Nintendo Switch 2 Launch: BTS With Ryan
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Ten News Special Report: Episode 551
🎮 We've got a special report from Nintendo New York! Ryan got to attend the midnight launch for a VIP experience to pick up the Switch 2 🤯
🤩 Tune in for exclusive interviews with the Senior Vice President of Product and Development at Nintendo, Nate Bihldorff. Plus, AAPI and LGBTQ+ legend, AND gamer, Bowen Yang!
🕹️ And, don't miss out on Ryan's first impressions of the Switch 2!
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Transcript:
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<SFX iphone rings>
PAM: (picks up) Ummmm, Ry, it’s 10:37 at night…are you calling to say goodnight?
RYAN: (on the other end) No Pam, I’m calling from THE FUTURE.
PAM: Okay…please explain.
RYAN: I’m about to walk into the Nintendo Store in New York for the midnight launch of the Switch 2… and I’m calling you now because this episode will probably air a week after it launches.
PAM: Got it! You’re about to get your own Switch 2… Are you freaking out right now–
RYAN: I’M FREAKING OUT PAM! My dreams are coming true…AGAIN!
PAM: Well, I’m Pamela Kirkland and I’m gonna go have my own dreams. Goodnight, Ry!
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Friday June 13th and this is a Ten News Special Report about the Nintendo Switch 2!
RYAN: Whatup Ten’ers I’m here at Nintendo New York it is getting a little crazy because it is almost the midnight launch and we get to do a VIP experience to pickup the Switch 2… let’s go!
RYAN: So…I gotta be honest, this night was so exciting and a little overwhelming and I didn’t get to record everything I wanted to record. So Future Ryan is going to narrate what happened to Past Ryan. Cool? Well I got to walk past the line of people waiting to buy a Switch 2 and go upstairs for the VIP experience. And right when I walked in, this happened:
RYAN: Oh my gosh, that is literally president Bowser, right there…
RYAN: I saw the President of Nintendo America, Doug Bowser, yes that is his real name and no he did not breathe fire. If you’ve never been to the Nintendo store, it’s pretty sweet. There’s all the merch you could ever want, but then it’s also like a museum with really cool memorabilia…but the VIP area had a bunch of Switch 2 game stations set up, as well as Mario Kart playing on a screen that was the size of a wall! It was insane. And then I ran into a CELEBRITY…
RYAN: So after chatting with Nate, I had to cruise around the VIP area. And I OBVIOUSLY played all the games possible. First off, was of course, Mario Kart World. I got to play it on the big screen and I happened to meet one of my favorite video game journalists, Simone, from Polygon.com. I played Mario Kart against her and it got a little intense but… “No way…Did someone just pass me?! - Nice first! Great job y’all! “You beat me, congrats!”
I got my first Mario Kart World dub against Simone, and I gotta say, I FELT GREAT ABOUT IT, because she was really good and I won by a hair. And right after we finished, I bumped into one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. We named him as one of our favorite AAPI and LGBTQ+ celebrities, and I learned he’s also…A GAMER.
RYAN: And shortly after that, I got to witness the first person in North America to buy a Switch 2.
His name was Chris Evangelista, he was dressed in a yellow hat and a yellow suit and looked like a human pikachu. He had waited in line for 61 days… Oh also, he is a YouTuber by the name of Chickendog…if you couldn’t tell by the chant. The people I met at the event were all really nice, kind humans. One thing I love about Nintendo is the community of fans that enjoy it, Nintendo fans come in all shapes and sizes. Even my grandma, Abua, loves Nintendo. <SFX: Game sound> So anyway, then I got to pick up my own Switch 2, and it was already WAAAAAY past my bedtime. So I warped home, <SFX mario bros warp sound> crashed, woke up and finally opened my Switch 2… Before I get into it, let’s take a quick break…
PAM: Hey Ten’ers! Season 5 is just about over and we want to close it out with a little end of season surprise GIVEAWAY. If you’d like a chance at winning an awesome super secret prize, fill out our listener survey! We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the show. The link is in the show notes and on our website: thetennews.com. Fill out the survey and you might win a secret prize! Back to you Ry–
RYAN: Before I start, I got a question from a Ten’er that asked, “Is it true that you don’t own your Switch 2? And that Nintendo can brick it at anytime?” This is some misinformation going around. I did some digging and consulted with GameLawKate, who is a cyber lawyer and here’s what she said, “Nintendo reserves the right to render its services and/or the device unusable in whole or part. Pretty big question mark as to what “unusable” means, with some suggesting this would allow Nintendo to fully brick the device, but that would be a tricky thing for them to deal with in court. Probably they just mean cut off the device’s access to services, rendering games unplayable. If it’s that interpretation, pretty standard compared with what other major companies have been doing for decades.” Basically, if you hack or mod your device, they can cut you off from their servers. But Playstation and Xbox users agreed to this a long time ago, Nintendo was actually the last to follow the trend. Just a reminder that when things like this come up, check as many sources as you can! I read Nintendo’s terms of service, didn’t fully understand it, read articles on trusted news sources and THEN I reached out to GameLawKate for clarification. So it took a minute, but I got the truth!
RYAN: Alright, now on to the main event. I’ve had 5 full days to play and test my Switch 2, even though i shared it with Pam for part of the time. Here are my 5 thoughts after testing my Switch 2…
RYAN: Alright Ten’ers, we are back and I have had 5 full days to play and test my Switch 2, even though I shared it with Pam for part of the time. Here are my 5 thoughts after testing my Switch 2.
1) Here’s what I loved: The Switch 2 feels like I got what I was promised. The joy-con 2s feel better than the last, the screen feels much bigger, the games feel faster and smoother. The Switch 2 feels like a big upgrade from my Switch 1 and my Oled. And everything Nate Bihldorff talked about, is spot on. I love my Switch 2. <SFX 1UP Sound> And what I didn’t love? Only two things so far: the battery life isn’t great; I’ve been getting about 3-4 hours out of it, but I personally play more handheld while other people play docked. The other thing is the storage space. The original Switch had 32GB, the Oled had 64GB and the Switch 2 has 256GB…which is a big jump from previous models. But a lot of the AAA games require a lot of space, for instance, Fortnite is about 40GB and Split Fiction is almost 70GB. So if you download your games, you will most likely need a MicroSD Express card for additional storage.
2) Accessories… The new Pro controller is TREMENDOUS. I think it’s my favorite Nintendo controller, ever. Also, I really appreciate that you can use your old pro controller or your old joycons with the Switch 2. The Nintendo camera is nice and works well, but I’m the only person I know that has it… so right now it’s just me on camera making stupid faces whenever I get deuced in Mario Kart World. But you can also potentially use any old webcam you have around the house, as long as it has a USBC plug.
3) On to the fun part… #3, THE OLD GAMES. First off, my Switch 1 games run better on the Switch 2, and a bunch have faster load times and look even nicer. A lot of my old games feel like they’re new and I was not expecting that, it was a great surprise. And games like Super Mario Wonder and Super Mario Odyssey got official updates and play even better. But the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are AMAZING. Seriously. If you have the Nintendo online + expansion pass these upgrades are free, but they are absolute game changers.
4) And my 4th thought? Obviously we gotta talk about the new games? Lemme run through what I’ve played: the Switch 2 Welcome Tour has a ton of fun mini games and is actually a really cool way to learn about and appreciate the Switch 2 hardware. Split Fiction is a game of the year contender, where you and a friend play as two fiction writers who get trapped in their own stories. So you’re jumping between a sci fi world and a fantasy world and it is bonkers. Hazelight made a masterpiece, it’s fun, easy to pick up and hard to put down. I highly recommend playing this with a friend or family member. Deltarune is a side sequel to the legendary RPG, Undertale. Deltarune Chapters 1+2 are currently free on Switch, but chapters 3+4 just came out for the Switch 2. It’s basically an elevated old school RPG that has really great writing. The Switch 2 can easily run this game and it’s really fun to play handheld. Last but certainly not least…is Mario Kart World. MKW is absolute fire. It’s the best Mario Kart has ever felt and I can’t stop playing it. The open world aspect is fun, but not as deep as I thought it would be. I have a feeling they’ll add more stuff to it in the future…but the graphics, the music and the game mechanics feel better than ever. Knockout mode is the true highlight and adds a whole level of intensity. But the ultimate way to enjoy Mario Kart World? Is playing with friends and family via split screen or gamechat…
5) Which brings me to my fifth and final thought about the Switch 2… with the addition of gamechat, Switch 2 has become my ultimate device to game with friends and family. My favorite way to play video games is with a friend in the same room, for example, Pam and I went out to lunch and instead of dessert we played Mario Kart World…and I manscreamed in the restaurant, when she beat me in a Knockout race. It was embarrassing, but it was awesome. But with the addition of Gamechat, the noise cancelling built in microphone and the camera, it makes playing with friends all over the world a fun and easy experience. I played Mario Kart with three Ten’ers, Jaxon, Max and their dad and didn’t even have to leave my house. I’m looking forward to seeing how Nintendo integrates mouse mode and game chat into more of their games going forward. And the games that are coming out later this year that I’m most excited about are… Metroid Prime 4 Beyond. Pokemon Z to A. Kirby Airiders. And my top pick… DONKEY KONG BANANZA. It’s a good year to be a gamer. And Ten’ers, if you want more gaming content this Summer, subscribe to my YT channel, youtube.com/RyWill. That’s RY, W-I-L-L
PAM: That was awesome Ry. I have to say I really appreciate how much you shared your Switch 2 with me, this week.
RYAN: Thank you for appreciating that Pam. I must say, I really enjoy gaming with you!
PAM: I think we are now… officially on Summer break!
RYAN: Well we will be doing re-airs each week aaand possibly some special episodes once a month.
PAM: In the meantime, are you going to embrace your Summer of Switch 2?
RYAN: You know it! I’m also going to set a personal record for most the ice cream flavors eaten in one summer. Care to join me for either adventure?
PAM: Yeah, I’ll send you my Nintendo friend code—
RYAN: WAIT YOU GOT A SWITCH 2?!
PAM: Maybe…but maybe we should do Ten News Snaps for some of our listeners.
RYAN: But first, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
<AD BREAK>
RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: A Ten’er named Kelliejellybelly said, “This is the best podcast ever!!!!!! I am always sad when there isn’t a new episode but thank you so much for bringing all this info to my life.” You are so welcome Kelliejellybelly! And JD_Totally_Aweome_Guy said Best News podcast ever!!!, left a bunch of emojis and then said, Also, GIVE US TOP TEN GAMES BONUS EPISODE. Well we hope you enjoyed this Switch 2 special report!
RYAN: A Ten’er on Spotify named Mimikyu said, “Hello you probably remember me. I have one more thing about Pokemon Legends Z-A. There are huge rumors that there will be a Mega Cacturne, Mega Falinks, Mega Delphox and Mega Clefable.” Thank you for those fascinating rumors, Mimikyu, I will research them this Summer and will try to find the truth!
RYAN: And one last shoutout, as we did some snaps for the students at Hamilton Park Montessori, and I wanted to share the rest of their greetings from when I visited… (put all three HELLO clips together for one long montage?)
RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
RYAN: The Ten News creative team is finally off for the Summer and eating all the ice cream they can stomach and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.
PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah “On Fyaah” Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald “Albright Albright Albright” and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News.
PAM: Have a great Summer Ten’ers!
