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What will and will not be available on the Nintendo Switch's eShop at launch

by: Russell -
More On: Shovel Knight Nintendo Switch

Info about what will and will not be available on the eShop at the Nintendo Switch's launch has been kind of scarce. However, some recent info has been made available including what games will launch with the system on the eShop as well as some other info.

First off, both Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment and Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove will be available at launch. A while back I posted about both of these entries in the Shovel Knight series; Specter of Torment will allow the player to play as Specter Knight in much of the same way that Plague of Shadows let you play as Plague Knight. Treasure Trove is the name for the full collection of the original game and both DLCs, Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment. What's more is that Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch for a limited time.

The third game to be available at launch will be FAST RMX from Shin'en Multimedia. This lightning-fast anti-gravity racer will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch and lets players challenge their friends in either local split-screen competition or in online races. Nintendo has stated that the eShop will be home to more than sixty indie games this year in addition to digital versions of packaged games, DLC, and more. However, only having three games on the eShop at launch is a little on the scarce side. Hopefully a couple more make their way on there in the coming weeks.

There are a few more notes about the eShop at launch. First, much like how eShop funds are shared between the Wii U and 3DS via your Nintendo Account, that will also work with the Switch as well. All you have to do is link your Nintendo Network ID and Nintendo Account, then link your Nintendo Account to your Switch. Next, and what's probably pretty frustrating to a lot of people, is that there will be no Virtual Console at launch. While more info will be available in the future, this really isn't a make or break thing for me, namely because most of my time will be taken up with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, plus I'll still have my Wii U hooked up anyway. For others though, this is a pretty big deal.

There will be a news feature that will offer updates about upcoming additions to the eShop, as well as info about upcoming games. Finally, to access the eShop you'll have to download and install a system update that will be available on launch day. However, the update will download in the background and install quickly so as not to disrupt gameplay. While there are probably still a lot of unanswered questions, this does shed some light on some things about the eShop. Hopefully more info will become available in the near future.

 
The launch of the Nintendo Switch system is rapidly approaching on March 3, and Nintendo can confirm that Nintendo eShop will be ready to go, complete with a lineup of downloadable indie games. To celebrate many of these upcoming "Nindie" creations before launch, Nintendo will host a Nindies Showcase video presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 9 a.m. PT. Just visit http://live.nintendo.com to watch.
 
This year, Nintendo eShop will be home to more than 60 indie games, in addition to digital versions of packaged games, DLC and more. Three indies that will launch at the same time as the system on March 3 are:
  • FAST RMX from Shin'en Multimedia: Challenge your friends to local split-screen competition or take part in online races against players from all over the world. This lightning-fast anti-gravity racer is exclusive to Nintendo Switch.
  • Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment from Yacht Club Games: The latest DLC for the critically acclaimed hit Shovel Knight is a full-featured game starring Specter Knight, one of the enemies from the original game. The massive campaign includes even more content than the last DLC, Plague of Shadows. Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is exclusive to Nintendo Switch for a limited time.
  • Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove from Yacht Club Games: For Shovel Knight's biggest fans, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove includes the original Shovel Knight game, as well as all previously released DLC - even Shovel Knight: Specter of TormentShovel Knight: Treasure Trove will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch for a limited time.
Some additional news about the launch of Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch includes:
  • People who already have funds in their accounts on other Nintendo devices can access them using a shared wallet that works on Nintendo Switch as well. Once they link their Nintendo Network ID and Nintendo Account and then their Nintendo Account to their Nintendo Switch system, this functionality becomes possible.
  • Virtual Console games will not be available on Nintendo Switch at launch. We will share more information in the future.
  • A news feature will offer updates about the latest additions to Nintendo eShop, as well as providing information about upcoming games and other updates from Nintendo.
  • To access Nintendo eShop, a system update that will be available on launch day is required. The system update downloads in the background, is designed to install quickly and doesn't disrupt gameplay.
After visiting Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch for the first time, gamers can also purchase Nintendo Switch digital games on Nintendo.com. Users can purchase the games on Nintendo's website and have them download automatically to their Nintendo Switch system at home or on the go, wherever there is a Wi-Fi connection.
 
For more information about Nintendo Switch, visit http://www.nintendo.com/switch.