Episode 144: Pregaming The Switch

My, how far we’ve come. It’s been two years since we first discussed a mysterious new project codenamed NX, and in a mere 12 days it will finally be in our hands as the Nintendo Switch. Over that time we went through all sorts of leaks, speculation, and official news, so it’s only fitting that we come full circle with all three in this episode of the Random Nintendo Podcast. We cover everything from leaks of the system interface to first details on its online offerings, plus weigh in on 1-2-Switch’s gameplay modes, Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Expansion Pass DLC, and Ultra Street Fighter II’s unexpected first-person brawler. We also go beyond just the Switch with news from Nintendo’s investor briefing Q&A, January NPD numbers, and the surprise of E3 2017 opening to the public. Plus, we share our impressions of Pokemon Go’s Johto expansion and revisit local multiplayer mayhem with Mario Party 10.

Are you ready for the Switch? Share your launch plans in the comment below and we’ll feature some of our favorites as part of our Switch launch blowout next episode. From hardware and game impressions to launch day stories, this will be one episode you won’t want to miss. Stay up to date by subscribing to us on iTunes, Google Play Music, or your podcasting app of choice us, and following us on Twitter @RandomNintendo.

As always, we’ve included links below for more information on the games and news discussed in this episode. Each link also lists a time stamp so you can easily locate the segments that most interest you. Enjoy!

News

• [0:01] Rumor: New Round of Switch Info Shows More Online Details, System Specs, Dev Info and Much More (GoNintendo)
• [0:19] Check out Nintendo Switch’s interface in this leaked video (VentureBeat)
• [0:28] Nintendo Switch: Koizumi on jack port when docked, video output, GameCube Virtual Console, more (Perfectly Nintendo)
• [0:31] Nintendo Switch owners get free preview of Splatoon 2 during Global Testfire (Nintendo.com)
• [0:44] 19 Things Nintendo’s President Told Us About Switch and More (TIME.com)
• [0:41] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gets a $20 Expansion Pass (Polygon)
• [0:55] ‘1, 2 Switch’ Team Has ‘Close To 200’ Minigame Ideas, Updates A Possibility (iDigitalTimes)
• [1:08] See Ultra Street Fighter 2’s First-Person Mode On Nintendo Switch (GameSpot)
• [1:15] Chill puzzler TumbleSeed is coming to Nintendo Switch (Polygon)
• [1:22] Nintendo Switch interview: Nintendo on the price, games and hopes for its new console (The Telegraph)
• [1:28] Nine Months Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2017 –  Q&A [PDF] (Nintendo Investor Relations)
• [1:35] The 8 Most Interesting Things Nintendo Told Us About Switch (TIME.com)
• [1:38] NPD: Nintendo’s NES Classic was January’s third best-selling console (VentureBeat)
• [1:43] E3 2017 Will Be Open to the Public (IGN)
• [1:53] Pokemon Go evolves: 80 new creatures, four new features (CNET)

Games

• [0:31] Splatoon 2 (Nintendo.com Game Page)
• [0:44] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Official Site)
• [0:55] 1-2-Switch (Official Site)
• [1:08] Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Nintendo.com Game Page)
• [1:15] TumbleSeed (Official Site)
• [1:53] Pokemon Go (Official Site)
• [02:02] Mario Party 10 (Official Site)