The Best Kept Secret of the Nintendo Switch

Apparently it is

The level of creativity and variety in Super Mario
Odyssey is astounding

I sit here tapping my foot, awaiting an absolute blockbuster release: Super Mario Odyssey. I haven’t been this excited for a Nintendo game since the original Splatoon back in 2015, and Pokemon Y in 2013 before that. Odyssey exemplifies all the qualities of a great Nintendo game. It has rock solid gameplay, all ages appeal, but most importantly, a quirky style. The sheer creativity on display in Odyssey is unlike anything we’ve seen from the Big N in a long, long time. As I reflect back on my time with the Switch I've come to realize that it holds a well-kept secret: The first-party library isn't that great.

With the addition of DLC, Breath of the Wild keeps
getting better

Since March 3rd, we’ve gotten six first-party titles. On launch day Nintendo came out swinging with one of my favorite Zelda games of all time, and my front runner for game of the year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As we become divorced from launch, I have begun to notice more issues with it, but Breath of the Wild is undeniably a masterpiece. The sense of exploration and discovery is nearly unparalleled. Puzzle solving is organic and driven by player motivation instead of necessity. It’s art style is beaten only by Wind Waker in my opinion. Combat in a Zelda game feels great again, and Breath of the Wild has one of the best physics engines and enemy AI that I’ve seen in a game. It’s unfortunate then, that the game also launched on Wii U. Just like we’ll always think of Twilight Princess as a Wii game, we’ll always think of Breath of the Wild as a Switch game. Still, it’s unfortunate that the console’s killer app is available on another console as well.

1-2 Switch thrives in a family gathering. When I first got this game on vacation, I had a ton of fun playing it with my sister and aunt. However, outside of that setting there really isn’t any redeeming value in 1-2 Switch. It just is. Now, whenever I’m looking to play a multiplayer game on the console, I’m not even considering this one. It had potential, but in execution, 1-2 Switch leaves a lot to be desired.

The Battle Mode was a significant addition that
helped justify the port

After that, the next big title was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I’m very torn on this game. Pound for pound, 8 Deluxe is the best in the series. The sheer breadth of content is impressive, and it is just a blast to race around. The newly introduced battle mode is terrific as well. All the modes, except for coin runners, are a blast, and for the most part the maps are well designed. I’ve sunk a fair amount of time into this element of the game alone. Of course, the elephant in the room has to be addressed: it’s a port. For as great as the game is, I played 150 hours of Mario Kart 8 on Wii U. So while I have gotten good mileage out of the battle mode and online, I don’t feel compelled to play it that often. It is still one of the default multiplayer experiences on the console, but the wind is taken out of its sails due to the fact that I’ve played the Wii U version to death.

ARMS is at its best when played with other people

During January’s Switch conference, ARMS was announced. I love when Nintendo takes a risk on new IP, so I was hyped for the game. Unfortunately, once I actually had the game, my excitement began to diminish. The core fighting mechanics are so much fun, but everything around that is lacking significantly. ARMS is like building a rock-solid foundation, but forgetting to build the house. The post launch support, while I love the additions, has been too sparse, and the game was unable to course correct. ARMS is still a viable party game, and I play it with my sister whenever we need a break from Mario Kart. I really hope they give this series another chance because the mechanics and art direction are fantastic. Unfortunately, those components alone simply couldn’t hold this game up.

Splatoon 2's only new mode, Salmon Run, is an absolute
blast, but could benefit from more maps

Splatoon 2 released this July, and I’m already done playing it. Of all the Switch releases so far, Splatoon makes me the most frustrated. As I’ve stated before, it’s a blast to play. Jumping in for a round of turf war or two is so much fun, and smart changes have been made to the ranked modes that make them more enjoyable to play. It also looks beautiful on the Switch’s touch screen. Furthermore, Salmon Run, the big new addition to the series, is an absolutely awesome horde mode and a ton of fun to play with friends. However. Splatoon 2 was clearly rushed to market, and that is evident by how little new content is actually in the game. The majority of gear and weapons are completely ripped from the Wii U original, and recycled with new special abilities. The competitive multiplayer received no new modes, and the solution to Splatoon 1’s abysmal co-op was to remove the mode altogether. Splatoon 2 feels like a deluxe port of the original masquerading as a sequel. This game really needed some more development time to live up to its predecessor in terms of originality and fun. As it stands, Splatoon 2 is a simple retread of the Wii U title.

Playing the Pokken demo was enough for me- I had the
full game on Wii U

After Splatoon 2’s launch, we entered the great unknown. Well, at least for me, because I skipped Pokken Tournament DX. Like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokken is a Wii U port. But, whereas 8 Deluxe added meaningful content that expanded upon the base game, Pokken felt pretty lazy. Of the five new characters, only one was developed for the Switch version as the other four were already in the arcade edition. However, gamers quantify this with the tired excuse that “no one bought a Wii U so these games deserve another chance”. It’s quite baffling to me that hardcore Nintendo fans could justify these titles.

If you really wanted to play Mario Kart 8 you should
have bought a Wii U

To that point, if people really wanted to play these games, they should have bought a Wii U. The dedicated Nintendo fan, like myself and the vast majority of the Industry, owned a Wii U and played these games already. To that effect, the Switch has sold over five million units already. That is a very impressive number. However, it seems to me that Switch owners who didn’t have a Wii U are in the minority. Every Switch owner I know had that system. These ports are catering to a group of consumers who are vastly outnumbered by dedicated people who have bought every Nintendo system. Keep in mind that we’re still in the “early adopter” phase of the Switch’s life. It isn’t as though Nintendo is releasing these ports at the critical mass when new fans are flocking to the system in droves. The typical Switch owner is like me, someone who waded through the disappointing Wii U era and had a Switch pre-order in right after the January conference. I squeezed every last drop of enjoyment out of these titles on Wii U, and I didn’t really want to play them again. I’d rather have a flawed but fresh game like ARMS than a polished but stale game like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I thought that I spoke for the majority of Nintendo fans, but I suppose not.

Snake Pass is one of the most unique games of 2017

I still have found great enjoyment with my Switch outside of a few key first party-titles. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an excellent game, and one of the system’s best. While the tail end of the game becomes a bit frustrating, and the controls can be imprecise, that doesn’t undercut the great visuals, rocking music, and tactical gameplay. Mario + Rabbids was a great surprise. Ubisoft developed this game, which actually speaks to one of the Switch’s strengths. The third party and Indie support on the Switch has been very promising, and has delivered some fantastic games. Sonic Mania, GoNNER, Graceful Explosion Machine, Snake Pass, and Overcooked are all awesome games. The upcoming Skyrim, DOOM, Wolfenstein 2, Sonic Forces, and Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 all paint a promising picture for the future of 3rd party support.

Thankfully, Nintendo is giving us a road map of upcoming
Switch titles

Likewise, I feel that the first-party epidemic on Switch will soon be a thing of the past. Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey, and Xenoblade 2 are all built from the ground up Switch games. Kirby: Star Allies will kick off next year, and Fire Emblem will drop in 2018 as well. Past that, Pikmin 4 is somewhere in the ether, plus a new Pokemon game and Metroid Prime 4 are coming too. I really want the Switch to surpass the libraries of its predecessors, and the future looks quite bright. But at the moment, I have to call it like I see it, and be honest about the current state of the console. If you didn't own a Wii U, it has been a great seven months. However, being a Wii U owner, like most Switch users, it's been somewhat of a drag.