Nintendo At Its Finest

I can be quoted saying, upon the Nintendo Switch’s initial announcement, that Nintendo needed to stop making hardware and focus on software instead. After the commercial failure of the Wii U (which is a bummer because I love that thing so much), I was under the impression that Nintendo needed to stop making gimmicks and focus on keeping up with competition to regain Third Party Developer support. Seeing the Switch for the first time, seemingly another under-powered gimmick, made me want to see the company realign its focus solely on making games for other platforms, instead of making quirky hardware. Having my Wii U, I was quite content playing Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, and Smash there and felt no need to get another Nintendo Console. Then the unthinkable happened – they showed off Mario Odyssey.



Being a huge fan of the 3D Mario games I had no other choice but to get a Switch to continue playing one of my favorite franchises. A deal came up around September 2017 that had a Switch on sale with a copy of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, so I decided to take the plunge at the lowest price point I had ever seen for one. To my enormous surprise, the Switch was not just a gimmick – it was the fully realized vision of the Wii U: a home console that can also be a portable handheld. Now, with its ever increasing library of high quality Nintendo Games, ports, and a massive selection of Indie games, the Nintendo Switch is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite consoles.



However, there seem to be some people who are hesitant on purchasing a Switch- wondering if it is worth the $300 price tag. Or maybe they think that there aren’t enough games released right now that make it worth a purchase just yet. To all of those people who are unsure about buying this odd, fantastic gaming device, I have compiled some reasons, in no particular order, of why you should own a Nintendo Switch.



Right now, you can play all of these games anywhere (on the TV, on the couch, in bed, on the toilet, in a car, on a plane, on a train, in a box (with a fox), etc.)

Super Mario Odyssey

Stardew Valley

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Mario Kart 8: Deluxe

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Donkey Kong country: Tropical Freeze

Octopath Traveler

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Abzu

Firewatch

Fortnite (ugh).

Rocket League

Doom

Skyrim

Evoland

Gris

Pikuniku

Overcooked

Human: Fall Flat

A Night in the Woods

Undertale

Wargroove

Pretty much any Indie game that is out on PC.

If you have Nintendo Online ($20 a year) you have access to classic NES games like Super Mario Bros. The Legend of Zelda Metroid Kirby’s Adventure Ice Climber Dr. Mario



Anyways, you get it, you have an extensive library of games to play already. Is that not enough? Okay. Well here are some games coming out this year:

Yoshi’s Crafted World

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Super Mario Maker 2

Animal Crossing

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (remake)

To the Moon

A Hat in Time

Daenib X Machina

Dragon Quest XI S

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, X-2, XII (thank goodness for Star Wars helping me with those Roman Numerals)

Doom Eternal

And again, even more indie games that I don’t have time to list, but are awesome.

Okay, so those are the things we know, what about some plausible rumors of things to come?

SNES games through Nintendo Online

Xbox GamePass (this could be huge)

Metroid Prime Trilogy (helps bridge the gap until Metroid Prime 4)

Pikmin 4

More Wii U Ports (specifically other Zelda Games)

Other than just the games, here are some other things that the Switch has going for it:

Region Free

Cross-Platform Play with Xbox One, PC, and PS4 on certain titles

Expandable MicroSD Storage

Designated screenshot and video record button

Uses USB-C instead of the usual proprietary annoyances

Can be played with any Bluetooth controller

Gamecube controllers can be used on any game with the Gamecube adapter

It is very light and comfortable to hold

The Joy-Con controllers work surprisingly well, considering how tiny they are on their side

The battery life is quite good

Almost every Indie Dev is considering a port of their game for Switch, as it sells better there

It is selling like crazy, so Nintendo isn’t going to stop making games for it any time soon

It costs less than a new Graphics Card on your PC

If these reasons aren’t enough to make you interested in the console, I really don’t know what will. The Switch has received a vast amount of support from developers other than Nintendo, (which is like the first time since the N64), and the constantly growing library is overwhelming with the amount of amazing games available. Now there are some faults to it, like the archaic use of Friend Codes, the lack of a Virtual Console, and a really odd placement of the charging port on the bottom of the console, making it impossible to charge and stand up the console with its kickstand. However, the enormous library of games and the ability to play them anywhere has overshadowed any issues I’ve had with it. In addition to this, Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to the Switch, in an unexpected move that could have some huge benefits down the line. All of this is to say, the Nintendo Switch is already a fantastic experience, and with it’s promising and exciting future, it should not be skipped.