Just under a month since it launched, the Switch 2 is getting its first new GameCube game as part of its Switch Online + Expansion Pack library. Is it Luigi’s Mansion? Super Mario Sunshine?? Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance??? No, it’s Super Mario Strik

ActuGaming.net Super Mario Strikers revient sur Switch 2 dans l’abonnement Nintendo Switch Online L’arrivée des jeux GameCube dans l’abonnement Nintendo Switch Online était quelque chose attendu de longue […] L'article Super

[Hunter Irving] is a talented hacker with a wicked sense of humor, and he has written in to let us know about his latest project which is to make a …read more

Most of what you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 is right there in the name: this is the direct sequel to the Switch. It’s bigger, more powerful, more refined, and builds on a strong foundation. If you liked the first Switch, you’re almost certainly going to like the Switch 2. But whether it’s worth upgrading immediately is going to depend a lot on your current gaming library and how much you’re willing to spend for a small library of first party titles.  The Hardware From an ergonomic perspective, the Switch 2 is a definite upgrade over the original with a nicer looking, rounded off cradle, a bigger screen, and new magnetically attached Joy-cons that are a breeze to connect and remove. Also a really underrated new feature is the more flexible kickstand, which lets you play the Switch 2 from multiple angles if you’re into that sort of thing. While it didn’t really get much coverage in previews, I was also pleasantly surprised by a sturdier cover for game cards that will better lock them into place. That’s not hugely important, but it does show how much thought Nintendo put into the system to address almost every criticism of the original Switch, which was a pretty great portable to begin with. Furthermore, the sound quality of the Switch 2 in portable mode is surprisingly better than the old model. Oddly enough though, as good as the sound is, the HDR implementation is surprisingly underwhelming in this initial batch of games. That’s really not a huge deal, but it’s odd that Nintendo even pushed it at all given how barely noticeable it is right now. Maybe future games (or a future Switch 2 refresh) will improve on it. My only real gripe about the Switch 2 is that it’s maybe too big. I’m a six-foot and two inches, 270 pound professional wrestler in my spare time, and this thing is almost too big for my hands. It starts to feel a little heavy after an hour of playtime. At least the battery life is rock solid, however, which has always been a strong point of Nintendo portables, though the console does run noticeably warmer than its predecessor.  Set Up and the Switch 2 Experience Getting started with the Switch 2 is simple, although not without a bit of the typical Nintendo weirdness. By logging into my Wi-Fi and My Nintendo account, I transferred everything from my original Switch to the Switch 2 in a little over 10 minutes. All I had to do was plug in both consoles and move them within a few feet of each other. The one downside of this is that the Switch 2 then immediately decided to start downloading a few dozen of the most recent games I’ve played. That’s good in theory, but since the Switch 2 only comes with 256GB of internal storage, I didn’t want all those old games on my new console. If there’s an easier way than going through the game library and canceling all of those individual downloads, I couldn’t find it. Still, this made clear just how much space is going to be an issue with the new console. After downloading updates and just a handful of my older titles, I was down to only 175GB of space. When some launch titles are already clocking in at 60 gigs, it’s clear that a MicroSD Express card is going to be a necessity for a lot of gamers. Given the price of those, I do wish the Switch 2 had a port for older SD cards that could play original Switch games, or allowed for a hard drive in docked mode. Maybe that’s something we’ll see in an update down the line. Anyway, once I had downloaded what I wanted and canceled everything else, it was time to dive into the Switch 2 dashboard… which actually looks a lot like the original Switch’s. All of the icons are rounder, just like the cradle and system itself. The eShop doesn’t slow down anymore, and everything else is pretty much where it was on the first Switch. If you ever upgraded from an Xbox One to an Xbox Series X, it’s a similar type of negligible change.   What’s New with the Switch 2 Unlike some past Nintendo consoles like the Wii, the Switch 2 doesn’t have any major new gimmicks, but there are a couple of interesting new features. The upgraded Joy-Cons can now be used like computer mice. There’s also GameChat, a new way to communicate with other players during gameplay through video and audio. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time with either of these features. They work as advertised, they’re just not exactly revolutionary, especially given that Microsoft and Sony have allowed this type of communication while gaming for years. There’s definitely promise to these ideas down the line, but they’re not exactly day one system sellers. It’s probably 50-50 whether we see games that take advantage of these features, or if developers just ignore them entirely. Switch 2 Games, Old and New The Switch 2 is launching with an impressive collection of more than two dozen games. Many like Street Fighter 6, Hogwarts Legacy, and Hitman are ports of games that have been available elsewhere for awhile now. I picked up Mario Kart World, Bravely Default HD, and Cyberpunk 2077. I’ll have fuller thoughts on Mario Kart World in a few days, but for now I’ll say it’s a very fun game that doesn’t necessarily do a whole lot to show off its console’s power. The other two games are excellent ports of older titles, with Cyberpunk 2077 in particular offering some enjoyable new control options thanks to the upgraded Joy-Cons. What’s especially impressive at launch are the upgrades to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Available for $10 each, or as part of an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. These almost look like brand new games with higher resolution and frame rates that now put them on par with a lot of the best looking games on Xbox or PlayStation.  Even in handheld mode, the Zelda titles look noticeably better than on the original Switch. The free upgrades I checked out in New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury don’t go quite that far in terms of improvements, but the games definitely do perform better. It was actually kind of rough going back to Switch games like Splatoon 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles X that don’t have enhancements of any kind, and still having to deal with their little graphical hiccups on the Switch 2. But I didn’t notice any issues with backwards compatibility. Original Switch games seem to play flawlessly on the new console. Another reason to check out the Switch 2 is GameCube games for Expansion Pack members. I played a few minutes each of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur II and I’m pleased to report that they all performed admirably. Whatever emulator Nintendo is using doesn’t make these games look like full-on remasters, but they do look very sharp on a 4K TV, and I’m excited to see what other classic titles get added in the future. Is the Switch 2 Worth Buying? Whether you should pick up a Switch 2 right now (if you can even find one) really depends. If you always wanted a Switch but for some reason never got one, a Switch 2 is an absolute no brainer. It’s going to be the best way to experience some Switch classics like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. If you haven’t had any other way to play great games like Cyberpunk 2077, Yakuza 0, or Hogwarts Legacy, then yes, the Switch 2 is an excellent purchase, and it’s cheaper than either a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.But if you’ve played your original Switch to death and have any other current gen console, a solid gaming PC, or a Steam Deck, the Switch 2 is a dicier proposition. Some great looking games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are on the horizon, and I have no doubt the Switch 2 will be worth the purchase over time, but $450 and up is a lot to ask for what the console offers at the moment.

Since its announcement in January, anticipation has been building for the Nintendo Switch 2 – the followup to the gaming titan’s most successful home console, the 150m-selling Nintendo Switch. Major console launches are rarer than they used to be; this is the first since 2020, when Sony’s PlayStation 5 hit shelves. Whether you’re weighing up a purchase or just wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s everything you need to know.The basicsThe Switch 2 is out today, 5 June, priced at £395.99 (US$449.99/A$699/€469.99) or at £429.99 (US$499.99/A$766/€509,99) bundled with its flagship game, Mario Kart World. Like its predecessor, it’s a portable games machine with a built-in screen – you can use as a handheld mini-console when you’re out and about, or slide it into the dedicated dock device and plug it into your TV via an HDMI cable for a big-screen experience at home. A little bigger than the original Switch, with a crisp, clear 7.9in LCD touch screen, as opposed to the old 6.2in display, it comes with two Joy-Con controllers, which are chunkier than the previous versions. These now attach magnetically to each side of the screen with a pleasing clunk, replacing the fiddly sliding mechanism that most Switch owners disliked. They’ve also got bigger L and R buttons on the top, which sounds like a minor detail but is a huge deal for anyone trying to perfect their Mario Kart power-slides.The specBig tech advances … Nintendo Switch 2. Photograph: NintendoThe tech inside the Switch 2 is a lot more advanced than the previous console, featuring a custom nVidia processor, and a screen capable of displaying at 4K resolution (when plugged into a compatible TV) or 1920x1080 resolution in portable mode. It’s also got 5.1 surround sound, and supports high-dynamic range lighting (HDR) graphical effects at frame rates of up to 120hz. This brings the Switch 2 almost up to scratch with other modern consoles: most experts are placing its tech specs somewhere between the PS4 and PS5, or between Xbox One and Xbox Series X.In the boxThe Nintendo Switch 2 comes with the console itself, two Joy-Con controllers, a power adaptor and USB-C charging cable, a dock, a Joy-Con grip (which allows you to connect the two Joy-Cons together to create a traditional-looking games controller), and two Joy-Con wrist straps to stop them flying out of your hands.Out of the boxNintendo is going big on the social features of the console. Its GameShare function will allow you to play compatible games with other people who don’t own a copy – they just need their own Switch or a Switch 2, and can play along in the room with you or connect online. This is particularly important for families sharing one copy of a game. Meanwhile, GameChat is kind of like Zoom, but for games: you can invite a bunch of pals into a group video chat session where you can talk to each other while playing the same game, playing different games, or just hanging out. If you all buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera you’ll be able to see little video windows of each other on the screen, too. GameChat requires a paid subscription to Nintendo’s online gaming service, which costs £17.99 (US$19.99/€19.99/A$29.95)The gamesBig news … Mario Kart World game. Photograph: NintendoThe console is launching with around 25 games, though many of these are enhanced versions of older Switch titles. The big newcomers are Mario Kart World, an open-world take on the classic karting game; the introductory game Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour; the co-op survival challenge Survival Kids and anti-gravity racer, Fast Fusion. Some favourites making it across are Fortnite, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom. Most games will retail for between £45–£70 and will be available to buy and download online, or as physical boxed copies. You can also still play almost all your old Switch games on the new console, and there’s a huge back catalogue of retro NES, Nintendo 64, SNES and GameCube classics from the 1980s, 90s and 00s available to play with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.The accessoriesAdd-ons … Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller and camera. Photograph: NintendoThere are three things you may want to buy alongside the console. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller is a traditional console joypad intended for serious play. Then you have the Nintendo Switch 2 camera, basically a webcam compatible with the GameChat service, but also with any games that might use camera features. You may also want a microSD Express card to provide additional storage for your games.Where can I buy one?If you haven’t pre-ordered, you may have to be patient and shop around. Some of the larger retailers including Amazon, Argos, Currys and John Lewis are saying they may have a few in stock today and it’s worth trying Nintendo’s online store. Be extremely wary of buying from private sellers on eBay or similar sites – there will be a lot of con artists out there. Remember when people found their PlayStation 5 deliveries were instead full of bags of rice?

The interesting thing about console launches is that you never know what unexpected treasures will emerge from the first batch of games. Who could have foretold that the hero of the PlayStation launch would be a fireworks simulation (Fantavision), or that the most joyous title in the initial GameCube lineup would involve simians racing each other in giant transparent globes (Super Monkey Ball)?The latest example could well be Konami’s Survival Kids, the only new third-party game in the Switch 2 opening wave. It’s the latest in the publisher’s cult series of tropical island survival sims, which began on the Game Boy Color and, despite never really attracting vast global success, continued on to the Nintendo DS under a new name, Lost in Blue. Now it’s back as a familyfriendly co-op survival adventure, in which groups of up to four players are shipwrecked on a mysterious archipelago, and must survive by gathering resources, crafting tools, finding food and exploring a series of lush, cartoonish environments. Four people can play online, but the game also supports Switch 2’s game sharing, which lets one person who owns the game connect wirelessly with other consoles to play together.Lush, cartoonish environments … a still from Survival Kids. Photograph: Konami Digital EntertainmentAndrew Dennison, who heads the game’s developer Unity, sees this as one of the Switch 2’s key features. “With splitscreen you have one machine rendering two different versions of the game,” he says. “With GameShare, we can compress one of those views and stream it … we render everything three times and push that out to two other consoles. As much as you can deep dive into tech specs, the benefits of GameShare are delightful. Other players in the same room as you don’t have to own the game, they don’t have to download anything … they can just turn on their Switch or Switch 2, push a button and they’re playing a game.”Unlike survival titles such as Don’t Starve or Project Zomboid (or indeed Lost in Blue), there’s no mortal peril in Survival Kids. Running out of food hampers your progress, but you can’t actually starve; if you die, you just – respawn nearby. “We wanted to make sure the game was enjoyable for people at every skill level,” says Dennison. “It’s a balancing act – we don’t want to bore experienced gamers – but you can streamline gameplay challenge without simplifying to the point of making it irrelevant.” Due to the strict NDAs around the Switch 2 hardware, the developer couldn’t bring in many external testers to fine-tune the difficulty – so Dennison ended up testing the game on his nieces, and on the finance department.All about co-operation … Survival Kids Photograph: Konami Digital EntertainmentBuilding tools is key – combine a vine and a stick and you get a fishing rod with which to lasso useful objects. Construct an umbrella and you can glide across wide canyons. There are no cumbersome item-inventory screens: when you need to build a tool or contraption, you can take what you need and drop it all into a bucket that magically spits it out. Tools are all stored at base camp, not in a menu, so that you can easily take a path home to pick up what you need.As with Overcooked, Survival Kids is all about streamlined cooperation and carefully divvied-out tasks. Chopping wood and breaking rocks is faster with two people, so you need a physical labour team; meanwhile food provides the energy needed to climb cliff faces and carry heavy relics, so you’ll need a chef to gather plants and make dinner. “We really wanted people to go back and eat at the base camp together,” says Richard Jones, creative director for Konami Digital Entertainment. “This way, the base camp becomes a place to return to – a sort of communal kitchen.”skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionUnlike most modern survival sims, it’s not totally open-ended: your aim is to discover more and more of the islands, which brings a sort of escape room feel to things. It’s also possible to go back and re-try levels to get a quicker time. Despite the family look and feel, there are some interesting and quite demanding physics-based challenges with multiple solutions. There’s a nice humour and lightness to the game as well, perhaps an inevitability considering that Dennison and many of the development team at Unity’s Stratford-upon-Avon office came from Codemasters and Rare.Will Konami bring more of its classic titles to Switch 2? “We know there are other Konami teams who are interested in this platform – we’ll be able to help them,” says Jones. “So yeah, fingers-crossed we’ll see some more Switch 2 projects from Konami.” For now Survival kids feels like a great test case for the new console’s family oriented game sharing.