Author: John Scalzo

I think we’ve reached the point in the pre-release hype cycle where Nintendo fans believe they can make the consolemaker reveal more information about the NX through sheer force of will. And with PAX West happening literally in Nintendo’s backyard, it seemed like a great time to officially pull back the curtain. But the west coast’s biggest gaming convention came and went without a peep from Nintendo (though they had a lot to say about Nindies on the 3DS and Wii U).

So now those same desperate fans turn their attention towards next week’s Tokyo Game Show. Surely, the company must be planning a blowout presentation for Japan’s premiere gaming convention… right? They have to; there’s only six months to go! But Nintendo’s presence at the Tokyo Game Show, if they attend at all, has always been low-key, and there’s the distinct possibility that most of the NX’s secrets will remain hidden until we have it in our hands this March.

Those secrets were alluded to recently in a new round of rumors that focused on the console’s inner workings and its controller. According to several “inside sources,” the NX Controller will closely resemble a Wii Remote, with motion control features and force feedback. However, the controller might also have a “Split D-Pad” and a Share Button, which should generate comparisons to the DualShock 4.

Much more surprising is the (second) round of rumors that state the NX will use cartridges instead of optical discs. This would be a major break from the last two decades of console manufacturing tradition, but it does lend credence to the console/handheld hybrid rumors. Or maybe it’s all a part of Nintendo’s plot to make the NX appeal to “people who like games” and “moms.”

So while we still don’t know anything new about the NX itself, at least we recently learned more about its upcoming lineup of games. (more…)