Gamers should wait before buying the Nintendo Switch

A+E – UNLV Free Press

On March 3, Nintendo’s highly anticipated Switch console was released, along with 21 launch title games. Among the games were “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” “Super Bomberman R” and “1-2-Switch.”

The console works as advertised. The Joy-Con controllers can be pulled off of their combining grip and held in two halves. The two halves can also be slid onto the sides of the screen, giving the console the look of a Wii U tablet.

But do not fear; the Switch is nothing like the Wii U. The system runs smoothly, and the gameplay really does transfer from the TV dock to the tablet almost instantly when pulled out. The console also actually has games, which is more than what can be said about Wii U.

Unfortunately, this is where the compliments for the console end.

The first major problem is with the controller. The structure of the Joy-Con is lackluster, and no matter what formation the controller is in, it’s an uncomfortable hold.

Both halves of the Joy-Con controller are small and feel rather fragile. Each half can be turned sideways and turned into two independent controllers. While a unique feature, the parts are too small to really utilize as independent remotes.

The triggers in particular are more like small nubs that are hard to grasp, and the overall size of the controllers is a painful issue. However, If you feel like dropping another $60, you can get the Pro Controller which has the same layout as the Xbox controller.

Another crippling problem is that the Switch has not gone live with its Virtual Console yet. The Virtual Console is a service that has existed since the original Wii. It allows players to buy and download games from older Nintendo consoles like the NES, SNES and GameCube.

While the system has its issues, the machine works perfectly well. The Switch will be worth the buy in a few months, but not right now. Gaming website Eurogamer has already counted over 100 games announced for the console, but most of them don’t even have release dates.

The verdict: buy the Switch in September. The Virtual Console should be live by then, and the system will have a majority of their games out. It would also be wise to get the console before the holiday craze.

While the Nintendo Switch has downfalls (mostly in the controller), it is a unique piece of technology that will eventually have an immense library of games. The key is to wait and allow the game collection to grow.

7 out of 10

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