Nintendo Switch
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About
The Nintendo Switch is a video game console released by Nintendo in March of 2017. It is a hybrid console featuring a tablet that can dock for living room gaming and be moved for portable gaming. It also features two controllers known as “Joy Cons” that can be detached from the side of the tablet, and there is optional “pro” controller support as well. The Switch will play DS-like gaming cartridges instead of discs.[1]
History
Nintendo began leaking the follow-up to the Wii U on March 23rd, 2015.[2] Known by the name "NX," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata mentioned that the new hardware would not be an expansion on old hardware and that it focused on "changing each person's video gaming life." After over a year's worth of speculation and announcements of games coming to the Nintendo NX, Nintendo announced via a trailer on October 20th, 2016, that the new console would be called the Switch.
Nintendo also announced an expansive list of developers who had partnerships with the Switch, one of the most notable being Bethesda.
![Switch Developers Announced Nintendo A Sampling of Nintendo SwitchT Partners GAMES ACIIVISION. A R C SYSTEM WORK S BANDAI NAMCO da CAPCOn Entertainment 幻 EN FROMSOFTWARE允E HAMSTER GRASSHOPPER Gunglo CODEMASTERS FROZENBYTE GAMETRUST MANUFACTURE Online Entertalement, lnc. IKT KONAMI MMXIMUM GAMES NTI CREATES SEGASPIKE CHUNSOFT SQUARE ENIX ParityBit telltale games THQNORDIC RPG game s uBISOFT TAKE TWO ホ·. AAUTODESK ceiWARE DeNA季fivod Ubibus EPIC GAMES UWwise hay@ K/VM 9% unity Silicon Studio つ WebTechnologys GAME T O O LS](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/182/894/905.jpg)
The following day, Nintendo confirmed there would be no backward compatibility on the Switch,[4] but did not comment on the battery life, nor about whether the tablet portion of the console would be a touch screen.
Nintendo Switch Presentation
On January 12th, 2017, Nintendo provided an in-depth look at the console, revealing several games, a March 3rd launch date, and a $299 price.[14] For existing franchises, Nintendo showed trailers for the long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a new, fully 3D Super Mario game, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, a new Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Warriors, Sonic Mania, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, and more. New games included a boxing game called Arms and a variety game called 1-2 Switch. (Some trailers shown below. The Verge[15] posted a full compilation of the trailers the next day.)
Super Mario Odyssey Reaction
Reaction to the Super Mario Odyssey trailer has been mixed. Kotaku[16] noted that while the game looks fun, the city setting that includes realistic human beings made Mario appear out of place. Users compared the idea of Mario in a realistic human world to the notoriously awful-looking Sonic '06, as well as Grand Theft Auto and the Simpsons episode where Homer enters reality.
![Sonic Adventure Comparison Alex Rushdy Follow @goji guy THE NEW MARIO LOOKS GOOD #Nintend○Switch Presentation](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/210/689/fdc.png)
![Mario Grand Theft Auto Mod Follow @spacebling SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY LOOKING FINE AS F---](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/210/692/237.png)
![Simpsons Reference Follow Donald Duong @An_Bear Super Mario Odyssey, summarised MACHINES iin](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/210/693/69c.png)
Online Reaction
Online reaction to the Switch has been mostly positive,[3] as commenters on Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit posted excitement and jokes regarding the ad. Users joked about how the console looked like a dog, how it totally outshines the Wii U, and Nintendo's impressive list of developer partnerships.
![Switch Doggo GB SWITCH](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/183/111/80b.jpg)
![After seeing the Nintendo Switch](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/182/905/898.jpg)
![Third party supports A Sampling of Nintendo Switch Partners Nintendo ALMOST EVERYONE](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/183/045/817.jpg)
On YouTube, many vloggers responded to the trailer positively, including Angry Joe Show (below, left) and AlphaOmegaSin (below, right) in videos that gained over 360,000 and 71,000 views, respectively. Angry Joe did express concerns that he and many others have about the small size of the JoyCon controllers.
The official Twitter account of the fastfood restaurant chain Arby's also reacted to the release trailer by making a tweet containing a cardboard version of the Switch controller,[7] which managed to gather over 13,500 likes within 2 days.
![Just uploading this to embed in the entry but linking to another image. Arby's Volgen Arbys Arbys Beefy AND portable. We dig it. #Nintend○Switch](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/183/689/f3a.jpg)
Karen
On October 20th, 2016, Tumblr user joematar[8] posted a joke regarding a woman in the Switch commercial who notices her friends having a party on a nearby roof, and decides to go over with the Switch. Joematar's joke, shown below, shows the woman arriving at the party with the caption “Oh shit, Karen brought her stupid Nintendo thing to the party again. We’re DRINKING, Karen. We’re having CONVERSATIONS.” As of October 26th, 2016, the post has over 17,000 notes.
![Karen joematar tumblr Follow "Oh s---, Karen brought her stupid Nintendo thing to the party again. We're DRINKING, Karen. We're having CONVERSATIONS." #nintendo switch #nintendo 16,988 notes](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/184/905/026.jpg)
Karen became the unofficial name for the character among the Nintendo fandom following the post. She also became the subject of a high volume of Reddit jokes. On the Nintendo Switch subreddit, the moderators were forced to temporarily ban posts related to Karen,[9] which thus launched a subreddit entirely devoted to Karen posts, /r/NintendoKaren,[10] that has nearly 1,000 subscribers as of October 26th, 2016. The subreddit features a high volume of Karen photoshops and intense discussion about the amount of rings Karen is wearing.
![Karen Rings Just how many rings does Karen have???? 8 1. One ring on her right index (RI) finger, and one ring on her right middle (RM) finger. 2. One ring on her right ring (RR) finger, one ring on her right index (RI) finger, and one ring on her left middle (LM) finger. 3. Onr ring on her left index (LI) finger, and two rings on her left middle (LM) finger. 4. One ring on her right index (RI) finger, one ring that may or may not be on her right ring (RR) finger (depending on the lighting, hard to tell), one ring on her left index (LI) finger, and two rings on her left middle (LM) finger. NOTE: Her RM ring may have been taken off during reshoots. Either that or Karen, out of the kindness of her heart, lent one to her friend for good luck. Final tally: RI 1 ring RM - 1 ring RR - 1 ring LI 1 ring LM 2 rings TOTAL: 6 rings. Though it may appear to be a perfect arrangement, one thing of note is that there is ain empty space in the middle. Her life may seem perfect, but there's a void at the center. There's room in that void for a seventh ring, and I know just the place to put it: On her left ring finger.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/184/908/03c.jpg)
![Karen Jager](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/184/909/cd7.jpg)
![Karen Kart NINTENDO SWITCH NINTENDO NETWORK KNRENLKA TM EVERYONE ENFANTS et ADULTES ESRB Nintendo](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/184/912/8f1.jpg)
The Karen phenomenon was covered by Polygon[11] and Mic.[12] Karen also has her own parody Twitter account with 277 followers.[13]
Cartridge Tastings
On February 24th, 2017, Jeff Gerstmann of GiantBomb put a cartridge for the new Nintendo Switch in his mouth during the site's Unprofessional Fridays' stream.[17] After putting it in his mouth, he makes a grimace and takes it out of his mouth.
After the show, he tweeted,[18] "I put that Switch cart in my mouth and I'm not sure what those things are made of but I can still taste it. Do not try this at home." Nevertheless, Gertsmann's strong reaction inspired other people to try tasting Switch cartridges, and various reviewers and fans also discovered that the cartridges tasted terrible. According to a Polygon[19] writer:
"It doesn’t hit you at first. It tastes just as plain and feels just as slippery as the other three cartridges. In just a few milliseconds, though, a very sour taste invades your taste buds. It smells bad; you can feel it in your throat. It’s revolting, and the only thing I can equate it to is when you’re at the dentist and a drop of sour cleaning material hits the back of your tongue. Your entire face feels it. And the taste lingers for about 20 seconds."
After media outlets[20][19] began covering the cartridge tasting phenomenon, Nintendo issued a statement saying the cartridges were indeed coated in a chemical.
To avoid the possibility of accidental ingestion, keep the game card away from young children. A bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) has also been applied to the game card. This bittering agent is non-toxic."
Switch Lite
On July 10th, Nintendo unveiled the Switch Lite, a cheaper, exclusively handheld alternative to the Switch (shown below). The Switch Lite will cost $199, $100 cheaper than the Switch.[21] The Lite will not feature JoyCon controllers, a rumble feature, or be compatible with televisions. Nintendo has promised "slightly improved" battery life than the Switch, but it would not specify what that meant. Almost all Switch games will be playable on the Switch Lite, though games that require motion controls will be marked in the Nintendo eShop and on the back of physical copies. The Lite is also slightly smaller than the Switch, but overall, Nintendo says there is no performance difference and the two consoles are largely identical. It was released on September 20th, 2019.
Online, reaction was mixed to the announcement. Some Twitter users joked that the Switch Lite was already very similar to older handheld consoles. User @TwiddleDee96[22] joked that the console was similar to the Game Boy Advance (shown below, left). User @AgentBizzle[23] tweeted features about the console saying he didn't need it but would get it anyway (shown below, right).
![GBA Follow Andy Anderson @TwiddleDee96 Just got my Switch Lite 4rtndd GAME BOY ADVANCE 1:39 PM -10 Jul 2019](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/511/607/a9c.jpg)
![I'll Get It Brian Altano Follow @agentbizzle NINTENDO SWITCH LITE - Out Sept 20th - $200 - Better battery life - Better d-pad - No TV output - Smaller screen - I don't need this - But I still want this - Why do I still want this - I already have a Switch - I don't need this - But I still want this - What's wrong with me AD NINTENDO SWITCH ( 0C ME](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/511/611/ae6.jpg)
Improved Model
On July 17th, 2019, Nintendo announced an updated version of the console to release in August.[24] The updated version of the console will have improved battery life. Older models of the Switch have roughly 2.5-6 hours of battery life undocked, depending on what game the user is playing. The new model will have 4.5-9 hours of battery life. Kotaku[25] noted that on older models, Breath of the Wild runs for 3 hours. On the updated model, it will run for 5.5. The new model, numbered "HAC-001(-01)," will be available in the United States starting in mid-August. The current model is "HAC-001."
OLED Model
On July 6th, 2021, Nintendo unveiled[26] Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), an updated version of the console featuring a 7 inch OLED screen and a wired LAN port (trailer shown below). The version is scheduled to become available on October 8th, 2021.
The announcement was followed by a surge of memes in which the lack of new features in this version of the console was mocked.[27]
Online Presence
The Switch generated incredible hype online almost instantly. It's Facebook [5] page gained over 3 million likes in less than two days. A subreddit[6] devoted to the Switch gained over 30,000 subscribers in the same time.
Related Memes
Steam Deck vs. Nintendo Switch
Steam Deck vs. Nintendo Switch is a console war between fans of Steam Deck portable PC platform and Nintendo Switch handheld console. The debate started on social media websites immediately following the announcement of Steam Deck in July 2021.
Search Interest
External References
[1] The Verge – Everything we know about the new Nintendo Switch
[2] Kotaku – What To Expect From Nintendo's New Hardware? A Surprise, Probably.
[3] Kotaku – The Internet Reacts To The Nintendo Switch
[4] Nintendo Everything Nintendo confirms no physical backwards compatibility for Switch, no comment on mobile games
[5] Facebook – Nintendo Switch
[6] Reddit – /r/nintendoswitch
[9] Reddit – /r/nintendoswitch
[10] Reddit – /r/nintendokaren
[11] Polygon – Nintendo Switch’s best, most revealing meme is antisocial ‘Karen’
[12] Mic – Nintendo Switch fans are obsessed with "Karen," the viral star of the new console trailer
[13] Twitter – @NintendoKaren
[14] The Verge – How to preorder the Nintendo Switch right now
[15] The Verge – Watch trailers for 11 Nintendo Switch games, including Mario and Zelda
[16] Kotaku – Super Mario Odyssey's Real Humans Are Weird and Bad
[17] GiantBomb – Unprofessional Fridays: 02/24/2017
[18] Twitter – @JeffGertmann
[19] Polygon – Nintendo Switch game cartridges taste offensively bad, trust us
[20] Mic – People are tasting Nintendo Switch game cartridges -- and apparently they’re disgusting
[21] The Verge – Nintendo Switch Lite is a smaller, cheaper Switch built exclusively for handheld play
[22] Twitter – TwiddleDee96
[23] Twitter – agentbizzle
[25] Kotaku – Nintendo Releasing New Switch Model With Better Battery Life
[26] Twitter – @NintendoAmerica
[27] Know Your Meme – 'They Are The Same Picture:' Reactions To Nintendo Switch OLED Are Pouring In
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