Away From Keyboard - Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Feature
Welcome to your new console
The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour presents itself as a high-tech museum dedicated to the rich history of Nintendo, with a particular focus on the innovative Switch 2 hardware. More than just a simple demo, the Tour is an interactive experience, comprising a series of mini-games, quizzes, and demonstrations designed to showcase the full capabilities of Nintendo's latest console. It serves as an excellent primer for newcomers, meticulously detailing everything from the magnetic Joy-Cons to the function of each button, essentially acting as a comprehensive instructional guide.
A significant portion of the Welcome Tour is dedicated to highlighting the features of the new Joy-Cons, allowing players to familiarize themselves with their unique functionalities. This not only aids in understanding the current mini-games but also offers a tantalizing glimpse into how these controls might be integrated into future titles. The mini-games themselves, while reasonably fun in the pursuit of medals, don't necessarily inspire repeated playthroughs for most gamers. Each mini-game offers specific goals, with medal achievements unlocking further areas and content within the tour.
Among the various mini-games, several stand out for their clever demonstration of the console's features:
● Dodgeball: Players navigate a field of spiked balls, familiarizing themselves with the precise "mouse mode" controls of the Joy-Cons.
● Golf: This game requires players to angle the Joy-Con accurately to hit a ball into a hole as quickly as possible, showcasing the motion controls.
● Speed Maze: Reminiscent of the classic board game Operation, this frustrating yet fun challenge tasks players with navigating a laser-filled maze under a strict time limit, testing precision and speed.
Other mini-games further explore the Switch 2's capabilities:
● Twister Touch: This game utilizes the improved touchscreen, demanding players touch multiple areas of the screen simultaneously, akin to a game of Twister.
● Frame Rate Challenge: Players observe a ball sailing across the screen and are then tasked with guessing the frame rate, providing an insightful look into performance.
● Pixel Perfect Mario Bros.: A specially designed version of Mario Bros. demonstrates the clarity and detail offered by the 4K screen.
● Stand Angle Guess: This game has players guessing the optimal angle of the improved kickstand, highlighting its versatility.
As mentioned earlier, the main screen of the Welcome Tour has an aesthetic that resembles a high tech museum. Players will move about the different areas of the Switch 2 with their chosen avatar. For the most part, the visuals are clear, although the version of Mario Bros was ultra tiny, even on the 4K screen, making it difficult to play from the comfort of my couch. But everything is laid out nicely and easy to navigate. The instructions for each mini-game are also well presented visually, allowing gamers to easily understand the requirements.
Verdict
The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour effectively showcases the console's diverse functionalities. While the mini-games offer enjoyable short bursts of entertainment and are particularly valuable for new users grasping the console's various features, their lasting appeal is somewhat limited. Only dedicated completionists or those with ample free time will likely find themselves revisiting many of these challenges. Ultimately, despite being an inexpensive addition, the Welcome Tour feels like it would have been better positioned as a free inclusion bundled with the console, rather than a separate purchase.
Score: 4/10
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