Extreme Makeover: Switch Edition
Nintendo, move that bus!
I love my Switch. I play it almost every day, whether that means working my way towards my first victory in Tetris 99 or doing my daily errands in Animal Crossing. I enjoy how fast the console boots up, and how easy it is to start playing the game I desire to play the most. The only thing I dislike about using the Switch is it’s below average take on what a console home screen can offer.
Typically, this is not something I specifically care about. I usually don’t spend much time on the menu screen, as I tend to know why I am booting up the console, and which game I want to play. The only reason why the Switch UI (User Interface) catches my eye as dull is that Nintendo had supported their three previous consoles with, though not amazing, much more pleasant experiences for the user. That’s right; even the Wii U had a better home screen than the Switch.
The Switch UI lacks many things. For example, the menu leaves you sitting in silence while you stare at the thumbnails on the screen. Starting with the Wii console, Nintendo always had some music playing in the background for you. Some of these menu themes, such as the Mii Channel theme or Wii Shop tune, are still played to this day in 10-hour loops on Youtube. Even if you couldn’t decide what game to play or buy, at least you had some music to listen to and enjoy while you browsed.
Nintendo kept this trend going with both the release of the 3DS and Wii U. While the former also used music to add an atmosphere to its main menu and shopping channels, the 3DS added another layer of detail to its menu screen. During October of 2014, Nintendo released an update for their handheld console that would allow the user to purchase and cycle through different themes. By purchasing one of these themes, you would unlock new menu music, a background image, and new folder icons. Most of these themes would sell for $1.99. The 3DS even allowed a user to buy multiple themes and have the console rotate through them automatically.
Nintendo had been taking the right steps to ensure an engaging and ultimately relaxing experience for anyone turning on one of their consoles. When the Switch launched on March 3rd, 2017, the start-up menu asks if you would prefer a simple light or dark theme. It was nothing too abnormal, but by seeing a “theme” tab on the boot-up menu, I had subconsciously begun to assume that Nintendo would be supporting the Switch the same way they had been with the 3DS console. In the time since launch, the Switch menu has stayed mostly the same over the last three years.
Besides bringing back some of the old ideas that worked in the past, such as menu music and downloadable background themes, what new things could Nintendo do to create an alluring and positive experience for the user? The most straightforward idea branches off of one the Switch’s unique features: the snapshot button. At almost any point in a game, you can hit a button on your controller to capture an image and save it on your console memory. Once you take that snapshot, you have the option to share them on Twitter or Facebook, and that is it. It would be fantastic if I could use that snapshot of a sunset from Breath of The Wild or the image I got of Pichu sleeping in Super Smash Brothers. Ultimate as my custom background photo on the main Switch menu. I usually take a snapshot of a moment from a game as a way to cherish the memory, only for it to get lost in a folder of pictures I have taken over the last three years. Ideally, the Switch should be able to offer something similar to the digital photo frames of today. A slideshow of all of your greatest moments and accomplishments for you to reflect on, as well as showing anyone else who might be around.
One of the many other things that are missing from the Switch’s UI is the capability to use folders to organize your library of games. After owning the console for some time, you may feel overwhelmed by the total amount of icons spread out across your homepage. Once again, folders were a part of Nintendo’s last two consoles but seemed to have been left behind when they decided to push the Switch out as their saving grace in a post-Wii U world. What seems like a simple update that could have been released at any time over the past three years still does not exist. Being able to organize a library by genre, multiplayer, or any other category is a feature that should be available on every digital media platform in 2020, whether that involves games, movies, or music.
The last thing to be pointed out may be one of the stranger oversights. While all of Nintendo’s consoles focus primarily on supporting their first-party games, Nintendo had previously allowed platforms such as Netflix to run on their devices. The Nintendo Wii (alongside the PS3 and Xbox 360) allowed users to insert a special Netflix disc into them to access certain movies, and in 2010 would enable the consumer to simply download an application that would gain them access to the streaming service. While the Wii U was Nintendo’s main home console, it had options such as Hulu and Crunchyroll, making a console without many games for it still worth having plugged into your TV. The 3DS, the handheld only console with only a fraction of the power of the last three Nintendo home consoles, was able to run Netflix after an update in 2011. It is to be mentioned that Hulu is available on the Switch, but only if you are a U.S citizen. While most people can access services like Netflix, Spotify, or even just an internet browser on almost any other piece of technology, it does feel like Nintendo missed something by not also offering these services on their hybrid console.
I really do love my Switch. Over the last three years, it has provided me with some of the most engaging, exciting, and memorable moments of my gaming career. The games available on this platform are some of the best versions of classics like Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, and even games like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 have found a place to call home. I just have to take a step back and wonder why some of the features that Nintendo utilized in it’s past to create a more user-friendly experience have disappeared and seem not to indicate coming back. We live in an era where the customization of our products is used to help us personalize our experience with that product. While the Switch has given us the gift of many great games, the presentation around them could use some work.
