30 Things We Wish We Knew Before Buying A Nintendo Switch
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There is a lot we with we had known before we got our hands on the Nintendo Switch
You Are Reading :30 Things We Wish We Knew Before Buying A Nintendo Switch
So. Nintendo Switch, huh? The hybrid handheld released around a year and a half ago, and it’s fair to say that it’s made quite an impression in that time.
On its launch in March 2017, opinions were mixed. Of course, there were those rabid early adopters who catapulted themselves in through store windows at midnight to get their hands on theirs, but there always will be. For the wider consumer base, however, it wasn’t such a clear-cut decision to get on board.
The launch selection wasn’t especially inspiring (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the big-ticket item, and that wasn’t Switch-exclusive), with the experimental likes of ARMS —which didn’t drop until June— among the early highlights.
Of course, you can never please everybody, and there are those who will still tell you that the system has no games. No worthy games, anyway. Which is totally fine, because opinions differ and gaming is a very personal thing. The fact is, though, things certainly picked up after that shonky start.
In the months after launch, the first-party big-hitters like Splatoon 2 and, of course, Super Mario Odyssey started to arrive. The Switch certainly had a successful 2017.
But where are we at right now? That’s the big question. Has the system kept up that momentum, or has 2018’s release schedule just been a little slip of paper with I.O.U one Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, hang tight for that written on it?
With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at 30 (positive as well as negative) Things We Wish We Knew Before Buying A Nintendo Switch.
30 It’s Prone To Scratches (Apparently)
Oh, yes indeed. With any spangly new piece of technology comes a foible or two, and some Switch owners found quite an unfortunate one.
Early in the system’s lifespan, it was plagued by reports that the dock was causing little scratches on the console. The whole slot-in-slot-out thing is the essence of what the Switch is all about, of course, but you still had to take care in doing so. Was this a matter of the design itself, user error, or a bit of both? There’s still no real consensus on that one, and Nintendo themselves were very skeptical about the whole thing.
29 There Would Be Fancy New Limited Edition Switches Later
Okay, sure, yes. I hear you, my cynical friends. We should have known this, as it was all but inevitable. If there’s one thing Nintendo like to do, it’s revise their systems (DS Lite, DS XL, we’re shrinking and embiggening all over the place here), drop special limited edition ones and slap Pikachu’s face all over N64s.
That is indeed three things, not one, but Nintendo sure do love doing them. That’s how we’ve arrived at a situation where you can be staring wistfully at that Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee Switch with the Joy-Cons and the nice art on the dock, unable to justify another purchase.
28 Its Battery Life Would Be All Kinds Of Questionable
This is an inevitable consequence of the whole home-console-quality-games-on-a-‘handheld’ thing, sure. Titles like The legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are going to be just a little more taxing on the system than something like Flappy Bird, but still.
We’re all used to our cellphones running a trillion different apps, GPS and all of that at once, and needing a charge super frequently as a result. Since Nintendo Switch released, there have been those complaining of a similar problem: it just runs down too quickly in handheld mode. If you play away from your TV a lot, you’ve surely noticed this issue.
27 Third-Party Peripherals Are NOT The Answer To That One
Since the first days of consoles, third-party manufacturers have been releasing products to enhance our experience. Lots of them, too. Heck, I had a Game boy with all kinds of screen magnifiers, lights and all sorts of other doohickeys attached to it. It looked like something Q had rigged up for James Bond.
With the Switch’s battery issues in mind, it was inevitable that third-parties were going to release chargers, docks and power banks to help. Sadly, though, there were cases of some of these devices bricking Switches, as Mashable reports. You’ve got to take care with these sorts of products, friends.
26 It Would Be The Home Of Indie Games
Now, this was a pleasant surprise I did not see coming. In the past, due to Nintendo’s ineptitude in dealings with third-party developers, their systems have revolved around their own first-party games. Nintendo titles are still the highlight, of course, but thanks to the success of the Switch, they’ve been able to branch out a little.
The hybrid handheld is now known as the home of some of the best indie games around. Phenomenal success stories like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight have been ported to the system, and performed very well in the process. As is clear from Nintendo’s ‘Nindies’ presentations, it’s something they’re going to continue to emphasise.
25 It Would Also Be Port City Around Here
As we’ve already seen, the Switch’s success is all the more extraordinary in the light of the Wii U’s sad fate. The successor to the utterly barnstorming Wii, it just didn’t have the mass appeal; falling awfully short of expectations in terms of sales.
Despite that, there were some quality titles released for the system. Which gave Nintendo a money-spinning idea. That’s right, friends, it’s enhanced port time.
With the likes of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Nintendo have been re-releasing a lot of last-gen games at a premium price. Needless to say, gamers have made all kinds of colourful comments on that prickly subject.
24 The Voice Chat Snafu
Maybe I’m just a cynical old miser (I’ve just reached the big 3-0, and I’m considering dyeing my hair jet back and buying a Harley Davison at the very thought of it), but back in my day, voice chat meant… using your voice to chat. To the people who were sitting on the same darn couch as you.
Ah, couch co-op. You’re a beautiful thing, when you exist. Nintendo shares that philosophy, which is why their online offerings have historically been quite questionable.
Still, though, should we really be having to use a separate smartphone app to chat to fellow players in 2018?
23 There’d Be All This Nintendo Switch Online Foot-Dragging…
Since the early days of the system, we’ve known that a dedicated Nintendo Switch Online service would be coming soon. Now, soon is a common euphemism in the gaming industry, generally meaning whenever we darn well please, buddy boy, and you’ll be grateful for it.
We all know this, but we can’t have predicted just how long it would take in this case.
Nintendo remained tight-lipped about the service for months on end, leaving Switch owners around the world wondering where exactly they stood. It wasn’t until September 18 this year that the service finally launched, after months of mystery.
22 …And Then It Would Be Less-Than-Inspiring
Now that we do finally have our hands on the Switch’s dedicated online service, opinions have been… well, let’s say mixed. If you’re a long-time Nintendo fan and Virtual Console user, you’ve probably had your fill of NES titles. A selection of them (among other system titles) were given away in the early days of the 3DS, as part of the Nintendo Ambassador System (an apology for the shonky launch of the handheld).
Granted, the service is a lot cheaper than PlayStation and Xbox’s equivalents, but are we getting equal functionality? That debate isn’t going to go away any time soon, friends.
21 The Sad Story Of The Virtual Console
Now, this one, the jury’s still out on. It’s all a little mysterious, though.
The Wii’s virtual storefront introduced an idea that a lot of fans were super fond of: Virtual Console. This allowed fans to purchase and download select titles from Nintendo’s archives (and other developers and publishers, in some cases), to enjoy right alongside contemporary titles.
For a long time, we were left in the dark as to how the Switch would approach this. It now looks as though Nintendo Switch Online has replaced this service, offering a selection of classic titles as part of the subscription.
20 It Would Go Full Cardboard On Us
As I think we’ve probably covered quite thoroughly now, Nintendo aren’t afraid to be different. They’re known to eschew whatever the competition happens to be doing, waddling off in their own direction. This is the sort of policy that can either go very, very well or very, very badly. That tends to vary, project by project.
Where do we stand on Nintendo Labo? Somewhere in the middle, it’s probably safe to say.
While these kits are much more than the simple ‘cardboard’ that internet snarksters have dubbed it, it’s hardly set the gaming world alight either.
19 Nintendo Would Embrace This Newfangled ‘DLC’ Thing
Earlier this morning, I booted up my Switch and was greeted by a news item regarding DLC. It contained links to the various big-name games on the eShop and their content packs.
This really got me thinking how much times have changed. DLC packs in a Zelda game? Zelda- and Animal Crossing-themed characters and tracks in a Mario Kart game (granted, that’s already included with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)? What kind of world are we living in?
A world where Nintendo are starting to get a grip on certain industry trends and sell more content to us. That kind.
18 We’d Get To Play As A Moustachioed Tyrannosaurus
I’ll admit, when I first learned of Super Mario Odyssey’s capture mechanic, I was all kinds of unconvinced. Like many of you, I’d guess, it just sounded a little too gimmicky to me. Like something different purely for the sake of something different, which is rarely a good idea.
I can pinpoint the exact moment that completely sold me on the whole thing, though: that one Nintendo Direct presentation that started with footage of a rampaging T-rex, before revealing that it was Super Mario Odyssey. If I’d known that I’d be getting moustachioed dinosaurs, I’d have signed up for a Switch MUCH earlier than I did.
17 It Would Have A Rough 2018
Now, this one’s definitely a bit controversial. After all, for some of us, any year that sees a Smash Bros. and Pokémon is a darn good year by all accounts.
That’s all well and good, but those are late, late 2018 releases. Lots of players bought into Nintendo Switch around the holidays last year, when the system was right at the peak of its momentum. We have seen quality releases like Octopath Traveler and Mario Tennis Aces this year (if those float your boat), but otherwise, some who bought into the phenomenon may have been left disappointed.
16 Super Smash Bros. Was Coming
As I say, many gamers (myself included) saw the Switch as a bit of a hard sell at first. I’ve always been a Nintendo fan, but I need to know that a system has enough in the future to be worth the purchase. I was back and forth on the Switch for quite a while before jumping on board.
I certainly wouldn’t have been if we’d known that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was coming. It isn’t available until this December, granted, but a little insurance goes a long way in my book. These are the big-ticket items that raise the roof when they’re announced.
15 Nintendo Would Break Our Hearts (And Then Repair Them Again)
I don’t know what’s gotten into Nintendo lately. It’s like they’ve got an internet-savvy little cousin that they’re getting bad trolling habits from. Whatever it is, their PR efforts have been all kinds of snarky lately, and I can fully support this. Because it’s hilarious.
During the most recent Nintendo Direct presentation, we saw that Isabelle of Animal Crossing was being added to Smash Bros. It was all set up to look like a mainline Animal Crossing announcement, and then it wasn’t. And then the kicker: it actually was that too. Fiendish stuff, Nintendo, and another beloved franchise confirmed to be in the works for the Switch.
14 It Wouldn’t Be Another Wii U Failure
Another reason for some o four reluctance to jump straight in with the Switch was Nintendo’s track record. Their previous system, the Wii U, was an unmitigated disaster, really, in terms of sales, PR and third-party relationships.
Confidence, it did not inspire. Coupled with the Switch’s less-than-stellar launch line-up, it’s totally understandable that a lot of us would hold off on the purchase.
This was a system that truly aimed to bridge the gap between home consoles and handhelds, which was kind of where the Wii U’s GamePad was going. You’d definitely want to wait a little to see how that was going to play out.
13 It WOULD Need Time To Get Itself Going, Though
You know that feeling you get on Monday mornings? That feeling where your alarm shrieks in your ear, you’re not quite awake yet, and you wonder if you can get away with faking your own demise and move to the Canary Islands?
You get yourself going because you must, and things aren’t as bad as they seemed when you first woke up. In a lot of ways, this is exactly how it was with Nintendo Switch’s launch. That first push is the hardest, and it sure took some time to build momentum. Just look at it now, though. It all works out in the end.
12 ARMS Would Go On To Surprise Many
As I say, then, Nintendo Switch didn’t have the most auspicious start, lineup-wise. This is true of Xbox One and PS4, too, which could scarcely muster up a must-have launch title between them. Still, Nintendo, being Nintendo, did have something a little odd up their sleeves for the early Switch days.
That game was ARMS. The company’s first attempt at a fighting game looked like a throwaway party affair at first glance, but there’s a good amount of depth to it. It launched to a great critical reception, as our Review Round-Up showed. That combination of accessibility and hidden depth that Nintendo seems to pull off so well.
11 We’d Be Able To Style Pikachu And Eevee’s Hair
Oh, yes indeedy-o. So you needed a solid, indisputable, throwing-my-money-at-the-screen-like-Fry-in-that-meme reason to buy yourself a Switch? Well, feast your wondering eyeballs on this image.
What do you see? You see a Pikachu whose hair you can style into a cute little puffy fringe, that’s what in heckola you see. This is next generation gaming, friends. The future is now. The future has a hilariously bad Poké-fringe.
Of all the features I’d have requested of Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, the ability to style our Pokémon companion’s hair so they look like one of the dang Beatles isn’t that high on my list. Still, it’s here, it’s now, we just have to deal with it.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/nintendo-switch-things-knew-before/