Nintendo Switch

I like the idea of a handheld+ console system!
I don't have it yet (hopefully Christmas??) and have close to 10 games on my wishlist. ^^

 

I don't have a Switch, and with my job-hunting luck I won't get one until after the next Nintendo console comes out.

 

I own one, I usually play in portable mode, because I'm not really a gaming console player, but much more a handheld console player
My favorite game is without a doubt Splatoon 2, I used to play it a lot when the online was free ;-; (I still need to buy an online subscription)

 

The Switch isn't exactly what I'd like, but with all the games going to it now, I kind of would like one. But right now, I don't plan on getting one, even if I could. I still have a bunch of games that I wish I could play in older gaming systems right now. So, next time I finish everything, maybe a new system would be okay to try out.

 

So far I think it's a really good system, although I do think some things could be better, you can't turn off the system using a controller for example only sleep mode, that's kind of odd and you have to charge the joycons on the system itself, so if I forget to charge them, I'll have to stop gaming and wait for it to charge up.

I love the way you register your games now, instead of having to put in a long code that you got by scratching those booklets, you only have to put your game into the system, press options and there you can register it, I'll happily use the points I get to buy store credit for Smash DLC.

The games I mostly want to play on the system are Octopath Traveller and Smash Bros. Ultimate, I'm really looking forward to those, I'd also really want World of Final Fantasy Maxima if there was a physical, but there isn't on Switch for some reason, so I might have to get that one on Xbone, which I don't have yet and won't in a long time.

 

I'll start with the positives: I love my Switch. I've always been a handheld gamer first and foremost, and I like curling up with console experiences. I've had a lot of fun on my Switch since launch (although I did go six months without touching it after I finished BOTW in about 10 days, because there was nothing else worth playing on it for me) and I'm looking forward to a lot of games that are coming out for it. Where a game is multi-platform, the Switch is now my first choice. I have re-purchased several titles for the Switch. Hell, it even made me enjoy SKYRIM, and I didn't think that was possible.

But knowing that if it were anyone else BUT Nintendo who were behind the reins of this console would have meant it would have far more to offer by now is frustrating. Because the Switch is...severely wasted potential. It could be so much more than it is if Nintendo had even an iota of business sense.

Their online subscription service is a joke; the cloud save service doesn't even work half the time - and isn't even supported the other half! - and the free NES games are, frankly, insulting. Price does not excuse the poor quality: say what you will about PS+ and Xbox Live, but those give modern titles that are actually worth playing and have far more reliable cloud storage. Nintendo's online for the Switch isn't even worth the asking price. They've literally just gated off online multiplayer behind a paywall and tried to justify it by adding a few rubbish freebies.

Their approach to legacy content is baffling, as they stubbornly drip feed us the same tired old NES titles whilst blocking their ears to the pleas to tap into that amazing library and give us what we actually want: namely, anything BUT their tired old NES titles. This is my biggest frustration with the Switch: it is PERFECT for legacy content. It's powerful enough to run pretty much anything from the previous generations, and you can take it with you anywhere. In handheld mode the screen size is ideal for it. What do they do with this amazing potential, this veritable goldmine? NOTHING. Not even a collection of titles. They do absolutely nothing.

Nintendo are very proud of the Switch having over 1000 games now, but less than 100 of those are actually worth playing. The Switch storefront is a chaotic minefield of junk, and in very real danger of ending up like the Steam store - where it is impossible for a game to get noticed as soon as it's taken off the highlight reel - if this keeps up. Quality over quantity. They need to be far more selective than they are being.

...then there are the aesthetics. The small, relatively unimportant things that Nintendo could do, but don't. There are two basic themes, and a handful of avatars. The activity log is pathetically bad when compared to even the 3DS. The smartphone voice chat system, which is as annoying to set up as it is to try and use. They only JUST put up a Youtube app. I refuse to believe that Netflix and Crunchyroll etc. wouldn't leap on the opportunity to have a Switch app, and would have made this happen ASAP if they could have. Amongst other things. The Switch is so bare-bones it's painful.

Nintendo are doing a fairly good job with getting some good quality titles on the Switch, of that there is no denying. But that is all they're doing, and there is absolutely no reason why they can't do more than they are. The argument that they are doing what is most important doesn't excuse their laziness and negligence when it comes to making sure that the Switch is all that it can be. It could be more, and it SHOULD be more. It's a fantastic machine with an insane amount of potential. But it's being tragically wasted.

 

I have a Switch with Kirby Star Allies, Splatoon 2 and Odyssey. Still haven't got around to playing Odyssey just yet, but I'm greatly enjoying the other two!
I really like the Switch! It just covers that gap between the portable and the home version. You can move it from TV to TV without lugging something as awkward as, say, the Wii U. I don't mind the slightly lower resolution - the graphics are amazing! Online is a pain for people who play Splatoon 2 a lot, but for me, it's just kinda in the middle since I usually don't need it.

As for the games...
I usually play Star Allies with @Fchicken77 (Birdon/Rick+Kine+Coo main, no exceptions). Since both of us are actually terrible at video games, Star Allies presents a good level of difficulty. That is, until Wave 3 and Parallel Dimension come out and kick us to the curb.
Splatoon 2... has killed me more times than I'd like to admit... and that's just Hero Mode. I don't have Online. Going to use the 1-month deal, though.
Oh, and the rest of my family play this drum game. I'm perfectly fine with Squid Beatz 2.

 

I have a love-neutral relationship with the Switch, I suppose!


I really love it, from playing on my mother’s (when she isn’t playing on it a ton, haha) and my uncle’s, but I don’t own one myself at the moment due to budget stuff. The ability to go from handheld to TV-compatible is honestly one of my favorite parts of it, as I remember wanting that during the 3DS era pretty bad. The games so far have been solid, too- I’m especially excited for AC on Switch next.

As for negatives, I still can’t get over the odd feeling of how -wide- the screen is compared to the joycons in portable mode. It just feels really weird in my hands. Probably will end up with a pro controller when I inevitably buy mine.

 

Me and my sister have had our Switch for about a year now and to me, it's one of the best game systems I own!! I like the TV/handheld switch feature and the controllers with all their cool features!! Though I can't vouch for the joycons on this point since i dished out the 70 bucks for a pro controller (which, I may add, is a fantastic "classic" controller for the switch). The online service isn't too bad, it can be a little fussy at times, but twenty dollars is pocket change and way less than other online services for consoles. Plus I don't need to boot up my ancient Wii U to play LoZ 1 again!!

My favorite games are Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey, but that could all well change when Smash Ultimate and Animal Crossing Switch come out!!!

 

One of the best consoles and the crown jewel of my gaming needs right now.

I don't see myself leaving the switch until nintendo kills it off.