It all started with the Nintendo Wii’s revolutionary remote control design that peaked the interest of even the most casual gamer. It was the first controller that made you get off your butt (what a thought!) and move your body. That is until you realize you could achieve the same results with a flick of your wrists. But no matter your level of laziness, Nintendo had something special with their new system and the world was waiting to see how they would use it.
Sadly, Wii owners were rather disappointed when Nintendo didn’t utilize what they had. Nintendo cut themselves off from most of the bigger titles due to their own uniqueness and failed to provide much in the way of unique titles for their system. The Wii remote made RPGs and most other games about as enjoyable as a three day road trip with your kid sister. The glitchy controller made play frustrating as fans cursed their Wii’s and urged it to just point at the right spot, or to register the flick of their wrist before their character died.
With people flocking (or in some cases fleeing) to the PS3 and Xbox 360’s better graphics and wider variety of story driven RPGs, Nintendo had to do something to keep up. That’s when we got the Wii U and its rather bulky new controller.
While better than its predecessor, Nintendo still gave the world a limited console and the same few games. Nintendo’s unique interface restricted game developers from converting their bigger titles – like Tomb Raider and Skyrim – to Nintendo’s system. Thus leaving Nintendo with the same problem as the Wii and still no solutions.
A Ray Of Sunshine
I know I’ve spent the past few paragraphs bashing Nintendo, but I am still a fan of their games. I just refuse to buy into their poorly designed systems. It still looks like Nintendo is focusing too hard on being different and not enough on implementation. Even so, the Switch looks promising, but there are still a few key things I’d need to see before I ever invest in a Nintendo console again.
Stop Changing Your Systems Like a Woman Changes Her Mind!
Nothing is more frustrating than investing your hard earned money on a system that is outdated the next year. Or if it’s not the system, it’s a new controller you have to buy to play the latest Zelda game (which if we’re honest, Zelda is the real reason people buy a Nintendo console). If I were to keep up with Nintendo’s constant system and controller changes, I’d end up on a street corner holding a sign to pay for my meals. But hey, I’d have the latest Nintendo equipment to look at as I sat in my new cardboard house!
Better NEW Games
Nintendo wasn’t made great due to their graphics, so the lack of graphical power isn’t what keeps me from buying a Nintendo console. What would make me spend my paycheck on their new system is if they produced games that made me want to buy them. Sony ripped out our hearts with The Last of Us and Microsoft sent us on an adventure with Fable 2. The Wii U gave us another Zelda game and the ability to play with eight people in Smash Bros (nice touch but I’ll hold onto my wallet for now).
What?! Zelda isn’t enough for you?!
Nope. Not when I can enjoy plenty of Zelda titles on my Wii (which includes GameCube games) and my N64. If they came out with something new, preferable an RPG that plays without the glitchiness of the old Wii remote, then I might consider purchasing a Switch. Since their new controller can switch to a traditional controller, I am hopeful. But Nintendo still added in the problematic motion controls to their new Joy-Con, and I’m a little skeptical. The past two motion based controllers have failed us; why would a third be any different?
A Bigger Memory
I have to admit; I like big games and I cannot lie. The Switch will release with only 32GB of storage. This is sad when both of the competition’s cheapest systems come with 500GB. Imagine installing a large file game like Skyrim on a pathetic 32GB! While I know the memory is expandable, I still prefer to start with a decent sized base. 32GBs is acceptable for a cell phone storage space, but is not an acceptable game console storage space.
While I took one look at the Wii U and knew I’d never buy one, the Switch has potential to change my mind. They finally have a unique system that might keep up with the competition. But it will depend on if they can release games that are current (and not five years old) and free of annoying motion control glitchiness. I guess only time will tell if Nintendo has learned from their past consoles or if their mistakes will finally drag them under.
