Hurrah: The Nintendo Switch now has a price and release date

Most of us are still getting over the pain of not getting our hands on a Nintendo Mini Classic for Christmas, so the new surrounding the launch of the Nintendo Launch is a welcome bit of excitement.

The Japanese gaming company has revealed more details about the console – due for release 3 March – in an online presentation. Here’s everything you need to know so far.

It will cost a few bob

Prices for UK gamers will be £279.99. Not as pricey as its biggest rivals – with the PS4 Pro going for around the £350 mark – but still a much heftier price tag than most gamers and analysts had expected.

It’s for both handheld and home gaming

Remember when the Wii came out, and we all, “Woah, it’s like Back to the Future II round here. Well, Nintendo’s innovation of the console itself continues. The Switch is essentially a table-style console with two “Joy-Con” controllers attached to the sides, which can be used as an on-the-move handheld device. At home the Joy-Cons detach and the tablet slots into a dock, so it can be played like a standard home gaming console.

You’ll need to splash out on accessories too

There are also some big prices on the console’s extra bits and bobs. A Pro Controller, which is like a traditional old school Nintendo controller, costs $69.99 (£57.50), while additional Joy-Con controllers are $79.99 (£65.50) and spare dock to use the Switch with another TV or monitor is $89.99 (£74).

Games will be decidedly old school

And not just the titles – which include Super Bomberman R, Ultra Street Fighter 2, and Rayman Legends – but Nintendo’s also embracing its retro roots by putting the games on small cartridges. Let’s face it, Nintendo’s nothing without a heavy dose of nostalgia. 

There are plenty more games coming too

About 80 are in due for release, in fact. Other titles include 1 2 Switch (a two-player Wii-style game that uses both Joy-Cons), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (standard), and Arms (a motion-controlled boxing game - like when we all got our nans to do boxing on the Wii for a laugh, but even slicker). 

And Mario is back, of course

What would a new Nintendo be without a brand-new adventure from everyone’s favourite pipe-jumping, princess-saving, mushroom-munching plumber? Super Mario Odyssey – out late in 2017 –should hopefully erase the disappointment of Mario Run.

It will be region free

There’s been big buzz for this feature – Nintendo plans to makes game playable on all consoles, no matter where they’re bought around the world. Surely first step in Nintendo making amends for all those heartbroken kids in the 1980s and ‘90s who came back from holiday with games that didn’t work. (*sniff*) 

There are plenty of other features

The Switch will also have 32GB of memory, which can be boosted with a MicroSD card. There’s also multiplayer online gaming, which will be free at first but paid for at a later date, plus a smartphone app for social aspects like online chat. 

It could be make or break for Nintendo

Experts think this is Nintendo’s last chance at catching up with the home console market after the Wii U flopped. It’ll have to do something pretty special to compete with the PS4 Pro, Xbox One and Microsoft’s upcoming Project Scorpio.