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I have a Switch and enjoy it a lot - but "future of gadget design" seems like an overstatement. The docked mode works great (though the performance at 1080p is

I have a Switch and enjoy it a lot - but "future of gadget design" seems like an overstatement. The docked mode works great (though the performance at 1080p is a bit sluggish in some games), the split-multiplayer mode in games like Mario Kart is friggin genius. I love that the Switch has brought back local multiplayer. But its actual portability is kind of marginal. Unlike the DS/3DS, it doesn't fold up in a way that facilitates putting it in a bag. The scratchability of the screen means you really don't want to carry it bare in a bag bouncing around with your keys, and the protruding thumbsticks on the controllers make it something of a pain to fit into your default backpack/bag compartments. It really demands a dedicated carrying case, which is something I thought we got past in the 90s in the Game Boy era. Overall still really enjoying the Switch, but I carry it around a lot less than I used to carry around a Nintendo DS.

strictnein 9y ago
> I love that the Switch has brought back local multiplayer Sort of. I was really disappointed to find that Splatoon 2, one of the biggest games for the Switch, does not feature splitscreen multiplayer. The original Splatoon, on the Wii U, had awesome local multiplayer: one player used the TV, the other used the screen on the Wii U GamePad. Each user got a full screen. How splitscreen wasn't possible with better hardware is a little confusing, to be honest.
- jclardy 9y ago
  Yeah, I was completely sold on the Switch as the best couch co-op console till Splatoon 2 came out. Nintendo's biggest new franchise...and you have to use our crappy online service to play with friends (Or everyone has to invest $360 to play locally.) Throwing salt on the wound is having the co-op mode being only playable when they want you to. I actually haven't played it since the first time I went to play Salmon Run and it was blocked off. Splatoon 2 is a really fun game, but they really did a botch job on the end user experience.
  - mercer 9y ago
    Nintendo wouldn't be Nintendo without doing a whole bunch of stuff that just doesn't seem to make sense. Come to think of it, my 'relationship' with Nintendo is very similar to the one I have with Apple. I sometimes feel that they intentionally do stuff that is unfriendly to their user-base, but ultimately they can get away with it by doing a whole bunch of stuff right in a way that others don't. (And come to think of that, this description applies to most of the closest friends I've had throughout my life. Odd, that.)
jdc0589 9y ago
> The scratchability of the screen means you really don't want to carry it bare in a bag bouncing around with your keys, and the protruding thumbsticks on the controllers make it something of a pain to fit into your default backpack/bag compartments. this was annoying. My solutions were: 1) you can get a pair (1 spare) tempered glass screen protectors for $12 or so, 2) a slim hard shell zipper case for another $10 or $15.
grimgrin 9y ago
Local, one device Mario Kart is great. It's kind of unfortunate a friend can't bring their Switch over to have an 8 player session. With two Switches, locally, you're limited to 2 players per device.

strictnein 9y ago

> I love that the Switch has brought back local multiplayer Sort of. I was really disappointed to find that Splatoon 2, one of the biggest games for the Switch, does not feature splitscreen multiplayer. The original Splatoon, on the Wii U, had awesome local multiplayer: one player used the TV, the other used the screen on the Wii U GamePad. Each user got a full screen. How splitscreen wasn't possible with better hardware is a little confusing, to be honest.

jclardy 9y ago
Yeah, I was completely sold on the Switch as the best couch co-op console till Splatoon 2 came out. Nintendo's biggest new franchise...and you have to use our crappy online service to play with friends (Or everyone has to invest $360 to play locally.) Throwing salt on the wound is having the co-op mode being only playable when they want you to. I actually haven't played it since the first time I went to play Salmon Run and it was blocked off. Splatoon 2 is a really fun game, but they really did a botch job on the end user experience.
- mercer 9y ago
  Nintendo wouldn't be Nintendo without doing a whole bunch of stuff that just doesn't seem to make sense. Come to think of it, my 'relationship' with Nintendo is very similar to the one I have with Apple. I sometimes feel that they intentionally do stuff that is unfriendly to their user-base, but ultimately they can get away with it by doing a whole bunch of stuff right in a way that others don't. (And come to think of that, this description applies to most of the closest friends I've had throughout my life. Odd, that.)

jdc0589 9y ago

> The scratchability of the screen means you really don't want to carry it bare in a bag bouncing around with your keys, and the protruding thumbsticks on the controllers make it something of a pain to fit into your default backpack/bag compartments. this was annoying. My solutions were: 1) you can get a pair (1 spare) tempered glass screen protectors for $12 or so, 2) a slim hard shell zipper case for another $10 or $15.

grimgrin 9y ago

Local, one device Mario Kart is great. It's kind of unfortunate a friend can't bring their Switch over to have an 8 player session. With two Switches, locally, you're limited to 2 players per device.