Every so often Nintendo will release a ‘direct’, showing off the new games and sharing information about games released at a later date. The Switch is slowly becoming my favourite console/handheld. Especially when I see the line up of new games.
My console/handheld history
My Nintendo experience started with Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES. Yes, we go waaaay back. Then I bought a secondhand Gameboy. The games were tough and I couldn’t finish them without cheating. With the first Playstation, that ended. There were a few games I finished, but I still spend a long time trying to master the games.
Then came the PS2 and PS3. Still much the same. I bought a lot of games but didn’t finish many. I’m just not that good of a gamer, and some games can’t really be finished.
I also owned a Wii with various exercise games like Wii Fit and Just Dance. Exercise has always been a problem for me and this console definitely help me move more. But more on that later.
The DSi Lite was my handheld of choice, the one I took with me on vacations, usually with one game I’d play the whole vacation. I probably finished more games on the DS than any other console. I really loved the games on it, but also the device itself. The feedback on the buttons of the 3DS is too much and my thumb especially starts hurting after only playing 15 minutes.
I love my Switch
And then came the Switch. We bought the Switch a few years ago with Bayonetta 2 and Mario Odyssey. I finished Bayonetta and really wanted to play 2. My husband loves Mario games so that one was for him. I didn’t play on it much before until I had Stardew Valley and played a few days every evening.
I’ll be honest. The Switch replaced the 3DS and the DS more than it replaced any of the consoles. I use it in handheld mode mostly since Stardew Valley and Pokemon Sword are excellent for handheld play.
The Switch lite would’ve been excellent, but it would’ve been nearly impossible to play Just Dance on it, so I’m glad we have the docked version. My husband also prefers to play on the TV. So it’s nice to have options.
New games
When they announced the port of the Collection of Mana, a game series I loved when I was little, I knew I wanted to play it again. My husband gave it to me. The game I was most interested in was Trails of Mana, the one they’re also making a remake of. I don’t know yet if I want to play that one. The quality of the remake is much better than I expected, but I still enjoy playing the original. So would it add value if you just play it for the story? I don’t know.
Last November Pokemon Sword came out. We were in Japan at the time so I didn’t preorder it, but it was one of the first things I did when we got back. I was waiting for a good Pokemon again. I played Pokemon Sun/Moon for awhile (until my hands started hurting seriously) but I didn’t seem to enjoy it as much. I don’t really know why because the game is gorgeous, the Pokemon cute and I love the idea of the challenges instead of ordinary gyms.
Pokemon Sword was everything I wanted and more. It didn’t bother me that I couldn’t catch all 800+ Pokemon. To be honest, the idea alone is overwhelming. This is the first time in a long while that I beat the champion in years. I’m currently trying to complete as much of the pokedex as possible.
Early last month, I bought Octopath Traveler with a 50% discount. I already played the demo before and knew I’d one day play the whole game. I guess that’s now. It seemed like the perfect game to enjoy during self-isolation. That said, I’ve only just recruited my second character and still haven’t killed the boss. It’s been awhile since I played a JRPG and have to get used again to grinding and learning the mechanics of bosses. No kill comes easy. I’ll get there though.
And with more discounts come more games. I really like that the Nintendo eShop has regular sales now and triple A games also get discounted. I remember when things were different. So I picked up Just Dance 2019 for 15 bucks, including one month of Just Dance Unlimited. I played the first two or three games on the Wii and enjoyed it a lot. Dancing is one of the few things I’d still do even if my body wouldn’t work with me. Plus, no one is going to see my dance except my husband and Shiro.
So with all these games and even more awesome games to come, I think the Switch is going to be my new favourite handheld and console. Two in one, how convenient.
