Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, in some ways, is a crucial piece of software. It makes you appreciate technological advancements and design.
I think gamers can sometimes be a little complacent / unappreciative of the technological advancements we have access to. We’re surrounded by highly complex technology all the time. And, with social media, we can air grievances, share complaints, and bitch and moan (even if not warranted).
When we’re using a controller, smartphone, handheld console I bet we don’t stop to think about its design. Thinking about the years of meticulous planning, design, testing, and versions these ‘everyday items’ go through.
Under the Hood
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a deep dive into the inner workings of the Switch 2. Designed like a museum ‘exhibition’, you’ll explore each of the Switch 2’s key components, including additional accessories. You’ll explore every element of the Switch 2, being presented with quizzes, information, mini-games, and tech demos.
These are all designed to give you a feel for how the Switch 2 has been designed. You’ll test your knowledge of what you’re learning, as well as demonstrate the practical features of the console.
There is progression in a sense, you can’t just hop, skip and, jump across to differnt areas. You need to walk through the musuem in sequential order. Starting with the Left Joy-Con 2, you’ll have to discover all the key points of interest. By visiting each one you’ll collect stamps.
Once you’ve collected all the stamps in one area, you’ll be granted access to the next section. This takes you across the entire Switch 2 eco-system from the screen, inner working of the hardware, to the external accessories like the Joy-Con 2 Wheel, Camera and Switch 2 Pro Controller.
It should be noted that you don’t need the aforementioned accessories to get to the end. All of the stamps and quizzes for each accessory is available to you. The only thing you can’t do without those accessories are, by my count, a couple of the mini-games. There’s one that requires you to use a USB camera (it doesn’t need to be a Switch 2 one), and one that requires the Switch 2 Pro Controller or Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip (you need the GL/GR buttons for one of the minigames).
Let’s Get Quizzical
The bulk of the time is around completing the quizzes. Scattered across all of the ‘exhibits’ are ‘Quiz’ stations. Speaking to the person behind the counter will activate several information points. You’ll need to read them all then you’ll get access to a quiz. You’ll need to get all of the answers right to complete it. They’re largely straightforward but some of the information can be a bit challenging / heavy going (more so if you’ve been playing a lot). I found the tone, and light hearted feeling sat well in the information and quizzes, it felt very ‘Nintendo’.
I found myself feeling a bit fatigued with taking the information in and found I wasn’t paying attention. Some of the information can be a bit dense. That being said, I found it interesting a lot of the time. Seeing the level of complexity that goes into designing the various elements of the console was fascinating, alongside the different risks / hazards that needed to be considered too.
I also learned some practical information too. Particularly around the mouse controls of the Joy-Con 2s. The grips aren’t just designed to keep the Joy-Con 2s in your hand. They’re also designed to give your mouse controls more stability, something I very much noticed!
Example facts
- What if static electricity from the player touches the exposed metal parts of the Joy- Con 2 or the magnetic connectors and damages the system? Well, put in some material around the connections to reduce the impact of potential static electricity.
- What if the dock gets pulled over while having a cable attached to it? No problem, we’ll put a small bit of plastic around one of the rubber feet to help it slide rather than falling over.
- A more powerful console is going to make it overheat, how can we keep it cool? No fretting here, we’ll put in a vaccum with a bit of water in it that will circulate, turning into steam to take away the heat, before turning back to water when cooler.
It really made me appreciate the amount of considerations that have to go into making a console. I assume that was part of the aim with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. In that regard, I think it succeeded.
Tech-sting, Tech-sting, Switch 2, 3
Throughout Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, you’ll find tech demos. Each of these gives you an opportunity to test out a wide range of features that shows of the Switch 2’s capabilities. Whether that’s testing out the HDR or VRR settings, playing Super Mario Bros. in 4K, guessing the framerate or feeling varying levels of HD Rumble 2 as you saw wood. There’s a lot to have a go at.
Some of these definitely brought a smile to my face. The one that sticks in my mind is one using the HD Rumble 2 to create sound. The lesson being that the HD Rumble 2 can be sent information to make it vibrate in certain ways to create sound effects. That particular tech demo had me create a 1-Up Mushroom and coin sound from Mario games. It was pretty impressive.
(Mini) Game On
I’m reticent to refer to Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as a ‘game’ proper. Yes, it’s a piece of software for a games console but the majority of the ‘game’ is walking around and reading. That being said, Nintendo did add in quite a number of minigames to give you something more game-y to play with.
There’s a number of games throughout Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Similar to the tech demos, these are built around trying out the different features of the console in a more game-like context. This is helpful I think as it gives you a proper demonstration of how all of much ballyhood features could be used.
Hopefully third-party devs see some of these and think about using said features in their games. I often worry that there’s many an opportunity missed when a console has unique features, they should be embraced, but it often falls to the first-party developer to do that.
Playing the Long (Mini)Game
Some of the games have multiple versions, increasing in difficulty or complexity. For example, there’s a minigame where you need to use the mouse controls of the Joy-Con 2 and shoot down some balloons as quick as you can. The first version of this has you pop 10 balloons. The second has you pop 20, but they’re doubled up (a smaller one within the other) and you should be popping two at once). The final version, has you pop three at once by targeting a bomb, hanging below the clustered balloons.
Some of the games were trickier than others, but I suspect some of that is getting used to playing in a different way, and embracing the new functions. Such as the mouse controls, and boy do they want you to use the mouse controls. I hadn’t realised how much Nintendo must be hoping to use / proud of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. There’s a lot of the minigames that use these controls.
This in itself would be fine, but you need to ensure you have somewhere to play it properly. The games tells you you can use your leg / lap for the controls, but the movements required doesn’t feel like you have the space. So I had to keep decamping from my comfy chair in front of my TV to my desk and playing in tabletop mode.
Switchin’ It Up
It’s the nature of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour that you’ll test out all functions of the Switch 2. Of course, that’s the point. But if you’re playing an extended session on it, be prepared to be switching between TV, handheld, tabletop modes. Along with switching between mouse controls, Joy-Con 2s and using other accessories.
The only real issue I had with the game, in terms of function, was when trying to play the camera tech demo. I have the officially licensed Piranha plant Switch 2 camera. Plugging him in, it just wouldn’t recognise my face. I made the room brighter, I stood by the window, I got closer, further away. My face was clearly visible but the console would not register it.
Would Be Willing to Make a Donation to Support the Museum?
There’s a been a fair bit of discourse around Nintendo’s decision to not include Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour for free with the console. Whether Nintendo set an unrealistic expectation with Wii Sports is another debate in itself, but I do think Welcome Tour should have been provided free.
Not necessarily because it’s of low value, I think the relatively low price point (£7.99 in the UK) is acceptable. These things cost money to make. I actually think the information and insight it provides into how gaming consoles are made and the level of work and consideration needed is something some people need to spend time with. Not including it means that some people won’t be seeing it (as they’ll never buy it). Sure, they might not play it if it’s free, but more chance if it was there.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a well designed way of introducing a brand new console with an array of features under the hood. I was quite struck by the complexities and considerations around all the minutiae of console design. However, the way it relays the genuinely interesting information can feel a bit tedious with a lot of reading and taking tests. The minigames and tech demos are fun, and nabbing all the medals are a nice challenge for completionists to keep playing through to that 100%. If you’ve got the cash to ensure you’ve got all the accessories needed to do so, of course.
This sort of console introduction should be a standard for future hardware, perhaps with a little refinement.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour was reviewed on Switch 2.
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