The Nintendo Switch and Indie Gaming Might be a Match Made in Heaven
Everything seems to “click” between this genre and platform
One of my favorite, and most-played games of the last year is Super Mega Baseball, an indie, arcade-style baseball game. For me, it finds the perfect balance between simplicity and depth, making for an engaging experience that I can enjoy for hours or minutes at a time. I may be in the minority in this, but Super Mega Baseball has completely removed any desire that I have to play other big-budget sports games like MLB: The Show.
There’s no indication that Super Mega Baseball is coming to the Nintendo Switch any time soon, but that could change. And I hope it does, because the Switch may be the perfect console for Indie games. The rising popularity and exposure of smaller, cheaper games has transformed the entire industry and could be the perfect genre for Nintendo to cater to.
My reasoning for saying that the Switch is perfect for Indie games is twofold: first, it enhances the console’s strengths, and second, minimizes many of its weaknesses. Let’s start with strengths. Because of its portability and compact size, the Switch is perfect for smaller, bit-sized amounts of gaming. Indie games often fit this bill perfectly, since a title like Don’t Starve, or Enter the Gungeon can be played in short bursts. This isn’t to say that Nintendo’s new flagship console doesn’t work for longer gaming periods as well (the new Zelda game proves otherwise), but rather that portability and casual gaming sessions are some of its strengths.
Enter the Gungeon is another of my favorites, and I love its short sessions. This randomly-generated bullet hell game is extremely enjoyable, and it’s one of my favorite choices when time (or energy) is limited. It will be on the Switch soon, and I hope this is a rousing success for both game and platform. If I do ever get my hands on this console, I can easily see myself buying this game for the second time.
However, besides playing to the Switch’s strengths, Indie games can also alleviate some of its weaknesses. The Switch lacks the speed and power or an Xbox or Playstation, and as a result is simply incapable of providing the same graphics or spectacles that games on these consoles can display. Fortunately, games like Enter the Gungeon or Super Mega Baseball (if that ever happens) would look just as good on the Switch as they do on big-name consoles.
The sheer number of Indie games is important as well. One of the biggest concerns about the Switch is its ability to attract high-profile games in the future, and many are worried that the console’s library may always lacking. With the plethora of Indie games that already exist, and more that are surely on the way, this may not be a problem for long. Nintendo should try to attract as many big publishing names as it can, but catering to smaller developers can help to fill the inevitable gaps in its library.
It seems odd to say that a certain console and video game genre go well together, but that seems to be the case here. Smaller, cheaper games go well with the portability and size of the Switch, and may help to cover some of its immediate flaws as well. Those who have one of the shockingly-elusive consoles are probably still playing Zelda right now, and they should be. But once they finally finish, there are plenty of other games to check out as well.
