Nintendo Switch And Voez, The Portable-Only Launch Title

By Edwin Kee
Voez, a lane-based rhythm game on the Nintendo Switch
Some games on the Nintendo Switch cannot be played in TV mode, indirectly encouraging portable gameplay. Voez is the first of hopefully many titles that fall under that category.  Kotaku

The Nintendo Switch is just a couple of days away from its official launch, and you can be sure that the sheer amount of buzz and attention on this hybrid console is going to get even hotter in the coming two days’ time. We do know that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be one of the many launch titles on the FCC-approved Nintendo Switch, but there is something else going for the launch title known as Voez. Voez is a rhythm game that looks simple enough to play and yet complicated enough to last you a long time. What makes it so special as a launch title? It is a portable-only game that will not come with support for TV mode. In other words, if you want to get some game time with Voez, you will simply have to enjoy it on the Nintendo Switch when you are on the move as opposed to docking the console back home.

This is an interesting development for sure, as it goes to show that game developers have the option not to conform to what the Nintendo Switch offers. If a particular game developer would like their game to be as mobile as possible, as opposed to being played indoors, why not? This is the beauty of the Nintendo Switch’s hybrid capabilities, although others might see it as a weak point.

In order to play Voez, all that gamers need is a touchscreen, and they are good to go. Hence, the touchscreen on the Nintendo Switch will activate only when the hybrid console is in portable mode. This touch-sensitive rhythm title is not new to the market, since it was released on iOS and Android platforms in 2016. However, it must have made quite a splash among mobile gamers, which would see the developer port it over to the Nintendo Switch. It is an ideal game to play while one is on the move, and can be played in spurts as opposed to requiring long hours on end to complete a particular quest.

The launch title’s FAQ gave the game (pardon the pun) away as shown below.

Q: Can I play even in TV mode?

A: No. This software can not play in TV mode. Touch the touch screen in mobile mode to play the game. Button operation is not available.

This makes perfect sense, and it is most likely that the Nintendo Switch would end up being a game-friendly tablet when it is in portable mode. Hence, having touchscreen only titles would be a fun thing, and we do hope that the innocent fun that previous Wario titles on the Nintendo DS will resurface, alongside others such as Cooking Mama and the ilk. After all, such simple games will have less of a toll on the Switch’s battery life when you are on the move, which is the whole point of having a portable console anyway -- to play games on the go.

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