NINTENDO SWITCH

Two can play that game.

THIS MACHINE IS THE ANTITHESIS OF MODERN GAMING in a world where AAA titles are all about isolating players and forcing them to use online servers if they want to interact with other humans. Don’t believe me? Then answer me this: why are consoles sold with one controller? Nintendo fell into the same trap since the N64. The subsequent consoles didn’t sell well (despite the N64’s superior, industry-leading technology). Yes, Wii was an outlier to my theory, but for the important reason that it was designed for families.

I’ve never owned a Playstation or Xbox, but I had a Family Computer, an SNES and a Sega Megadrive. Important selling points for those consoles? Two controllers. These machines were purpose built for co-op play. When Nintendo started development on the Switch, the company took a big lesson from the Family Computer: it must be easily shared with others. Specifically, another player.

The aptly named Joy- Con controllers are the star of the show with the Switch and more than live up to the expectations I placed on them. Slide a controller off the console and hand it to your friend. It’s the only way to have any success at Metal Slug or extract the full joy out of Mario Kart; there’s nothing more satisfying than delivering a Blue Shell to a smug opponent on their victory lap.

Joy- Cons are also an impressive piece of tech. A mirror system lets it know when it is attached to the console. The HD Rumble

vibrating motors are a masterclass in haptic feedback. There’s precise motion sensing, IR cameras and uncannily robust construction; the icons will never rub off because the plastic is cast into the button.

Yes, on its own a Joy-con is tiny and a little cramped, but you won’t mind for short bursts of FIFA duels with your best mate. Also, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a sprawling fantasy that can suck a player into its solo narrative. But that’s fine, because – even when isolating your eyeballs – the Switch allows you freedom of movement and around three hours between charges to chip away at the mammoth quest. All you need to do is pick up the console off of the dock and off you go.

It won’t do VR or 4K HDR, nor should it. There are no resolution problems on the 6,2-inch 720p tablet and 1080p TV display over HDMI is perfectly fine for most people. You may run into problems when charging away from the dock, though. The Switch uses the USB type- C standard and requires serious heavy lifting to charge while you’re playing. In all other instances you can charge it from the same sources that can top off your smartphone.

On the game side, the catalogue is a bit sparse right now, but ports of vintage games and independent titles arrive pretty much every week and bigger titles are monthly occurences ( Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were yet to be released when this magazine went to print). They’re also pricey. Like R800 for a big title pricey. But at least the online store works well.

The world needed a Nintendo Switch to bring multiplayer joy back into console gaming. It’s an incredible device with a few tiny drawbacks. If you want one, wait for the price drops or bundle deals when the catalogue is built out a bit more.

From R5 200, nintendo.com - LS