What Nintendo Switch games to buy this holiday season

Image credit goes to Gamespot.

So you need a Nintendo Switch game but don’t know which one to get? Well now that we’re almost a year until the Switch’s life cycle, there is a multitude of great options to choose from. Let me walk you through it.

(Some tips when buying: a lot of stores will have the games discounted during the holidays, make sure you search far and wide for the best discounts. Costco usually has first party Switch games for five to ten dollars off.)

Let’s start with the main titles, or the heavy hitters. Chances are you already own most of these, but if you haven’t, you should definitely look into them. “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is the first major title on our list, and it came out alongside the Nintendo Switch. This was the selling point of the console itself, and is a no brainer when it comes to games for the thing. Scoring great reviews, Zelda is a RPG (Role Playing Game) open world game, full of puzzles, dungeons, and more. With its new expansion roled out, even if you have the game you should pick up the seasons pass for additional content.

Other than Zelda, Mario is definitely a huge series on the Switch. “Mario Kart 8: Deluxe” is a classic arcade racing game that will have you racing with the whole Mario crew. Other than the little amount the content, this game is certainly a must have (especially with friends). “Mario Odyssey” is another heavy hitter this holiday season, but it is sure to be a little more expensive than Mario Kart. Different than the racing version of Mario, “Mario Odyssey” is an open 3D Mario game, and the first good one in a while. Just like the other titles I’ve mentioned, this one received great reviews across the board and only a few cons.

Let’s delve into third party titles and indie games. Skyrim is… well, it’s Skyrim. An old game, and an okay port. Skyrim is played better on other platforms, and it really isn’t worth it on this console unless portability is a MUST. As for LEGO games, they are always fun, slightly cheaper titles that have good simple puzzles and mechanics for any age. LEGO games are the greatest for the completionist within us, as there is always something else to find within the layers.

“Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth” is by far my favourite indie game on the Switch. This installation comes with all the latest and greatest expansion packs, so you have the full game right from the get go. The roguelike mechanics, although it takes a while to get used to, gets addictive and fun quick. All the latest Shovel Knight games are also on the Switch, and although they are well praised titles they aren’t my personal cup of tea. These are side-scrolling 2D old-school platformers that are harder to beat than most games in the genre.

“Minecraft”, although arguably not even an indie game anymore, is on the Switch and seems to play and run as well as any other version (although the online multiplayer is still lacking).
“Stardew Valley” has been ported from the PC, but the controls don’t transfer over that great. It’s basically an interesting pixel style RPG that has you taking the roll of a farmer in your own farms, forcing you to build relationships and your new estate at the same time.

There are many other major games for the Switch that I have not mentioned here. It is definitely worth it to look up the following:

• Doom (FPS) - A port of a quick and fast paced game
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (JRPG) - The follow up to a well recieved Japanese title.
• Wolfenstein 2 (FPS) - Reliable “shoot the bad guys” game.
• Fifa 18 (Sports) - The best soccer game series around.
• Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (RTS) - A weird but wonderfully surprising title.
• Splatoon 2 (TPS) - More fun than you think.
• Arms (Fighting) - Weird motion controls aside, this takes more skill than meets the eye.
• Rocket League (Sports but different) - Always a fun one, runs smooth on the Switch.
• L.A. Noire (Action) - An old but classic title that has been revamped for modern platforms.
• Telltale Series (Batman and Minecraft) (Story) - Telltale are experts at crafting stories that make you care about the characters in them.

There are many other great games on the Switch, but these are a couple of the main heavy hitters. Thank you for reading, and subscribe to the channel!

Postscript: Many games are coming out in the next couple of weeks! Make sure to keep up. For convenience, some are listed on the Nintendo official website.

My opinion - Why you shouldn't buy a Nintendo Switch this 2018 holiday season

So- why not? The Nintendo Switch has been selling out everywhere, and even when I got it, during the summer, I had to hunt down and go to multiple Best Buys in order to find one that had them in stock. The device itself works great! It isn’t overly expensive (but it wouldn’t hurt if it was cheaper), the specs are pretty decent, the concept of playing in the dock and on the go is good, and it has a decent game library now that we’re a good ways into its lifetime.

But the negatives break it for me. When I had a DS as one of my first systems, it was glorious. I carried it around almost everywhere, as it fit right in my pocket. The games weren’t expensive, and I got some good deals on many games at Blockbuster (yea, Blockbuster).

The console itself was also very cheap, and it was worth it. It might not have been the latest and greatest in hardware, but it did its job.

This isn’t true for the Switch. I was hoping that I would be able to carry it around everywhere, just like my DS. Unlike my DS however, it doesn’t fit in my pocket. I have to put my Switch into my carrying case, and it’s a hassle to take it out and put it in on the go. I knew this going in though, but I didn’t expect the difference it would make.

The Switch also feels and looks more expensive than its DS counterpart. Losing or breaking a DS would have way less of an impact to one’s wallet than doing the same with a Switch (no matter how sturdy it might be).

To properly protect one’s Switch costs money and time, and those are things that most people cannot afford. Talking about things I can’t afford - the Switch’s games. All of the first party Nintendo games for the Switch are above 40 USD, and most of them are above 50 USD, it’s just the poorly reviewed Bomberman that’s holding them back to 40 USD. Sure: most of the Switch’s first party titles are amazing. But if you’re buying the Switch for anything that isn’t those titles, than it definitely isn’t worth it.

Yes, the Switch (finally) has some decent third party games, indie and not. There’s Skyrim, although that’s still the full 60 USD. Binding of Isaac, my personal favorite (don’t hate, Zelda is good too), but Isaac is arguably better to play on PC. So is Stardew Valley, another great indie game. The Switch’s controls are worse than that of a full keyboard, which makes a difference for Stardew Valley. Rocket League is another favorite of mine, but again, other consoles and computer provide a better experience. Even Minecraft is better on PC with an infinite number of supported multiplayer servers.

What does this leave us with? Well, if you are buying the Switch solely to play new Nintendo first party games, go ahead. If you’re buying a Switch for the young uns, it’s better to go for the Wii, Wii-U (yes, I know how bad it is but it has some decent games and is cheap), the 3DS, or something else. A Nintendo Switch could easily break in the hands of someone not as careful with technology. If you’re buying for third party titles on the go, it isn’t worth it. The Switch is a great console, but it’s not for most.