Nintendo Switch Assessment (Review of 2017)

We are about a month and a half away from heading into 2018. For PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, they are still far from being finished. Nintendo, on the other hand, is pinning all its hopes on their Switch system, which debuted at the start of March this year. I do not own one, but so far, it has done well and it has companies scrambling to get content onto the hybrid. What is it that made this do well compared to the atrocity of the Wii U?

Marketing: When looking at best selling systems, their advertising is a reason to consider success. You think Genesis Does for Sega, Live in your World. Play in Ours slogan for Sony when seeing system campaigns. The idea of being portable and playing on TV is a big point for the Switch. Nintendo is actually showcasing the system on a number of channels, something they didn't really do with the Wii U outside of some major titles. People are aware of it. It's just a matter of if they will buy it.

No shoehorned gimmick: Part of the reason why I think the Wii U failed was because of its GamePad. You didn't have much choices other than Wii controllers and Classic type controllers, and the system price might have hurt from having it. With the Switch, the controller is a basic setup. Nothing exactly shoehorned or forced. They simplified it, and trying it at a store, it felt comfortable. My only complaint if people are going to look to buy the system is additional controllers costing 70 plus dollars.

Heavy hitter killer apps: You know what the big titles are going to be on a Nintendo system. Getting a Zelda title out after numerous delays gave the system a glimmer of hope. Having a new Mario game out last month, and certain ports and original titles helped the Switch in its first year. Not to mention that Zelda and Mario are trying newer things to make experiences fresh for veteran gamers.

Now, first party is fine and dandy, but if Nintendo has to do something, it's this. They have to really support it beyond 2017. Odds are they will, but it has to be at the caliber of what they have done. No doubt, there will be a new Smash Bros. game, a new Pokemon, but what else? Not to mention getting the system promoted, which seems to have done way better than the Wii U debacle. After 2013, Nintendo gave up. With Switch, they are getting back onto the scene.

Third party is still a question mark, something Nintendo has struggled with since 1996. The consensus is that it has a lot of indie companies on board. It's no joke. Having titles like Shovel Knight for example show how willing the House of Mario is to get new customers. As far as major companies, they have stuff like Super Bomberman, Ultra Street Fighter II, Sonic Mania as some of their support. In this month of November, it has Doom. L.A. Noire will be out by the time this blog is finished along with Skyrim at the end of the week. Some are testing the waters, and that will be the true test for 2018. Are third party companies going to keep supporting the Switch? I don't see why not, but the system still has a lot of work to do.

So... should you buy a Switch? I'd say yes. It's got titles for a variety of people and it feels like there should be support for a good while. The question would be how you feel about spending 300 plus dollars. Other than that, I'd say get on the hype. Nintendo is back in town for now.

Score: 7.5 out of 10