The Nintendo Switch 2 is a refinement rather than a reinvention. Is that enough?

Los Angeles Times

4 days ago

Nintendo is in many ways a different company now than it was back in 2017 when it released the Switch. For one, it has sold more than 150 million units of its hybrid TV/on-the-go console, making it the defining game device of the last decade.
Nintendo also expanded its universes beyond its game consoles. At long last, 'Super Mario Bros.' became a blockbuster animated film, and there are now three Super Nintendo World theme park properties, including one here in Los Angeles at Universal Studios Hollywood.
That makes the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 something of an event, and arguably the most important tech instrument of the year.
So, the good news. The pricey Switch 2 is a worthy successor to the original. And unlike the motion-controlled Wii in 2006 or the dual-screen Nintendo DS in 2004, this play-it-somewhat-safe console takes an if-it-ain't-broke philosophy to gaming, continuing Nintendo's legacy rather than redefining it. While it's bigger, stronger, better feeling, higher-res and comes with a couple new tricks, overall it's primarily a refinement of the original Switch's ideas.
The first game company to make interactive characters household names — Donkey Kong, Mario, Link, take your pick — Nintendo has become a full-fledged, cross-media storytelling company. And it has done so via a medium that in its most mainstream form is only about four decades old.
The Switch 2, officially released June 5 and selling for $449.99, is the vessel for which Nintendo will reveal its play-focused worlds for likely the next decade. The reception from consumers may be inspiring but brings with it a host of questions.
The Switch itself is far from obsolete, despite being significantly less powerful than Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox consoles, due largely to its hybrid design. And consumers may be forgiven for wondering why — or when — they should upgrade to a machine that looks, feels and plays similar to the one they currently own, especially when Nintendo is unleashing only one new core game for it this month, the dazzling 'Mario Kart World.'
Valid, but I believe those who make the leap will be happy in their investment, even if its lineup of exclusive games is relatively barren for now. There are enough improvements to make the Switch 2 feel fresh.
I'm eager, for one, to see how its controllers, the detachable 'Joy-Cons,' evolve, as they now have the ability to act as a mouse. This has already come in handy in the strategy game 'Civilization VII,' a title I waited for the Switch 2 to play and one that can utilize the more precise maneuvers mouse controls provide. First-person shooters should benefit even more.
And then there are its chat features, which can be enhanced with an optional Nintendo camera ($54.99). While serious gamers who use services such as Discord may not need a console to facilitate chatting with friends, the Switch 2 makes connecting and conversing safe and easy for the gamer who plays primarily solo. One can can only talk with approved friends, and Nintendo will verify accounts and a phone number to do so. Simply touch a button on the Joy-Con, and the chat feature is enabled.
My circle of connections who own a Switch 2 is currently small, so I haven't experimented with these accouterments as much as I would have liked, especially the CameraPlay feature that allows users to overlay their own faces on drivers in the game. Other features will no doubt come in handy during 'Mario Kart World,' saving my friends and I from conversing via text. And they would have been a godsend during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when every Switch owner was eager to share their 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' creations with their pals.
All of this says nothing about how good the Switch 2 simply feels. The Joy-Cons now connect magnetically rather than having to lock into place, and while it's perhaps an incremental upgrade, snapping them into the console is one of those tech creations that feels like magic, like the first time one uses a touchscreen. It's slightly larger, and I find a more robust Switch 2 is easier to handle, my arms less likely to grow tired when playing in bed.
The screen is 1080p, making just about every old game feel brighter, crisper and less fuzzy, and the Switch 2 has support for 4K TVs. 'Super Mario Odyssey' has never looked so clear, and $9.99 upgrades to 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' and 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' will have you wanting to revisit — or jump back into — each of those titles, as refreshed resolutions and frame rates have us seeing the worlds anew.
Battery life, however, might be a challenge. In handheld mode I was able to get about two hours of 'Mario Kart World' before needing to recharge. The console fared better with independent and smaller games.
But the real reason to buy a new gaming console is for its next-generation games. Nintendo is counting on 'Mario Kart World' to be enough initially to entice buyers. It's a safe bet, when one considers that 'Mario Kart 8' is one of the bestselling games of all time, having sold more than 67 million copies. Many an original Switch was likely a 'Mario Kart'-focused machine, and though I prefer my plump plumber when he's exploring the Mushroom Kingdom on foot — running, jumping and power-upping his way to rescue his friends — I am not immune to the charms of 'Mario Kart World.'
'Mario Kart 8' was released back in 2014, meaning these cute-but-vicious races are now nostalgia bait for another generation. And 'World' marries some Nintendo weirdness — you can now race as a cow — with its penchant for playful world building. I'm smitten, for instance, with the game's approach to races, which makes driving among the Mushroom Kingdom landscapes as important as it does wacky tracks that encompass everything from Route 66-inspired hokeyness to careening amid giant ice cream palaces.
There's now a so-called 'free roam' mode, allowing us to simply drive off course and explore the wonders of the Mushroom Kingdom. Though there could probably be a few more hidden mini-games, I find it relaxing and full of little surprises. Instead of zooming by Yoshi's Cafe, I can now pull up, enjoy some speed-boosting ice cream, admire the animation work and take in the delightfully down-home soundtrack, an orchestral, slightly upbeat and cartoonish approach to classic American big band, jazz and Western stylings. As an insomnia sufferer, I've spent a few recent sleepless nights just roaming around 'Mario Kart World,' driving through empty castles-turned-racetracks.
Then there's 'Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.' This is a $9.99 introduction to what the Switch 2 can do, full of odd little mini games, most of them able to be completed in a minute or two. One shows off the Switch 2's touch screen, having us use the device as a sort of Twister board for our hands. Others use the Joy-Con as a mouse to swing wildly at a golf ball or dodge falling metallic obstacles. Sometimes they're not games at all but rather tech demos designed to show off, say, the rumble vibration effects in the controllers.
One simply had me using the Switch 2's backing stand to try and match the degrees for which it was asking me to place the console. 'I've never seen such amazing angling!' it told me after completing the task. Why, thank you.
It's cute. I've completed a little more than half of it. It reminds me a bit of mid-'80s PC work 'Little Computer People,' as it turns the Switch 2 into a living, theme park-like mall space full of tiny humans. Though I do recommend springing for it if you buy into the Switch 2, it's ultimately a game-as-tutorial and should have been included with the system, especially since one of its goals is having us better appreciate the tech behind the console.
The most common question I've received — understandably so — is if I believe the Switch 2 is 'worth it.' While it's difficult to tell someone to drop close to $500 for a gaming machine and then another $80 for 'Mario Kart World' (you're also probably going to want the $84.99 Pro Controller, as it's a more ergonomically-friendly way to play via the TV), those with the means and in the market for a new gaming console will likely be pleased. Thankfully, your Switch controllers will work with the Switch 2, saving you some financial upgrade headaches, and with 256 GB of internal storage, you likely won't need a memory-expanding microSD Express card right away, although you will need a new case due to the console's bigger size.
Blissfully, upgrading from a prior Switch to the Switch 2 is relatively easy. One logs into their Nintendo account, and places the two consoles next to one another while data is transferred. I brought over a handful of games, which took about half a day. Download speeds varied. 'Tears of the Kingdom' was loaded in about 20 minutes, whereas a bigger game such as 'Cyberpunk 2077' took about three hours.
Part of buying a new gaming console is the gamble of, betting on new games rolling out over the coming years that will hopefully make the device a worthy investment. Early signs are promising; 'Donkey Kong Bananza' is due July 17. I played the game at a Nintendo media event earlier this year and I'm eager to get my hands on it as it embodies Nintendo's play-as-discovery principles. Our friendly but grumpy banana-crazed ape can essentially power his way through the world, stomping and smashing new pathways to make this a game about exploration as much as it is any challenges.
That's long been Nintendo's approach to play and storytelling, and that likely isn't going to change anytime soon. The Switch became the most popular gaming console of the decade by giving us games that became global phenomena, be it 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons' or 'Tears of the Kingdom' (I'm most partial to 'Super Mario Odyssey').
And to buy a Switch 2 is to trust the Nintendo design team to continue to deliver. It's early days, but I feel good about that gamble. After all, I have a cow in a kart waiting for me to get back into a race.