<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>We know so much more about the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/nintendo-switch-2-every-detail-revealed-price-release-date-explainer/939f9aff-c851-47d9-9429-ab9d1b519ca9" rel="" target="" title="Nintendo Switch 2"><span>Nintendo Switch 2</span></a><span>, but how does it feel to play? </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nintendo flew me to New York this week to go hands-on with the system and its games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here's everything you need to know. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/nintendo-switch-2-every-detail-revealed-price-release-date-explainer/939f9aff-c851-47d9-9429-ab9d1b519ca9" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Nintendo Switch 2: Every detail revealed</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>The Nintendo Switch 2</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It takes all of about two seconds to get used to the size of Nintendo's new Switch. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yes, it feels bigger in your hands but not dramatically. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/technology/nintendo-switch-2-review-mario-kart-world-donkey-kong-bananza/64f2acb4-d424-44a4-acdf-aaa182df9680" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The thumbsticks are larger, and more comfortable, and snapping the new magnetic controllers in place is satisfyingly easy. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I did my best to yank a Joy-Con 2 from the side of the system without pulling the release trigger and they didn't budge. I was shocked by how strong they were and pleasantly surprised that they didn't seem to flex at all while connected to the Nintendo Switch 2. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Its 1080p, 120Hz display has arguably had the biggest upgrade and while I wasn't analysing every pixel in the few short hours I had to play with the system, at first glance it looks great. Nintendo hasn't confirmed the exact LCD technology it's using but the addition of HDR really makes the screen pop.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Similarly, it's hard to judge pixel density in a warehouse full of the world's gaming media, but what I did play on TV screens was noticeably better than what was output on the original Switch. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nintendo's upgrades were most noticeable while watching others play upgraded versions of </span><em><span>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</span></em><span> and </span><em><span>Tears of the Kingdom</span></em><span>. The image is so much cleaner and smoother on Nintendo Switch 2. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What I saw of </span><em><span>Cyberpunk 2077</span></em><span> on Nintendo Switch 2 wasn't as impressive. It's a miracle that the game runs on the Switch 2 in the first place, but don't expect games like it to look as good as they do on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. By comparison, </span><em><span>Street Fighter 6</span></em><span> looked much better. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/nintendo-switch-2-every-game-announced/16ccd74e-8b87-481a-b0a6-91c3e21a0b7d" rel="" target="" title="Every game announced for the Nintendo Switch 2"><strong><span>Every game announced for the Nintendo Switch 2</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Mouse Mode</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</span></em><span> was my favourite demo of the show and I played through the entire thing with Nintendo's new mouse controls. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It works better than you'd expect and I was shocked at how easy it was to switch between control styles. You don't need to jump into menus to swap to traditional thumbstick controls, just pick up the controller. And when you want to return to mouse controls, just put the Joy-Con 2 down on its side. Well done design team. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I wouldn't describe it as comfortable and - given the opportunity - I'd play with a Pro Controller every day of the week because </span><em><span>Metroid Prime</span></em><span> requires a lot of input from the face buttons, as well as the triggers. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Comparably, it was much more comfortable to play through </span><em><span>Mario Party's</span></em><span> new mini games or Nintendo's take on wheelchair basketball, </span><em><span>Drag x Drive</span></em><span>, which are almost entirely focused on motion controls. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><em><span>Drag x Drive</span></em><span> demo has us sitting behind a large, empty desk. I can't ever imagine having that at home and I couldn't test what it would be like to use the controllers on my legs because they were cabled to the table. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Did it show what mouse mode could do? Yes. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Would I buy the game? Not from what I've seen. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>The new Pro Controller, GameCube Controller and Camera Accessory </span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Again, the new Pro Controller feels incredibly familiar but slightly different. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Like the Switch 2 itself, the Pro Controller is coated in a new matte finish that feels smoother to the touch. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Besides accidentally squeezing the new GL and GR buttons during a particularly heated race in Mario Kart World, it plays exactly how you'd expect it to. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Same goes for the updated GameCube controllers. All of the new buttons, including the 'C' button, are tucked away on the top of the controller. If it wasn't for the Nintendo rep pointing them out I probably wouldn't have seen them at all!</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Compared to the chunky Wavebird controller I had as a kid, this new wireless GameCube controller is comparably sleek. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I didn't get a chance to hold the steering wheel accessories that Nintendo has announced, but I did get to play some </span><em><span>Mario Party Jamboree</span></em><span> with the new camera accessory. If your first thought was that it's basically a PlayStation EyeToy, you're not wrong. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The camera's ability to track faces, cut out players from their surroundings and represent them on screen is respectable, but far from perfect. It did a solid job representing me and three others on screen during a few rounds of </span><em><span>Mario Party's</span></em><span> new modes but - if you stray too far from your starting point - you can physically bleed into another player's space. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Seeing the look of despair on your friend's face while you steal their stars in </span><em><span>Mario Party</span></em><span> is half the fun, so I can immediately see how the camera will add value to online gaming sessions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I'm not sure how many games will fully integrate the camera function however. If it wasn't for GameChat, I'd be worried that the $69 accessory would be left gathering dust after a few play sessions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>We didn't get to test GameChat at our preview event. I'm just happy Nintendo is finally getting its act together with voice chat. I'm sick of calling my friends over Messenger!</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Mario Kart World</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If you thought </span><em><span>Mario Kart 8 Deluxe</span></em><span> was chaos, wait until you play </span><em><span>Mario Kart World</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I can not overstate how many interactive elements there are on screen at once. It's overwhelming (in a good way). Between the coins and the items, 24 racers, oncoming cars, grind rails, jumps and water sections that feel like </span><em><span>Wave Race</span></em><span>, not to mention unfamiliar course layouts, I was having more fun playing than I have in years. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Linking the courses together is a stunningly simple and brilliant idea. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I got knocked from 2nd to 21st in my first knockout race thanks to a brutal sequence of shells and fireballs. I was disqualified at the first checkpoint and desperate to try my luck again.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Importantly, after 10 years of </span><em><span>Mario Kart 8</span></em><span>, </span><em><span>Mario Kart World</span></em><span> feels different. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Drifting has certainly changed. You can now collect up to 20 coins to increase your top speed. There are heaps of new items, including a gold shell that leaves a trail of coins and the returning mega mushroom. Oh, and you don't have to hold a trigger to trail an item behind you, they just automatically do (and I wasted a few shells as a result!).   </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the demo I played, you couldn't customise your car and the character select screen was limited to residents of the Mushroom Kingdom (sorry Link, Inkling and Villager) and a host of their costume variants. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tracks are much wider and have fewer tight corners. </span><em><span>Mario Kart</span></em><span> has never been a pure racer, luck plays a massive role, and it feels like Nintendo is dialling that up to 11 in </span><em><span>Mario Kart World</span></em><span>. In many ways, it felt like skill wasn't as important as exploring the tracks and learning their secrets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I didn't get much time to freely explore the interconnected world. When I did, I looked away for a moment, drove into a wall and went tumbling down into a ravine. Where I landed wasn't particularly interesting or pretty, and I hope Nintendo has a lot for us to find outside of the tracks themselves to make the mode worthwhile.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I can't wait to race every one as the 'Cow' when </span><em><span>Mario Kart World</span></em><span> launches alongside Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Donkey Kong Bananza</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Donkey Kong Bananza</span></em><span> was arguably the prettiest game at the show.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The demo took place in what I assume was the game's opening area and felt very </span><em><span>Super Mario Odyssey</span></em><span> at times. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There's a lot to collect and a simple yet complex set of controls to master. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>You can punch forward, up, down and jump with the four face buttons and DK can rip up chunks of earth to throw (or skate on) with the right trigger. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>DK can punch through his surroundings, allowing you to burrow holes and destroy walls to find treasures and hidden areas. The camera doesn't always handle these 'burrows' particularly well but controls wonderfully in more open areas. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Like PlayStation's Astrobot, the screen is often flooded with an embarrassment of interactive riches as DK smashes his way through jewels.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The great Ape's career in mining doesn't last long, however. A vortex appears in the sky above DK's mine, Ingot Isle, and crushes it beneath the surface of the earth. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The demo picks up with DK on "Ape Cape: Sub Level 100".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Typically I'd take my time and explore every inch but the clock was ticking, so I powered my way to the end of the level, discovering a few hidden areas along the way before breaking open the purple dome at the end of the level with a bomb and dropping down to "Sublayer 101".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There were plenty of collectible fossils to uncover and special, shiny bananas to break along the way. I can't wait to peel back every one when </span><em><span>Donkey Kong Bananza</span></em><span> launches on July 17.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Eight years since it was first announced, I've finally played </span><em><span>Metroid Prime 4: Beyond</span></em><span>.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's so good. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was available at Nintendo's preview event, so it's hard to say how much better it looks, but it is gorgeous. Think </span><em><span>Metroid Prime Remastered</span></em><span> but at 120 FPS and with HDR. It was buttery smooth.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As mentioned earlier, I forced myself to play with mouse controls for most of the demo; which followed the same opening area shown off in gameplay trailers and culminated in an incredible boss fight.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This massive creature, enraged by a Metroid, was clearly designed to test a player's accuracy. Four areas on its body needed to be damaged before exposing its weak spot, and it did a damn good job at blocking my shots. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>I picked up the controller a few times to try my luck with the thumbstick and gyro combination. The gyro only kicks in when you lock onto a target with 'L' which is great for accuracy but takes some getting used to. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opening area waxed between atmospheric exploration and intense battles. It was a very linear experience, but I expect the game will open up later on.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>From the demo I played, the game felt done. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here's hoping it releases sooner rather than later.    </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Nintendo Switch editions</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Upgraded versions of both </span><em><span>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</span></em><span> and </span><em><span>The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom</span></em><span> were playable at our preview event. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While I didn't get any hands-on time myself, I spent quite a while watching others play and the games undoubtedly look and run better. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nintendo says you'll get faster load times too but no one died or entered a shrine while I was watching to see for myself.  </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The demo also didn't plop players directly into the Korok Forrest (which was notoriously choppy on the original Switch) to really show off the upgrade's chops. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will get both of these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions for free if they own the original titles. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While it won't be the first game I play on Switch 2 (it has to be </span><em><span>Mario Kart</span></em><span>), the upgrade was impressive enough to coax me back into Hyrule.  </span></div></div>