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January 13th, 2017: Nintendo has its first Switch hands-on event and as we make our way around the booths at the Hammersmith Apollo venue, there's a pervading sense of déjà vu, a feeling that we've seen it all before. Much of the Switch line-up consists of Wii U ports or enhanced sequels. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is by far the most impressive title at the event, but at its heart, that's a Wii U conversion too. We look to hardware launches for new gameplay experiences, and it's hard not to feel disappointed, but suffice to say, once our Switch hardware arrives two months later, the mood changes dramatically. The hardware is great and the software impresses to the point where what is effectively a Mario Kart 8 GOTY release becomes the fastest-selling title in the series' 25-year history. The reaction to Platinum Games' strong hints that Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 are coming to Switch is also telling - whether users have played them or not, they're eager to check them out on Nintendo's new console. The reality is that the Wii U ports haven't compromised the library as we feared they might - Nintendo and its partners' grasp on graphics and game design is the closest we're going to get to evergreen in any industry where the triple-A focus is arguably more on raw technology over gameplay. Combine Nintendo's unique game-making attributes with the idea of a console/handheld hybrid piece of hardware and it's easy to see why the majority of the Switch ports work.
The conversions also serve a strategic purpose for Nintendo too. Put simply, the firm didn't have the developmental resources to supply software for the Wii U and 3DS in the kind of volume required by the market. By effectively combining handheld and console into one device, the amount of quality first-party titles should increase - but it's going to take time to transition all internal teams onto the new hardware as the 3DS winds down. In the meantime, bolstering the Switch line-up with well-chosen ports gives the platform holder's studios the time they need, without compromising the frequency of releases for the players. Thus far, the strategy has paid off remarkably well.
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