Are You Ready to ‘Switch’?
March 3rd saw the release of the Nintendo Switch, the hybrid console you can take on the go, and it is quite the exciting time. New hardware, new experiences, and of course, new games!
When unboxing the Switch, the first thing to notice is how small and sleek the console is. The material is a nice matte finish as opposed to the usual plastic, Fisher Price look of the Wii and Wii U we’ve all come to expect from the past 11 years. When I held the Joycon in my hands it felt surprisingly comfy. They are small, make no mistake, but feel accommodating for some pickup-and-play local multiplayer fun when the circumstances present themselves. I have large hands, and I could get a good feel for the Joycon L and Joycon R separately but may differ depending on the person. The package also includes a strap to attach to each side of the Joycon where the SL and SR shoulder buttons reside, providing bigger should buttons and I would prefer the best way to play with them. Together, you can place the Joycon in the Grip controller, which is a plastic grip accessory that holds both left and right Joycon for the traditional home console experience.
When attaching the Joycon to the Switch, it looks and feels like a high-quality handheld. The build quality is solid and light, so longer play sessions should be no issue. When resting the Switch into the dock, it falls into place with ease. Although it is a good idea to gently place it in, not drop it, as it literally feels like it is “resting” in the dock itself. Overall, the entire hardware left me impressed (except the Switch stand, which allows it to sit on a desk or table and is just a piece of plastic) and shows that Nintendo put a lot of thought into the system.
The software, regarding the OS and features, leaves much to be desired. While it is a clean, snappy user interface which borrows a couple of menu ideas from the PlayStation 4, it is missing key features such as a group party feature and private messaging system(which may be added in a Companion App releasing in the Fall) that should be expected from a home console in 2017. There is a friend list with various ways to add them, including friend codes. Yes, the dreaded codes have returned for some reason. It isn’t quite as bad due to only having to send the request once as opposed to both friends exchanging codes. Nintendo has also stated that they would enable other means to add friends. Besides those aspects of the system, the menu is minimal with a quick startup time for both booting the game and the console itself. This is welcomed as the predecessor, the Wii U, was notorious for its long load times just to access different parts of the menu.
Gaming while at home and gaming on the go both feel great and it is really cool to take the Switch from the dock and watch the game seamlessly go from your TV to the Switch itself with no delay whatsoever. The screen on the Switch is a very high quality 720p, 6.2 inch touchscreen display. Games run great and with my time on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it has remained cool even when the action was hectic on-screen. To me, the type of screen is the type you would see on an iPhone so if you are familiar with how that looks in natural sunlight, it is the same here.
Wrapping up, the Switch is a unique gaming experience that Nintendo has courageously unleashed on the world. While the launch lineup is small, the list of games coming to the console throughout 2017 is sizable enough to surely provide enough experiences for most gamers. The lack of features on the console do show that it is being somewhat rushed to the market due to the commercial failure of the Wii U. I believe that the system updates on the Switch will flesh out the Wii U by year’s end. I would recommend the Switch at launch if you are looking to play the definitive way to play Zelda — especially on the go — this is the way to go.
If you are still on the fence, it would probably be best to wait for the inevitable deals during the Holiday season, where the Switch should become more attractive with a larger game library and more features from tthe aforementioned updates. During holiday season, the Switch will also be put to the test against the already established Xbox One and PlayStation 4. All in all, Nintendo may have something good here. The concept is intriguing and can really grab consumers with the hybrid concept with the right software. All that is left is for them to execute wisely and they may be back in the game, which I — as well as many of you — would be excited to see again.
