[BLOG] Review: Nintendo Switch

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Digmbot
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[BLOG] Review: Nintendo Switch

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The Switch, Nintendo’s latest entry in the console market has been in the wild for just over two weeks now. I’ve had considerable time to put the system through it’s paces and now its time to break down the pros and cons of this new hybrid console.



To start with, the Switch is very small and light. The hardware feels sturdy and durable, without the cheap plastic feel of the Wii U gamepad. The 720p screen on the handheld is bright and crisp, but the lack of pixel density when compared to something like an iPad or many of the latest smartphones is somewhat noticable. Don’t get me wrong, the screen looks great with colors popping and is viewable even in direct sunlight. However, you can tell the display isn’t a full 1080 affair.



As many may know, the main feature of the Switch is it’s hybrid nature. It can be placed in it’s charging dock to output your game to a tv, propped up using it’s built in kickstand to play on the go, or held in the hands controllers attached to either side of the screen. These Joy Con controllers add a ton to the flexibility of the system. While it takes some adjustment to using a Nintendo system without a full fledged D-Pad, the quartet of smaller buttons on the left joycon do a servicable job, while still allowing each Joy Con to be used as a fully functional, albeit small, one person controller for local co-op or multiplayer. Each Joy Con contains and impressive amount of technology including HD rumble, and NFC reader in the right Joy Con and an IR sensor. Curiously there are few games that use all these features, and it remains to be seen how they can be used in future titles.



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In terms of the overall design of the Switch, it is a comfortable to use handheld, and many of my concerns that the Joy Cons were too small have been quickly put to rest. However, there are a small number of things I dislike about the Switch hardware. For starters, the charging port is on the bottom of the system, meaning it is impossible to play the system in kickstand mode and charge it at the same time. The dock itself feels flimsy and cheap, which makes a certain sense considering that at it’s core the dock is just a proprietary HDMI passthrough with additional ports for power and USB cables. While my dock has so far been fine, there are widespread reports of the dock scratching the screen of the Switch tablet. Lastly the kickstand feels rather flimsy, and the decision to place the MicroSD card slot under it is just odd.



The menus and Home screen are custom Nintendo. The interface is slick enough, but navigating it can feel a bit unintuitive sometimes. Launching games is snappy, as is adjusting the brightness of the screen or putting the system to sleep. Annoyingly enough, the eShop is still a clunky frustrating mess. Another aggravation of the system is how it handles saves. Save files are stored directly on the system itself, rather than to your game cartridges. If something happens to your Switch then you can kiss all of your game progress goodbye. Saves are also non-transferable in yet another head scratching move.



All in all, the Nintendo Switch is an impressive piece of technology with some odd, typically Nintendo design decisions. Battery life is acceptable, but I would like a larger battery. It remains to be seen how the Switch will do long term, but the actual technology on display here is fairly impressive. Still, I would hold off on buying one right now, unless you absolutely have to have the new Zelda game. Once more titles launch, I can easily recommend the system.



...Oh, and it has Friend Codes. Nintendo, please stop that.
-Digmbot

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