The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was the definition of a "mixed bag" for me. The new Donkey Kong game looks kind of awesome (and unpopular opinion, I like how dopey and stupid his redesign looks, sort of like that one Neanderthal version of Patrick Star), and as someone whose first true gaming memories started on the Nintendo GameCube, FINALLY getting to officially emulate games from that underappreciated era of Nintendo, on a handheld no less, is quite a treat!

The downsides did sort of seem to add up as the presentation went on, though. I couldn't care less about third party games like Elden Ring and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade re-releasing on Switch 2 when I literally played slightly-smoother-running versions of those exact two games on my Steam Deck already, and I think I counted a total 4 first-party Nintendo games--you know, the only reason to buy Nintendo's underpowered hardware while you (hopefully) play 3rd-party games on a more powerful console or PC--with that Donkey Kong one being the only one I'm (mildly) interested in.

The biggest red flag seems to be how Nintendo seems to plan on financially gouging Switch 2 owners for all they're worth. I'm sure some of the price hikes, like the price of the console itself ($450 in the US) and the fact that physical games will cost quite a bit more than their digital download counterparts, are just an unavoidable result of a majority of Americans gravely misjudging the the Annoying Orange, back in November of 2024, as someone who would reduce prices, not arbitrarily inflate them with tariffs that don't accomplish anything, and said Annoying Orange's uncanny ability to make the United States' problems the entire world's problems (The US Switch 2 is STILL more reasonably-priced than the European equivalent, somehow). But then there's all these little things, like making it so we have to buy a unique (and more expensive) SD memory card that only works with the Switch 2 just to store more games, or locking all its most interesting features behind a yearly subscription fee, or making us buy all these Switch 1 games like Breath of the Wild AGAIN to take advantage of the Switch 2's higher framerates, or charging $80 for an obligatory Mario Kart sequel that makes me think Nintendo just got a swelled head after the Switch 1's success and the higher prices overall are their doing, not random dumb politicians around the world.

So yeah, little underwhelmed by the whole thing, looks like a PS3 or Wii U situation unfortunately with the overly-high prices for more casual gamers (like the PS3 when it first launched) plus the lack of any one thing that WOWED me (the Wii U), might actually pass on the Switch 2 and do all my handheld gaming on my existing Steam Deck instead. Which cost WAY less than $450 when I first got it back in 2023.

You know what WILL live up to the hype, though? My upcoming cartoon coming this Saturday on the NG Movie Portal (9:00 AM EST) and YouTube (12:00 PM PST), called Punk n' Gunk: Gregorio the Has-Been! Shameless plug, ahoy!!