A console I’ve been waiting for since that first announcement trailer. A trailer which teased a bold new direction for Mario Kart. And then came the Direct for that new console, showing off many a game that would be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. Including the reveal that Mario Kart really was going open world. Six months from that initial reveal trailer, the Switch 2 is now out in the world. In my hands.
This is a first week that has been surprising in a few areas. Not least because I’ve ended up with a few more launch games than I initially intended to buy. Originally, it was just going to be Mario Kart World through the console bundle, Fast Fusion, and the GameCube Classics app. But then I considered Hitman: World of Assassination on a handheld without it being a cloud version. Fortnite on a handheld with visuals on par with other versions.
Then, of course, other games across the days. Whether that be upgrades on Switch games I owned or entirely new ones. And so, while Mario Kart World has absolutely kept me invested for many hours, Fast Fusion provided many a high-speed thrill, I’ve had plenty of options across this first week I’ve split my attention across. But experiencing a little bit of everything means I’m confident the Switch 2 will see many hours spent on it. Especially with what’s coming to it, though that’s for another article.
Mario Kart World is the flagship first party title on the Switch 2, so there is where I will start. Especially since it was the first game I played on the console. Speaking of the console, set up was quick and easy. I didn’t bother with a system transfer, wanting to keep things fresh. But at least signing into my Nintendo account kept my friend code and playtime tracking from the Switch. So all I had to do was get on the eShop and input the Mario Kart code to get things on the go.
The eShop looks a lot better, and runs a lot better, too. While it is still early days, it did show me a lot of stuff in the recommended sections that I’d be interested in. When it came to the download of Mario Kart World… well, all of the games, even. Those downloads were fast, getting the roughly 60GB Hitman downloaded in around half an hour. The only sour point is the Virtual Game Card system, but more on that later.
As for Mario Kart World… Now, I did say I’d likely end up free roaming to start. If I wasn’t trying out the Knockout Tours. I did neither of those things. I ended up on the Grand Prix mode. Since if Rainbow Road was being held back for people to see for themselves, I for sure wanted to experience it myself. Not through YouTube or Instagram or anywhere else. And it’s a good thing I did, as that Rainbow Road is so good as a visual spectacle.
The driving took a bit of getting used to, but that was easily done so via the GRcade launch event I ran across launch day and the entire weekend. That was so much fun, full of races and Knockout Tours. And a few battles. I’m still not fully confident in my handling of the vehicles, especially in the air, but I certainly know how to race well. How best to employ items to gain an advantage. Which is definitely needed now there’s 24 racers on the track.
Though, that’s the thing. I’ve never felt the chaos is any more unfair than other Mario Kart games. Sure, you drop down a lot more places owing to the number of racers being doubled, but going through the pack never feels harder to do than in 8 Deluxe. Even on the connecting routes, which do consist of a lot of straight roads. The chaos on those straights keeps things interesting while racing.
The only real downside I’ve felt has come from the music. Not because it’s bad. The fact I’ve taken to listening to various compilations on YouTube (including while writing this article) shows how great I find the music. But for the fact you can barely hear it even just driving around in free roam. I was so ready to get the game on and knock the volume slider for sounds down to listen to it. Such volume sliders don’t even exist.
Also on the first day, I gave Hitman: World of Assassination a whirl to see how it handled on the Switch 2. And it feels as great as on my Xbox Series S. No differences between them from what I could tell. For the first time of owning the game, I’m going through the story. From the prologue right through to the Carpathian Mountains. It is interesting to see the links between targets, gaining a bit more of a personal connection with the big players of that story.
There’s really not much else to say about it. It’s still the same great Hitman experience I’ve been playing for years, now on a handheld. There was that new Elusive Target that arrived, bringing a Bond villain into the world of Hitman. That I absolutely flunked by being a bit too trigger happy. Never have I seen someone run so fast. Could barely keep up with Le Chiffre, meaning I failed the one-shot mission.
On the second day, it was time to give Fast Fusion a spin. I loved Fast RMX with the Switch launch, so it was certain I’d enjoy this new one. Which I did. Fast Fusion uses money for its progression, starting me off with three vehicles and one unlocked cup on the slowest speed. But it didn’t take long for new things to be unlocked. After one go of that cup, I got a new vehicle. The second go round I was able to gain access to the second cup. There’s no grinding needed to really progress.
As for what’s new, a jump for the vehicles provides opportunities for shortcuts. The new fusion mechanic allows the merge of two vehicles to take on the best stats of each. And then there’s the new tracks, which all look so lovely, even when blazing through them at speed. So much detail is packed into them, with the water in particular looking very nice. Even with the droplets from the hover wakes shifting that water.
Since the Star Wars event on Fortnite started in May, I’ve been keeping weekends free for the game. So the first weekend of the Switch 2 was spent on Fortnite. Well, not a lot on the Saturday, as I forgot that once the live event that closed the season ended, the game would be inaccessible while server updates occurred to bring in the changes. That live event was a lot of fun, especially the pre-event Star Destroyer takedown game.
On the Sunday, it was time to get to the full experience. And in a huge surprise to me, I managed three victory royales in a row in my first three games. Never before has that happened to me. Even just two in a row. Then again, some of the weapons this season do feel powerful, especially at the highest rarities. Of course, I was brought down quite heavily with the very next game, where I landed right next to one of the spire enemies. Which promptly obliterated me by shooting me off a ledge.
I’ve already talked about my experiences of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, so no need to repeat those here. Giving me the chance to instead talk of Virtual Game Cards. And it’s a system I’m irked by, simply because Nintendo forced it into action in a way that doesn’t complement the old system. I set my Switch 2 as the primary console thinking that was all I’d need. But no. A system being the primary no longer seems to matter.
Virtual Game Cards operate independently from that system, requiring a linking of consoles even on the same account to manage them when going from Switch to Switch 2. Even for cards that don’t work on a Switch. In fact, before a linking of consoles occurred, the Virtual Game Cards weren’t even being loaded on the Switch 2 when I downloaded games. With or without my Switch 2 being the primary, until those cards had been loaded, an online license check occurred every time I loaded up a game.
Enough on that. And onto more games! I had intended to give the GameCube Classics app a go once the weekend was up. So I could play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. But then I saw that No Man’s Sky was on a deep launch week discount. So, as a game I’ve been wanting to get to for many years now, I dived on that discount. And what I found was a game I’m getting invested in. And I’ve only just started to gain the freedom to explore the galaxy.
There seems to be a lot to No Man’s Sky, which feels very much like a living galaxy. Harvest resources to keep surviving and travelling. Build bases, expanding them to handle various jobs. Meet the denizens of space stations for some fun interactions. An entire ecosystem of buying and selling, finding hidden treasures, expanding capabilities of suit and ship, and so much more. I’m sure I’ll be playing this one for many an hour.
And lastly, we’re there. The GameCube Classics app. Naturally, the first thing I did was get on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It’s one I’ve been interested in since becoming invested in the series with Breath of the Wild. And because it’s a GameCube game. From a first play, I’m enjoying it. I can see myself sticking with it even through the few issues I’m finding with it.
The emulation of it is super smooth. No problems there. But the camera control is inverted, so I’m having a bit of trouble getting used to that. And on-foot control feels a bit floaty, with Link still moving a second or two more after I’ve removed thumb from stick. The joys of retro gaming. Discovering more about this world will keep me going despite those issues, so I’m very much looking forward to completing another 3D Zelda.
That is week one of this Switch 2 journey. Plenty of games to enjoy for a long time, with many more sure to be added even across the rest of this year. Of the games I’ve got already, Mario Kart World, No Man’s Sky, and Hitman I can see myself spending the most time on. I can also already tell that the first year playtime for Switch 2 will exceed that of the Switch by a lot. I already know I’ll be invested in some of what’s coming throughout the year. But as I say, that is for another article. So keep an eye out for that.
Images Taken From:
Mario Kart World | Nintendo Switch 2 [Docked]
Hitman: World of Assassination | Nintendo Switch 2 [Handheld]
Fast Fusion | Nintendo Switch 2 [Handheld]
Fortnite | Nintendo Switch 2 [Docked]
No Man’s Sky | Nintendo Switch 2 [Handheld]
