undeniable that the mouse mode is indeed more in line with the "precise aiming" idea of FPS games than the controller mode. In environments such as boss battles that require accuracy, the upper limit of the operations it can perform is higher. But a key problem is that for PC players, the "mouse" has never existed in isolation - it will always be combined with the "keyboard". While the mouse assumes the shooting and aiming functions, the Shift, Ctrl, V, Tab and many other keys on the keyboard that are easily accessible to the left hand will assume many functions, allowing the right hand to concentrate on the aiming task.
The problem with "Metroid Ultimate 4: Crossing the Unknown" is that due to the underlying logic of the controller operation, the player's left hand, which is responsible for movement, cannot take on too many tasks - the thumb is used for movement, and the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are used for holding. Only the index finger can be used to operate the two shoulder keys. Therefore, functions such as "changing the ball" and "switching the mask" will inevitably be assigned to the ABXY keypad located on the right side.
In other words, players still cannot completely focus on "aiming with the right hand". While the wrist is operating, the fingers cannot rest - this kind of distraction makes the player's experience incomparable to a real mouse.
Plus, the Joy-Con 2 isn't really a "mouse." Even though it does not insist on "front-to-ground operation", from an ergonomic point of view, it is still not suitable for holding for a long time. The subtle damping of the shoulder keys will also increase the burden on the button press - after playing for a long time, the "mouse mode" will indeed be much more tiring than the traditional "handle mode".
But in the final analysis, "mouse mode" is only an optional operating mode. My personal operating experience cannot represent the whole, and "Metrorod Ultimate 4: Crossing the Unknown" cannot represent all "mouse mode games" - and even if the mouse mode of Joy-Con 2 is really not easy to use, we still have third-party manufacturers to look forward to. It's always good to have more choices.
a little regret
With the trial play of "Metrorod Ultimate 4: Crossing the Unknown" ending, this "Switch 2 Hong Kong Experience Conference" has officially come to an end. To be honest, I do have some regrets - due to time constraints, I passed by "Dongqi Gang: Full Power", which is also a masterpiece, and "Cyberpunk 2077", which can fully demonstrate the performance limit of Switch 2. I also failed to "eat meat" in the Switch 2 version of "Street Fighter 6". Many games do not provide mode selection between console and handheld modes, and the noisy environment also made it difficult for me to hear the background music coming from the speakers...
However, considering that Switch 2 is only a few weeks away from release, this regret seems not to be that important. All the rumors about whether this console is a mule or a horse may be settled by then.
Finally, I hope everyone can buy their favorite machine at the right price.