The Nintendo Switch, originally dubbed the NX, came out on March third of 2017. We are now 99 days into the lifespan of this hybrid console and I just love this console!
It feels like it’s been ages now, that the letters NX rocked the gaming industry, when Nintendo, suffering from bad sales on the Wii U, announced the successor to that very Wii U. At the time, we knew only the 2 letters, nothing more..
Fast forward to that 1 epic clip, where Nintendo showed off something unbelievable. A hybrid console, just click in and remove the controllers on the side, slide it into a dock and take up gaming on the TV, all seamlessly. I remembered the chills run down my spine during that clip.
I admit I was both incredibly impressed but part of me was also very skeptical about the fluidity the promotional videos displayed, could it really be this fluent? We all know by know that it really is what they promised to be, but seriously, I had never imagined this console would make me forget all other consoles in the house and to those following us on Instagram, lately, we have been showing off some of my collection. Even though my nickname in real life is Mr. Nintendo, I do have a Vita, PS4, Dreamcast, … But I just stopped playing them. I even almost stopped playing on my 3DS as well.
My very first purchase was on the day the Switch was released, joined by my friend Nick, we set out to get our own console, the collector’s edition of Zelda for the both of us and well, the usual accessories you can think of. At that time, we had just a handful of games, but, what is truly typical about the Switch, the diversity of titles has always been a high standard in my humble opinion. Even now, this holds true, to the critics saying there are no games on Switch, I just say there are no games you want. The Switch has a very nice line up indeed!
From Wonderboy to Mr. Shifty to Voez and so on, this console has brought so many amazing titles as well as some horribly bad titles, such as the Vroom in the Night Sky. And I know you noticed me not even mentioning the Nintendo games! They need no introduction, do they?
So where do we stand now?
The Switch is quite possibly heading for the sales records that were ever set on the Wii. In most places it’s still sold out and let us be honest, with some big guns still incoming, like seriously, Pokken Tournament Deluxe, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade and Mario Odyssey… All still to come and it is already so hard to get this console sometimes…
Currently, the physical lineup has the critically acclaimed Zelda, Mario Kart 8, I am Setsuna, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Skylanders, Disgaea, … just to name a few really great games out already!
The line-up of confirmed games, prior to E3 is also huge, not just the ones confirmed by Nintendo, but all of them, we got games like Rime, Redout, Cave Story+, Harvest Moon, Troll and I, Syberia 3. Heck, even EA finally confirmed they are bringing a stripped down Fifa 18.
In a few days, E3 will happen and we will soon have more and more new announcements.! I am expecting some very big bombshells to be dropped and I will write a follow-up column on this after the dust settles with my thoughts and hopes.
Personally, I hope to see games like a new Luigi’s Mansion or a new Captain Toad, … In a few days, we will know exactly what the future brings. There have been many rumours so far, but I prefer to discuss what E3 actually brings instead of discussing a game that might not come. See you here on Gaming Boulevardnext week. As a final thought to end my “ode to the Switch”…
As a Nintendo fan, it is a great time to be alive.
