So here I am preparing for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. More so than any recent other release, Nintendo has managed to accomplish a release that reminds me of when video games shut down entire streets and stores. Does anyone else remember when a new PlayStation or Xbox dominated the news for weeks on end? Here is the weird thing: PlayStation and Xbox are posting some of their best numbers ever, but nobody is really taking any real notice. Weird, right?
Nintendo, on the other hand, has recaptured that old excitement in a way we haven’t seen in some time. It is hard not to get caught up in all the hype.
Nintendo Switch 2, A New Way Forward
This year, I’ve been expanding my ‘marketable abilities’. It’s becoming more and more clear to me that if I’m going to remain self-employed, I will have to become the jack of all trades and master of multiple things. The era of having one specialty is over. Hence my recent attempts to break into the publishing world, create indie art, and ultimately work on creative, meaningdful projects..
The world has absolutely changed in recent times, and this would apply to gaming. There is simply no denying how much the Switch 2 is poised to change everything. At first, this may not seem obvious. The Switch 2, although boasting infinitely better specs than its previous gen, is remarkably low-powered in comparison to how far technology has come.
But the hidden secret to this hot little tablet/console, is the past. Nintendo has made some of the absolute best games ever. The kind of releases that have defined so many childhoods for so many. From Mario to The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo has been a hallmark for so many. Now with the Switch 2, they look poised to do it again.
I’ve questioned whether a new game streamer is even remotely important. It seems that we have enough, and yet I’m convinced that there is still room for a new voice. I believe that by combining my storytelling abilities with video games, I can create something unique. In the end that’s really what all art is about, creating something unique. using our gifts, talents or abilities to add something new.
In light of everything I just said, I view the Switch 2 as a tool. I can’t deny that playing new games like ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ and whatever the future holds for 3D Mario titles and The Legend of Zelda don’t excite me. They absolutely do. I just believe that it is far more important to emphasize creating. I don’t want to merely consume. Creating is even more important.
The Past and New Chapters
As I am getting my gear in order, keeping up to date with the news, I find myself oddly reflective. I’m thinking more and more about how much Nintendo has been a big part of my past. I will never forget the eeriness of Twilight Town in ‘Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door’ and how I stayed up until 1 AM playing through it. To this very day, a bell tower is one of the creepiest sounds in the world to me. ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ has some of the best worldbuilding I’ve ever seen in a video game, and I spent years writing drafts that exploited my favorite elements from the game. One of my earliest stories was a fanfic called ‘Fall of Skyloft’, supposed to be a sequel to ‘Skyward Sword’. Looking back on it, it was clearly the work of a low level amateur, but the bones were actually decent. I envisioned Link and Ganondorf as being brothers in arms, before Ganondorf sacrifices himself to protect Link. Instead of dying, he stumbles over a cave full of forbidden knowledge that corrupts him, turning him into a hideous monster. Eventually, Ganondorf destroys Skyloft, and the displaced people become the first Hylians. Honestly, that was a pretty decent job for someone who didn’t know anything about how to plot, outline or any of the essential elements of storytelling. ‘Luigi’s Mansion’ was another big one, to this very day I still want to work on a haunted mansion story that features a bunch of mini-plots involving the previous residents. I have never successfully come up with a winning concept. (still working on it)
I’m hoping for the Switch 2 to give me more inspiration and new ideas. Hopefully, there will be new stories and experiences that give me fresh ideas. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with family and playing Mario Kart World. I think it’s important to have video games that encourage us to spend time with one another. (especially when you have social media isolation) A lot of my life has been bookended by Nintendo console releases, I can’t wait to see how the Switch 2 will usher in a new chapter of my life.
