My Switch 2 Experiences. (Games Playing Right Now #14)

While I was waiting.

There were lots of interesting stuff that was talked about. Various features, what Welcome Tour is was argued about, game upgrade details, lack of GameShare for Luigi's Mansion 3's ScareScraper, all were quite interesting and even heart breaking. There also some stuff like that one ad campaign and the dedicated ram which I wrote about.

There were also feelings I had about the various different features. It's so weird that Nintendo were working so hard to sell on the various hardware features like 4K and high refresh rate when I doubt most people who buy Nintendo's stuff would actually care about. I didn't see why they went with a more powerful switch, especially after going a whole generation with the current hardware.

The price was also something highly complained about. The issue I see with just that is it really doesn't give the whole picture. The problem I see is that Nintendo made design decisions that made it cost the amount it does. Stuff like the larger tablet and screen along with high refresh rate seem to be the cost rather than greed as Nintendo is already selling at a loss even before the tariffs. When you add up everything, the price of the hardware we do get is actually right. In my opinion, we should not be just lowering prices but instead making cheaper decisions. Even right now at launch, I think they put too much cost into stuff that matter despite how nice they make the system look and feel. 

Why did I get it in the first place?

There are the usual counter points, but I had some pretty convincing reasons not to get it in particular. Being a PC player with old favorites is one thing but it came with what should have been the nail the coffin for the idea of buying a Switch 2. Consider Ring Racers aka my favorite Kart Racer, not only is it the best kart racer that absolutely masters the gameplay with it's technically and endless depth but it also contains more tracks than Mario Kart 8 DX with the booster pass included. This isn't even considering battle maps which Ring Racers beats by whole orders greater. Oh and mods, even a couple additional mods of good quality absolutely crushes Worlds course count.

There shouldn't have been any good reason I got the Switch 2. But Nintendo still finds them.

First of all, Mario Kart World does not directly compete with any kart racer because it's so different and not just because of the open world. You see, the game taking place on mostly highways and country roads rather than tracks completely changes the gameplay and design. Normally, racers drift around corners taking tight lines to gain boosts, but you can't do that when going across straight roads. This is where the new trick system comes in. Instead of drifting, spark boosts can be gained from riding rails and walls using ramps or the charge jump to access them. Although racers become quite vulnerable while on rails, they gain sparks while riding them and are in the position to jump off the rails in various directions to gain an edge. If the racer is good enough, they can also ride walls to gain even more positions. These new options have gained my interest both just to play the game and as a game designer.

Second, no one I know wants to play the game I like the most. I have tried for a couple years to get people I know to play SRB2Kart or Ring Racers, but they would rather just play the game they know instead which is Mario Kart. I hate to admit it, but Nintendo has taken my social experiences and hid them behind their system. I hope for that to change someday with my work, because they shouldn't have gotten away with that.

Third, the system may not be the most novel thing but it has some cool stuff. The mouse mode in particular is actually quite influential. Not only can designers now expect every Switch 2 owner to have two mice, but it also has more functionality than normal mice. Games like DragXDrive demonstrate using both mice, but there is also a demo in Welcome Tour where the mouse can be rotated to fit a shape in a hole. As far I know, my mouse can't do that. GameShare is also possible using the Switch 2 and it's absolutely fun and impressive. I got to try it out and seeing two different rendered views with one of which being streamed locally was crazy. The prospect of being able to eventually play Luigi's Mansion 3's ScareScrapper is something I couldn't ignore as a Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon enjoyer.

When I was pre-ordering, I wouldn't have minded my order not being taken. In fact, part of me was hoping for my order to fail being processed simply because that meant they failed to serve me. But it ended up working after enough effort and it eventually passed every cancellation wave first try. 

Unfortunately, I don't hold those same feelings as time went on until today. As you will see, they still impressed me.

Some games don't have great performance on the original Switches because they might not have been optimized for the system or are the way they are to justify buying a Switch 2. They now run pretty fine so no more lag when you have a maxed out ship in M&L: Brothership. 

There is also the GameShare I tried that is still impresses me. 

I got to try and see if games with upgrade packs can be run without buying and luckily they still work. I can still play whatever games I want without being forced to pay for support. Neat.

Should you buy this thing?

If you are a normal person who has hardware like a Switch or whatever that just plays games sometime, no. MK8DX or anything on PC is enough already to hold over most people for fun game nights. Most people just want to have fun and I don't think you should be making unnecessary purchases when the current hardware does the trick already.

There are defiantly people that could buy this and find it's value match the cost though. If you or your play groups don't have hardware to fill in currently, this is a great start. Just remember that this works best if you play in handheld mode most of the time or play on a TV that is either [1440p 120hz HDR] or [4K 60hrz HDR]. If you don't have a TV to meet the specs, then maybe getting an original Switch is better if you don't care for handheld. 

If you are a nerd like me who wants to try out the unique experiences with a refined eye, then you might be up for it. It might not be worth it if you want more out of it or don't want to support Nintendo making systems like this that don't do anything super new hardware wise though. The games definitely remain the best there is, but that only goes so far for many, especially if you have something that's better.

If you want to share only the best experiences and be the one who brings the best, yes. Sure, there are all these problems, but I support those who share these great experiences and this system is built around that following the original Switch. Use that to share this with those who don't want to pay the price. Heck, you could even save some unnecessary purchases by inviting people or bringing the system so everyone can play. Plus, the original hardware is fully compatible including the original joy-cons, so if you have any spare or your friends have their own they can use those. I doubt I will be able to do that due to lack of peers, but if anyone read can then do so. Bring these great games and experiences to more people despite everything.

What's next.

Probably just playing more of the game. I might write down more interesting experiences into my bulletins and blog. Refer to the interaction reminder. I know I won't be able to share the game as often as I want, but these writings are the next best thing and I want to make my money count for once.

Related Bulletins:

The Funny Walmart Switch 2 mess up.