The Nintendo Switch has had a successful launch and is definitely the real deal but Nintendo’s newest console is not without it’s issues. Skepticism is healthy and it comes very easy to people who have yet to actually try the system out for themselves, but for those of us who have had a little more hands on experience it can be hard to see past the hype. It is important to point out that this new hardware is amazing in the many things it sets out to do while at the same time being grounded in the reality that nothing is perfect at launch. Here are some of the more prominent issues to look out for before you decide if you want to sink north of $300 into the newest gaming trend.
Battery Life is Laughable
For what is being touted as a hybrid system, your total time on the go will add up to 2.5 – 3.5 hours. That barely gets you anywhere when playing The Legend Zelda: Breath of the Wild, just trust that your Switch can and will die on you. Even on medium brightness! The controllers thankfully have such a long battery life that I have yet to find myself with a live system, and dead sticks. Make sure you are carrying around the charger if you leave with your Switch.
Bring a Charger for your Switch….because it will die!
You Will Need a Screen Protector!
The Switch’s dock will scratch up the screen of your Switch if you are not careful with sliding it in. Now this is mostly user error, as if you do sloppily put in the Switch, the screen will scratch. How to combat this? Treat it like your cell phone or expensive handheld device. Buy a screen protector and be sure to place the Switch into its dock very carefully every time. Ya know, treat your expensive hardware correctly! All screens on all devices, be they plastic or glass, are not immune to damage. It may be common sense, but its in need of pointing out.
Limited On Board Memory
If you plan to download a lot of games and extras on your Nintendo Switch, it is in your best interest to grab a SD Micro Card! 32 gigs of space with over 5 uses on the Operating System leaves you with very little extra room. I’d suggest spending the extra money to get more memory!
Lack of Release Titles
Games, games everywhere. Except launch.
I currently have 3 games on my Switch. A racing game called Fast RMX, an old game called Shovel Knight, and the main event of course being The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While Zelda may be a solid contender for one of the greatest games of all time (seriously, I’ve put over 20 hours into it and there is nothing like it), it still only is ONE game. The other two titles work well as pallet cleansers, but beyond these there just are not a lot of offerings currently.
Reported Dead Pixels
If you have a Switch that is suffering from dead pixels, take it back to the store and make them return it. These things happen in all products and while Nintendo is saying “it is not their issue,” you can certainly still return it to the store you bought it at. Make sure you do a good inspection before keeping the system for too long. Dead pixels will be pretty obvious pretty quickly.
Frustrating Comparison of the Joy-Con Grips
Joy-Cons Can’t Charge Without Being Docked
Now this is just a classic Nintendo maneuver. This just screams of, “Hey this is okay, just buy our 30 dollar proprietary peripheral to place your Joy-Cons in to charge your controllers while you play!” To add more insult to injury, this purchasable peripheral looks exactly like the controller cradle that comes with the system – except it is unable to charge, which seems like a standard feature. This may be among this most frustrating things about the system and accessories.
Controller Syncing Issues
Though they are meant to be used together, the Joy-Cons themselves are standalone controllers and there have been multiple reports of the left Joy-Con un-syncing. It seems many things are interfering with the signal and there is talk of a possible a firmware update to fix this, however it is still an unacceptable issue to have at launch.
No Virtual Console
This is a subjective issue but many were anticipating virtual console, so I imagine its absence currently is a deal breaker for some. This addition could have padded out the Nintendo Switch’s, launch but they were unable to deliver. This service is coming, but for now it is not present and no idea when it will become available.
No Party Chat
Party Chat currently does not exist – and when it does, you will need a phone app to use it. Um what? I will reserve any more judgment until this feature comes out and I get hands on time with it. Because that’s what you do, use something before forming an opinion on it.
Friend Codes Are Back
The friend codes are still used to find friends online. This is old, archaic, and there has to be better ways to do this by now. But I quickly got over it as I filled out my friends lists with help from previous Nintendo apps to help find people I have interacted with, or putting in your 75 (not a real number) digit arbitrary code to find somebody specific.
Kickstand Woes
Switch’s flimsy kickstand
The Nintendo Switch kickstand is flimsy and it feels like the console is always on the verge of tipping over. I suggest some sort of case that props it up if you plan to play it on the go and upright.
Game Saves Locked to System
Unlike other consoles, the save data for your games is currently locked to the system. Now this seems like it will be something that is addressed in a firmware update but for the moment I hope you are not planning on continuing your gaming adventures on a friend’s console. It is a traveling system, though, so there should be little to no need for save data transfers outside of upgrading to a new system or extracting data off of a broken one. Here’s to hoping this is fixed soon!
No Ethernet Port
What is this the 90s? Sure I get everything is wireless now but for online gaming, internet speed is paramount and Wi-fi does not always cut it! How much cost was cut from excluding this? its a big omission but thankfully I have had zero issues with the wi-fi, connecting online, or being unable to update my games or get into a quick race in Fast RMX.
Report Card:
Some of these issues with the Nintendo Switch will be deal breakers to some while not even being a blip on the radar for others. For now if I had to impart advice to anybody who is on the fence, I would say that all early adopters for any piece of hardware are basically glorified beta testers. There will be kinks, there will be issues, and oversights in the first batch of these systems, but that is not exclusive to this product.
My take on it? Wait for a few months. Watch the catalog of games grow, watch some of the issues be addressed, and when it feels right for you, pull the trigger, because there is nothing in the world like never having to stop playing. There is something so novel about grabbing the system and continuing your session at work, on the bus, or on vacation, while never feeling like the limitations of playing cell phone game or handheld device. This is true hardcore, triple A gaming on the go which was the mantra of the Nintendo Switch. In that regard, they nailed what they set out to do.
I hate to dwell on the negatives, but being objective about the shortcomings of a new product is important! Stay tuned to a future feature about all the things I loved about the system, and strap yourself in because there is A LOT to love!
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“Gaming does not respect my personal time,” is a mantra I have been saying for weeks now. We truly live in the best time to game, and this may be among the greatest years of releases in the whole industry. That being said, I want to make a declaration:
I want to enjoy my other hobbies too, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Horizon Zero Dawn wont let me.
Jesting aside, it is not often that we are hammered with such a collection of releases in Q1. Sure as the years have gone by, big Q1 releases have become more and more commonplace. However, I don’t think I have ever seen it to this extreme. Let’s break 2017 down a bit.
The year started off with January’s smash success Resident Evil 7 as the big must see attraction. February boasted For Honor, and PlayStation’s two new exclusives, Nioh and Horizon Zero Dawn. If you think it stops there well buckle in for March’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the release of Nintendo’s newest console, the Nintendo Switch, Neir, and Mass Effect Andromeda. Oh, but you can’t stop planning for after that because April will see Persona 5, with Prey also coming out in May. Every single month has a can’t miss title that you…well…can’t miss!
Among all the listed titles above, two are going to battle it out in the same week, head to head, for our free time. Both games are large open worlds, with lots of inspirations from previous open world games like GTA, The Witcher 3, and Skyrim. They are also both an exclusive pillar in two different franchise lineups. That’s right, it’s time to break open the time seizing terrorists: Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Sony’s Horizon Zero Dawn.
Horizon Zero Dawn Open World
Horizon Zero Dawn will launch February 28th, and after the collective praise of every review copy of the game, it seems like it is one not to be missed. However, this title is going against a juggernaut of a franchise, the widely known Legend of Zelda.
The Legend of Zelda will be releasing with its new hardware on March 3, leaving just about 3 days in between the two huge releases. How does one even begin to choose what to put time into? This is a battle of old versus new, known versus unknown, and of course, Sony versus Nintendo.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Open World
The lifelong gamer in me is of course screaming for Legend of Zelda, as I know that it will be a nice nostalgic trip into a franchise I love, all the while showcasing that it has been paying attention to other games, and what would be best to take inspirations from. The other half of me who loves all things new is of course hollering for some Horizon playtime. A normal person would just choose one or the other, but in my constant battle with FOMO (fear of missing out) I have chosen to step up to the Tale of Two Open World’s challenge to tackle both simultaneously.
Now if you have a lick of sense about you, one game will suffice. Only occupying one world will guarantee an extra layer of immersion as you aren’t constantly unlearning mechanics from one game to relearn them in the other. I have high hopes after plenty of investigating that both will offer vastly different experiences despite being mechanically similar.
GAMEPLAY
Sure, two big titles from competing franchises that are both 3rd person adventure coming out with only a 3 day gap, an open world format, and each boasting a skilled archer as their hero doesn’t necessarily mean these titles are similar in every way.
Except both games will have a map unlock system via towers, not unlike Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry. Each game will have a crafting system, as well as a focus on hunting local fauna in as well. The Legend of Zelda and Horizon Zero Dawn are both sure to be north of 40 hour experiences, depending on how deep you explore all the content. In those hours you will notice that they both have a focus on combat and exploration, as the world unfolds around you.
STORYLINE
If the mechanics alone aren’t enough to convince you of the similarities, take a look at the plot; Zelda and Horizon both focus on immersive worlds that have suffered from some sort of calamity, a mystery that you are slowly uncovering in the story. In Horizon, the player occupies a world that was once theirs, taken by nature and guarded by a slew of animalistic robotic guardians who occupy the lands. In Zelda, the player occupies Hyrule, a world that has suffered a fall of civilization… where robotic guardians now live.
The Legend of Zelda’s Robot Enemies who Prowl the Land
Horizon Zero Dawn’s Robot Enemies who Prowl the Land….Also
I fear that playing Zelda and Horizon simultaneously would create a dance filled with much toe stepping. Obviously each game will be different, but they will feel similar in terms of moment to moment gameplay and mechanics. That is not a slight on either game, but more so just the realism of the situation. While they are similar, we don’t believe that one is a copy of the other, and at this point one is not lesser than the other. Their similarities are not a negative aspect. If anything, the immersive experience that both these titles offer showcase that the open world genre, a genre constantly being called “overwhelming, overused, and oversaturated,” is in fact healthy and still ripe with opportunity for churning out Game of the Year contenders.
BUT WHICH DO I CHOOSE?
Either title you pick will be its own experience, and a great one. Ultimately, it comes down to what is speaking to you more right now in this moment. The battle of old versus new is a tale as old as time, and in the end it will be your choice. The main question you will have to ask yourself is what type of experience you are looking for.
The Legend of Zelda has 30 years of cannon, references, characters, and locations to draw from. Zelda will surely rely on the old tried and true methods as it tugs on our strings of nostalgia, but don’t count out its innovations as well. With new mechanics such as weapon/armor drops, cooking, and horse breaking, the experience is sure to feel fresh, and unlike any Zelda you have ever played before. It will dance the line of new and familiar.
Zelda also has the novelty of launching with a new system to explore. You can always snag The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild on the Wii U, but the real attention is being shifted towards their new system, the Switch. It makes this release that much more special that we are getting this a Zelda with new hardware.
Horizon on the other hand is setting up an entirely new world and isn’t restrained by anything from the past. It is creating its own foundation for a potential new franchise, and that in itself is very exciting. Exploring a new world like Horizon has will be a main draw as you figure out the nuances of this storyline.
Horizon launches on the current PS4 as well as the PS4 Pro systems. If you have a PS4 Pro, this is the game that tests the true limits of that new hardware. Because of this, Horizon may be the best looking game on the market… in the history of ever. While Zelda players on the Switch may be distracted with new hardware, Horizon players will already be immersed in this new world.
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This will be a hard decision for some of you that are in the “either or” camp. Thankfully, I’m evading this eternal debate in turn for conjuring issues of my own based on that decision. See ya later free time and social life! For me, I will have two or three solid days with Horizon before the Switch launches that Friday. Come Saturday, what will end up sitting on the shelf, and what will end up getting my full attention? The overzealous gamer in me says, “You will beat Horizon before Zelda comes out,” but the adult in me says, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
What will you be choosing? Do you plan on playing both? Don’t forget to check out our Twitch channel, where we will be streaming both games!
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