After fighting through of what seems to be an endless horde of people, I managed to snatch the last Switch away from the store counter, emerging victorious. The scene of the battlefield was glorious … the crushing facial expressions of those behind me, the sound of girlfriends slapping their boyfriends, the cries of young children, the anger roar of parents … all because they failed to get a Switch. It was truly a survival of the fittest.
……..
Okay I kid. I actually pre-ordered mine weeks before and just walked right in to pick it up. There were ample of stocks available for walk-in customers, at least at the game store where I bought my Switch from. I would imagine the above “glorious” scenario only applies to new iPhone releases.
Anyway, having played the Switch for a good 2 weeks now, here are the the 5 things I like about Nintendo’s latest console.
The Switch (umm … literally)
Without a doubt, the best feature of the Switch is the ability to switch between handheld and TV mode on the fly. The process is simple; pop the main unit into the dock and the game will appear on your TV screen within a few short seconds. Same goes to when you remove the main unit from the dock.
This is something I have always dreamed of having every since I started gaming during the 16 bit era. The closest thing we had at the time was the Sega Nomad but *sigh* it was much too late my dear friend.
Instantly Resume
While this feature isn’t something new (both the PS4 and Xbox One are capable of resuming from where you left off), the Switch allows you get back into the action fast. Just hit the Power button to pause or resume your game. I find myself doing this a lot, especially when you have a wife and kid.
Thin and Lightweight
The Switch weigh less than the Wii U Gamepad and it is much slimmer too, making it easy to carry around. Unfortunately due to its size, you probably still need to put it inside a bag or a carrying case.
Comfort
The Switch is surprisingly comfortable to hold. The Joy-Con buttons have a nice feel to it, similar to the ones found on the 3DS. Analog sticks are a bit on the small side but nothing game breaking.
After two hours of playing Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, I did not experience any kind of cramp or discomfort. Having said that, I did had to position my right hand at a certain angle in order to get a better feel of the right analog stick. To get the best BoTW experience, it is recommended to play with the the Joy-Cons attached to the Joy-Con grip or buy a Pro Controller.
Standard Charging Port
USB-C isn’t exactly a common standard (yet) compared to its A and B brothers, they are definitely better compared to proprietary charging ports. It allows us, the consumers to look for 3rd party alternatives, like this USB-C powerbank by Anker. I’m glad the folks over at Nintendo went with this decision.
That’s about it for this topic. Coming up next, 5 Things I dislike about the Nintendo Switch.