Tomorrow, Nintendo is set to release its latest hardware - the hybrid handheld / home console Nintendo Switch.

For the company, it's an important launch after the commercial failure of the Wii U.

It looks, at least, like it will be a successful launch - the console is sold out from many major retailers, and many wildly enthusiastic reviews have described the big launch game Zelda: Breath of the Wild (also launching on Wii U) as a possible all-time classic.

Unlike the PS4 and Xbox One, retail Switch games will be released on game cartridges rather than discs - a seemingly innocuous detail that has nonetheless resulted in one of the stranger stories of the Switch launch.

With games journalists having early access to the console, Giant Bomb's Jeff Gerstmann highlighted that the cartridges taste rather unpleasant - an unexpected revelation that inevitably provoked others to attempt the same thing.

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

Don't lick your Nintendo Switch cartridge, whatever you do https://t.co/27aTCpGx5x pic.twitter.com/lFKpwlZ7a4

— The Verge (@verge) March 2, 2017

While it may seem likely a very unusual complaint that it is unlikely to impact many people, there is a reason behind it.

A Nintendo spokesperson told gaming site Kotaku: “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.”

So there you have it - if at all possible, try to avoid that temptation to put your new copy of Zelda in your mouth.