Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

So why call it a Switch when it doesn't do that now? The should have called it something else like they did with the 2DS.

@Tasuki How about The Non-Switch? 😂

@Th3solution I got a Switch as my second console. Although I don't play it a great deal, I don't regret buying it for one second. I've not owned a Nintendo console since the N64, so do not feel burnt out as some have mentioned by some of their main stays. It is mainly used if I'm staying somewhere for a couple days or so and I have no access to a PS4.

Not sure what the e-shop is like in the states but in the UK there is always something that has my interest in the sales, I defo have no shortage of games to play on the machine. I find it a good palate cleanser from my ps4 occasionally, I then also appreciate the Sony console more when I go back to it.

Also the seamless ability to switch between docked and portable has never gotten old for me. Such a great console.

@JohnnyShoulder Yeah, I think if I got one it would be like the way you use it — as a occasional thing for travel and when I need a change of pace. Also to experience a few of the seminal classics so I can speak intelligently about them, like Breath of the Wild. But I wouldn’t anticipate it being my main console to supplant the PS4. But maybe replace the Vita over the next year or two as I build a library.

@Tasuki Brand marketing.

Much as the 2DS highlighted it was still part of the DS family, the Switch Lite name highlights that yes, it plays Switch games.

I mean calling it something else would be as confusing as following a PS Vita with a something TV only that plays Vita games but you wouldn't know it by looking.

@Knuckles-Fajita Or a U after the word Wii making people think it's an add on rather then a whole new system. 😉

@Th3solution I mainly bought the system for Zelda, if I had only played that game I still would say it was worth what I paid for it. It may mean experimenting a liitle bit on some titles and going out of your comfort zone.

The controllers may take a bit to get used to, I have small hands so they are OK for me. Initially the novelty of having a controller in each hand was amazing, but I soon settled on the grip that came with the console. I did think I would need a pro controller before getting the console, but I don't feel the need to. I borrowed one off a mate but hardly used it tbh.

One thing that took a bit getting used to is the lack of any trophy/achievement system. Some games can feel a bit hollow and I'm no trophy hunter by any means. And it has influenced my purchasing decisions sometimes, if it's available on PS4 I usually buy it on that system. But to counter that being able to play a game in portable mode is a big pull. Zelda is the best example of this for, being able to continue the game seamlessly in portable mode makes it very accessible.

@JohnnyShoulder Oh man, no trophy system type of meta-game? That is a bummer. But yeah, playing Dark Souls while laying in bed would be pretty cool though.

Well, since you coming from a PlayStation first perspective, here’s a few other noob questions (sorry for my ignorance):
So I know there’s an eshop which is like the PSN store. What about the online functionality? There’s not a PS Plus type system as I understand, so online play is free, correct? And how stable is the online functionality? Is it stable? Not that I play full online games, but sometimes I enjoy asynchronous stuff like the Dark Souls online system. Splatoon 2, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros are crazy popular so I assume full online pvp runs well? I think one of the big calling cards is ad hoc type MP, which won’t be really needed, but maybe couch co-op. If I buy just one Switch how realistically could I play 2 person couch co-op with just the one set of little controllers? I know it depends on the game, but like a shooter like Splatoon, a racer like Mario Kart, or a fighter like Smash Bros. I would use such a thing so rarely that I don’t think I’d want to buy a second controller, especially if like you say, you seem fine using the base unit controls for your single player.

What are your favorite 3-4 games as a newcomer to the system? Like, as a PlayStation gamer I mean and not as a person like so many Nintendo fans who grew up with Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Pokémon, Kirby, and such. I have no affinity for any Nintendo properties, so nostalgia will not help me enjoy anything, so coming in cold, which 3-4 games (and I mean mainly console exclusives, unless there is a mutiplat that you found to be far superior to its PlayStation brother) are most likely to appeal to me? I know it’s a hard question but you probably know my basic preferences — favorite genre is action adventure, and RPGs, preferably strong story and characters, but definitely not opposed new things and genres (which would partially be the whole point of having a Switch is to get some different experiences). As you know I’ve been enjoying fighters, visual novels and adventure, shooters, puzzle games ... all in small pieces between 3rd person story action games. I have had poor luck with platformers in general, which I know is the Switch’s strongest genre. For example, Sonic Mania was appropriately named because it made me manic with frustration. Rayman Legends has been pretty good so far for me though, and a game like Inside I found wonderful, if that helps. I also dislike Metroidvanias and find them maddening usually. In general I don’t have very much base knowledge of most anime franchises either so I find things like Dragonball or Naruto pretty intimidating to try to get into.

@Tasuki Indeed. You need to be clear what your device is.

This is a stripped back Switch that still plays Switch games.

I can't really think of what else to call it.

To be honest, the Switch Lite (or I agree, Non Switch since you can't Switch anything) doesn't personally interest me much. I play my Switch docked a lot, I prefer the Pro Controller and I tend to play handheld if I can't use TV or away.

That said, as a strategy and 3DS replacement, I can't fault the logic and I think this will drive Switch sales up. It is still a bit too expensive I think, a top tier price of £180 would have been more convincing. For example, my daughter has really got into Mario Kart 8 on the Switch and in future I could see me getting this for her to play.

@Th3solution There is is Nintendo online which you pay to play online stuff, cloud saves and free retro games from the NES era. Not sure if you need it for something like Dark Souls though. It is not something I have paid for however so can't comment on how stable it is. The cost is cheaper than ps+ though, think £25 for a year.

My top 4 games are Zelda BOTW, Mario & Rabids (at first glance I was not fussed but took the plunge when it was on sale and it has won me over), Wonderboy The Dragon's Trap and The Mummy Demastered.

It might be worth checking which games take a performance hit when in portable mode. Most of the ports such as DOOM and Wolfenstein do, as does Xenoblade Chronicles 2 but that it supposed to be a brilliant game so might worth a punt if only to play in docked mode.

I will have a think about what else might interest you, other peeps I'm sure will chip in. I usually buy games on Switch I wouldn't usually play on PS4.

@Rudy_Manchego Yeah I agree the Switch Not is not for me either. And the battery only lasts 30 mins longer, the way some people were going on about I was thinking it would be a more substantial gain in that respect.

@JohnnyShoulder Yeah at the end of the day it is a smaller screen and slightly larger battery but not much else. As I said, it isn't for me and I think it is a great idea.

I was thinking about it last night though and I do hope that if the Lite is a big success saleswise, devs don't stop focusing on providing a good experience docked as well as handheld and just aim for good performance handheld. I know it is not the same but a bit like devs soon dropped the 3D element from the 3DS as soon as the 2DS came along since it saved dev time.

@Rudy_Manchego I mean, if it works well in handheld mode, then it'll work well docked. It's the reverse (focusing on docked specs first) that causes issues.

With that said, unlike stereoscopic 3D, the 'home console' functionality of the Switch Phat is pretty popular (when Nintendo released its stats on how people were using it, they found MOST people were using it 50/50 as handheld and home console; although way more people were using it purely as a handheld than purely as a home console, which might have been the inspiration for this revision), so I think what we'll see is less of a focus on gimmicks aimed at TV mode users, like Super Mario Odyssey's stupid motion gestures. I also don't think it'll do any favors for those people hoping Nintendo does more with HD rumble. Also worth mentioning that, while I loved stereoscopic 3D, it was also an incredibly resource-intensive feature for the system, which is why dropping it entirely helped some devs program games with better physics or have the games run at a higher framerate in 2D.

@Rudy_Manchego The funny thing is Nintendo is claiming that the Switch Lite isn't a replacement for the 3DS (I know Nintendo makes alot of claims that end up the opposite later on such as there won't be a Switch Lite), however I can't see them occupying the same space. The Switch Lite is a more powerful handheld system then the 3DS so naturally devs and publishers are going to gravitate towards that. Which would slowly phase out the 3DS. Nintendo already in the past did try to have to handhelds on the market with the Gameboy line and the DS and well, we saw how that turned out.

In all I can see the appeal of a Switch Lite, for those who want an handheld console. Perhaps they travel alot, or just prefer handhelds I don't know. It's not the first time a company has made a handheld system that could play the same games as a home console, Sega Nomad anyone? I am sure Nintendo did there marketing as to what percentage of people play the Switch docked and not docked before even considering a Switch Lite. For me however I prefer docked mode so I will be passing on the Switch Lite.

Switch Lite is obviously a 3DS replacement. 3DS is dead at this point, and Nintendo wanted a cheaper piece of hardware to fill that 'budget handheld' void left by it.

Pretty crazy that this is launching for the same price as their last-gen 240p handheld.

@Ralizah Well I guess in theory no but my guess would also be that QA may be different in terms of focusing on different player experiences be it docked and handheld and, as you say, motion controls, multiplayer controls, gyro controls and haptics will just not be incorporated in games. It also sits at odds with Labo as well since no joycons. I know that they are saying that you can use Joycons with it but added cost and a with no dock or stand, there isn't much point.

@Tasuki I think they still have a large inventory of DS systems and games to sell and if they are selling, they probably won't formally kill it off. There are no physical games coming to the system any time soon (or at all - can't remember).

The price point of this is designed for handheld users or families to get an affordable Switch or multiple consoles. To be honest, for me, the handheld element of the Switch is the gimmick. I prefer the games docked with the pro controller but I find it handy that I can take it with me, especially with larger games.

@Rudy_Manchego Switch Lite has gyro.

Anyway, keep in mind that, by the time Switch Lite comes out, the Phat will already have sold 35+ million consoles. And that's not going to stop selling, even if the Lite cannibalizes a lot of sales. So, for the foreseeable future, Phat owners will still comprise the majority of the market, which gives developers plenty of incentive to still include Phat-exclusive features. But now they have the extra incentive to not build games around docked specs, which hopefully means no more Xenoblade 2 situations where the game looks terrible when it's not played on a TV.

@Ralizah Ah my mistake.

Overall though, I hope the LIte sells well. The more units sold, the more games we'll get and the more chance I have of getting my Metroid Prime Trilogy HD remaster.

@Rudy_Manchego Yes please on the prime Trilogy! I've not played any of them so would most likely buy that day 1.

@Rudy_Manchego Right I can see people getting a Switch Lite for online gaming in the same room like Warframe for example or Smite or even Fortnite. One kid plays on the tv the other one plays on the Switch Lite.