Nintendo Switch Review

Switching Things Up

With the 3DS and the Wii U, Nintendo tried to chase the success they found with the Wii. Whether that was with 3D or the Gamepad, they tried to capture the minds of the masses with a new gimmick. In both cases though, they proved to be either superfluous or ill-conceived. Neither captured the industry at large quite like the Wii Remote. The Nintendo Switch has the potential to recapture that magic.

The Wii Remote showed everyone a new way to play. Motion controls were a fundamental change from a traditional controller and for the most part really worked, thus proving integral to the experience. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword would be a different game without the motion gameplay. Whether that change was for the better is up for debate, but the Wii’s impact on the industry cannot be disputed. While the Switch does not reinvent the wheel to the extent that the Wii did, it has the potential to be just as impactful.

When I saw the initial reveal of the Switch and it was removed from the dock, I was skeptical. I thought there was no way switching handheld to home console could work that smoothly. When I got mine, I quickly tested this feature. The transition from handheld to home console truly is instant, and that is revolutionary. I was able to play Breath of the Wild right up until I had to leave for vacation, then pop the Switch out from the dock and keep playing. Both means of play are equally enjoyable, especially with the fantastic build quality of the handheld unit.

Left to Right: New 3DS XL,
PS Vita, Switch

The Switch itself feels much better to hold than either the 3DS or the Gamepad. It doesn’t feel as cheap, for lack of a better word, because it is made with much higher quality materials. The screen in particular stands head and shoulders above those of the Wii U Gamepad or the 3DS. This screen looks just as good as my Samsung Galaxy S6. The Switch is thinner than my New 3DS XL and I can comfortably carry in my pocket along with my phone. With the Joy-Cons attached, I can fit the system in my pocket, but it is a very tight squeeze. When I take the Joy-Cons off, and put them in a separate pocket from the unit, I can easily carry the system. I was worried about the portability of the Switch at first, but I was proven wrong.

This could be game changing. I do not think that there is an outcome where Sony and Microsoft do not adopt a similar technology, nor a future where Nintendo does not release another hybrid console. It is simply that incredible. Now instead of splitting my time between the 3DS and Wii U, I can continue my same game whenever and wherever I want. Imagine instead of settling for Uncharted Golden Abyss, you could be playing Uncharted 4 at home and on the go. This is the type of “gimmick” that does not feel tacked on and I hope Nintendo keeps innovating smartly like this. While the tech on the whole is very solid, it does have a few issues.

When playing Breath of the Wild in handheld mode, the game ran at a sturdy 30fps. Though when playing on my TV via the Switch dock, I had frequent and noticeable frame rate drops during my three hours playing on the TV. These hiccups lasted only a few seconds and did not disturb my gameplay but they were clearly noticeable. These problems seem to occur due to the up-scaling from 720p in handheld mode to 900p on the TV. I would have like for Nintendo to either iron out these issues or give the option to not upscale the graphics in exchange for a steadier frame rate. Whether that is an issue with only Zelda or the hardware as a whole is something that I cannot speak personally to, but I will be testing that out as soon as I can.

Tabletop mode was a big selling point of the system for me

The hybrid nature of the Nintendo Switch was its main selling point. Tabletop mode was a huge selling point for me, and I have mostly positive feelings about it. Being able to do local co-op on the Switch screen is novel, and I have utilized this feature with many different games here on vacation. Of the three gameplay modes, tabletop mode is the style I have used most, and it really helps sell the hybrid design. Playing both Fast RMX and 1-2 Switch in this configuration has been a lot of fun. I have not yet found myself getting lost on the small screen, nor have I seen any frame rate issues. Though, Super Bomberman R was a bit difficult to play co-op in tabletop mode, but I find that to be more an issue of the dynamic camera used in the game than of the console itself. A single Joy-Con is quite comfortable to hold with the grip on, and I do not find myself wishing for a full controller. I can easily see myself using a single Joy-Con as my main multiplayer controller for the time being. However, this mode has two big drawbacks. Firstly, the Nintendo Switch charges from the bottom of the console. In tabletop mode, the stand does not elevate the Switch rendering it impossible to charge the system while playing. For a long trip, this certainly is an issue. Short of buying the HORI charging stand this issue cannot be resolved. The other, much larger issue comes in the form of the Joy-Con straps.

Be careful to line up the plus or
minus at the top of the controller

Make sure you are putting your Joy-Con strap on the correct way. When I sat down to play Snipperclips with my sister, I encountered this issue. I did not notice the small corresponding symbol on the strap that tells which Joy-Con to attach it to. If the strap goes on backwards, there is no way to get it off short of forcing the locking mechanism backwards using a jewelry tool and pulling it off of the Joy-Con. If you do not forcefully open the lock, your strap is stuck on in the wrong orientation. This is simply unacceptable as it is just as easy to slide the strap on backwards as it is to put it on the correct way. On the whole though, the single Joy-Con is just one of the handful of great control options.

I frequently bring out Super Smash Bros. Wii U when I have friends over as it makes a fantastic party game. Though, getting a controller in everyone’s hand is quite difficult. You have many choices: Wii Remote, Wii Remote with nunchuk, Wii Remote with classic controller, Gamecube controller, Wii U pro controller, or the Gamepad. The Switch finally moves on from the past and offers only a of couple controller configurations. Either you play with a single Joy-Con or the Joy-Con grip. If you are feeling spendy, the Switch Pro Controller is an option as well. Personally, I cannot swing a $70 controller, regardless of its features, so I can only speak to the Joy-Cons. I have played four hours of Zelda using the Joy-Con grip and it was surprisingly comfortable. When I initially held the grip, I was skeptical of its small size. Thankfully, it feels comfortable to play with even if it is a bit cramped at times. Another great feature of the Joy-Con is the share button. It is instantaneous to take a screenshot, which will be very helpful for me as I will be able to add those photos to my posts! Though, currently you can only share your screenshots through Twitter and Facebook. If you have a microSD card you can transfer photos that way, but since I do not have one, that is not an option for me. I would prefer if I could send my screenshots to my email, or better yet, be able to access them online through My Nintendo. For as much as I like them, I do have one big issue with the Joy-Cons, and that is the lack of a D-pad.

Without a traditional D-pad,
NES/SNES are difficult to control

When playing multiplayer using only one Joy-Con, the lack of a D-pad makes sense. Both the Joy-Con R and Joy-Con L need a set of face buttons. However, when playing single player, or with multiple full controllers, the lack of a D-pad is frustrating. I would have appreciated if Nintendo had taken a page out of Microsoft’s book and allowed for the Joy-Con L’s buttons to be magnetically swapped for a D-pad, much like the Xbox Elite controller. In the current state, I do not see myself playing many virtual console games when they finally arrive on the Switch as the four buttons are a poor substitute for a proper D-Pad.

The UI is plain; but very fast

While virtual console support isn’t ready yet, the Switch’s UI is up and running. I am happy to report that this is the best user experience that I have had on a Nintendo console. The game icons are displayed in one long row with very nice artwork. This does present the same problem as the pre-update PS4 though; soon I will need to scroll through a long list of games to find what I am looking for. The Wii U and the 3DS have folders, so I hope that this issue is resolved soon in a future update. Aside from that, the UI is snappy and well designed. It takes only a fraction of the time to open the eShop on the Switch compared to the Wii U or the 3DS, and games boot up much quicker as well. The addition of a quick menu similar to the PS4’s is great too; being able to quickly adjust the settings was a feature sorely missing from the 3DS and Wii U. I would like to see home themes added to the Switch as plain black or white are a bit boring, but overall this is a great UI for a great system.

I have a lot of confidence in Nintendo again. It has been a while since I could truly recommend a Nintendo product to all gamers; not just those interested in Nintendo’s first party library. I loved my 3DS and Wii U, but they just weren’t what they needed to be for mass appeal. They felt like products targeted only at Nintendo fans. The Nintendo Switch changes this. This console appeals to all gamers. The tech is here; this isn’t a Gamepad situation where Nintendo needs to spend the next four years justifying its existence. I am excited to finally be able to use a Nintendo Console as my main system like I used to do. If you are at all interested in the Nintendo Switch; I would say go for it. It does have issues, but on the whole this is a very promising machine and I cannot wait for E3 to see what else Nintendo has up their sleeve.