Nintendo Switch: The Reviews

Finally, the wait is over for Nintendo fans across the world as the Nintendo Switch is released this Friday. Although guaranteed many sales from dedicated Nintendo ‘Fan-Boys’ and ‘Fan-Girls’, the console (or tablet) has been met by mixed reviews and sceptics for the future of the Switch and Nintendo themselves. So ahead of launch, we’ve been looking at what the critics have been saying and if it’s worth snatching up the last few consoles on pre-order sites…

First, the hardware. Critics across the globe have again shown mixed opinions when it comes to this tablet-turned-console. Overall, the tablet and ‘Joy-Cons’ have been praised for being well-built, sturdy and sophisticated (especially when compared to the Wii-U game-pad!); the overriding complaint has been the reflective nature of the tablet’s screen. Many have commented on this issue, claiming that the system is impossible to play outside even though that this was its main focus in Nintendo’s marketing campaign!

Another concern regarding the hardware are widespread reports of the left Joy-Con having serious connection issues, though Nintendo of America have announced that they are planning to fix this by launch end of this week…

Next, the software. Surprisingly, after many hours of digging through Switch reviews, the majority of critics love the minimalist style and layout of the console’s menu. The comment that continues to be made is how quick and ready to play the Switch sets itself out to be, being the only mainstream console on the current market to not make the player wait for the downloading and installation of the game, just insert the cartridge and you’re ready to go! In this way, the Switch certainly sets itself apart from what will be its main competitors.

Lastly, the ever-important release titles. As everybody probably knows by now, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the major release for the Switch. This stunning game has, again, had a variety of reviews all contradicting one another. Some praise the HD graphics and open-world gameplay, whilst others say that it’s boring and doesn’t maintain player’s interests. Other release titles include classic Nintendo titles such as Super Bomberman R and Just Dance 2017 (which sold fantastically well on the Wii and Wii-U), as well as 1-2-Switch (the Wii Sports of the latest console…) which has come under fire for being priced at £39.99 retail price instead of being bundled with the console.

Nintendo have missed out on releasing a Mario game as a launch title with their latest console, with Super Mario Odyssey not coming out till Christmas this year! Other disappointments on the Italian plumber front includes the Mario Kart coming out this spring simply being a rehash on Mario Kart 8 including the DLC tracks and characters.

Overall, the Switch looks like it will have a promising future, being unique and fantastic in its own sense. It looks like this console could be the saving grace that Nintendo needs after the failure of the Wii-U, obviously doing everything they could to better their mistakes from the previous console. Though there are a slight few bumps in the road such as the left Joy-Con issue, or the fact that the online subscription service will pretty much be in beta until summer; by the end of the year the Switch will be fully-loaded and hopefully a success for Nintendo.

If you enjoyed this blog about the Nintendo Switch and would like to find out more, check out our older blog about the system here. Or if you'd like to check out our other work, find our arcade machines here.

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