Nintendo has been touring North America giving gamers a chance to get some hands-on time with the Switch. If you won’t be able to make it, this is what it’s like to attend the event.
Nearly five months ago, Nintendo gave the world its first glimpse of its next console in the form of a three minute and 36-second trailer. The Switch was something different and unique. The video emphasized this fact by showing off how you could take the portable hybrid handheld console with you on the go, but also dock at home to play on your TV.
In order to get the Switch into as many hands as possible, Nintendo has been touring the console across North America since mid-January. On launch weekend, the event finally touched down in Los Angeles and Neowin was able to make it to the event. Although the event started on a Friday, there were still many invited fans and media eagerly waiting to make their way into the event. After a quick check-in, it was time to roll into the main section and boy was it a sight to behold.
While the entrance corridor was dimly lit and subtly lined with Nintendo Switch logos, the inside was in complete contrast, with a brightly illuminated stage and demo stations all around. Sure, the Switch was already available in stores, but there were plenty of unreleased gems to test out. Naturally, while I’ll do my best to accurately report what I played, things can always change as some of these titles were pre-release versions.
As a fan of retro titles, Sonic Mania was the one that I gravitated to first. The kiosk had two levels that were available to play – “Green Hill Zone” and “Studiopolis Zone”. For fans of the original Sonic series, Green Hill Zone will sound familiar as it is the first zone that can be played in the 1991 classic, Sonic the Hedgehog. While things start off feeling familiar, the landscape quickly changes as there are now new additions and pitfalls to avoid. After a fairly joyous run through the course, you’re greeted by a new boss that keeps in line with the aesthetics of the original but offers a bit more of a challenge.
It was good to be able to experience the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers for the first time with a title that I was kind of familiar with. Although it wasn’t the same title from 1991, it was like getting on a bicycle, you really never forget how and it all just instinctively comes back to you.
