Nintendo releases new hybrid console
By: DJ McGuire
Sports Editor
The powerhouse video game company known as Nintendo Co. has always been known for releasing their consoles with certain gimmicks. The Nintendo 64 had three handles, the GameCube had a cube shape and had a handle to make it easy to transport. The Wii had revolutionary motion controls and the Wii U had a controller that featured a screen.
Nintendo’s newest console, the Nintendo Switch, might just be its most creative and unique console to date. The Switch is one of the very first hybrid consoles, which is a home and portable console.
The console itself is actually just a thin small screen that has speakers, a kickstand, headphone dock, power button and volume controls. The controllers for the Switch are known as Joy-Cons and each console comes with a set of two.
In order to play at home on your TV you simply place the Switch into the dock, which features an HDMI cable and an AC adapter. While plugged into the dock, your console will be charging. Now you have two options when using the Joy-Cons while the Switch is in the dock. You can either use them in separate hands or simply slide them into the controller dock, which looks similar to and feels like a standard gaming controller.
Now in order to use the Switch all you have to do is take the Switch out of the dock, slide the Joy-Cons out of the controller dock and attach them onto the side of the console itself.
The Switch also has several other features as well. Let’s say you wanted to play a multiplayer game, such as the launch title 1-2 Switch — the Joy-Cons each become their own fully functional controller.
Another brilliant and simple feature of the Switch is that the AC adapter that powers the charging dock for the home console works as the charger for the Switch when it becomes portable.
However the Switch is far from perfect yet, it launched missing several key features such as the activity log and internet connectivity, although internet services will be coming soon according to Nintendo Co.
Of course no video game system can work without games, and while the list of games released so far is small, the quality is quite extraordinary. The headliner is “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” This game was highly anticipated for years and it has delivered, raking in perfect or close to perfect scores from nearly every major game critic out there.
The Switch will also feature several major games being released later this year, such as Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Even though the Switch is far from perfect, it offers a truly unique gaming experience that as of now is unparalleled in the gaming community. The ability to take your favorite games on the go, whereas most consoles trap you to a TV, is a huge next step for Nintendo and gamers alike. The Switch simply is a console that gamers should highly consider obtaining for themselves.
