With the Nintendo Switch ready to take over the gaming world this week, many reviewers are getting their mitts on the console. Now we did get an early look thanks to that stolen console that hit the internet last week, but we didn’t get the type of hints that we’re getting right now. People are enjoying the games, nitpicking the console, and tasting the cartridges. If that last bit sounds weird, that’s because it is. But it does have a good reason behind it.
According to Kotaku, the idea of tasting the cartridges for the Nintendo Switch comes from Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann who seemingly just decided to shove the cartridge in his mouth while testing the console:
I put that Switch cart in my mouth and I'm not sure what those things are made of but I can still taste it. Do not try this at home.
— Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) February 25, 2017
You can see that in action here, but many more have tried it since then. You can see one attempt above and another over at Kotaku, complete with disgusted reactions. Now there’s no real clue as to why someone would stick the cartridge in their mouth to begin with, but The Verge confirms that Nintendo made them taste awful for a great reason:
To avoid the possibility of accidental ingestion, keep the game card away from young children. A bittering agent (Denatonium Benzoate) has also been applied to the game card. This bittering agent is non-toxic.
Kids are known for jamming small parts in their mouth, so this decision isn’t too crazy. It’s still odd that people would taste a video game card while reviewing it ahead of its release. That said, it’s good to know there are people out there who will take the bullet for you and your kids when it comes to tasting video game cartridges.
(Via The Verge / Kotaku)