Today Nintendo showed off the Nintendo Switch, in the little hours of the morning here in the UK out worldwide 3rd March 2017 priced at £279.99/$299.99. Before I go on about the new console from Nintendo get your pre-orders in now when the pre-orders for Amazon.co.uk goes live at 7am (13th January).

Quote from Amazon.co.uk

Quantities will be limited, however. “Due to limited stock we are only able to offer one unit per customer per address,” Amazon noted. “We will be fulfilling customer orders in the order in which they were placed.”

The Nintendo Switch will require a paid online service for players to enjoy the amount of features promised. On launch this service will be offered for free, but will become paid later in Fall 2017. This will allow Nintendo to offer more, fuller online features to players.

Online lobby and voice chat

Our new dedicated smart device app will connect to Nintendo Switch and let you invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches in compatible games all from your smart device.

A free, limited version of this app will be available for download in summer 2017.

Right lets get on with the show, back to the new console called the Nintendo “Switch”

Both SKUs include the Switch, docking station, left and right Joy-Con controllers, wrist strap, an AC adapter, and one HDMI cable. One SKU will include grey-coloured Joy-Con peripherals, while the other will pack in neon blue and red Joy-Cons.

The Switch uses a specially made dock to send signals to the TV. Drop the system onto the dock and instantly go to playing games on the big screen—no obnoxious pairing or wireless connectivity requirements. More importantly the Switch has what could potentially be a better controller. The Shield came with a big fat separate controller that you connected to the tablet via Bluetooth. The Switch has that option too, and calls it the “Switch Pro”.

But the Switch’s Joy-Con controller looks like the fun one, and as it closely resembles the Switch logo, it’s safe to say Nintendo is hoping we like it as much as its logo designers do.

The Joy-Con controller (available in multiple colours) is made up of two small palm controllers, each with a joystick and 4-button layout. When playing on the tablet you can connect the controllers to each side, effectively turning the Switch into something like a gargantuan Sony PSP.

With the controllers can be disconnected and used separately, which might be useful for games that require motion controllers like with the old Wii, or for when you want to have some quick two-player action.

Specs from what we know of:

The Switch features a capacitive touch panel.

• It charges via USB-C.
• Battery life will depend on the game, with Nintendo saying it could last anywhere from 2.5 hours to 6 hours.
• Wi-Fi is, naturally, built in, and the system will support linking up to 8 Switches together for old fashioned wireless multiplayer gaming.
• The system runs on a custom processor from Nvidia that’s rumoured to be based on the architecture in the Nintendo Shield tablet and console

No Nintendo platform is complete without at least one game featuring the company’s world-famous mascot. Nintendo announced Super Mario Odyssey as an exclusive for its Switch console/handheld system.

Super Mario Odyssey marks a return to sprawling, sandbox environments—the first since 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine. Playing as Mario, players will run and jump their way across a blend of real-world environments such as cityscapes—the debut trailer showed Mario hopping on taxicabs like trampolines—and fantastical environs.
Mario’s cap is more than decorative this time around.

It’s sentient, and players will be able to fling it at enemies and blocks. The cap plays a larger role in the adventure.
Nintendo aims to release Super Mario Odyssey during the holiday 2017 season.

During the Nintendo Switch event, Bethesda’s Todd Howard confirmed Skyrim would be releasing on the new home and portable console hybrid.

Publisher Atlus showed off a trailer for an all-new Shin Megami Tensei RPG coming to the Nintendo Switch.

The trailer offered very little hint at what the game would be about, instead showing off a host of characters–including Jack Frost and Pixie–in a quick cinematic.

At this time, few details regarding plot, gameplay, price, or release date are known, but we can expect to learn more soon.

Nintendo unveiled 1-2-Switch, a game for multiple players that can be played without a screen.

1-2-Switch emphasizes face-to-face interaction. To play, each player uses a Joy-Con peripheral and watches each other, rather than a screen, to “wait to see them do something unexpected.” Most modes of play boil down to reading your opponent’s body language and performing a function with your Joy-Con first—like two gunslingers facing off, each itching to pull the trigger first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7p47TOmicQ

Other game types shown in the trailer included a sword duel, air guitar, and wizards blasting spells at each other.

1-2-Switch launches on 3rd March alongside Nintendo Switch.

Arms is a new Nintendo property designed around Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con peripherals.

To play, you’ll hold a Joy-Con in each hand. Manoeuvres include thrusting the controllers forward to punch, and tilting both Joy-Cons to move your character.

Arms sports a playful, cartoonish veneer in line with Nintendo’s trademark fun-first style. Players choose from characters such as Spring Man and Ribbon Girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7s3UB_8dFM

Switch consoles can be connected online and via WiFi to battle against friends.

Splatoon 2 (Summer)

A sequel to the Wii U’s Splatoon, Splatoon 2 will feature all-new duel-handed weapons to take advantage of the new Joy-Con controllers.

The special weapons will also be brand-new, and there will be plenty of new stages to try.

Nintendo will release a super-sized edition of Wii U’s Mario Kart 8 titled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch.

The Switch version of the souped-up kart racer appears to boast all of the characters, tracks, karts, and parts such as wheels and paragliders from the 2014 edition on Wii U, plus a lot more of all of the above: characters and tracks themed after newer Nintendo franchises like Splatoon, as well as familiar faces like King Boo; and additional items such as the feather, last seen in the original Super Mario Kart on Super NES.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will release on 28th April.

Skylanders Imaginators for Nintendo Switch provides gamers unique ways to play, including the introduction of a vast digital library that allows players to easily load and store 300+ toys from the Skylanders franchise directly to the new home gaming system. The arrival of the digital library empowers players to take their Skylanders Imaginators adventure on-the-go whenever and however they want.
“Since Skylanders Imaginators and Skylanders Creator launched, fans have made more than 25 million Imaginators using the expansive creation tools in the game and app. We couldn’t be more excited to extend that experience to Nintendo Switch players,” said Paul Reiche, co-founder and studio head, Toys for Bob. “We’ve seen some amazing Skylanders created, and as kids’ collections continue to grow, we’re proud to offer more depth and variety to fans in ways never before possible with this new system.”

“Skylanders Imaginators has ignited the imaginations of fans everywhere, and we’re looking forward to continuing to support their gameplay experiences with Nintendo Switch, along with new toys and content coming this year,” said Josh Taub, senior vice president of Skylanders Product Management, Activision. “There are now more than 300 million Skylanders toys in the hands of fans², which equates to nearly two toys sold every second since Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure launched. And with the new season of the animated series Skylanders Academy slated for Netflix this fall, we are thrilled that fans can enjoy playing, watching and creating Skylanders no matter where they are.”

Also just after the event Capcom announced Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers to Nintendo Switch. 

This version of the game will feature HD graphics (very similar to those we saw in the MIX launched years) and the option of using the retro mode as well, the inclusion of two new characters Evil Ryu and Violent Ken .

A number of games were revealed during the Nintendo Switch event, including Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the sequel to the 2010 JRPG.

Developed by Monolithsoft, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 appears to feature imagery characteristic of the Xenoblade series, incluiding massive structures, futuristic cities, and bright, airy fields.

Few plot details are known at this time, although it looks like the game will feature brand new characters in the main narrative.

a few more game was announced at the event, but the main news was that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will launch on Switch and Wii U on 3rd March.

So a new Zelda title for a new console.