Switch Becomes More Competitive with Overwatch and Smash Bros
The highly competitive team-based hero shooter, Overwatch, will soon be coming to Nintendo Switch, as announced at the Nintendo Direct presentation yesterday.
It comes as something of a surprise as Blizzard hasn’t exactly been too keen to develop on Nintendo’s handheld platform, but nevertheless, it’s happening on 15 October. In fact, Jeff Kaplan, Blizzard’s Overwatch director, said last year that they would be open to a Switch port, but admitted that “it would be a challenge”.
However, that is something that should be put in the past, because it’s here and it’s coming! The trailer hints towards some kind of motion control support, not too dissimilar to the likes of Fortnite on the Switch, which can contribute to making the game easier to play on console.
If Overwatch on Switch is something that interests you, be sure to have at least 12 GB of space available, and if you pre-purchase the game today, you’ll get access to the Blackwidow Noire skin free in game, and if you buy it before the end of the year, you’ll get a Golden Loot Box with at least one guaranteed Legendary item.
At launch, it doesn’t seem like there will be any cross-platform play, although Blizzard appears to be excited about the potential of it. That means that when the game does launch on Switch, you’ll only get to play with Switch Online subscribers.
If first person shooters aren’t really your thing, then never fear, because Update 5.0 has launched for Switch’s Super Smash Bros. In it, Nintendo have brought back the Home Run Contest as a free update, allowing players to jump back in and smash that sandbag to get a distance record.
What is the Home Run Contest
In Super Smash Bros. of old, players would need to deal as much damage as possible the sandbag in front of them in a 10 second time-frame. The higher the percentage dealt, the higher damage inflicted on the sandbag, which means the further it would fly across the screen. After taking flight, it’ll land somewhere in the distance and slowly slide to a stop, giving a total distance traveled. Included is a two-player mode that will let two friends work on the same bag for a combined distance.
A further addition to the 5.0 update is the addition of Banjo and Kazooie being added to the playable character pool. They will be released as part of a “Challenger Pack”, which is a DLC bundle that includes the fighters, stage and a selection of music. The Spiral Mountain-inspired stage is a homage to the setting of the original Banjo-Kazooie, with a list of songs including a remix from the original series composer, Grant Kirkhope.
If you’re a Super Smash Bros. player and happen to have the Fighters Pass, you’ll get the add-on absolutely free, in addition to the previous Challenger Packs that have all been released. Finally, the update also comes with a number of game changes, buffs and nerfs, to make the game more enjoyable.
