Eight Years Later, The Nintendo Switch Reveal Remains A Masterclass

I sorely miss the days of old school press conferences and presentations from gaming giants like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Showcases designed to reveal the latest hardware, all the biggest games, and to let the world know that you have come to play.

But in recent years, with the death of in-person events like E3 and figures like Geoff Keighley consolidating tentpole events to only a handful of occasions, most companies have decided to put on their own online shows where they can control the cadence of each announcement made or word spoken, turning presentations that were usually chaotic, personality-driven statements of intent into a dull branch of marketing. These are still fun, but unfortunately have little of the same magic.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, let’s take a trip down memory lane to when its older sibling was first shown off to the world.

The Nintendo Switch Reveal Was One Of The Last Great Gaming Showcases

After the catastrophic failure of the Wii U, Nintendo knew it needed to come out swinging if it wanted the Switch to be a success. It needed to rebrand its gaming philosophy, introduce us to a new console, unveil a multitude of new exclusive titles, and prove that it wasn’t bound to repeat any of the same mistakes. This is a tall order, especially in a live presentation lasting just over an hour. But it gathered an audience and stepped through the curtain regardless.

What made this event so fascinating is how it straddled the line between corporate necessity and unbridled whimsy. It opened with Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima getting on stage to introduce himself, a better look at the console, and that it would be launching two months later in March 2017 for $299.99.

In roughly ten minutes, Nintendo was able to sell us the concept of a hybrid console that was not only incredibly affordable compared to most of its competition, but promised to introduce an innovative new way to experience games.

Obviously, there were a few silly gimmicks like HD Rumble, which ultimately amounted to next to nothing, but the creative vision Nintendo outlined during this presentation is exactly what it delivered. Then it was onto the games.

Nintendo Switch Has The Best Exclusive Library Of Any Console

Things started off slow with gimmicky party titles like 1-2 Switch, which barely register in the grand scheme of things, but after this, Nintendo began firing on all cylinders. First up was Arms, an incredibly underrated fighting game with a killer aesthetic and clever use of distinct hardware. To this day, I still believe it deserves a sequel, or at the very least, more support than it received before sunsetting.

Up next was Splatoon 2, with the original ink-themed shooter being a huge hit and attracting a loyal following in Japan despite the niche hardware it existed on. A sequel launching in the first year of the Switch’s life was a massive surprise, not to mention how its reveal trailer was eager to tease new narrative twists, exciting new weapons and gameplay modes, and a bold evolution of a formula with so much left to give. I wouldn’t be surprised if Splatoon 4 rears its head when the Switch 2 is announced in the coming weeks.

To keep us on our toes, halfway through this presentation gave us the reveal of Super Mario Odyssey, which at the time was the first true 3D Mario game that wasn’t a sequel or focused on multiplayer since Super Mario Galaxy – and it looked incredible.

Mario emerges into a big city filled with what looks like real people, while other levels have him running around classic dinosaurs, flying into the sky, or conversing with strange skulls in scorching deserts that are somehow filled with tundras. It was wild, unexpected, and when Mario threw Cappy onto an inanimate object for the first time, promised a Mario game like none we’d ever seen before.

The First Year Of Switch Games Was Just Nintendo Showing Off

After that bombshell, Nintendo slowed down for a bit with peeks at what was to come in the world of Fire Emblem, appearances from myriad third-party publishers, and a reminder that we would be able to play Skyrim on the go. There was also Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a sequel from Monolith Soft that absolutely nobody expected to see, let alone it being a high-profile Switch exclusive during the first year of the platform’s life.

Just as it felt like Nintendo had shown enough, Kimishima returned to the stage to announce planned hands-on events, pre-orders, and our biggest look yet at Breath of the Wild. I’m not ashamed to admit this trailer made me tear up in excitement. It’s marvellously edited, teasing a grand open world vision of Zelda with so much intrigue, heart, and ingenuity in the mechanics we saw shown off. It answered so many questions but left us with more in its stead, teasing what would eventually become one of the most influential games of all time. I’m unsure how the Switch 2 will match this level of anticipation, but I would love to see it try.

Once the trailer came to an end, the screen faded to black, and we were left to stew on the past hour of announcements. 2017 saw the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arms, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and so many more. In under 12 months, Nintendo was on top of the world all over again, and it all started with this presentation.

It was a confident new beginning for Nintendo, and an occasion that felt so much more alive by taking place on a stage with real people doing all the talking. Pre-recorded showcases like Nintendo Directs are still exhilarating in their own way, but the Switch reveal hit different.

Your changes have been saved

Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch is both a home console and a handheld gaming system in one package, with various versions offering better specs for dedicated enthusiasts.