Nintendo Switch: One Month Later

It’s been one entire month since the Nintendo Switch launched, and if my Twitter newsfeed is anything to go by, almost everyone who loves video games, is playing the Switch. I remember when the Wii U launched: complaints over the battery in the gamepad, a lack of titles to play, and even the talk of third party supporters dropping out early. The same cannot be said for the Switch, and that is great news for everyone!

Between my wife and I, our Nintendo Switch unit gets some hands on time every day, despite our very busy schedules. As the National Hockey League hurtles towards the playoffs – and with the Toronto Maple Leafs still relevant – I’ve been using the Switch a ton in handheld mode while watching the game on TV. The same goes for my wife, but while she watches all the international curling matches. Over the last month, we’ve been using the Switch in every configuration possible, and it’s been awesome.

Now, I understand the Wii U could also be used off the TV, but this time around things are different. With all the internals stored within the handheld itself, my wife (who is a die hard Detroit Red Wings fan), who doesn’t want to watch the Maple Leafs, can snap up the Switch and head to bed early to get a few hours of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in before going to sleep. With my Wii U, the distance between the TV room and my bedroom was too much for the Wii U, so we could never play do this.

The slow but steady stream of Nintendo Switch games has also been a welcome sight. Although my wife and I are both deep into Breath of the Wild, we also both like to branch out and try other titles from time to time. Over the past month, we’ve played a reviewed 1-2 Switch, Super Bomberman R, and New Frontier Days. On top of those great titles, we are still working our way through – and working on a review for – Snake Pass, the incredibly hyped snake physics puzzle game that really work on Nintendo’s latest platform!

It hasn’t been all good for the Nintendo Switch however, as the company has had to deal with a number of user complaints, none of which I have experienced yet. From bent docks that scratch the screen, and left Joy-Con remotes that won’t stay connected, to the issue of third party skins ruining the look of the console, it hasn’t been the smoothest month for the video game giant. Thankfully, Nintendo has been fairly upfront with gamers on these issues, and is fixing the issues that are brought to their attention. There is always a risk to buying video game systems early, and these issues are one of them.

Nintendo is on pace for a great year with the Nintendo Switch, both based on sales numbers and overall user experience. What has you most excited for the Nintendo Switch this year?