Here’s the thing. The Nintendo Switch reveal event wasn’t exactly the best event I’ve seen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the console will be bad. There are a lot of things that the Switch has going for it, and it’s definitely worth a second look.

The ever-so quirky gimmick

Nintendo has always been that quirky little kid that likes to do its own thing. It doesn’t care about what its competitors are doing, and it doesn’t try to beat them at what they do. Instead, our weird friend tries to do something different every time, and no matter how good or bad it may turn out, one can’t help but wonder whether it’s trying too hard or that’s just the way it is. Nevertheless, these quirks are what make the Switch wonderful in my opinion.

One way to look at it is, that Nintendo is bringing something new to the table. In the midst of all the craze about 4K and VR (both of which are also nothing but gimmicks right now), the Switch is giving us one thing about which no one else seems to bother: a hybrid TV console that’s capable of on-the-go gaming. An hour or two of Skyrim while I’m on my way to work and back? WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD NOT WANT THAT?  The Joy Con controllers look a little small, but on the plus side they’re detachable, which brings me to my next point.

The Return of the Glorious Motion-Controls

Nintendo struck gold, nay diamond, when it introduced motion-based controls with the Wii, and honest to Arceus, I fail to understand why it abandoned the motion controllers for the Wii U. However, the company seems to have realized the error in its ways, and we’ll get to see them return in a rather clever way with the L/R Joy Cons. These controllers can be attached to the console itself when you want to take your game with you, or to a separate dock for when the console is connected to the TV. Disconnect them, they each of the controllers can function as a separate, individual device capable of motion-based controls. Come on, can you think of a better way to drive your opponent off the track than by ACTUALLY pushing them in real life?

Legend of Games: Breath of the Switch

Let’s face it, the Achilles’ heel of the Wii U was the utter lack of games, not to mention Nintendo’s messed up execution regarding release dates. So unless they do a better job with the titles for the upcoming hybrid console, this might just be the death of Nintendo altogether. But there seems to some solace of hope. The titles revealed at the Switch event look solid, with Nintendo building up on its solid IP, along with a few third party games as well.  Following are a few of the titles for which it’s hard not to be hyped.

• Super Mario Odyssey – Gone are the days when our beloved plumber would jump on top of weird creatures in his quest to save his princess. Mario is now surrounded by an open world of realistic human characters, which for some weird reason is even weirder (go figure). The setting seems similar to Sonic Adventure, but it will be interesting to see what twist it adds to the Mario world. Honestly, I’d be happy if I get to see Bowser roaming around in a suit, or Princess Peach as a businesswoman who makes you an offer you just can’t refuse (hehehe).
• Splatoon 2 – Leave it to Nintendo to add their own spin to every genre they touch. Splatoon was a wonderfully novel take on online competitive shooters, adding more colour and even more colour than you could imagine, and we’ll be getting a sequel this year. Honestly, I can’t wait to see what the new iteration will entail.
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – DO I EVEN NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? HOW CAN YOU NOT BE HYPED ABOUT THIS AWE-INSPIRING, EPIC RENDITION OF THE ALREADY SO MARVELLOUS ZELDA UNIVERSE?

Sorry (not really), I got a little carried away. Anyhow, I can’t describe all the titles I’m excited about in just one piece, so I’ll just leave a small list of the planned games for the Switch:

• Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• Fire Emblem Warriors
• Shin Megami Tensei
• Pokemon Sun/Moon (Rumour. I repeat, RUMOUR)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• FIFA 17
• NBA 2K
• Rime
• Steep
• 1-2 Switch
• Arms
• Super Bomberman R

Yes, I know, the launch titles look sad. Yes, 1-2 Switch looks like pure hogwash. But there is Breath of the Wild, and that alone will suffice till more games come out during spring and summer. I did want Skyrim as a launch title too, though. It feels like a real arrow to the knee. People have also complained about Arms, and sure, the trailer was cheesy AF, but I think that game might just turn out to be okay.

NO REGION LOCK (FOR THE LOVE OF TALOS, FINALLY)

This piece of news was the cherry on top for me. I have an EU (PAL) region Nintendo 3DS, and for some weird reason, the games that you get here are mostly NA (NTSC), even though most of the retailers sell EU 3DS devices. For a whole year, I played nothing but DS titles, while my copy of Super Mario 3D Land lay useless just because of the stupid region lock. But praise be to the Golden Goddesses, Nintendo seems to have come to its senses and is finally getting of the hideous, hateful thing. All the more reason to be more excited for the upcoming console!

The Big Picture

Alright, let’s be realistic. The reveal event wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t downright bad either. People are complaining about the battery life, but if the Nintendo claims are right, a minimum of 2.5 hours is more than what the 3DS gave, and that’s keeping the higher performance and online pay in account. The maximum battery life is said to be 6 hours, which is more than enough for any sort of gaming session you can have while on the move, and once you’re home, charging the Switch is not a problem. Nintendo is also taking measures to allow for on-the-go charging while you’re playing, making it just a little bit better.  Another complaint is that the controllers are too expensive. A single Joy con is about $52, while an Xbox Wireless controller costs about $60. The price is steep, agreed, but then again, you need to account for the motion controls. And I’m pretty sure there will be bundles announced soon enough, along with discounts and more. There’s also several groups who keep chanting “No Third-Party Support” whenever someone mentions the Switch, but here’s the thing. WHO THE HELL BUYS A NINTENDO DEVICE TO PLAY THIRD-PARTY TITLES? Nintendo’s strengths never lied in third-party games, and they never will. Nintendo’s strength lies in Super Mario, in Legend of Zelda, in Pokemon; time-tested IPs that have are still as fun as they were two decades ago. Of course, I would love to be able to play Mass Effect: Andromeda on a portable device, but I also know that the performance hit will be too massive for the game to remain enjoyable. So I’d rather play that on the PC and keep the Switch for what it is: the perfect home-cum-handheld console for enjoying beloved high-quality franchises that made me the fan of gaming that I am today.

In the end, here’s what it boils down to. There’s no need to get the Nintendo Switch right off the bat (I mean, I would, but still).  You can always wait for the initial reviews and make up your mind. But for what it’s worth, the Nintendo Switch IS a great device, and definitely worth a shot. Who knows, it just might be the redemption Nintendo has been waiting for.

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