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- [Tom] A year and a half after its launch,
the Nintendo Switch has almost entirely lived
up to the promise it made.
While I may not been to any rooftop parties,
I've played console quality games
like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the train, and then sat down
on my couch to see them on the big screen.
Daily use has forced a few design flaws into the light,
but the Switch has easily solidified itself
as one of my favorite consoles.
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I don't feel like I've paid for the Switch's mobility
with the quality of the games it plays.
It's undeniably an underpowered system compared
to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One,
and that sacrifice of graphics power
is noticeable in ports like Doom.
But the fact that I can play Doom
on the go at all is impressive.
The image and color quality
of the Switch's 720p LCD display looks great.
That's good because I play my Switch
in handheld mode 80% of the time, and my pre-launch concerns
about the three to four hour battery life
proved not to be a problem, even on a long daily commute.
The 6.2 inch screen is an excellent size
for single player games,
but does get too small in split-screen.
Docking the Switch will give a nice resolution bump
to most games for your TV, though that can vary.
The base dock is fine enough,
but it is needlessly big compared
to some third party options and can even scratch the edges
of your screen if you aren't careful.
It's frustrating that no official alternatives exist,
and that Nintendo warrants third party options
could break your Switch entirely.
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Docked or handheld, I've fallen in love
with the Switch's Joy-Con controllers.
They're available in a variety of cool colors
and satisfyingly snap on and off of the sides of the system.
The Switch empowers you to make the decision of how to play
with different Joy-Con combinations, the Pro Controller,
or even a GameCube adapter available.
Using a single sideways Joy-Con is still too cramped
for adult hands, but the buttons themselves
are responsive and satisfying to press.
I do miss a proper D-pad and analog triggers though.
General wear and tear have revealed a couple of design flaws
since release, like a common cosmetic issue
with the Switch's battery expanding
and cracking the plastic.
This isn't something I've experienced,
but my left Joy-Con has loosened,
letting me attach it without pressing the button.
Thankfully that hasn't happened while playing,
but deterioration like this make me nervous
about the Switch's long-term durability.
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"Is it coming to Switch," has become the battle cry
of this console generation, and thankfully,
third-party developers are flocking
to Nintendo's newest system with a deluge of cool games.
Ports like Rocket League, Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight,
and Dragonball FighterZ are all excellent,
with more like Civilization 6 and Warframe on the way.
Bethesda has also shown impressive support with ports
of Wolfenstein II, Doom, and Skyrim,
though at a noticeably reduced graphical quality.
The catch is that the Switch's comparably weak hardware
has made this year's biggest games
like Monster Hunter: World, Red Dead Redemption 2,
or Call of Duty unsurprisingly absent.
That's disappointing, but Nintendo's own lineup
of first party games has been stunning.
Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey
were undoubtedly two of the best games released in 2017,
and both gorgeous, despite the weaker machine.
With Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
on the horizon for later this year,
and Metroid Prime, Luigi's Mansion, Fire Emblem,
Animal Crossing, and Pokemon all slated for 2019,
the Switch's amazing first party support
shows no sign of slowing down.
There's an impressive multi-player lineup with Splatoon 2,
Mario Tennis Aces, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe too,
but the Switch basically has no built-in voice chat.
In first party games, you're forced
to use the incredibly inconvenient Nintendo app
on your phone, but then Fortnite
allows you plug in any third party headset and chat away,
which makes Nintendo decision
even more baffling and frustrating.
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Despite the fantastic and still growing library of games,
it's impossible to ignore that the Switch
is missing many basic console features.
Things like an internet browser, achievements,
home menu customization,
or any video streaming apps beyond Hulu.
Their absence doesn't make me enjoy playing Zelda
on the train any less, but it is notable
when compared to its competitors.
The new online service is similarly pared down,
but costs a third of Xbox Live Gold and PS+,
as it simply isn't trying to offer what those services do.
For $20 a year, you get cloud saves and the ability
to play multiplayer games online,
both of which thankfully work great.
You don't get extras like free modern games,
but you do get a selection of old NES games
alongside some other goodies like in-game cosmetics
and the promise of future discounts.
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A year and a half after release, the Nintendo Switch
has delivered on its initial promise
of playing high-quality games both at home and on the go.
It just hasn't gone much further than that.
But Switch doesn't have all the bells and whistles people
have come to expect from a home console,
but that doesn't stop it from being
a disruptively good gaming machine
with one of the best game libraries around.
For more on some of the Switch's best games,
check out our reviews
of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
or Super Mario Odyssey, or hear more of our thoughts
on Nintendo's online service.
And for everything else, keep it right here on IGN.
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