UNBOXING | The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 & Pro Controller

I cannot believe it’s here! My goodness, time is a relentless beast. But at least it slowed down just enough to drop off gifts. If you haven’t met it yet, allow me to introduce you to this absolute beaut of a console. Let’s unbox the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2. 

Oh, and can’t forget about the matching Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

I feel like it was seriously just a week ago that this was announced! It’s insanity! Usually I’m angry and cursing at Father Time but with this being in my hands right now, it’s hard to be that upset. 

A little insight into how this worked out for me: Like many, I managed to totally miss out on the initial pre-order. I wasn’t as fast as the bots out there to grab one when they first dropped. But luckily, I think it was the next day that I was able to secure one at Amazon. And the entire time I knew I didn’t want to get it from there. I’m very much an in-person kind of guy and was going to actually wait until the last possible minute to try and get one from Target the night of its announced 10/29 release. But woof, more on that later.

The controller was a lot more illusive in being available. I couldn’t get a hold of one aaaaaaanywhere. I was wanting the exclusive one with the stand, but that was only at the Nintendo Store and was super hard to even get the page to load properly whenever it came in stock. 

But Amazon, again, decided to be the one to take my money. 

I really, really did not want to give any more money to Amazon. But desperate times, as they say. And it’s not like you could pick and choose here. If you got a pre-order in at Tito’s Video Game Emporium, and you knew for certain that Tito always pulls through, then you considered yourself lucky. 

Nintendo isn’t a stranger to making us go absolute Donkey Kong for these limited edition things of theirs. But this time they made it seem like they were going to be keeping the shelves stocked. Yet, all the shenanigans ensued on launch day. 

See, to keep it short, the official release day was 10/29. Everyone except Best Buy had stated the console and the controller were going to be delivered on that day. Best Buy was the only one that said you won’t be able to get either one until 11/05, when the game comes out. 

Well, turns out that Walmart and Target both seemingly loved that idea. Because everyone who was expecting the console to release on that day were met with quite the surprise. 

Target, who usually waits until midnight-1am est. the night before a release to put up the stock online for in-store pick-up, just… didn’t. No updates, no nothing. People in the know sitting by their screens refreshing for hours just to see the same ol’ boring page over and over. It wasn’t until 9am the following day that the product page updated and said they won’t have stock of the console online or in stores until 11/05. 

My plan was to get one ordered on Target so I can go to pick it up that following morning, and then I would cancel Amazon. So much for that! 

Walmart was a whole other fiasco. Sooooo many people woke up on 10/29 with emails saying they had to cancel their orders. Basically, they oversold and could not fulfill all these orders they had to cancel. Buuuuuuut that injection of bitter betrayal was soon met with the sweetest of lollipops. Turns out Walmart wanted to apologize, and they did so by offering a gift card for those that got the system cancelled… A gift card.. in the amount of $519….. That’s right the ENTIRE price of the Switch 2. Absolute madness! I never would’ve been so happy to have something cancelled in my life! Matter of fact, I’m kind of mad now. Why did I have to get this with no issues?!

I’m jk, please, Lords of the Pre-Orders, do not smite me. 

It is impossible to be mad, I mean, have you been looking at these pictures?! It is GORGEOUS. 

Absolutely love the easter eggs hidden about. The Zelda and Link with all the hearts on the back is such a nice touch. I mean, you will almost NEVER see it, but knowing it’s there makes it special. 

Another favorite aspect of it is how it looks and feels as if it was ripped right out of Kokiri Forest. The color scheme is so on point, and I’m usually a sucker for woodsy aesthetics. 

I’ll be honest, I had my thoughts on the controller. Maybe that it wasn’t as woodsy? The dock is amazing, and it has that base that really ties it all together. I was hesitant on the looks of the controller, is all I’m saying. Not that I was not going to get it. Let’s be clear, I was ALWAYS going to get it, hahaha. I just would not have minded a different design. 

That is… Until I took it out of the box. 

I don’t know, something about the pictures versus it being in person. There’s a huge difference. It was instant “yesssss, I get it!” Took me holding it to actually look at it and admire its magnificence. And the little sprite on the back! Ugh, I can’t. If I can ever get the exclusive from Nintendo with the stand, I would totally double dip and give this 

And no lie, seeing it sitting there on the stand… Such a joy to my heart. I can’t begin to tell you. 

I can’t believe I debated myself on getting it. Could not imagine the disappointment if I didn’t attempt to get it like I told myself I was. Wasn’t? Eh, you know what I mean. I wasn’t going to get it, that’s what I’m trying to say! Thought it was going to be too much hassle to pay for it and I know I’ve been splurging on things so my dad guilt was already peaking. But Beardy, my BFF and ex-cohost extraordinaire, gave me just the right amount of peer pressure to get me to see the light. It was along the lines of “ok, but you’re going to have to stomach when I’m showing you how awesome mine is…” And that thought pretty much did it hahaha. 

What also did it was my history with Zelda themed consoles. There are plenty that I don’t have, and one that I STILL regret selling. Which one was it? I’ll link to it right here because I can’t look at it without getting sad. But if I’m able to, I will get a Zelda console. My unboxing video above has some of the ones I can fit in the frame. But yeah, there’s no way I would have been able to live with myself I didn’t keep this. I have too many memories of not only the franchise, but this game. Playing it back when it released, adventuring alone in my room. It was such an experience. And now we get to relive it exactly how we remember it. 

So how do you feel about it? Still on the hunt? Managed to pre-order it? Will this be your first time playing the game?! Let me know below! As for right now, I’m going to get ready to head over to Best Buy for the MIDNIGHT LAUNCH! Woo hoo! Been so long, I’m looking forward to it. I am going to be picking up my copy of the game there so I’m excited to be around my fellow nerds.

Happy 40th to my favorite gaming franchise! It’s been a pleasure to grow young with you.