When I played in
handheld mode there were times when it took me a few times to try and grab the object I needed, often resulting me picking the wrong option and dying in the process.
Not exact matches
When you want to play an epic, meaty game like Super Mario Odyssey or Breath of the Wild, the dock is waiting for some big screen action, but when you want a quick burst of fun, games like Puzzle Adventure Blockle and Kamiko are
there to keep you company in
handheld mode.
Finally, I noticed that
there is a bit of a difference visually when playing in
handheld mode and when playing on TV.
Handheld mode maintains a solid 60 FPS most of the time, but
there are frame dips when things get intense.
Sprinting through tall grass and rain,
there are noticeable frame rate drops in TV
mode; whereas Breath of the Wild runs smoothly during the same sections in
handheld mode.
The footage above is docked, but the game arguably looks at its best in portable
handheld mode — the 720p resolution holds up better
there, and the game seems to run with an unlocked frame rate, shooting for 60 fps and sometimes getting
there with uneven but decent performance.
The visual presentation on the Nintendo Switch screen is a faithful representation of how the game looks on the TV screen, but
there are some downsides to playing in
handheld mode.
The excellent, accessible Touchscreen
mode from that game is available in
handheld mode, for instance, and
there's now local wireless co-op functionality.
There have been a few moments when in
handheld mode when the game experience slight slowdown, but these moments happened very rarely.
There are no harsh dips, even in
handheld mode, and the game is still the colorful journey it has been those many years ago.
Given that,
there are three different ways to play with the Nintendo Switch and that includes TV
mode (connecting the console to your television in the traditional sense), tabletop
mode (a portable
mode which allows you to play with a friend on the console itself) or the
handheld mode (using the Switch like a tablet but with far superior gaming capabilities).
There were some more screens showed off during the presentation, and as you can see, it looks like the game will let you play in vertical
mode when going the
handheld route.
With this new Switch release
there is nothing new added to the game from the original PS4 and PC releases with the exception of the ability to play it in
handheld mode.
There's a lot of detail and there are very few, if any jagged edges, which are mostly only noticeable when you're playing in handheld m
There's a lot of detail and
there are very few, if any jagged edges, which are mostly only noticeable when you're playing in handheld m
there are very few, if any jagged edges, which are mostly only noticeable when you're playing in
handheld modes.
Panic Button have used a dynamic resolution in
handheld mode which changes depending on the stadium so
there are lots of jaggies at times.
Even in
handheld mode, the game looks jaggie-less outisde of Synergy Burst
Mode, where the aura creates a couple jaggies here and
there.
The tablet gets hot when playing in
handheld mode but
there is no warping or melting of the decal.
There's three play
modes; «
Handheld Mode» sees the Joy - Cons attach to the base unit to be played on the go; «TV Mode» which connects the system via a dock to a television, with controllers attaching to a central module - the Joy - Con Grip - or synced to a decided Xbox - style «Pro Controller» (available separately), and «Tabletop Mode», which uses a built - in stand so the screen can be displayed upright anywhere, with the Joy - Cons detached controller (s) to play local multiplayer games.
There is a two player touchscreen match
mode, a VR Match where you tilt the
handheld console to move the camera and enjoy matches from the player's point of view, as well as a game where you tilt a boat while aiming and shooting at targets.
While in
handheld mode the Switch is fantastic, in tabletop
mode there's less to be celebrated.
There are three ways you'll be able to play your Nintendo Switch; you can dock the system and enjoy playing games on your TV, or if you want a more portable experience switch the system into
handheld mode and take your gaming anywhere.
There will be some touchscreen usage, however, in the
handheld - only
mode Murfy's Touch, where players guide their avatar by shifting the scenery around with their thumb.
The music is great, it's a treat to play on Switch's
handheld mode (since
there's no worry of input lag like you get on modern TVs) and while the analogue stick sections are a bit fiddly, everything else is brilliant.
Kirby also runs rock solid at 30 fps as well in both docked and
handheld modes, it may not be 60 fps but honestly
there was no signs of game slow down and performance was incredibly solid.
But it's
there too, whereas other retro - inspired games like Shovel Knight and Blaster Master Zero feature absolutely zero noticeable lag in
handheld mode.
Beyond changing how titles are rendered from 720p in
handheld mode to (mostly) full HD while connected to your TV,
there's not all that much else the Switch's Dock does.
Smash Bros 3DS is exactly what you'd expect it would be if it were released in
handheld form: The control scheme translates perfectly, the 3D function adds depth to level design, the roster is huge,
there are game
modes aplenty and setting up an online match to start dishing cans of whoop - ass is a very quick and painless process.
There are many different ways to control the game (I personally played in
handheld mode most of the time), but the detached Joy - Cons offer more advantages.
There's also a new first - person driving
mode that utilizes the 3DS gyroscope to steer the kart by tilting the
handheld left or right.
There's a removable sleeve for the Switch by itself in
handheld mode, keeping it protected without the added bulk, while the main messenger sack has slots for all sorts.
The only negative we spotted was an occasional frame - drop or slow - down when
there's a lot of stuff happening on the screen - this was only evident when we played Deluxe on a television, though, and wasn't evident in the lower - resolution
handheld mode.
It also happens to be a perfect game to play with your Switch in
handheld mode during commutes, as
there is always something you can do to pass the time.