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Image Credit: Nintendo
Just admit it, we have all played the Nintendo Wii at some point in our life. Whether it was wildly swinging your arms thinking you were Andy Murray on Wii sports, or ruining your friendships by launching the blue shell at your mates on Mario kart.
The Wii was arguably Nintendo’s greatest ever home console, it was a revolution for the gaming industry, outselling both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The Wii offered fun for everyone whether it was for families and younger gamers, or Nintendo fans that could now delve back into their old pile of GameCube games and relive their childhood due to the Wii’s backwards compatibility.
The Wii was affordable at £179, it was new and it offered a type of gaming which encouraged us to get off our asses and move. The Wii eventually died though; like all consoles, its time eventually came to an end and was replaced by the next gen of consoles we use today: the PS4, the Xbox One and the Wii U.
The Wii was replaced with arguably the worst home console Nintendo has ever produced, with it being some sort of hybrid between a Wii and a tablet. The Wii U was marketed terribly and many thought it was only a new controller for the Wii, let alone a new console.
So where am I going with all this? Well on the 3rd of March right before SAASmas, something big is coming. The Nintendo Switch.
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- Photo: Nintendo
- The Nintendo Switch is the first ever hybrid console that allows you to play on your TV at home and then with a quick switch be playing on the go wherever you are. So, should you spend your hard-earned student loan on this?
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- Multiplayer: The option of local multiplayer gaming that the switch offers is the best on the market. It’s joy-cons offer a fresh take on multiplayer, being able to set up the switch for a quick co-op game anywhere.
- Games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most anticipated games of the year, is available on the day of release. 1-2 Switch which looks to be an updated version of Wii Sports and many future releases such as Mario Kart, Mario Odyssey, NBA2K, Fifa and Elder Scrolls.
- Portability: It’s the first console of its kind being able to play wherever you want whether it’s home or away. Non-stop gaming whether you are on your way to class or chilling at your pad in the slum of Bruce Street.
- Flexibility: With its design the console allows you to play in a number of ways using either the joy-cons on their own, the Nintendo Switch Dock with the Joy-cons attached or just using the Joy-con grip. This allows for a completely different gaming experience compared to the likes of PS4 and Xbox One.
- Photo: Nintendo
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- Price: The Switch is not extortionate on its own, however the games and accessories really aren’t cheap. The console comes without a game meaning that you have to splash out an extra £59.99 if you want to play Zelda on your brand new console. The accessories are also very expensive; a pro controller to use at home on your TV is £64.99 which is more expensive than an Xbox or PS4 controller. So if you want all the kit for your new console you better be willing to spend.
- Games: Although the game line-up for the year is very promising the launch day games are very limited. Zelda is the obvious marquee game and other games such as 1-2 Switch and Super Bomberman R are the main ones available on the release date. You may wish to hold off until a wider range of games are available. The list is constantly being updated however, so there may be some late additions.
- Battery: If you are looking to take advantage of the portable side of the Switch you better take a charger. The ones lucky enough to get early access have noted it to only have roughly 3.5 hours of battery life whilst playing a game. Nintendo claim that it can last up to 6 hours away from its dock, however, what game you are playing and your settings drastically impact the battery life.
- Memory: The switch comes with 32GB of internal memory meaning that if you want to download games to your consoles you are going to have to buy an SD card to store them on. Which means, you guessed it, you’re going to have to spend more money.
The Switch does have the potential to change the way we game forever, Nintendo have created something unique which may see them finally overtake console giants Sony and Microsoft. The new additions of the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One S may offer some competition for the Switch. Nonetheless, Nintendo may have finally found a level where the Princess is in the castle.
Featured Image Credit: Nintendo
