I'm not sure when it was that I fell out of love with Nintendo. I had the Nintendo 64, and many iterations of Gameboy's and DS. But at some point that love for the company faded, and instead was replaced with a jaded cynicism that all they could do was rehash classics. Maybe it was after the complete failure of the Wii U, which, when thinking about, really personified their failure to grasp modern gaming tastes.
It was because of this that I had completely neglected the Switch, giving it nary a consideration as a serious console and just assumed it wasn't worth looking at. However, my curiosity was piqued at EGX, so I thought I would go and have a look to see what the fuss was about.
I'm never afraid to admit when I'm wrong, and in this instance I might just have to do so. With the Switch, Nintendo seem to have captured what is great about gaming, and more specifically what was great about Nintendo gaming - friends.
Photo: punk17er
In my limited time with the Switch, I became quite enamoured with it. The touchscreen was surprisingly sharp given its 720p resolution, and the console itself was light enough to pick up and play without remembering how long it had been since you last went to the gym. The sound was quite crisp, and loud enough to hear even in the din of the conference hall.
Nintendo do seem to continue only catering to the small-handed gamers, with what I feel to be quite a cramped and uncomfortable button and joystick layout, but I may well be in the minority here.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Before EGX, I would point at Mario Kart as the epitome of my complaints with Nintendo. Released again and again with only minor increments, it felt like the Japanese company was just cashing in on nostalgia. I had played MK on the Wii, and left feeling wholly unimpressed.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch was a somewhat different story. Yes, the core mechanics are still the same (not necessarily a bad thing as they were solid foundations) but it had been built out to provide much more variation and customisation.
There are more tracks, including anti gravity sections, more powerups, and more characters. It ran exceptionally smooth, and the game as a whole felt fresh and invigorating.
I appreciate that this is an enhanced port of MK8 from the Wii U, but having never played that version, and being casually aware that it wasn't well received, it is quite exciting to see Nintendo have managed to turn it around with the Switch version.
Further research has unearthed that many of the faults of MK8 have been rectified, and indeed I think that perfectly mirrors the feeling with the Switch as a whole. A great console that sweeps away the memories of that terrible, terrible Wii U.
I might just have to get one now...
I don't think the Wii U was terrible! I think it was an amazing console - just lacking decent games, and I feel it's an underrated gem.