Review: Nintendo Switch
Nintendo, a company with a long history. From the Game and Watch, to the NES, Wii and in-between, everyone knows Nintendo. Thanks to the poor reception of the Wii U, Nintendo was in a slump, but then came along the NX, which would later be known as the Switch. In this review, I’ll discuss the setting up of the Switch when you first get it, the interface, the online/friend system and the games.
When the Switch first came out, it was very hard to find one. They sold in droves and online, it was even harder to get one. One day I heard that the local Best Buy was getting some in, so I went and they had some in, and I bought it right then and there, along with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
I came home, and opened the package. At first I was somewhat confused as to how it was supposed to work, at least as far as where to put some of the cables, since the place to plug them in was hidden behind a piece on the Dock. This was while I was setting up the Switch initially, which, I might add, was very easy. When setting up on the main Switch unit/tablet, I recall that all they ask you to do is create a local account, add a password if you want and pick an avatar. I believe there was also a day one download update, for both the system itself and the controllers aka Joy-Cons. In any case, within about 15 minutes I was playing Mario Kart. Compare that to the PS4/Xbox One.
Regarding the interface, it’s very bare-bones compared to the other game systems I’ve known. It’s simply just pick and play a game. As far the interface for the system, controller and other non-game menus goes, it’s also very bare-bones, which some might find confusing if they don’t understand what a certain function does. Overall though, it’s not a bad experience.
The games which line the system are some of the best of the bunch, from Zelda to Mario, from Splatoon 2 to Rocket League, the Switch has plenty of heavy hitters. The Switch seems to be more orientated towards multiplayer games than most in it’s line-up, especially local multiplay. Some of the outstanding ones include Mario Kart, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Super Bomberman R, Rocket League, Ultra Street Fighter 2 and many indie games. I’d say that it has a great selection, and for the audience which Nintendo wants to have, it fits perfectly.
The online/friend system is what I’d say would be the only shortcoming to the Switch’s great presentation. It harkens back to a time when people had to memorize long strings of code just to be able to interface with another person. The friend code system of the 3DS is practically what the Switch uses, and I find it very contrarian to the goals of the system. You have to input a long string for a friend, and it’s just so not very smooth. However, online play, at least for me, has been very robust, and I feel as if the servers are excellent.
The upcoming games for the system look to be very amazing, and Nintendo has promised to deliver a steady stream of games, so they don’t make the same mistakes as they did with the Wii U. Some of them include a new Metroid Prime, Mario Tennis, DLC for various games already out and so forth. A new Nintendo Direct is supposed to coming as well, so the announcements will probably be awesome.
Overall, the system is only marred by the friend code system, and I find everything else to be great. If you’re looking for a system you can just pick up and play, or you want to have a party with friends and game with them, I’d totally recommend the Switch. I feel Nintendo is doing everything it possibly can to not repeat past mistakes, and I feel as if they’re succeeding. If you’ve been holding back buying one, now is the time to jump in the game and enjoy all the games you’ve missed out on. I’m giving the Switch 4/5 stars, and the only reason it’s not 5/5 stars is because of the friend code system.