Out of pure luck I was in Wal Mart on Tuesday and they had 3 Switches. So, on pure impulse I bought one. I have been pretty critical of the Switch based off of what I have seen and read. Now that I have one, I can give an honest opinion of what is like to own one.
I got the system, Mario Kart, Zelda and a Pro Controller all for around about $525. I had to have a proper controller and at $75.00 the cost of the Pro is absurd. I am not a fan of motion controls or whatever milking games you can do on the Switch. I want to enjoy Nintendo games sitting on my couch with a regular controller in my hands. The Pro Controller is great! It has the same feel and control/button placement as an Xbox controller. Offset stick FTW! I really hope this becomes the default control method for all games. But at $75 a god damned controller, getting 3 of those so you can have friends play some old school couch coop, it would cost just as much as the freakin' system itself. For that, fuck you Nintendo.
That is probably my only major gripe. The system is pretty slick. I went from unpacking to playing Mario Kart with the wife in about 15 min. The initial system update and game update didn't take to long. It was easy syncing the Pro Controller as well. My favorite Kart game is Double Dash, and Kart 8 captures some of the same fun I had back in the day. It has way more courses and characters too. Can't wait to have friends over, uh wait I'll go broke trying to get them all a controller. Ya, I know I can take the pads off the unit and hand em to my friends but we are all adults and do not have tiny Trump hands. So fuck that. I guess in a pinch it would work.
Zelda BotW. I am only just past getting the hang glider thing. I am not in love with it just yet. Although the opening seen with Hyrule laid out before link was jaw dropping. Not a big fan of my weapons breaking all the time. And I think this one of the most complicated button combination Zelda's I have ever played. I have been playing a ton of Twilight Princess on GC and the controls for the game are much more streamlined than BotW. I find myself hitting the wrong buttons often. Are there Dungeons to traverse or is only the Portal'esc challenges in the various shrines? Is there the typical equipment gathering? Once I get a bit further, I'll have a better idea of a score I'd give it.
So the whole Switch part of the thing, being able to play games while on the shitter or on the go, I still could leave it. I don't really care. Sure it will be nice to take it with me on trips and stuff, but that is not what I want in a Nintendo console. It was pretty cool to take it outside and play on the patio but meh. I mean it is quite big and fragile. I'd hate to damage that thing on the road and not be able to play on the big screen or at all.
I bought the Switch purely for Nintendo made games. I have hopes to play Metroid, Starfox, Zelda, Mario Party, and other long forgotten franchises. It will be a great system for that. I do not see myself buying any 3rd party game I could get on PS4. Why? This thing doesn't have the power to play BF1, Batman, Titan Fall, Fallout, the way a PS4 could. Again, I am looking forward to Nintendo re-releasing the great games that were on the Wii, Wii U, and the 3Ds with out the shitty controls. I want to see gorgeous Nintendo Franchises, and that the Switch can deliver. The whole success of the Switch is on Nintendo's back by delivering their games. 3rd party games won't sell this thing.
So if I were to score the Switch? 7/10. Obviously, once they have more that 2 real games out and an eShop filled with classic games, I can bump this up. The system just came out and those that jump on the train at the start have a long time to wait for things to start moving. Right now, were still at the station. I really hope the journey will be worth it. If they can somehow put Gamecube games on this thing, OMG 11/10!