Top 5 Reasons to get a Nintendo Switch 2 - Hands On PREVIEW

TOP 5 REasons you need A NintenDO Switch 2

I walked away from the Nintendo Switch 2 preview more impressed than I was expecting, but how did I go from mildly excited about Nintendo’s new console to highly anticipating it?

After being invited and spending a few hours of quality hands on time with Nintendo’s upcoming console, I was able to distill my thoughts down into the TOP 5 REASONS YOU NEED A NINTENDO SWITCH 2

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World impressed me, which surprised me because I was just expecting another Mario Kart, which it is. It’s a lot more of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but with the dials cranked. Visuals are stronger, there is an astounding amount of things happening on the screen at all times and there is a lot more drivers, karts and items to find.

However, what really captivated me with Mario Kart World was one of the new modes: Knockout Tour. In Knockout Tour, 24 racers gather in a single, six lap race, but what makes it extremely unique was that every lap, 4 people get eliminated. There is a level of stress and urgency that has been absent from the series in a while. At the bottom of the screen you are constantly reminded that you need to place 20th or better in the first lap or 16th or better in the second lap and so on.

Every lap when more and more people get eliminated, the tension increases. When the final lap arrived it was four of the best racers in a very tight pod. Gone were the random blue shells from someone in last place who cant play the game and remaining was only skilled drivers and minor items. With a perfectly timed mushroom, I was able to win the Knockout Tour and I walked away impressed by how exhilarating it was. My hope is that most of that energy will transfer over to local or online play.

Since I began playing Mario Kart in 16-Bit on the Super Nintendo, there have been a handful of times when the series made a change that felt revolutionary. The introduction of the series, the move from 2D to 3D with Mario Kart 64, the inclusion of two riders in Mario Kart: Double Dash and now the knockout tour and free roam. I would argue that everything else that has changed in the series over the years has been more additive and evolutionary like bringing in 200cc, bikes and anti gravity sections.

Mario Kart World feels like a well needed revolution for the series.

Donkey Kong Bananza is Donkey Kong Odyssey

My biggest disappointment with the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was that we weren't getting a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey, which is arguably the best Super Mario title of all time. However, the speculation is that the team behind Super Mario Odyssey is the team that developed Donkey Kong Bananza and after playing, I’m happy to say that is likely the case. If you were also hoping for a sequel to Odyssey, not only will Donkey Kong Bananza fill that void, but it also is providing an experience that I didn't know I wanted thanks to the ultimately satisfying destruction.

The Super Mario Odyssey essentials are here: Huge open zones to explore, huge banana instead of moons, main objectives interlaced with loads of hidden objectives, currency to find, outfits to buy, enemies to fight and much more.

Nintendo Switch 2 Is Once Again The Place For INDIES

Unsurprisingly, Hades 2 looks stunning on a massive TV and runs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Once again, Hades 2 will be a timed console exclusive when it releases on the Nintendo Switch 2, which will happen when the game exits Early Access. It’s probably safe to assume that Super Giant is doing everything in their power to make sure Hades 2 releases on June 5 to coincide with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Hades 2 is the kind of game that would sell well, no matter when it releases, but it’s a well known fact that people are hungry for games to play on new hardware. Just looking at the Nintendo Switch Launch lineup, 1-2 Switch has currently sold almost 4 million copies.

This also leads me to believe that the Nintendo Switch 2 is once again going to be a haven for indie games just like the Nintendo Switch was. Indie games were so big on the Nintendo Switch that they eventually spun off into their own Nintendo Direct called Indie World Showcase. When you also throw in the mouse functionality, there is going to be an even bigger explosion of Indies on the Nintendo Switch 2

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond looked and played very well as it was running at 120 FPS. However, after playing the demo in the mouse mode, what I know for sure is that I want to play this game with the Pro Controller. Having currently replayed Metroid Prime earlier this year, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond felt like riding a bike. The muscle memory was there and everything felt natural. One of the best things about the Metroid franchise is the level of immersion that the environment provides, especially audio does and playing Metroid Prime 4:Beyond at this loud preview event wasn’t conducive to that experience. Assuming the ambiance is there, based on gameplay and visuals, I am excited to experience the full package.

Hardware Impressions

With the improved performance and specs, I was wondering if it would feel more cumbersome, but the Nintendo Switch 2 still fits in your hands nicely and is still substantially smaller than things like the Steam Deck and other competitors. I also really tried to stress test the magnet functionality of the Joy-Cons and they feel solid and don’t seem like they will pose any long term problems. They felt rock solid compared to the current Joy-Cons on the Nintendo Switch, which can feel a little loose in the tracks of the console. The new Joy-Cons and their increased size also felt much more natural in the palms of your hands, which will be a nice improvement for the average adult. The overall feel of the system is that it feels more mature and much more well built.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was only playable in the mouse format, which might take a bit of time to get used to, but it did show me a few things. The first is how seamless and instantaneous it is to swap from using the Joy-Cons in mouse mode to picking them up and using them in the more traditional Joy-Con motion mode. There was no slow down on the game or menu that pops up to interrupt game play. The thing that might take a while to get used to would be the left hand in mouse mode as that hand is usually reserved for keyboard inputs. With the Nintendo Switch 2, you had to teach your brain that your left hand now controls buttons and joysticks in addition to the mouse in the right hand. I think it is something that will feel very natural over time and open up a lot of awesome gaming possibilities, but it might take some time to get used to.