I am now a proud owner of a Nintendo Switch; my system arrived today. When I opened the box, I was surprised by how small the system is. For some reason, I pictured it being a bit bigger than it actually is.
Hardware
I do have some gripes about the system, starting with the size of the main (XABY) buttons. They are smaller than the already-tiny buttons on 3DS XL! That’s really not good for a system that’s supposed to be a home console. Yes, there is a Switch Pro Controller available, but it has a MSRP of $69.99. Pretty steep for a controller, if you ask me.
There are wrist straps included for games that use the joycons separately. They make it easier to use the SL and SR buttons. But just a heads-up for when you put them on: Make sure you line up the plus or minus symbols, because they will slide on even if you have them pointed the wrong way. And then it’s a bit hard to get them off. Although, they don’t come out very easily even when they are put on the right way. I don’t plan on using them much.
The Switch does not have a standard camera, and while that fact alone doesn’t bother me, it does bring up a possible problem. I don’t see how Switch games could use QR codes. Games like Animal Crossing and Tomodachi Life use QR codes to share your designs or Miis with other players. I suppose Nintendo could come up with an alternate way of sharing these things, but it would be quite disappointing to see our past designs unusable in any possible new Switch versions of these games.
One other small complaint? There’s no power button on the controllers. Nintendo’s other systems with default wireless controllers (Wii and Wii U) had a power button on the controllers themselves. Now you have to go up to the system itself each time. Update: As Tom41 informed me in the comments, you can put the system in sleep mode from the home menu. Not as convenient as a power button, but the option is there.
Software
Sadly, the Switch comes with no fun little apps to play with. The 3DS has things like Face Raiders and AR Games, but there’s no equivalent on Switch…at least, not yet. There’s not even a Youtube app or a web browser! And Switch doesn’t have Miiverse either, so there’s really not much to do if you don’t have a game yet.
I checked the (American) eShop for game demos, and only one is available: SnipperClips. It’s a puzzle game where two characters clip off parts of each other’s faces to accomplish various goals. You may have to match the shapes of outlines, figure out how to reach switches and push buttons, pop balloons, and more. It’s primarily a two-player game, but you can also play alone and just alternate control of the characters.
The demo consists of a tutorial and then three levels. It’s an interesting concept and the demo is mildly fun, but I have no intentions of purchasing the full version.
Friend Codes
Yes, friend codes have returned on Switch. Want to be friends? My friend code is 0442-0992-5516. Feel free to send me a request if you’d like. I may not be playing any online games until Splatoon 2 comes out this summer, though.
And if you already know me from somewhere, maybe contact me separately and let me know it’s you. If I know who is who, you’ll be less likely to be deleted if my roster starts to fill up. (Although the roster can reportedly hold 300 friends, so that might not happen for a while).
Even though I’ve shared quite a few of my gripes here, I am legitimately happy to have my Switch and I’m looking forward to many of the games on the way.
Last, But Not Least
Of course, there’s one really big thing I haven’t mentioned yet: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I have the game, but I haven’t really dug into it just yet. But I’ll be doing that very soon, and I’ll be back with more blog entries as I journey through the game. Stay tuned!
How are you all enjoying your Nintendo Switch? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts! 🙂