Why is the world crazy about Nintendo Switch?

The switch swept the market and sold better than any other Nintendo console in history. What is the secret of this inconspicuous tablet with attached controllers? Why is its popularity growing every year? Let's think about it.

More than three years after the premiere, it's safe to say that the Nintendo Switch has become a real phenomenon among players around the world. This unique combination of handheld and desktop console outsold even the Nintendo Entertainment System (we associate it primarily with the cult fake known as the Pegasus). Younger and older players have fallen in love with the Japanese giant's new equipment, and it seems that this is a real, lasting and eternal love.

The spectacular success of Switch was not so obvious from the very beginning. After the Japanese announced a plan to create a hybrid of a handheld and stationary console, many fans and industry journalists were skeptical about this idea. The optimistic view of the Nintendo Switch was also not helped by the fact that the previous console, the Nintendo Wii U, suffered a financial failure and sold the worst of all gaming devices in the history of the company. [one]

However, it turned out that Nintendo had done its homework, and even the biggest disgruntled were quickly enamored with the Switch. Let's think - how could a tablet with attached pads outperform, for example, the Xbox One? What is the secret of his success?

Arms race? it's not for us

More than a decade ago, Nintendo pulled out of the console components race that Sony and Microsoft are so eager to enter. Nintendo devices are not titans in terms of technological capabilities, the company does not even try to compete in a duel for processor performance or graphics detail.

Analyzing the success of the Nintendo Switch, we cannot ignore the path that the Japanese corporation has taken over the past decades. In 2001, the premiere of the Nintendo GameCube took place - the last "typical" console of this brand, which in terms of hardware capabilities was supposed to compete with its then competitors - the Playstation 2 and the classic Xbox. Well, Nintendo's offering was even more powerful than Sony's hardware. However, several decisions that proved wrong in retrospect (such as not having a DVD drive or ignoring the online games increasingly available from competitors) meant that, despite many advantages, the GameCube lost the sixth generation of consoles. Even Microsoft - which then debuted in this market - surpassed the "bones" financially.

After the defeat of the GameCube, Nintendo chose a new strategy. It was decided that it was better to create a fresh and original idea for your equipment than to fight technology and recreate the ideas of competitors. It paid off - the Nintendo Wii, released in 2006, became a unique hit and created a fashion for motion controllers, which were later borrowed by Sony (Playstation Move) and Microsoft (Kinect). The roles have finally changed - despite the low power of the device (technologically, the Wii was closer to the Playstation 2 than, for example, to the Xbox 360), now Nintendo has surpassed its competitors financially and created trends in the industry. The huge Wii fashion (which rather bypassed Poland) set a direction from which Nintendo has never deviated.

Which console to choose?

As we've already established, the base Switch is a combination of a fixed and portable console - a very different story than a Playstation 4 or Xbox One. If we compare competitors' devices with a gaming computer, then the offer from Nintendo is more like a tablet for gamers. Powerful, though (according to the characteristics it resembles the Playstation 3), but still can not be compared.

Is this a device defect? Absolutely not - it's just that Nintendo opted for completely different advantages, rather than pure power. The biggest strength of the Switch from the very beginning has been access to fantastic games, the ability to have fun together and play on mobile devices. The pure joy of playing video games, no artificial bumps or silicone muscle flexing. Contrary to appearances, the Nintendo Switch was not meant to be an alternative to the Playstation and Xbox, but rather an add-on offering a completely different experience. That's why so often hardcore gamers do not choose between three different systems when buying equipment - many decide on a set: a Sony / Microsoft + Switch product.

Play with everyone

Modern AAA games are heavily focused on online gameplay. Titles like "Fortnite", "Marvel's Avengers" or "GTA Online" are not seen as closed works of art by creators, but rather as perpetual services similar to streaming services. Hence the mass of subsequent (often paid) additions, or even the well-known series of dividing online gameplay into successive seasons, where changes are made to attract new players and retain old ones who may already have begun to get bored with existing content. .

And while the Nintendo Switch is great for online play (you can also download Fortnite on it!), its creators clearly emphasize a different perception of video games and ways to have fun. The big advantage of the console from Big N is the focus on local multiplayer and cooperative mode. In the online world, it's easy to forget how much fun it is to play on one screen. What emotions does playing together on the same couch evoke? For the younger ones it will be just fantastic entertainment, for the older ones it will be a return to childhood when LAN parties or split screen games were in the order of things.

This approach is facilitated primarily by the innovative design of the controller - Nintendo's Joy-cony can be attached to the Switch and played on the go, or disconnected from the console and played in stationary mode. What if you want to play with two people? The Nintendo Pad can work as one controller or as two smaller controllers. Are you bored on the train and want to play something for two? No problem - you split the controller into two and already play on the same screen.

Nintendo Switch supports up to four controllers at the same time - only two sets of joysticks are needed to play. Added to this is a huge library of games designed for local play. From Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, through Super Mario Party, to Snipperclips or the Overcooked series, playing with multiple people on Switch is simply fun and comfortable.

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Play everywhere

Over the years, Nintendo has been a true hegemon in the handheld console industry. Since the first Gameboy, the Japanese brand has dominated gaming on the go, something Sony hasn't been able to change with their Playstation Portable or PS Vita. Only the smartphone market, growing at a gigantic pace, seriously threatened the positions of the Japanese - and although the Nintendo 3DS console was still a relatively big success, it was clear to the brand that the future of the next handhelds was in question. Who needs a portable console when we keep a miniature computer in our pocket that can be filled with emulators?

There's no place on the market for a classically understood handheld console - but the Switch is in a whole different league. How does it win with smartphones? Firstly, it is powerful, the pads allow you to conveniently control, and at the same time the whole thing is relatively small in size. Games like The Witcher 3, the new Doom or Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launched on the bus still make a big impression and show what the real power of the Switch is - new features.

You can see that Nintendo is really putting a lot of emphasis on the usability of the hardware. Want to play Switch at home? Detach your Joy-Cons, dock your console and play on the big screen. Are you going on a trip? Take the Switch in your backpack and keep playing. Do you know that the set-top box will be used mainly mobile and you do not plan to connect it to a TV? You can buy the cheaper Switch Lite, where the controllers are permanently connected to the console. Nintendo seems to be saying: do what you want, play how you like.

Zelda, Mario and Pokémon

History teaches that even the best, well-thought-out console will not be successful without good games. Nintendo has been attracting its fans for years with a huge database of exclusive series - only Grand N consoles have subsequent parts of Mario, The Legend of Zelda or Pokemon. In addition to the most popular games, there are also many other exclusives that are appreciated by players and reviewers, such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros: Ultimate or Splatoon 2. And what's more, the games from these series are never weak - they are always polished to the smallest detail, incredibly playable works that will go down in gaming history for years to come.

The best example of this is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The next installment in the acclaimed action-RPG series came to consoles when the Switch library was still microscopic. Within a few months, this title sold out almost the entire console, and the incredibly high ratings from critics only fueled interest. For many, Breath of the Wild remains one of the best games of the last decade, revolutionizing the open-world RPG in many ways.

A high Zelda rating is not the exception, but the rule. The same positive opinion is held, in particular, by Super Mario Odyssey or the incredibly acclaimed Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These are outstanding titles that cannot be found on any other equipment.

However, this does not mean that when buying a Nintendo Switch, we are doomed only to the products of its creators. A host of popular titles from major developers have appeared on this console, from Bethesda through Ubisoft to CD Project RED. And while we can't expect Cyberpunk 2077 to come to Switch, we still have a huge selection to choose from. In addition, the Nintendo eShop allows users to buy a whole bunch of low-budget indie games created by small developers - often only available on PC, bypassing the Playstation and Xbox. In a word, there is simply something to play!

Back to youth

Nostalgia is one of the great forces driving the video game industry - we can see it clearly, for example, in the number of remakes and reboots of popular series. Whether it's Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 or Demon's Souls on Playstation 5, gamers like to return to familiar worlds. However, this is not only a syndrome called "I only like the songs that I already know." Games are a specific medium - even the best technologically advanced games can age at an alarming rate, and running really old ones can be very problematic. Of course, many hobbyists use emulators and the like. moderately legal solutions, but it is not always as pleasant as it may seem and surprisingly often not the ideal experience in relation to what we associate with youth. Hence the subsequent ports and remakes of games for more and more new devices - accessibility and comfort of the game are important.

Nintendo recognizes the strength of its most popular series and the huge fan base for the NES or SNES. After all, who among us hasn’t played Super Mario Bros on the iconic Pegasus at least once or shot ducks with a plastic gun? If you want to go back to those times, Switch will be your dream come true. The console with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription has plenty of classic games from the 80s and 90s with Donkey Kong and Mario at the helm. In addition, Nintendo is still willing to invest in affordable brands and tap into their retro potential. This can be seen, for example, in Tetris 99, a battle royale game in which almost a hundred players fight together in Tetris. It turns out that the game, created in 1984, remains fresh, playable and fun to this day.

An essential item for gamers

Why is the world crazy about Nintendo Switch? Because it's phenomenally well-designed gaming equipment that will appeal to casual gamers and true connoisseurs alike. Because it's a completely different experience that puts your comfort and the ability to play with friends first. And finally, because Nintendo games are simply a lot of fun.

You can find more articles about the latest games and consoles in AvtoTachki Passions Magazine in the Gram! 

[1] https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html

Cover photo: Nintendo promotional material