MK64 was also not $39.99. That was after my time at EB. $59.99 at launch iirc, although some carts were $69.99 and that may have been one of them. N64 launched at $249.99 too.
Thanks for clarifying. I think you’re right.
The more coverage I see about Switch 2 the more excited I’m getting for it.
The tariff situation just has me a bit spooked.
I’d be willing to pay a small premium to get Switch 2, but if the price changes substantially, I’ll make a trip to Montreal to buy it (if I somehow manage reserve one there).
Been meaning to go there anyway. So I’ll make a nice little weekend out of it with my wife.
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If someone knows how to contact the Game Rant people, that would be good to let them know their article is super inaccurate. I looked on their web site and the CONTACT US page has no email link I can find other than jobs. Maybe they should hire me though since their writer has pushed misinformation into the top hit on Google when you look for the price of Mario Kart… via AI of course.
I plan on waiting for the tariff stuff to quiet down but I still plan on getting one. I have gotten to the point where Nintendo counsels are almost exclusively for playing Nintendo games; and I enjoy their games enough that I’m ok with that
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Yeah I’m in this time as I felt like a fool for waiting on the original and it’s a hell of a system:
The pricing stuff is wild tho, even here in the UK. Just crazy.
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Hey all, I just got an email from thegamecollection (UK retailer) saying they have very limited restock going live at 12pm: https://www.thegamecollection.net
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I’m worried that the macroeconomic environment could spell the end of physical games as we know it. Always seemed like despite the decline on the triple-A side on Xbox and PlayStation, Switch was a haven for this format.
But if it becomes too expensive to import the media for publishers, we’ll either see a shift away from physical releases, or a shift toward the cheaper 0GB option. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to this, but the uncertainty right now probably will be changing the shape of physical on Switch 2 as I type this…
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Trying to tame my excitement.
Really stoked the my three kids can experience their first Mario Kart launch. The last one was before any of them were born! 3.5, 6, and 9.
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I’m excited for a new Switch and even moreso for DK: Bananza! I expect Mario Kart to hold me over very nicely though.
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Just over a week to go! Really excited about Mario Kart World as well, since we rarely get in-house Nintendo efforts of this scale, and it’s been over a decade since Mario Kart 8.
Only disappointing aspect of the launch is the lack of availability for high capacity SD Express Cards.
I’d be happy to embrace Game-Key Cards…if the storage was available to actually download these games to my Switch 2. But filesizes are high, with many games occupying between 20-70GB of space (Split Fiction is 71GB, Hitman is 60GB, Street Fighter is 50GB, Sonic and Shadow Generations is 24GB). Then you have Switch 2 Edition patches to contend with (BotW is 10GB), plus my huge digital library of Switch 1 titles that I’d rather transfer over than not.
Switch 2 is launching with half the storage of PS4 with larger game sizes and mandatory installs for the vast majority of games. A 256GB SD Express Card just won’t cut it, and the cost of storage has been transferred from publisher to consumer.
I ordered a 1TB card back in mid-April and it’s yet to ship…512GB cards won’t be available until late July over here, and only a single retailer is stocking them.
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I need to get a 512 card
As the launch of the Switch 2 approaches, here are some reminders of some quirks of it that are confusing to many people. I wrote this for Reddit but I think that people here might find this useful too.
Upgrading from Switch 1 to Switch 2
The game save data on your Nintendo Switch 1 can be found only on the system hardware.
You cannot transfer your game saves to another system via MicroSD card. If you take the MicroSD card from your Switch and place it in another system, it will not be recognized.
The proper way to transfer files from one system to another is to do a System Transfer. Instructions on doing so can be found here. A system transfer requires both systems to be on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
If you will not have access to both systems at the same time, you will need to upload a backup of your Switch 1 to Nintendo’s server for transfer. Instructions on how to do so can be found here.
You can also upload your save files to the cloud if you subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. Some games do not support cloud saves. Here is a list of games that do not support cloud saves. Some noteworthy games that do not support cloud saves are:
- The Pokémon series
- Animal Crossing New Horizons (Requires a different process for backup outlined here)
- Splatoon 2
To back up these games you will have to use either a system transfer or the server backup mentioned above. If you have already sold your Switch 1 without doing a server backup, your save data for the above games is already permanently gone.
MicroSD Express
The Switch 2 only supports MicroSD Express cards for game data, not MicroSD cards.
MicroSD Express cards are:
- The same size and shape as MicroSD cards.
- More expensive than MicroSD cards.
- More widely available in smaller volumes.
- Have more pins than MicroSD cards for faster data transfer.
- They have this EX logo on them.
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Do not confuse them with Sandisk’s similarly named line of “MicroSD Extreme” cards.
Japanese Switch 2
There is a Japanese Only version of the Switch 2 in Japan. It costs ¥49,980 (¥53,980 for the Mario Kart bundle).
The multi-language version costs ¥69,980 (¥73,980 for the Mario Kart bundle).
The Japanese language version is:
- Limited to Japanese only for games and for the system UI. Some games may have an option to change language in-game, but for anything that requires changing the system language, only Japanese will be supported.
- Limited to Japanese region accounts. You will not be able to sign in with an account from another region. You will not be able to purchase any games that are not available on the Japanese eShop. Physical games from out of region should work. The Japanese eShop only accepts Japanese credit cards and PayPal accounts.
Unless you understand Japanese and live in Japan it is highly recommended that you do not buy this model. You will not be able to purchase any digital games for it whatsoever, and it will be locked to Japanese only. Even though it’s significantly cheaper, it will not be worth your money.
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Yes, I’m getting one. I’ve been playing games only on Switch lately because I find it convenient to play handheld at home or when travelling. I skipped on a few indie games because of concerns over worse performance compared to PC. So with Switch 2, I will be tempted to try out more games.
One interesting thing is also the offering of GC games on Switch 2. I enjoyed experiencing N64 and GBA games for the first time with the Nintendo online subscription. On Switch, I played Mario 64, Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi Superstars Saga, Wario Land 4, Metroid Zero Mission. Maybe not the best way to experience these games but I had fun and it was convenient to play it this way.
I am not sure I will benefit from the addition of GC games to Switch 2 since I already own a Wii. But GC games are great and I think that for many people who don’t own a Wii/GC, this will be a good opportunity to try them out.
Yep - put my pre-order in day one.
Took two days off work as we have a public holiday the following Monday so I’ve got a five day weekend to get some good gaming time in.
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I think a better question is are you buying more games than just Mario Kart World?
Right now I’m probably only getting Ridge Racer and maybe the $10 demo game.
Cyberpunk for me, otherwise I’ll be enjoying the upgrades to TOTK and 3D World
Costco has the MKW bundle in stock for members. They force you to also buy an expansion pack membership as an additional part of the bundle, but I don’t mind that as I can use the voucher when my current membership lapses.
So I finally got my order in. Looking forward to getting the hardware in a few days.
I was hoping to get a physical version of MKW, but since it’s essentially 30 bucks more, I can’t justify it.
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I haven’t played Street Fighter 6 or Split Fiction so we’re getting those plus Mario Kart.
I’m weirdly interested in Survival Kids too, obviously it looks nothing like (or even inspired by) the GB games but it could be goofy fun.
Forgot about Ridge Racer - that’s a must!
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In addition to MKW, I’m likely just grabbing welcome tour and DK when that comes out.
I really just dig Mario Kart a lot. MK8 has been a staple for me for over a decade now. I never got tired of it.
I’m hopeful that the new title can be as timeless and get a bunch of DLC down the line too.
That plus DK and MP4 are enough for a solid first year for me. I don’t play nearly as often as I used to. 3-5 big games a year is likely all I could do these days.
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I’m off to pick up a set of wheels. I’m all about motion controls!