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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 106 Comments

Digital Foundry published a lengthy report about the technical details surrounding Switch today. The piece is highlighted by the reveal of a new, optional handheld mode that boosts mobile clocks by 25 percent.

Here’s the rundown:

– Digital Foundry says Switch’s “build quality and design is excellent”
– 4310mAh, 16Whr battery takes up a good portion of the internal space
– Apparently “third party replacements by the end-user shouldn’t be too difficult”
– Switch is held together by screws
– Detachable microSD card reader
– This seems to sit on top of the heat-shield when the unit is first opened
– 32GB of eMMC NAND storage also seems to occupy its own mini-daughterboard, as opposed to being soldered directly onto the mainboard
– This offers Nintendo the chance to more easily produce premium SKUs with more generous storage capacity, while retaining the same mainboard
– Heat pipe siphons heat away from the Nvidia Tegra processor
– Active cooling is available to stop the processor overheating, ensuring consistent performance
– Seems to be a more lightly modified X1, still on the 20nm process
– Nintendo has added to the available performance modes available to developers in a recent update
– This bumps the mobile GPU power
– A new ‘NX add-on’ note introduces an expanded table of operating modes

– Developers can opt for a 384MHz GPU clock – a straight 25 per cent uplift in compute power compared to the default 307.2MHz option
– Both frequencies are available to developers in what it calls ‘normal mode’ operation
– Users can’t choose between them
– Adjustments have been made to available memory bandwidth
– 1600MHz option is now only available in ‘boost mode’ (when Switch is docked)
– 1600MHz support in mobile mode is deprecated
– Devs can opt to run handheld modes while in the dock too
– Documentation has no new modes for docked performance
– Not all games will use the 384MHz GPU mobile mode
– 307.2MHz remains the default option
– The expanded table above still shows memory frequencies in line with Tegra X1’s capabilities and a look at the Chinese Switch teardown shows two Samsung LPDDR4 modules in parallel, in exactly the same configuration used in Shield Android TV
– The only difference seems to come from the capacity of the RAM chips
– Shield uses two 1.5GB modules
– Switch ups that to a 2x 2GB configuration for 4GB of total system memory
– Configuration suggests a 64-bit memory bus
– Switch has a processor that looks like a Tegra X1, with specs from Nintendo in line with X1, and power consumption that fits the characteristics of the chip’s 20nm fabrication process
– Digital Foundry says Switch is “by far and away the most powerful handheld console ever made, backed by a dedicated API designed to extract maximum performance from the hardware”
– Gulf in performance between mobile and docked configurations is considerable

This is just a summary of Digital Foundry’s report. You can find even more information here.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 5 Comments

It’s not often that Nintendo talks about past Zelda games. Right now, all eyes are focused on Breath of the Wild. But in this month’s issue of RetroGamer, the magazine caught up with Zelda: A Link to the Past director Takashi Tezuka and script writer Kensuke Tanabe to look back on the classic game.

Most of the comments we have are from Tezuka, who talked about the game’s structure, scrapped idea, and more. Tanabe also chimed in with Tezuka at one point to talk about the advantages of working with the SNES at the time.

Head past the break for a rundown of Tezuka and Tanabe’s comments.

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More: interview, Kensuke Tanabe, Takashi Tezuka, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, top

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 61 Comments

Pokemon president Tsunekazu Ishihara was recently interviewed by Japanese outlet Toyo Keizai. At the end of the talk, the discussion turned to Switch.

First, Ishihara was asked about his thoughts on the system. He started out by saying that he knew about it years ago and witnessed its various “twists and turns.” His feeling is that Nintendo finally revealed the system. In Ishihara’s opinion, the important factor will be making best use of HD Rumble.

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More: interview, Pokemon, top, Tsunekazu Ishihara

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos, Wii U | 14 Comments

The preview embargo for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has now lifted, and new footage is starting to come in.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Matt(@OnePunchMaz) in News, Switch | 16 Comments

Looks like Snipperclips is a launch title not only in Japan, but in Europe as well. GoNintendo got this info from a Dutch PR mail sent out by Nintendo of Europe.

Snipperclips will cost €19.99 and will feature three modes – : WORLD (1-2 players, co-op), PARTY (2-4 players, co-op) and BONUSGAME (2-4 players, competitive). If you want to try out the game first, you’re in luck – there will be a free demo available on March 3rd as well.

Beyond that, Snipperclips will also be sold in a special limited edition bundle that includes a pair of colored Joy-Con as well as a download code for the game.

Source: Nintendo PR

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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii U | 31 Comments

Five new amiibo from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launch on March 3. On its Japanese blog, Nintendo finally provided an official look at the functionality.

Here’s the rundown:

– Link (Archer): get items like meat and fish, and also bow and arrows
– Link (Rider): get mushrooms and weapons, horse tools
– Zelda: get plants and shields
– Bokoblin: get meat and weapons
– Guardian: get ancient materials (players must see for themselves what these do in game)

Tapping amiibo from the Smash Bros. line of Zelda amiibo will reward special items from treasure chests. Tapping any other amiibo will result in materials like meat and fruits.

Each amiibo can be scanned once per day. Images of the Zelda: Breath of the Wild unlocks are posted below.

Source

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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 30 Comments

Earlier today, Nintendo of Europe put up an interview with Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma. The full Q&A has now been published on the company’s website.

One interesting comment came about when Aonuma was asked about his future. That prompted him to say, “I don’t think there’s much point in me making something other than Zelda”.

Aonuma’s full response:

“As I get closer to the retirement age, people ask me if I’m ever going to make anything other than a Zelda game. And so sometimes I think maybe I should. But Zelda games really have everything in them that I would want to make in a game. The way the main character grows and develops. The puzzles and the minigames. I don’t think there’s much point in me making something other than Zelda, if I did it would only end up being something just like it. It’s a problem. So I think I’ll just keep making Zelda games!”

Below are a few other interesting excerpts from the interview:

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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 12 Comments

Axiom Verge landed on Wii U last year as an eShop download. Later this year, the game will be getting the physical treatment.

Thomas Happ Games is partnering with BadLand Indie on Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition. Buyers will receive a copy of the game, a deluxe booklet with developer commentary and art, double-sided poster, and an exclusive making-of documentary on DVD.

Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition is slated for Q2. It will be priced at $29.99 / €29.99 / £24.99.

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Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 6 Comments

Warner Bros. and TT Games announced today that LEGO City Undercover will launch for Switch on April 4 (April 7 in the UK).

A new trailer is also live, posted below. It highlights the new two-player co-op mode as well as Chase McCain’s various disguises.

More: LEGO City Undercover, top, TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 34 Comments

We found out something pretty interesting about Switch while messing around with the system this week. Although it apparently won’t be available at launch, Nintendo is planning a feature so that update data can be exchanged with local users. That means you won’t necessarily have to connect online to get an update – you can just obtain the data from a friend.

Switch also appears to have connectivity with My Nintendo at the system level. We weren’t really able to try this out since a day one update is required, but it seems like you might be able to earn points with physical titles. Wii U and 3DS games already offer this, but only with the digital versions. We have a physical copy of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch yet there is an option to “Earn Points”. Stay tuned for further information.

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