After months of anticipation and rumors, fans finally got a lot ofNintendo Switch 2answers yesterday during an hour-long Nintendo Direct. It included everything from a release date and price reveal to a new Switch-exclusive FromSoftware title. A special event that took place afterwards also letScreenRantgo hands-on with the Switch 2 and several of the titles covered during the presentation, includingMario Kart World,Metroid Prime 4, andDonkey Kong Bananza.
A lot of the topics covered at the Direct, liketechnical specs about the Switch 2, would be pointless to rehash here, as there are plenty of other places to find information on bits like its 120 FPS rate or what the new C button is for. This hands-on preview event offered potential indicators of the machine’s future success on a much more tangible level,especially one major factor: I was almost always having fun. These were the biggest takeaways I had after spending the day with Nintendo Switch 2 demos.
Mario Kart World Brings Fast-Paced Innovations
Seamless Track Transitions & Mysterious Snack Foods
The initial hands-on everyone was sent to was forMario Kart World, which was split up into two sections: a two-player grand prix, and the 24-player Knockout mode. The first thing that stood out to me was the roster, which at 60 total selections was huge, though with a few caveats. For one,many of these are the same character in different themed outfits, albeit really delightful ones, like Mariachi Waluigi, Gondola Luigi, and Aristocrat Boo. Also, at least in this line-up, it was only drivers specifically from theMarioIP, with no Link or Isabelle to be found.
There were 20 vehicles that all showed delightful creativity, like a fish-themed bike, magic carpet-styled kart, and a horned car that’s the perfect companion to the Moo Moo Meadows cow. I encountered several new items, like a giant mushroom that supersized me, a feather that boosted me into the air, and the elusive new food items. At one point,I ate a kabob that transformed Luigi into a pirate- I can’t tell you what this did for me besides delight me, but presumably there’s some sort of deeper effect we’ll likely learn about in theMario KartDirect.
Before the Knockout match started, I got to experience a bit of free driving, which really showcased how seamlessly different bits of theMario Kart Worldmapblend together. I went from doing wall driving - which is extremely fun - around a waterfall, to a canal area in an Italian city, to Peach’s beach resort. There are also a lot of fun details to discover, particularly in the ocean, where riding waves can let you easily chain together boost jumps, and you sometimes come across a pod of whales or a sea monster.
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Driving itself is perhaps more chaotic than ever before, especially during Knockout, which inspires players to cling even more desperately than usual to their place in the race. As players drive from course to course as part of the rally, they’ll be eliminated at checkpoints that cut off the lowest few places of players each time, meaning everyone needs to drive like their life depends on it. Outside of Knockout, AI opponents now even seem to be a bit smarter; I clocked them doing things like boosting more and utilizing items more cunningly than in past titles.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Is An Intuitive Hybrid
Half Joy-Con, Half Mouse, All Samus
The demo I played ofMetroid Prime 4: Beyondbegan with the introduction that Samus had been sent to investigate a recent Space Pirate invasion led by Sylux, and I was very quickly thrown into the action. As someone who had never played much of the other franchise entries, I was concerned about being able to pick things up quickly, butthe control scheme proved incredibly intuitive. The attendantrecommended playing with the left Joy-Con in my hand, and the right as a mouse, and once I acclimated, I had much better luck with a shooter than I usually do.
These controls, combined with things like a lock-on setting and automatic weapon switching with the two right shoulder buttons, make for seamless gunplay. The demo culminated in a boss fight that showcased a lot of these aspects together, necessitating hitting an orb-throwing enemy’s weak spots while dodging AOE attacks in my ball. Because it was so early on in the game,I didn’t get to experience any psychic powers from Samus, but I did get to see the return of her usual abilities, like scanning objects for puzzle solving and placing bombs in ball form.
Super Mario Party Jamboree Showcases The System
Mouse & Camera Functionalities That Made Me Lock In More Than Ever
I played two different stations ofSuper Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, one showcasing some new mouse-centric games, and another centered around the camera features. I played five of the former minigames first: shell-based air hockey, mail sorting, spray-painting Bob-ombs, crafting the tallest tower, and trying to launch wind-up cars into the opponent’s goal. Many of these showed off how the mouse functionality is meant to be used in conjunction with other features like the gyroscope,like alternating shaking a Joy-Con spray paint can upright and painting with the mouse.
The other group ofSuper Mario Party Jamboreeminigamesconsisted of a round of Bowser Live, where two teams must appease the very judgmental Bowser with their performances. This bit consisted of three more minigames, which were more simplistic, yet still enjoyable. It may have been because of the lighting, or the cramped way we were standing, but some bits of this, like the machine registering that I was squatting down, didn’t always trigger, but another game where I had to punch a block worked perfectly fine.
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All day I had wondered about the excited screaming I’d heard at random intervals in the demo room - it turns out the origins were the last minigame, where Bowser went back and forth between the two teams asking them to fill a sort of hype meter with a combination of sound and movement. There’s already something aboutMario Partythat brings out the intensity in people, butsomething about seeing yourself up there amplifies this even more. Bowser is askingme personallyto get as rowdy as I can for him - I’m not going to let him down.
Donkey Kong Bananza Is A Smashing Good Time
The World Is Yours To Destroy
I knew from the trailer thatDonkey Kong Bananzawas all about smashing, but after going hands-on with it, I can’t emphasize enough how incredibly core a concept that is to the overall game. The world prides itself on its extensive destructibility -almost anywhere Donkey Kong goes, he’ll be able to smash through multiple layers of earthin any direction and find goodies or secret spaces. The environment is absolutely filled with Banandium Gems, Banandium Chips, and gold just ripe for punching, which can then be deftly swept in with a tap of the shoulder button.
For the few surfaces that are too strong for him, he can gather and throw special chunks of explosive rock to break through barriers, which can also be used for fighting off enemies. He can also do the latter by scooping up a chunk of the ground at any time to be used as a projectile, or set back down again for a slight bump-up to higher spots. This destructive flexibility, paired with the fact DK can climb basically any vertical surface,makes for some very interesting implications about just how much players will be able to explore.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Was A Pleasant Surprise
An Array Of Minigames & Educational Opportunities
I have to admit, I was dubious going intoNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The trailer made it look like it may largely just be a very text heavy, museum-esque title that’s meant to serve as a crash course in all things Switch sequel. However, there are a lot more minigames than I thought, and I also did find some of the things I learned through doing to be legitimately interesting, like the fact the mouse functionality works through a camera.
Two minigames, one with a radio tuning-inspired rumble finder, and another with maracas, center on the Joy-Con’s new rumble, for example, andthe way the sensation of a rubber ball inside the instrument reverberates around the controller got me so excited about the future potential of the feature’s exactness. Another that involved fast-paced mine dodging was about the mouse, which showed off the impressive speeds and precision possible. While I still walked away debating whetherWelcome Touris something I’d spend moneyon, it did a great job at showcasing features in a fun way.
Final Thoughts On The Nintendo Switch 2 & Its Games
Other Parts Of The Showcase, Further Questions, & The Console’s Potential
There were no parts of the event I would call boring, but there were some games that didn’t resonate quite as much as those above for one reason or another. For several, this means games that are fundamentally the same, save for the fact it runs a bit nicer, like the Switch 2 versions ofCyberpunk 2077orThe Legend of Zelda, or the upcoming Nintendo Switch Online GameCube gamesF-Zero GXandSuper Mario Strikers. However,even these sometimes offered tiny epiphanies, like how great it is for games likeCivilization VIIto utilize a mouse on a console.
It’s very clear that the Nintendo Switch 2 is so much more than the same old console with a new coat of paint - it’s an ambitious reimagining of just what the machine can be.
There were a few things I wish I would’ve been able to try, like the Joy-Con’s mouse feature on pants, which has been touted as a completely viable table alternative. However, after playing several different games on the upcoming console, that was the only real question about its functionality that’s still outstanding to me. It’s very clear that theNintendo Switch 2is so much more than the same old console with a new coat of paint - it’s an ambitious reimagining of just what the machine can be.
