We are one week away from the Switch and the coverage is being unleashed into the public. I am fortunate enough to have gotten several hands-on with the Switch. I am super excited for the release of the Switch but I still have some concerns that still haven’t been addressed and we are just one week away.
Concerns
Third Party Games
The lack of games at launch is not a good sign. I understand wanting to make Zelda the must have game at launch but Nintendo needs to get third parties on board. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, they have gone a whole generation with lackluster third party support and have to prove to those developers that the Switch is a console worth investing the resources in.
Nintendo has always taken their time to release games because they care about creating high-quality games which to their credit they deliver on. I have no doubt this will continue but Nintendo can’t be the only ones making successful games on the console and will need other games to fill in the gap between those big Nintendo releases.
Though let’s be clear Nintendo shouldn’t be chasing after all 3rd party games that are on other consoles like Call of Duty or Destiny. They need to be going after games that take advantage of the hardware of the Switch, games that are great on the go and with friends next to you.
Online Functionality
Nintendo has never had a history of showing gamers that they understand how to do online ever. The fact there are still so many questions about what the online services will be able to do does not have me encouraged. Many basic things that we expect from playing online Nintendo hasn’t able to implement even during the Wii U.
I understand that Nintendo wants to be careful with online since they do have a segment of their audience that is extremely young. They want to be a family friendly console and that's totally fine but there are a better ways of doing it. Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app was an absolutely ingenious and perfect example of a unique Nintendo solution.
Granted much of the concerns are over issues that Nintendo is probably working on right now. It just seems that the system is being released before it is ready. Consoles get released before all the features are done all the time but many of the online features we are expecting from the Switch were done on other consoles two generations ago.
Enthusiasm
With all that said I want to end on a more optimistic thought. Honestly, I am totally excited for the release of the Switch as someone that grew up with NES and SNES. Even if the business side of me is worried for Nintendo, I know all the fanboys like me will be getting a Switch just so we can play our favorite games. With that let’s talk a little about why the Switch at launch will be amazing.
First Party Games
While the current lack of third party games might worry some most of us are getting the Switch to play Nintendo games and we already start the gate with Zelda. I have played Zelda for a bit already and know everyone that loved Zelda will love this game too without a doubt.
I am not holding Nintendo on their word that their games will be released when they say it will because delays are all too common with all developers. No problem though since Nintendo is known for their high polished games and they should take as much time as they need. Just look at how many of their older games are still great today.
Mario looks amazing too and will no doubt meet if not exceed expectations. Nintendo has always had an amazing line-up of first party titles and nothing gives me a reason to suspect otherwise given their spectacular track record. Nintendo has rightfully earned their reputation to deliver on exclusive first party games.
Power
The power of the Nintendo Switch is powerful enough to play all the games we would want out of Nintendo. They have never been known for having the most powerful console and the Switch isn’t going to change that. As long as games with great design can look beautiful like Zelda Breath of the Wild then it is as powerful as it needs to be.
While the details of the specs aren’t fully known what we do know is that Skyrim is being developed to function on the Switch. That means that any game that should be on the Switch can be on the Switch. The question is will developers spend the resources to make a proper port to the system is to
There will be many developers that will be waiting to see if the system is worth the investment but many will love to develop for the Switch because of its unique feature that no other gaming platform has. Many games out there would be great to play on the go and at home with friends.
Portability
The ability to play the games as you normally would at home and on the go is going to be the defining feature of this system. So many games are great both at home and on the go. The Switch was designed from the ground up so those games that have a place wherever you are.
It's not just gaming anywhere but gaming anywhere with friends as to why this system will be an amazing. So many times we want to show our friends an amazing local multiplayer game but can’t because transporting a console and especially a PC is such a pain in the ass. With the Switch, so many games that we love to share the fun with friends will be possible all the time.
Switching from Handheld Mode to TV Mode is extremely intuitive and simple. Nintendo has again brought simplicity to a relatively new concept for games. This dock itself is a simple design that encourages one to switch between the different modes. One can only hope that great game franchise from other handheld systems makes it to the Switch.
Final Thought
I am excited about the Switch but also really want my concerns with the system to be addressed for all fans like me. Nintendo has produced some of the best game franchises the world has ever known and they deserve to be on gaming platforms that are worthy of them.