Favorite Games: Mario Kart 8 DX, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D world, Fire Emblem series, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Tennis Aces, Super Mario Maker 2, Mario Party series, Super Mario 3D Allstars, Super Mario Bros Wonder, TESV: Skyrim, more to come!
One of the, if not the most iconic console ever created! It has appeared in many Manga, Movies, Games and many devices inspired by it such as the Aya Neo, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go and the Steam Deck. This console started the hybrid era, in which console gaming performance shouldn't only be at home, but everywhere!
The device's build quality is questionable though, Nintendo is well known for top quality controllers, but a lot of people seem to have problems with the Joy Cons starting to drift. I don't know if it's luck but I own the device since 2017 and never had one of the Joy Cons drifting... The device can last quite long on battery (definitely longer than the average gaming laptop while gaming) and can get slightly warm when not docked. However when docked the temperatures may get quite hot, I have not seen the temps impacting the framerate yet. Most games run in 1080p but a lot of first party games still run in 900p just like the Wii U. If undocked, the screen has a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, this difference may cause performance changes that are barely noticable, this has been done very well!
The device ships with the dock, joy cons with their straps, USB-C power supply with special specs, a darker variant of the Nintendo HDMI cable and a holder for the Joy Cons (which does not charge them) that can be used to create a controller from the Joy Cons.
The fan is silent but will go spin louder when gaming. If docked it can get louder but it's still really quiet.
Speaking of the Joy Cons, they felt really, really small at the first moment of use, but you'll adapt to it over time. The joysticks are ok and will feel better once you are familiar with them. The buttons are quite small and the D-pad became D-buttons... This felt like a downgrade but it was done to give the second player the same feel als the main player if the joy cons are used in multiplayer.
You can play with the D-Pad if you buy a Pro controller, which has one of the best built-in batteries of the current controllers on the market. It lasts really long. It feels like an Xbox controller but much better, Dual Shock 4 level or even better. It still has all of the features the Joy Cons have, but not the IR sensor. After all, a solid controller, almost the most perfect one I've ever used. true 'Nintendo Quality'. If you buy this console, I can definitely recommend this.
Three variants have been released currently. The initial version (no longer for available) which I currently have, a second version in 2019 with a more efficient SoC which may have better graphical performance in titles that performed worse, and in late 2021 a OLED version with a much better screen (colors and size) and the same SoC as the 2019 version that features a new dock with an ethernet port and new style. All versions except the OLED variant ship with 32GB storage which extremely low for the date! So I'd recommend buying a MicroSD, the system supports up to 2000GB MicroSD cards. The OLED version ships with 64GB storage, this should satisfy most gamers who don't play large games, but otherwise this is still barely enough storage for 2021...
Not to forget is the Nintendo Switch Lite, a much cheaper version which lacks some functionality such as a TV output and modular controllers (they're stuck on the console, which raises concerns about the drifting issue), it's the handheld version of the switch which features a better uptime between the original version and the consoles with the new SoCs. It will not work with the dock and the smaller screen is the same resolution which results in higher DPI which is better but since the original switch already has good enough DPI for my eyes which where I can barely see the pixels without getting to close, it's not much of an upgrade. Since you can still play switch games just as on the normal switch on this device, it's well worth the price if you only play on the go and don't want to hook it to a screen!
The kickstand can be used when you want to play with friends or don't want to hold the device. It weighs less than the Wii U GamePad, so weight is not much of a problem. Definitely for its size compared to the N3DS XL. The kickstand seems inspired by the Microsoft Surface on the OLED version iirc.
It seems common that the screen can get scratches with normal use so I'd recommend getting a screen protector.
This device has incredible graphical capabilities thanks to Nvidia!
It also supports bluetooth Audio and almost all controllers (including the GC with a new first part release of the adapter). If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, save files are stored in the Cloud. It's also the first home console (hybrid) that Nintendo made that has this quick resume from sleep feature. This was unique to the GameBoy and DS handhelds only.
Games
Super Mario Odyssey
This is another one of the best 3D Mario games I ever played. This one features a lot of content just like 3D World! Gameplay is very smooth, the whole concept of power ups was left out, and instead Mario gets Cappy to control certain characters, which is a completely new take on Mario games. As if it was almost reinvented! You no longer have lives in this game, and instead you lose money when you die. And even Princess Peach's castle can be visited! The graphics are so good, it's as if you are playing the 3D Mario game that was made in Unreal! Yet the game doesn't run at 1080p. If you get this console, you must get this game, most definitely if you are a Mario fan too! A very good soundtrack and barely any bugs make this game perfect! Spoiler: You can play as Yoshi! It contains so many mechanics and references from Super Mario Sunshine and 64 as well!
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
This is another one of the best Fire Emblem games I've played along with the 3DS ones (not to mention the original Fire Emblem game which has been translated could be bought for a limited time in the store!), it does have some problems such as the 30 FPS framerate and the player needing to walk all across the castle to perform some actions. The graphics are very good and show the capabilities of the Switch as every Fire Emblem game did with their respective Nintendo Consoles. The amount of customization in this version is a little disappointing but the story telling and the character background stories are once again of master level. It features A LOT of new functionality compared to the older games and so much gameplay, you'll lose hundreds of hours in this game, maybe even thousands to 100% complete it and learn all the endings for the characters. This game is very heavy on content which is common for switch games. If you want to get into Fire Emblem, get this game. It's very beginners friendly, and doesn't require tactical masterminds such as the pre-3DS versions. If you happen to own a 3DS though, I'd recommend you to start with Awakening instead, then try fates and finally try this one.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Everytime I hear Zelda and Link I funnily remember the CDi games and scenes. But this game however is very big on content, A huge world with a lot content, impressive graphics and a lot of new mechanics make this game very unique. It keeps reminding me of The Elder Scrolls, and especially Skyrim somehow. If you love Zelda games, and want Zelda but with even more open world or just plain 'Open World' freedom, you should definitely get this game if you own a switch. There's also a Wii U version but that version has slight performance issues.
While there were many open world games before this game already, I think this game started the open world craze around indie developers!
Mario Tennis Aces
This is the best Mario tennis game I ever played. The Joy Con can be used holding like a real tennis racket for those who like immersion, but the story mode is very good and playing against CPU's is so much fun. There's some real addictive mechanic in this game, I've to find out what, perhaps it just performs the tennis mechanic really well!
Super Mario Maker 2
This is where it got really well executed! The original is good, but lacked some themes and the customisable worlds mechanic, it has finally been perfected now, compared to the Super Mario Bros X fangame you'll find almost just as much customisation and the 3D world style is aesthetically pleasing to see. The 3DS version was very good due to it's portability and the reason you could design levels on the go (although these new handheld consoles can still make this true through SMBX)
However, there's one major problem with this game: The design controls. If docked, you must use the controller to create levels which has been horrible UX for me. Digital versions of the game ship with a stylus, if you still bought it physically, I'd recommend buying the pen (or a generic one) seperately because it will spare you some bad experiences. The Wii U could use the included pen to draw levels, which makes the cool hand appear on TV screen where you drawing. The Switch version supports touch screen, you shouldn't limit yourself to the controller.
Mario Party series.
As usual these games really utilise the platform specific features. Super Mario Party really shows how the HD rumble works in certain minigames which is really fun! I love the game where you have to cook the meat or shake the candies (or sweets depending where you live) from the glass jar. Really good minigames but Super Mario Party lacks multiple playing boards, I wish there were more but the game haven't received updates on that part. You can play as almost any main character from the Mario franchise in this game!
Mario Party Superstars added the long requested Online feature to Mario Party, this was well received! Unfortunately it features less characters. It adds minigames from the classic Mario Parties, but with completely new graphics. This is one of the few games, that features incredible graphics! In handheld mode the graphics are unreal! It's incredible such graphics can be accomplished on a device. They are only limited by the lower resolution of the console. Another must get game for the Switch!
Knowing the Switch's capabilities, I hope there will be a new Mario Party game be released with a lot of playing boards. The last 5 iterations only featured around 5 playing boards. Also even more Minigames!
Super Mario 3D Allstars
Although some people have mixed reviews due to the amount of work put into the remasters. It is indeed not a big upgrade as the 8-bit to 16-bit SNES upgrade was from these games, but there were some decent upgrades! For a limited editon and timed release it sold an incredible amount of over 9 million copies. It's confirmed these games run at 1080p, but I only used them in handheld mode since I already played these games on a big screen back then.
The SM64 port got a quite lazy, but still good looking texture upgrade (and runs in 16:9).
The SMS port felt like it was glitchier than the GC version. Bugs were fixed in new versions. This version seems easier (gameplay feel) than the GC version.
The SMG version now allows the gyroscope to control the star instead of aiming with a Wii controller. This version is defintely an improvement over the original because you no longer need to use the Wii controller with nunchuck which didn't feel right compared to the Joy Con and Pro controller for these kind of games (unfortunately had to finish SMG2 with the nunchuck combination because it's only playable with that controller)
It's not much better compared to the original games, but if you are new to these games or want to play galaxy again, I'd definitely recommend this game.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
You probably know this game already, the elder scrolls series being one of the most famous (Action) RPG series. This time available for handheld, which is incredible, although it runs at 30 fps and there are a few spots which have frame drops. It still has all the graphics upgrades, but not fixes; this is the only game that crashes so much on my Switch. Funnily the Special edition on PC is even much more stable than this version... It supports motion controls such as for holding shields, fighting with swords and gyro aiming with the bow. You'll love the immersion the switch Joy Cons provide. Amiibos will cause chests to appear with random loot, Zelda amiibo's should spawn Zelda related items in the game. There's no mod support unfortunately. If you love this game without mods and would like to take it anywhere (without bringing your laptop everywhere if you used to) and don't mind the 30 fps framerate, you shoud get this for the Switch!
Nintendo Switch Online games
I did not put these in my favorites because not all of them accessible without paying extra, and you do not 'own' these games, but rather hire them through a subscription identical the Xcloud service minus the streaming. The default option gives you a lot of NES, SNES and GB games, but playing these with the Joy Cons is not that much fun due to the missing d-pad. The Pro controller is recommended, and what is even better, are the first party controllers created specific for NSO (NES, SNES, N64, etc). The N64, Sega and GameBoy Advance games are only accessible through the plus subscription, but since it has no GC games it feels weird because it supports the GameCube adapter, and even SMS supports the GC controller. I already have the mentioned controls and would rather own the games released on there than hire them through a subscription. GameCube games and some N64 games however are quite pricey, and that's what makes this interesting. I don't know if the Switch is capable of emulating GameCube games as this is still heavy for some machines.
A nice feature is the online play together functionality which allows the persons to play together over the internet.
Should you buy this console?
Do you want a hybrid console that has console level graphics and can be taken with you? Most defintely!
Do you love Mario games? Get this! I'm pretty sure this device along with the GameCube and GameBoy has had the most Mario titles released!
Do you want the best of the best graphics? For a hybrid it has very good graphics, the Aya Neo, ROG Ally and Steam Deck do also feature nice graphics, however the latter may have minimal problems with games due to the Linux and Proton layer used for gaming. The graphics are very good for 1080p. If you have a 1080p TV get this, the Steam Deck is big, this thing isn't and the Switch has very impressive graphics. It still looks good upscaled on 4K TV.
Do you want the newest features such as HDR and 120Hz support? Don't get it, the graphics are very good but it does not yet feature HDR, 10-bit or higher output over HDMI or 120Hz support.
Isn't this console going to be replaced anytime soon? No, not yet, it's doing very well and many (first party) games are about to be released to this console. My guess would be 2024 or 2025, according to rumors I've read. This would be because of the next gen consoles and their graphics, and due to it performing and selling so well. Don't let the Pokémon Scarlet or Violet release framerates lose your hopes in the Switch's tech!