A friend of mine is looking into getting his hands on a shiny new Nintendo Switch, and there is no reason to blame him for wanting to do so. The Switch one of 2017’s best selling consoles and according to CNET it makes for one of the “best tech gifts for 2017”

However it is extremely common for any parent or poorly informed consumer to be confused on what is essential, so today I will be guiding you into what to buy and what not to buy so that your friend, child or significant other has everything they need under the tree when the 25th comes by.

Why Buy the Switch?

I understand that with three current generation consoles out in the market, it can be very difficult understanding why someone would want Nintendo’s latest, specially when that $300 price tag (higher than the PS4 slim and Xbox One S) is taken into consideration. But with the Switch’s ability to be played both on the TV and portably, it makes the perfect gaming console, because you will never have to worry about sharing the TV again. Have you ever worried about someone’s eyesight due to their terribly long gaming sessions? Then worry no more, as the Switch’s portable aspect will allow them to play anywhere, meaning that they can enjoy both nature and their favorite games at the same time.

Console

Unlike the Playstation 4 or Xbox one, the Nintendo Switch only has one model. This means you don’t have to worry about which one handles games better or will be more future-proof, which is great news. What is offered however are different color joycons (the switch’s fancy controllers), in the US you can pickup a black joy-con bundle or a neon joy-con bundle. I personally have the Neon bundle and I imagine any child or Nintendo lover would be extremely happy with this bundle, but it all comes down to personal preference.

Controllers

Since we were talking about joy-cons, it is the perfect time to discuss controllers, specifically how many you should get. A cool feature of the joy-con is that it can split into two controllers allowing for two people to play most titles without a hustle. If however you have more than two children or would like for both of them to have a single controller, I’d recommend the Switch’s $70 pro controller. Not only will it allow for two people to have a full controller setup, it also provides the comfiest way possible for any hardcore gamer to enjoy long gaming sessions.

Accessories

After you’ve chosen your console and the controllers you’re going to buy, you will need a few other fairly cheap, but essential accessories. Firstly you will need a carrying case, these can be as cheap or as expensive as you want them to be, but considering the Switch’s portable nature, keeping it nice and safe is a must. On the topic of keeping it safe, a screen protector (wether glass or plastic) will make sure that the console’s screen will always look nice, because let’s be honest, you wouldn’t want to use your phone after it has suffered from seventy different cracks would you?

The Nintendo Switch comes with only 32GBs of memory, while that may sound like a lot, load it with three big digital games and it’s surely over. For this reason, I’d recommend a micro SD card. If you’re going to be buying physical games, a 32GB card should be more than enough, specially if you make sure to delete your save files after the game is beaten. If you are planning to digital however, then a 128GB will be the least you could work with. Something else to keep in mind is that companies like Sandisk have started to sell “Switch made” micro Sd cards, do NOT buy those, as they are the exact same memory cards as their average micro SD cards, just being a bit more expensive to fool the uninformed consumers.

Nice, But Not Essential Accessories

There are some accessories that are certainly amazing to have, but by no means essential . One of these accessories would be grips for the joy-cons, these can be found very cheaply at Best Buy and in the links I’ll leave below and offer extra comfort and protection while using your joy-cons, not essential, but nice.

Another nice accessory is a cartridge case, these can also be found almost everywhere for cheap, but considering that you will be buying two to three games maximum around Christmas, it is not essential.

Games

A console without games is like peanut butter without jelly (odd comparison), but with the Switch already having so many games, it is very easy to buy the terrible ones, and that is not something you want to do.

For just. about anyone, Mario Odyssey and Zelda Breath of The Wild are the two essential games, offering loads of content and fun. If you can only stick with one, go with Zelda Breath of The Wild as it will keep that person playing for more than sixty hours.

If the person you are gifting is a fan of fighting games, you cannot go wrong with Street Fighter 2, it is a very old game, but the nostalgia it gives makes it worth the hefty $39.99 price tag.

If the person you are gifting is a fan of horror games, Resident Evil: Revelations collection comes with two games in one nice package that is fairly priced at just $39.99.

If you are looking for the perfect family game, you cannot go wrong with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or SnipperClips Plus. Both of these games will offer a lot of enjoyment for anyone ranging from kids to the elderly.

If you want the most bang for your buck, you cannot go wrong with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Breath of the Wild, both of these games last for a long time, but be aware that Skyrim is a more mature experience.

If you want the best online experience, Splatoon 2 and Doom offer amazing online experiences. Splatoon 2 is not violent at all and is perfect for just about any person, while Doom is very gory and bloody, being perfect for mature players.

if you want some sort of sport experience, both NBA 2K18 and Fifa 18 are available. I haven’t played NBA2K18 myself, but Fifa is a very well done port. I do know however that NBA2K18 requires an additional 19GB even if you pick it up physically, so have your SD cards ready!

If you are still confused, get an eShop gift card of any value and let that person choose what games they want to buy, but if you are doing that, I’d strongly recommend getting one of the larger micro SD cards you can afford.

Games to avoid

While most games are perfectly fine on the Switch, there are two titles that you must avoid. Those are WWE 2K18 and Troll and I. Both of these games look fun in the covers, but trust me they run absolutely terrible. Stay away from these games at all costs.

Links:

Console Neon: Click Here!

Console Black: Click Here!

MicroSD 32GB: Click Here!

Pro Controller: Click Here!

Extra Joy-con: Click Here!

Screen Protector: Click Here!

Carrying case: Click Here!

Joycon grip: Click Here!

Zelda: Click Here!

Mario: Click Here!

Fifa: Click Here!

Nba: Click Here!

Skyrim: Click Here!

Doom: Click Here!

Splatoon: Click Here!

Mario Kart: Click Here!

Snipperclips: Click Here!

Street fighter: Click Here!

Resident Evil: Click Here!

$20 eShop Card: Click Here!

Conclusion

Buying the Switch will certainly make anyone very happy, and I hope I made your experience easier. If you have any specific questions, make sure to comment them down below and I will be sure to get back to you the earliest I can.