I was fortunate to score a ticket to the Nintendo Switch 2 experience that came to Melbourne this past weekend. The best way to describe the event is to think of it as a big PAX booth, which was a joy to spend some time in.
The lobby gave us a good look at the console and accessories and then we were taken into a staged area to enjoy some more traditional Mario Kart (World) which was a very exciting way to kick things off.
Mario Kart World
We got to enjoy a race in split screen on the TV followed by a solo race in handheld mode. Both modes presented the game beautifully. The demo had a flawless level of polish, even with the 24-player chaos. Everything felt familiar but with almost everything dialled up to 11.
Every aspect of the game feels scaled up, even in the closed races it felt more open, it felt like closed races in Forza Horizon vs Forza Motorsport (with Motorsport representing Mario Kart 8 here) where you have more room to move which changes the feel of Mario Kart but seems to work with the hectic player count. Later on in the session I was able to play on some tighter tracks in the knockout mode which I much enjoyed but let me share, this mode, is overwhelmingly stressful! I think Mario Kart World is going to have legs, and evolve over time, there is clearly a bit of everything for everyone, and in this small session I saw a few glimpses of density that I was worried was missing so I am much looking forward to playing more.
The Console
Playing Mario Kart World on the charging Joy-Con controller grip felt decent enough and had a couple of extra buttons on the back which will no doubt come in handy for more demanding games but the real magic of the event was felt once I had the Switch 2 in my hands.
It instantly felt like I was holding a premium evolution of the Switch, it felt equal parts familiar and fresh. The increased size of the console feels fantastic in my hands and the larger 1080p screen is exactly what has been missing, it was perfect. All the buttons and analogue sticks feel better than the original Switch but still slightly limited by the form factor. Overall, I am impressed and think we’re well placed for the next seven or eight years of gaming on this thing.
Donkey Kong Bananza
The quick demo basically confirmed the opinion that I already held of this game being that it is the Donkey Kong equivalent to Super Mario Odyssey and it kind of works in reverse to, it has shown me what might be possible for Super Mario Odyssey 2 on the Switch 2, exciting times!
The demo dropped you straight into the action, and it’s hard to say if that’s because there was action scripted, or because I just started smashing everything, but shit got crazy, fast. Having less than 15-minutes, I selected Assisted mode and just sort of went in the general direction I was told to but the journey to get there had me tearing through everything. You can punch tunnels into rock, you can dig up and throw boulders and at one point I was somehow walking (then running) on a rock I dug up. It felt like there was endless sandbox fun to be had, alongside a traditional story, and I think Donkey Kong fans are in a for a real treat. I think this game is going to really nicely fill a void.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (and Joy-Con mouse mode)
I didn’t know what to expect going in, as I have never touched a Metroid game, but geared up with a Joy-Con in mouse mode, I started the demo. Firstly, it ran amazingly well, and looked gorgeous, sort of how Halo 4 looked great but better generally speaking. Using the Joy-Con as a mouse, was significantly better than I expected it to be. I am not sure if head-to-head in something like Call of Duty it would best a mouse such as the Logitech G502 but where your options are limited, it does more than just get you out of trouble, I am very keen to see where this feature goes. It was a little hard to gauge how well I was doing as there is a fair bit of locking on in Metroid but overall, the mouse mode played way better than some gimmick.
As for Metroid, I enjoyed my time with it, it felt like it had plenty of depth and the world felt alive, like I was an important cog in a large world (again similar to Halo). I have never had Metroid on my radar, and that is clearly my mistake. I enjoyed my 15 minutes with it and was caught incredibly off guard when I turned into a ball, I think I will need to play more of this.
Civilization VII
I think anyone who has played Civilization on Switch knows the deal, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it ran, how good it looked, and how well the mouse support was done. I have a feeling it might hunt down your battery life though! Players of Civ on Switch won’t be disappointed by the port, but I think it’s fair to say a 15-minute demo is not enough to comment on the game itself.
Cyberpunk
I haven’t played Cyberpunk since launch and seeing it run on the Switch, decently well, was really cool. The framerate was no doubt somewhere near 30 (maybe 40?) but even under heavy fire from multiple directions in the darkness of night, it did not hold me back! I think if you need to play this game on the go, or haven’t been able to get it anywhere else, you will not be disappointed by the fact it is available on Switch 2, complete with the expansion, and the whole game on the game card. I left very impressed and hopeful for what other games might one day come to the Switch 2.
Pro Controller
Whilst playing Cyberpunk I was able to use the Pro Controller and up until this point, I was hoping I could get away without buying it. I don’t think I will get away with that for long after holder it. It feels genuinely great to hold, the buttons and triggers feel great, positioning is also perfect. There are a couple of extra mappable buttons on the back which seemed well placed (not active in the demo). I think everyone who is keen for this controller will have their expectations well met, if not exceeded. A solid evolution of the original Switch Pro controller.
Drag X Drive
I was so happy to see a demo of Drag X Drive available to play as I found it hard to fully grasp what this game was before but after playing it’s pretty clear what was shown is exactly what the game is. It’s wheelchair basketball but with a Rocket League vibe, you use the Joy-Cons in mouse mode and push them up and down the table to move each wheel independently on the wheelchair. And you use the motion controls to shoot for goal as well as signal to your team. It is truly immersive, I felt so invested in the match and dedicated myself to the end where I found my arms were feeling it. I am happy to report that my team won! It’s hard to tell how the replayability factor of this game will go and it’s not clear to me how much of the game can be experienced outside of mouse mode, I think the final price will be important here but regardless, there is fun to be had! And lastly, I want to note that I really appreciate the representation in this game.
The Legend of Zelda: BotW – Switch 2 Edition
Breath of the Wild is actually the only Zelda game I have played, and whilst I didn’t play a tonne of it, I remember exactly how it played on the original Switch, it was beautiful, it was expansive, but it did feel limited by the hardware of the day (I have no idea how it ran on the Wii U). But playing it on the Switch 2, it felt like the hardware it has been searching for has finally arrived. The crisp 1080p, the smooth frame rate that was so smooth I didn’t stop to consider what it even was, it was all really nice, and if you’re a fan of the game, I think it’ll be hard not completely play it through again once you have your hands on the Switch 2 edition.
Final Thoughts
Full transparency, I have not and am not the biggest Nintendo Gamer, I have endless respect for the art they produce but the thing that drawers me to the Switch first and foremost, is the tech and potential. I did not hesitate, I preordered the Switch at 4am the morning it became available but since then I have wondered if maybe I should have held off a little until I was more locked in on the games side of things.
Well, the Nintendo Switch 2 experience certainly cured that, I am now very much all in. The console itself is amazing of course but the games have grabbed me too. Seeing massive games like Cyberpunk somehow running, and natively built experiences like Mario Kart World shining, I can say with a strong level of confidence, that whilst the Switch 2 isn’t the cheapest console, it is certainly pushing some value our way and I am looking forward to playing it, very soon!
1-Up Games 
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