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KDKA Takes A Look At Highly-Anticipated Nintendo Switch

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- People camped out Thursday night to get their hands on a whole new gaming system.

"It's a home console. It's a mobile device.  It's a weird hybrid that really has never been done before," said Post-Gazette Game Guru Max Parker.

In the docking station connected by the included HDMI cable, it looks like any other system, but it is far from ordinary.

Max: You just take it right out of the dock and boom, this system is now on the go.
Rick: It picks up exactly where it was before.
Max: Exactly where it was. So if you are in the middle of a game and you say "Oh, I have somewhere else to be." Just take this on the go and be on you way.

That is a "switch." So are controllers that come off and act like those on the Nintendo Wii.

"There are motion controllers as well, so you can play different games where it will sense if it is pointing down or pointing up. You can turn it sideways. There are shoulder buttons and you can play it like an old school controller," Parker said.

They are perfect for the game called "1-2 Switch."

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"It's a party game. This is designed to have people gather around and just pick up and play immediately and just have a lot of fun," Parker said.

Rick Dayton challenged his pal Ron Smiley to a couple games, including "Quick Draw."

Next they tried boxing. You listen to a voice command, then throw punches in the air and the computerized judge picks the winner.

A big lure for switch is the new Zelda game -- the next chapter in the Nintendo classic. The impressive HD graphics look great on the tablet or your TV.

Still critics say there are some issues for those on the go.

"When you think about a mobile device like a phone, that lasts all day. This is only going to get you about two to six hours," Parker said.

Then, there are the really small $50 to $60 game cartridges.

"Make sure you keep them in the case at all times because they can be lost pretty easily," Parker said.

Still, Max said portability should be enough for many to flip to the Switch.

"It's better than Nintendo systems. It is better than the Wii U. But this is not to compete with the Sony Playstation IV or Microsoft Cbox. They are not going for a raw power machine here. They are thinking outside the box with this concept," Parker said.

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