The Story of the Switch - A Year in Retrospect
Debuting with a short trailer in October of 2016, the Switch made waves. Confirming rumours of Nintendo's latest hybrid system and rekindling hope for third-party support, people were talking. Could a handheld device cope with the quality of gameplay expected from a home console? Would these detachable controllers herald in a new age of gimmick-reliant games? Will I ever get invited to a rooftop party? Through the hype building and mystery, Nintendo made one thing clear—this is not the Wii U. Casting it aside like a DSi in 2011, the Switch put forward a new aesthetic. Slimmer, sleeker, this system felt as though it was marketed to the population who had grown up with Nintendo, as opposed to those still growing. With just one more appearance in December on The Tonight Show, things were relatively quiet going into 2017.
January brought with it a livestream from Tokyo, showing off much of what was to come in enticing detail. Announcing Arms, 1-2 Switch, and a plethora of information surrounding controllers, price point, and release date - the stage was set. Though a large point of conversation stemmed from the awkward live translation, Nintendo fans got a chance to see just what was waiting for them around the corner. A moment I still fondly look back on is the unveiling of Hisashi Nogami, producer of Splatoon 2. His getup, his enthusiasm, and his dramatic poses stay with me to this day; all of this made better when considering he was presenting to a room of financial analysts and trade partners. It really drove home to me this is still a Nintendo system, and that Nintendo systems serve for fun above all.
Just three short days before release, Nintendo had one last marketing push for the Switch in its February 28th Nindies showcase. Kicking off with the announcement of SteamWorld Dig 2, Nintendo showed the potential for a vast library of games; much of which we're enjoying a year later. Others, we still wait for—I'm looking at you WarGroove.
Launch brought with it a unique joy I haven't seen since the Nintendo Wii. With the intense sales force of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild behind it, the Switch took off at a greater pace than anybody could have anticipated, becoming completely unavailable in certain areas for months to come. Supported by the likes of Super Bomberman R, Shovel Knight, and the ever-memorable Vroom in the Night Sky, early adopters already had a small library of games good and bad to choose from. It stood as a shame to me party game 1-2 Switch wasn't bundled with the system, Nintendo instead opting to sell it as a full-priced standalone game. The Switch's launch was no doubt successful, but it lacked its Tetris, its Wii Sports; even to some extent its Face Raiders.
The months that followed saw a steady stream of support from Nintendo and third parties alike, none left without a major release to serve as its backbone. After the gargantuan success of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo offered up a different kind of experience for April, opting to bring a new version of Mario Kart 8 to the system. With the force of 42 playable characters and an all-new battle mode, owners of the Wii U version were coaxed and coerced into double dipping on this staple of frantic friendship-killing action. My personal pick for the month comes from a surprisingly underrated assortment of falling blocks and blobs with faces; none other than Puyo Puyo Tetris. Seeing its first release outside of Japan, this fun mashup captivated me not only in its well-established and polished gameplay, but in its incredible dialogue and puns. Even if you don't think yourself particularly sharp at Tetris, or find yourself unfamiliar with the cutest blobs in gaming, I recommend you check it out.
May's big-ticket release came in the form of Disgaea 5 Complete, much like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe releasing with the DLC of its PS4 counterpart. This isometric trip into gruesome grinding and devilishly good humour provided players with all the goodness of a primetime Prinny for the first time on a Nintendo system in almost a decade. All in all, a relatively quiet month. Minecraft got its inevitable port and fighter fans were left largely disappointed with the lacklustre release of Ultimate Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. While not necessarily flawed, many saw its relative lack of new content struggling to justify its hefty price tag. Despite this, be it through a desperate wanting of something fresh in an otherwise slow month, or a genuine desire to Hadouken with the Joy Cons, Switch owners saw it worthy enough of their money for it to be a commercial success in the eyes of Capcom.
As summer rolled in, so too did the unforgettable anthem of ARMS; Nintendo's unique attempt at captivating the competitive masses. Creating a game largely reliant on motion controls does, after all, have a fantastic track record for Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword averaging 93% on review aggregate site Metacritic. Though featuring the polish and shine of a first party Nintendo game, many found themselves let down by the relative lack of content. It set itself up for updates much like the 2015 hit Splatoon, but ultimately found itself lacking the same spark that made fighting for turf so fun.
One of my more anticipated titles, Splatoon 2 rolled, squelched, and sprayed onto Nintendo Switch in the midst of Summer. Building off the finale of the original game, it captured the hearts of series fans as their final parting decision influenced the events of the sequel. Now with new weapon types, new maps, and new special weapons, Splatoon 2 felt fresh; and yet managed to keep the same charm and sheer sense of fun as its predecessor. An interesting pairing to release alongside it would be the Nintendo Switch Online app for smartphones. With a unique area for Splatoon showing the maps in rotation, as well as a unique way of ordering high quality gear, it served me well as I threw myself into the inky abyss. Should you find yourself harbouring a particular hatred for your teammates, it also allowed for an infuriating and limited voice chat solution.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a game that came somewhat out of nowhere. Being the second game I reviewed for GBAtemp, I recall it in a strange light. Putrid minion-esque creatures sullying the Mario name, what was Nintendo thinking? I don't think I've ever been so happy to be wrong. Every element of this game just worked. A sense of humour only possible with these rabid hellspawn, a companion character spouting words and phrases I never thought I'd see within a mile of the Mario name. Even nine months later, I find myself in awe of what I played. A truly remarkable gem blending two franchises that had no reason nor rhyme to interact, let alone in such a brilliant way.
Following in the footsteps of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe before it, Pokken saw itself lifted from the obscurity of the Wii U and decorated with the new title of Pokken Tournament DX. Adding characters previously exclusive to the arcade version of the game, Pokken DX offered a great port of the 2015 hit, portability being a huge selling point. Around this time, the floodgates were noticeably starting to open for the Switch eShop. What was a steady stream of one or two games a week now became three, four, upwards of twelve games appearing, hopeful to find their audience. One game truly deserving of such, is Sidebar Games' debut title Golf Story. With lush visuals, an engaging story, and the high-octane sport of golf serving as its backbone, it throws you back to the golden era of Mario sports games. Back to Mario Tennis and Mario Golf on the GBA, where each game had a lovingly crafted world, small as they may have been. It stands to me as a passionate love letter to a time long-since passed.
It would be easy to jump ahead to the colossal release of Super Mario Odyssey, but to do so would be to overlook perhaps my favourite game to have been ported to this capable device. Presenting a quiet farmer's life in a small town, Stardew Valley offers players the freedom to live as they like. If you want to farm, farm. If you want to fish, you know where the ocean is. You want to marry this man? This woman? It's your life, and this freedom is only amplified by the freedom to play it where you want. Stardew Valley is a game that always belonged on a handheld device. Crafting an experience enjoyable in ten-minute bursts, or six-hour marathon sessions, you have here a unique game to be enjoyed by a vast audience. And then a week later, you had Mario.
Super Mario Odyssey launched to a similar reception as Breath of the Wild. Marked down as one of the greatest Mario games to date, and a true icon of the Nintendo Switch itself, it was showered with high ratings across the board. It featured fun movement, bright and visually appealing graphics, and a neat new gimmick; a true 3D Mario game of exploration and open worlds after the linearity of Super Mario 3D Land, and World. A brilliant game I feel sorely let down by the littering of Moons across its landscapes. I found a great deal of enjoyment in playing it, but with a Moon for every random action, I couldn't help but grow tired of it. I applaud the developers for their foresight in level design, putting Moons at the end of every "what if" scenario, but this foresight comes at a cost. It feels as Super Mario 64 would if every red coin were made a Star, and it held it back for me.
With a number of third-party developers finding success in the Switch, now came Bethesda to test the water with their undying magnum opus: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While I find it easy to stand aside and laugh at just how many releases Skyrim has seen, I did buy it on the Switch when it launched. What the Switch has is unique. Porting a six-year-old game is nothing special, but porting a game of such scale, of such magnitude as Skyrim to a handheld system? That's different. To wander Whiterun, to slay dragons, to be a general nuisance to the people of Skyrim; to do this anywhere is something extraordinary in my mind. It's the one thing from launch to now I still struggle to come to terms with, and yet have gotten so used to. On any other system, you might say rereleasing a game for the third, or even fourth time is a shameless cash grab. Maybe it is on the Switch, but when providing such a unique selling point, the purchase justifies itself to me.
Ending 2017 with a bang, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 throws you into an immersive and expansive journey across the moving landscapes that are Titans. Having reviewed this, I found myself captivated from start to end. With its brilliant English dubbing and writing that can make even generic tropes into well-developed and interesting plot points, the Switch finally had its definitive JRPG experience.
With two months of 2018 already behind us, the Switch isn't showing any signs of slowing down. With Bayonetta 1 + 2 recently released, Kirby, Attack on Titan 2, and Project Octopath Traveller ahead in the immediate future; even a main series Pokemon game coming soon. Stay with GBAtemp as we cover the latest and greatest of what this system has to offer.
One year on, what are your fondest memories of the Switch? What are you hoping for the coming year? Let us know below.
Official GBAtemp Reviews
If any of the games mentioned in this article interested you, be sure to check out our official reviews:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Disgaea 5 Complete ARMS Splatoon 2 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle SteamWorld Dig 2 Super Mario Odyssey Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Bayonetta 1 + 2
