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8 years ago, Nintendo unveiled the Switch concept. Does this console deserve all the honors and recognition it has received?
- Thread starter Oberstein
- Start date
kazuyamishima
Member
The amount of hate for the system is Nonsense.
But it has to be addressed that COVID really helped the System somehow, it was still destined to sell 100m+ units tho.
But it has to be addressed that COVID really helped the System somehow, it was still destined to sell 100m+ units tho.
FunkMiller
Gold Member
Oh, there you are. How are things in Apartment 417, 3422 San Fernando Street, San Antonio, Texas, 78204?
hullostranger
Member
I’d say yes.
Hardware wise it was an interesting experience and a huge step up from the disappointing (for me) WiiU and its execution of play anywhere made sure it’s been my most played console of the current generation.
Software wise, the Nintendo franchises I hold dear delivered for me personally. BOTW and TOTK were ridiculously accomplished considering what they achieved on mobile hardware.
They need to up their online and system capabilities but not so much in step with the rest of industry.
I don’t get consoles at launch but I will be there for the Switch 2 for sure.
Hardware wise it was an interesting experience and a huge step up from the disappointing (for me) WiiU and its execution of play anywhere made sure it’s been my most played console of the current generation.
Software wise, the Nintendo franchises I hold dear delivered for me personally. BOTW and TOTK were ridiculously accomplished considering what they achieved on mobile hardware.
They need to up their online and system capabilities but not so much in step with the rest of industry.
I don’t get consoles at launch but I will be there for the Switch 2 for sure.
RetroGamingUK
Member
Completely rejuvenated both Nintendo and handheld gaming.
Today’s kids will regard it the same way we regard the SNES and PS2.
Today’s kids will regard it the same way we regard the SNES and PS2.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
Arguably the greatest console ever made. With, its wild to say. The best line up of Nintendo games in their history.
Sure ocarina and Mario 64. Super Mario bros....they were all classics but this generation has had back to back bangers from Nintendo.
Sure ocarina and Mario 64. Super Mario bros....they were all classics but this generation has had back to back bangers from Nintendo.
GymWolf
Gold Member
I don't care about hybrids, i prefer classic home console with modern performances, not an underpowered tablet.
So yeah i can praise how much it sold and the games but i personally don't care a bit about the hardware and form factor and thank god the other 2 bigs didn't followed N route.
So yeah i can praise how much it sold and the games but i personally don't care a bit about the hardware and form factor and thank god the other 2 bigs didn't followed N route.
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hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Switch is an indie and AA gaming paradise. Between indie, AA, and first-party Nintendo titles, I have over 200 games on my Switch, which is the highest number of games I’ve ever owned (that aren't part of a gaming subscription service) on a single system. The hybrid concept was brilliant, allowing for excellent gaming on the TV and comfortable gaming at home or on short trips.
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Solid list, aside from Pokemon Let's Go.For sure, one of Nintendo’s best systems. What an incredible ride it’s been!
Oberstein
Member
Same thing, I wasn't at all enthusiastic about the concept. But as is often the case, it's the games that have reconciled me with the console.
So yes, Nintendo is no better than the other big companies, they're milking it for all it's worth, shamefully forgetting certain licenses and are now going to exploit the Switch to the last drop before announcing the next one. But overall, its game library is now immense, and I still have a ton of games to play.
BehemothBlade
Member
The hardware was and is underpowered. All the hardware in that generation is underpowered.
But the move was correct. Nintendo now has only one platform.
But the move was correct. Nintendo now has only one platform.
Emedan
Member
Man I hate this argument, like powerful hardware automatically makes better games - I think the current PS and Xbox consoles shows this not to be the case quite clearly.
ClanOfNone
Member
Powerful hardware can help make better games, just like weak hardware can drag down a good game with poor performance.
I’m not generally a fps whore, I’m fine with 30fps in lots of games, but the loading times on the Switch are crazy sometimes. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the newer HD solutions in ps5 series X.
Kenneth Haight
Gold Member
I have never bought one but have been close a few times. I’m in day one for the Switch 2, have 2 young kids that will use this a lot probably and I’ll be able to see what the fuss is about with some of the back catalogue titles I wanted to play.
Impotaku
Member
It lived upto it's promise and although the launch models didn't have the greatest battery life they managed to improve on that in later revisions. On a daily basis i use mine both portably and docked as i undock mine and take it to work to play on my breaks, fits in my pocket in it's carry case and it comes everywhere with me when home it goes back onto it's dock to charge and for me to continue my game where i left off at my breaks. Not eveyone uses the features but it's there for people that do.
It managed to become my most liked console of all my nintendo hardware due to the game library, it bridges the gap of portable & home console brilliantly mainly thanks to that insane library of games. Ususally of past consoles we were lucky if you got a single mario or zelda on switch you got a hell of a lot of 1st party stuff thanks to nintendo giving a lot of their wiiu flops another chance to shine and it paid off. Add in the crazy amount of 3rd party games and it rounds out the switch library nicely even now there's games coming almost weekly to the point where my switch library eclipses all my other systems, as someone who loves arcede type stuff like shmups & rhythm stuff i'm eating great. It's an indie paradise and in a lot of cases the switch is the only system to get loving physical prints of indie games which is why i love it.
It managed to become my most liked console of all my nintendo hardware due to the game library, it bridges the gap of portable & home console brilliantly mainly thanks to that insane library of games. Ususally of past consoles we were lucky if you got a single mario or zelda on switch you got a hell of a lot of 1st party stuff thanks to nintendo giving a lot of their wiiu flops another chance to shine and it paid off. Add in the crazy amount of 3rd party games and it rounds out the switch library nicely even now there's games coming almost weekly to the point where my switch library eclipses all my other systems, as someone who loves arcede type stuff like shmups & rhythm stuff i'm eating great. It's an indie paradise and in a lot of cases the switch is the only system to get loving physical prints of indie games which is why i love it.
Ceadeus
Member
Oh yeah, I think it's unanimous. My wishful thinking is that the next console comes with a fun gimmick but also brings back lost WiiU and 3DS features.
That generation were the best online Nintendo ever and we just need that level of interactivity with the community to be back.
Switch online is simply too barebone, there's no way it's normal in 2024 to be as barebone as a PSP.
That generation were the best online Nintendo ever and we just need that level of interactivity with the community to be back.
Switch online is simply too barebone, there's no way it's normal in 2024 to be as barebone as a PSP.
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Ulysses 31
Gold Member
JORMBO
Darkness no more
I hadn't been much of a Nintendo fan since the SNES. The Switch won me over with it's hybrid model. I think I have around 70 games on it. Being a huge fan of JRPGs there are so many on the Switch and the handheld mode works perfectly for them. Steamdeck has stolen some of it's magic, but I am still a huge fan of the Switch and look forward to Switch 2. I started out as one of the "this looks like a dumb failure" types and now I own more games on it then my other consoles.
LastBattle
Member
Great console, dig the handheld and tv hybrid. Great games, though too many Wii U re-releases. I couldn’t possibly imagine it as a primary console though. It makes a great secondary gaming device. Biggest let down is the shitty build quality of the joy cons. I have six and they all have some degree of drift, even though I look after them. The pro controller is god tier though.
Trilobit
Gold Member
Lol, covid is actually what made me pull the trigger on it. I was like "no way I'm going to sit cooped up at home without games" the summer when it got serious. It was the right decision as I had a blast with Animal Crossing and BotW and some other games. My country ended up not having any lockdowns, but social life took a big hit as many stopped inviting friends over.
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
You can see how Switch realized Nintendo’s vision of joining together the traditional “core” gamers and the newer “casuals” who were brought into the fold during the DS/Wii era. They have succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations and I can see how anyone can quickly build an enormous software library for this system.
So, of course, what do I do? I pick up a 2DS instead of a Switch Lite. Because my brain is just screwy that way, and, no, I can’t have THIS Animal Crossing, I have to have THAT one. Cue the trombone music—wah wah wah!
No doubt I’ll become a diehard Switch addict two or three years into the Switch 2 era, hah.
So, of course, what do I do? I pick up a 2DS instead of a Switch Lite. Because my brain is just screwy that way, and, no, I can’t have THIS Animal Crossing, I have to have THAT one. Cue the trombone music—wah wah wah!
No doubt I’ll become a diehard Switch addict two or three years into the Switch 2 era, hah.
Schmendrick
Member
As someone who doesn`t care about the portability aspect the switch just felt like a WiiU continuation which itself felt like Nintendo basically just redid their old games in HD and called it a day.
Aside from maybe BotW I´ve not seen or played anything that felt "new" on a Nintendo platform since the Wii so I´ll continue to ignore those.
Aside from maybe BotW I´ve not seen or played anything that felt "new" on a Nintendo platform since the Wii so I´ll continue to ignore those.
Shadowstar39
Member
You are not alone... I don't have it either. Although I did buy the game.... for my wife. Who has only played it 1x with me. She has a switch lite.
I really think Mario Kart is over-rated. And I don't get why it sells so much, well probably because you need two copies in the same house to play local multiplayer on 2 systems which is just dumb. Why no guest pass?
I refuse to buy the game again at $60 as it never goes on sale. I just won't play it.
Something like Smash Bros at least has a long single player mode.
YOU PC BRO?!
Member
140+ million units shipped
It has to be considered a god tier console...
It has to be considered a god tier console...
Woopah
Member
I think this is a very important point.
Nintendo's main intention with the Wii U was to combine the casual and core and they failed miserably. With the Switch they got it right
Thought so aswell until I tried out online multiplayer earlier this year. I am hooked since. It's so much more fun than the single player.
Gambit2483
Member
It's a console/handheld hybrid where you can play almost ALL of the best Nintendo games from NES, GBA, SNES, N64, Wii/Wii U, to current classics (BOTW, SSBU, MK8, Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy etc. etc.) ontop of some of the greatest 3rd party AAA, AA and Indies ever made.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say the Switch has the greatest console library ever.
Oberstein
Member
This is an important point here.
The Switch has broken the curse of the third party, the great flaw in Nintendo systems since the SNES. Where are the third-party publishers on Nintendo? They ran away from the cartridge, the NGC support and Nintendo's policy.
We had to wait until the Switch to see a phenomenal number of third-party games again (the console's success helps) and all the hard work (even voodoo magic) to manage to fit games like The Witcher 3 into aging hardware.
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt
Biggest Trails Stan
I knew when the Switch was first revealed it was gonna to do great. I was surprised by the amount of Japanese Third Party the system has been getting. As you said this is best Nintendo Console when it comes to Japanese Third Party Support since the SNES. I doubt Switch 2 is gonna to have lot of Western Third Party Support but that's fine to me
You know when Switch 2 is released Japanese Third Parties are going to pass her around like the village bicycle she is
Azelover
Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.
I have to be honest I thought it was lame when I first saw that.
I was hoping for better performance and something more novel.
I was wrong. Once I played with it everything made sense. Also it got a stream of good games very consistently.That's the main reason it was so successful I believe.
I was hoping for better performance and something more novel.
I was wrong. Once I played with it everything made sense. Also it got a stream of good games very consistently.That's the main reason it was so successful I believe.
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BehemothBlade
Member
Powerful hardware allows developers to put in quality mechanics. Im not even talking about graphics.
PS3 can render more enemies on a screen than a PS2.
Bigger maps. No loading screens etc.
Its up to the developers to use the better hardware though.
Devs have gone lazy. They dont even optimize their games anymore.
James Sawyer Ford
Member
Not my favorite Nintendo console by a long shot. Better than the Wii or Wii U, but well below N64, SNES, NES, and maybe even the GC.
Never use the handheld
Lineup is pretty overrated, I just don’t like the yearly low budget titles that a lot of their fanbase seems to enjoy
BOTW was the standout title for the console
Never use the handheld
Lineup is pretty overrated, I just don’t like the yearly low budget titles that a lot of their fanbase seems to enjoy
BOTW was the standout title for the console
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Feel Like I'm On 42
Member
The Switch has been one of my fav consoles ever. Back in 2017 it was kinda epic for me, having not used a handheld since the Game Gear and not owned a N8ntendo system since the Gamecube, to be able to play Botw in handheld. Then, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, and especially Mario Odyssey was awesome. The Switch lost steam from me for a couple years and i had a nasty case of stick drift but when the Switch Oled model came out was when i "fell in love" with it.
The Oled not only has better build quality but the battery life doubled compared to my og. Visually, obviously everything looks better, particularly pixel art games look fantastic ...retro gaming on the Switch is amazing despite the 1 extra frame of input lag the Switch has. I've played so many shmups on this thing.
Since I missed out on Wii and Wii U, and havn't been able to play Gamecube games in 20 years, ive been able to catch up on so many great Nintendo games that i missed out on. Overpriced remasters i must say though, but Mario Sunshine/galaxy, zelda skyward sword, pikmin 3, nsmbu, Luigi's Mansion 2, thousand year door, tropical freeze, etc...
Hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows though. Stick drift and the way Nintendo denied its existence was bullshit. The overpriced remasters of course. Never did get the two games I wanted the most- Wind waker and twighlight princess...Nintendo not allowing us to purchase their retro games and instead have to subscribe really pisses me off...I also don't like the trend of Nintendo making their games easier, less challenging than they used to be. Don't like the d pad on the Swich joycons...
There's plenty of room for improvement with their next console which is why I really hope it will be a continuation of the Switch concept. Not happy hearing there wont be an Oled screen at lauch ..you never know with these companies though whether they will learn from their mistakes, whether they will continue to push prices and anti-consumer practices, whether they will follow trends that I detest like gaas and subscriptions when done in a way that removes choice (not allowing us to purchase games individually/always online requirements etc). Nintendo has plenty of questionable moves they've taken in recent years ...we'll see what happens
The Oled not only has better build quality but the battery life doubled compared to my og. Visually, obviously everything looks better, particularly pixel art games look fantastic ...retro gaming on the Switch is amazing despite the 1 extra frame of input lag the Switch has. I've played so many shmups on this thing.
Since I missed out on Wii and Wii U, and havn't been able to play Gamecube games in 20 years, ive been able to catch up on so many great Nintendo games that i missed out on. Overpriced remasters i must say though, but Mario Sunshine/galaxy, zelda skyward sword, pikmin 3, nsmbu, Luigi's Mansion 2, thousand year door, tropical freeze, etc...
Hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows though. Stick drift and the way Nintendo denied its existence was bullshit. The overpriced remasters of course. Never did get the two games I wanted the most- Wind waker and twighlight princess...Nintendo not allowing us to purchase their retro games and instead have to subscribe really pisses me off...I also don't like the trend of Nintendo making their games easier, less challenging than they used to be. Don't like the d pad on the Swich joycons...
There's plenty of room for improvement with their next console which is why I really hope it will be a continuation of the Switch concept. Not happy hearing there wont be an Oled screen at lauch ..you never know with these companies though whether they will learn from their mistakes, whether they will continue to push prices and anti-consumer practices, whether they will follow trends that I detest like gaas and subscriptions when done in a way that removes choice (not allowing us to purchase games individually/always online requirements etc). Nintendo has plenty of questionable moves they've taken in recent years ...we'll see what happens
I've always thought this is what Nintendo envisioned with the gameboy. I knew the Switch was going to be a hit as soon as they announced it.
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Emedan
Member
Yeah so that's kinda my point, what does it actually give us - not much at this point. I think Nintendos simpler development cycle due to "underpowered" hardware is a big reason why they've been able to pump out so many games this gen. I wouldn't trade that for 4k60fps in any reality which is why I'm not bothered that Switch 2 wont be a handheld PS5.
Kings Field
Member
First year was rough/ok but the console is amazing with easily a hundred or so games that I've enjoyed since launch.