The big question: is the Switch now worth it?

[dscross]

I think the question 'is the Nintendo Switch worth it' is a tough one to answer.

The ability to take a real console experience on the bus in the morning: that's legitimately life-changing. You could spend over an hour on public transport every work day and because of the Switch you can look forward to that time. The Switch could allow you fill video games into unique slots of your life. It's hard to place a value on that.

But...

The Switch is a little underpowered, the screen scratches way too easily, and it is difficult to justify buying a console for a couple of games regardless of how very fucking good one of the games is. There's still no games that really make me want to rush out and buy one, except Breath of the Wild (but I'm not enough of a Zelda nut). There are far more games for my PS4 at the moment. Plus I already have a 3DS and I think that fills any Nintendo yearnings I have.

It's a tough one. I say the Switch Shows promise. I'm sure there will be unique Nintendo games on this console and they will be very good eventually.

Your mileage may vary. What you do think?

 

[Neverhoodian]

I'll admit the prospect has been tempting on a few occasions, but so far I've been holding off on getting one due to lack of games. This isn't solely a Nintendo issue, mind you. Modern game development has become so costly and time-consuming that you're lucky to get more than two "system seller" titles for consoles in the first year.

I've never been much of a "gaming on the go" person. Public transit is fairly limited in my town, so I have to drive to most places myself. I'd rather interact with the real world when out and about anyway. Besides, my smartphone does the job nicely if I find myself having to kill some time away from home.

Also, I just don't have the time that I used to for gaming anymore, resulting in a huge backlog of games that I need to get through first on my PC and existing consoles. I'm lucky if I get to spend an hour or so playing during work days, and I try to use my precious time off to socialize with friends and/or family whenever possible, many of whom have little to no interest in gaming. And that's assuming I don't default to revisiting an old favorite, something I find myself doing increasingly often.

I'll probably end up getting a Switch at some point, but I don't have any burning urge to do so for the forseeable future. Come back to me when the console drops in price and games like Super Mario Odyssey and the next Smash Bros. are out and I'll consider it.

 

[Chewster]

The ability to take a real console experience on the bus in the morning: that's legitimately life-changing.

Lol is it? Because I mean, I think moving to a new province or country for work is life changing. Getting married is life changing. Having a kid is life changing. Playing the Switch on the bus is just, I don't know, nice. Let us not overstate the importance of it. Besides, if you live somewhere where the buses and trains have decent wifi (such as I do), you can play PS4 on your Vita anyway. I've done that before and it wasn't especially life changing.

As to buying the Switch...I can wait a while until the library is more solid, like I did with the Wii. The only think I really give a damn about on it aside from the usual suspects of Nintendo's IPs is another No More Heroes since, as much as I liked Shadows of the Damned and Lollypop Chainsaw a lot, NMH is still one of the funniest Suda 51 games I've played. So I'll probably get Switch eventually, if they make that.

I'm trying to learn my lesson from a friend of mine. He was a PS4 guy, fell in love with Breath of the Wild and then sold off all his PS4 games, PSVR and Vita gear and was planning on selling his PS4 too but changed his mind now that he has nothing else to play on his Switch.

So yeah. I can wait.

 

[dscross]

The ability to take a real console experience on the bus in the morning: that's legitimately life-changing.

Lol is it? Because I mean, I think moving to a new province or country for work is life changing. Getting married is life changing. Having a kid is life changing. Playing the Switch on the bus is just, I don't know, nice. Let us not overstate the importance of it. Besides, if you live somewhere where the buses and trains have decent wifi (such as I do), you can play PS4 on your Vita anyway. I've done that before and it wasn't especially life changing.

Ok smart arse, I was obviously exaggerating. I wasn't trying to compare it to huge life events, I just meant on a day to day level. can you play any PS4 games you want on your vita? I don't have experience of it.

 

[SupahEwok]

Oh boy, a thread about whether a Nintendo console has merit on this site, I'm sure nobody can see where this will go (spoilers: about 70% of the remaining userbase get hateboners from trashing ol' Ninty).

I ain't hating, I'm just saying OP, don't be surprised at the direction this thread will take.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I will get it once Mario Odyssy and Metroid Prime 4 comes out. And I recommend you do the same.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

No but then I wouldn't buy any new console this soon. I like to see decent backlog of good games available by the time I buy it.

 

[Chewster]

Ok smart arse, I was obviously exaggerating. I wasn't trying to compare it to huge life events, I just meant on a day to day level. can you play any PS4 games you want on your vita? I don't have experience of it.

If you leave you PS4 in rest mode, you can use remote link but obviously whatever physical games you own can only be played if you leave them in the actual system at home so that's a bit of a limitation. Wifi has to be solid also but if you can get a stable connection, PS4 games look surprisingly decent and play well on the Vita.

Sorry if I came across as snarky, I just thought calling the Switch "life changing" was kind of funny.

 

[Saelune]

Im waiting for either a cool 'special edition' to come out, or an upgraded one.

 

[Zhukov]

Ohh, look out, Yoshi178 is going to fucking fight you!

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'll wait to see how good the new Mario turns out to be.

It certainly looks more enticing to buy then either a Wii or a Wii-U (the latter of which I actually bought). But seeing as I give zero shits about handheld gaming I'd find it hard to spend my money on one. Also, this is Nintendo... So yeah, maybe about two or three games are gonna be worth playing for me.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Is it worth it to me personally? No, and frankly, that is the only metric I care about.

At current, the Switch doesn't have enough games I want yet to make me seriously consider a purchase. That may change once the new Mario, Metroid Prime and Xenoblade are out. We'll see once that bridge is crossed.

 

[EternallyBored]

I like my Switch, but I have money to blow so if I buy at launch I'm fine with paying full price and even replacing a system that breaks due to launch issues, though of course I pursue repair or warranty replacement if I can.

The Switch has more games now, Sonic mania is great on handheld mode, Splatoon 2 is fun, Mario Kart 8 is finally getting the love it missed on the Wii U and the market is expanding with a nice mix of new and old games, I haven't had any trouble with the screen but I don't carry it around outside the house except rarely, Zelda is still the killer app, the lineup within the first year is a lot stronger than any of the last couple of console generations. This is bolstered in part by the failure of the Wii U, they can release stuff like Mario Kart 8 with all the DLC and it will be brand new to most people buying the console because very few people actually played the Wii U version.

That said, it's still early, and unless you've really got a need to play the second string Nintendo games, there's still only really Zelda at the moment, with mario later this year, the system itself is on the fragile end compared to say a 3DS or even a PSP, I would never take the damn thing camping.

Graphics wise, it's a portable Wii U, that's going to hurt third party releases, if you are looking to play the latest Farcry, CoD, Battlefield, or Assassin's Creed on this thing, I doubt that's ever going to happen, devs learned that lesson with the Wii, and throwing money at shitty AAA spinoffs just to have something on the Switch will be another disaster waiting to happen.
Nintendo claims they are trying to attract third parties this time, but they've made that claim in the past, still, with shit like Skyrim and the Rabbid/mario/xcom crossover, maybe they'll actually be right, the Switch is a console that can appeal to core demographics that would be more likely to buy AAA third party titles, whereas the Wii never quite got the hang of the motion controls with third party devs, and the Wii U was pretty much outclassed by the PS4 and Xbox One graphics wise and sold poorly even at launch to the point that third party devs never had any real incentive to try with the system without Nintendo bribing them.

The online system is still halfassed, just look at Nintendo's solution for voice chat and you'll quickly realize that without some serious changes, pretty much all forms of competitive online play on the console are going to be severely hampered.

I like the system, but unless you are really into the current or immediate release list, I can understand holding off or waiting for a price drop, it's fun but its got some kinks to work out.

 

[bluegate]

Switch looks like one of the most uncomfortable things to hold and play on a bus for a "real console experience", unless you have little 12 year old hands, that is.

As for it being worth it, no. Needs more games first. Oh yeah, and Nintendo needs to stop being a dick towards game streaming first.

 

[Catfood220]

OK, I want a Switch because I am a lapsed Nintendo fan boy who thinks the last great console they made was the Gamecube and will fight to the death anyone who says it wasn't a great little console...well ok maybe not, you might get an evil glare.

But at the moment, I don't think it's worth it. I really want to play Breath of the Wild, but that's it. Modern Mario Kart with its awful rubber band AI can fuck right off. Splatoon and Arms could be fun for a few days. But other than that, nothing. I am willing to wait for Mario and Metroid and a few more games to come out for it before rushing out and buying one. At which point, the console and that one game I really want to play will hopefully be cheaper.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Unless you really want Nintendo console games on the go, I really don't see the point of the Switch. Its killer apps are on Wii U like Zelda, Mario Kart, Splatoon (with Splatoon 2 not adding much and requiring a stupid phone app). Wii U is the better system now with access to Platinum's Wii U offerings. If I were forced to buy a Nintendo system right now, it would be the Wii U.

 

[dscross]

I'll wait to see how good the new Mario turns out to be.

It certainly looks more enticing to buy then either a Wii or a Wii-U (the latter of which I actually bought). But seeing as I give zero shits about handheld gaming I'd find it hard to spend my money on one. Also, this is Nintendo... So yeah, maybe about two or three games are gonna be worth playing for me.

I own a Wii. I have to say I didn't get any where near as much use out of it as other consoles I have owned. I played Mario Kart a lot, Sonic Colours a little bit and Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 once through. Think I might have played a Zelda game that was alright. All the other games were either available on other consoles I owned or not that interesting to me. I thought the DS and 3DS had a more interesting library even though it's a handheld.

 

[dscross]

I will get it once Mario Odyssy and Metroid Prime 4 comes out. And I recommend you do the same.

I reallly like the original Metroids. Super Metroid is amazing. I was never that keen on the Metroid Prime games though. Just never been a massive fan of first person action games, in general. As for Mario odyssey, I have some resevations. I don't think it looks anywhere near as good as Galaxy to me, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I will get it once Mario Odyssy and Metroid Prime 4 comes out. And I recommend you do the same.

I reallly like the original Metroids. Super Metroid is amazing. I was never that keen on the Metroid Prime games though. Just never been a massive fan of first person action games, in general. As for Mario odyssey, I have some resevations. I don't think it looks anywhere near as good as Galaxy to me, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Nothing will ever top Super Mario Galaxy but Odyssey looks like a big step up from the 3D Land/3D World games.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I own a Wii. I have to say I didn't get any where near as much use out of it as other consoles I have owned. I played Mario Kart a lot, Sonic Colours a little bit and Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 once through. Think I might have played a Zelda game that was alright. All the other games were either available on other consoles I owned or not that interesting to me. I thought the DS and 3DS had a more interesting library even though it's a handheld.

I own a Wii-U, which means I got a Wii as well. And even with both libraries combined I got maybe 5 games that hold my interest.