If you plan on purchasing a Nintendo Switch, heed this advice, if nothing else: Do not eat the game cartridges.
If you do, however, you’ll likely be looking for the nearest bottle of Listerine, as Nintendo intentionally has made its new console’s game cartridges taste bitter, according to IGN. Of course, this isn’t an issue with other Nintendo consoles whose games were run on compact discs. But Switch’s tiny game cartridges — even smaller than the 3DS’ — could be easily consumed by children.
“To avoid the possibility of accidental ingestion, keep the game card away from young children,” Nintendo said in a statement to IGN. “A bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) has also been applied to the game card. This bittering agent is non-toxic.”
Denatonium Bonzoate is one of the most-bitter tasting chemical compounds known to man, so it appears Nintendo is serious about this accidental ingestion thing. We speak for all people who grew up in the 1990s when saying we are eternally thankful Nintendo didn’t apply Denatonium Benzoate to game cartridges made for systems such as the Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Cartridge taste aside, Nintendo’s new home/portable console hybrid has a lot riding on it, with the ability to either change gaming as we know it, or to end Nintendo’s relevance in the gaming industry. Hopefully, however, the system’s many abilities enable it to leave a long-lasting impression.
Thumbnail photo via Nintendo
