I’ll start off with the Switch itself. A console that can go from being a proper TV gaming device to a handheld, both of which having the option of motion controls and a touchscreen while in handheld mode. And coming from an Xbox I found the controller easy to use as when fully slotted together the stick layout is very similar to an Xbox controller.

I haven’t used a Nintendo device for a long time so this was the first time I was able to find out about the Nintendo accounts and reward points but even after having the Switch for nearly five months I don’t know what any of the Nintendo account stuff was for.

---

As for the games themselves:

Skyrim – A great game on the Xbox360, possibly better on the Xbox One is also on the Switch and in console mode it’s just as good as I remember. However, the Switch had the possibility of portable and it may just be my preference but I thought it was awful as a portable game. I felt it needed a bigger screen and that somehow it just didn’t look right to the point that I found it unplayable. The motion controls that were added didn’t work very well with melee weapons as you had to jiggle your hand about to attack rather than become immersed as you hacked and slashed at the enemy, the bow motion control was a little awkward and tended to drift right a lot but the shield motion control was well done to the point of making me feel a bit like a shield-bearing warrior which made me use the shield more than I ever had before.

Mario Odyssey – What originally looked like just another 3D Mario proved to be my favourite game on the Switch and I would highly recommend it to any Switch owner. This game returned to an older style of game where patterns were important and boss fights had a rule of three where three hits which were slightly harder than one another to get won the fight. With many worlds to explore with different environments and puzzles this was plenty of fun. The game even went from 3D to 2D sometimes which worked really well and gave one particularly enjoyable piece of gameplay. Turning into other creatures using Mario’s hat gave constantly changing controls which kept it interesting.

Sonic Forces – 2D and 3D Sonic which will be fun for fans of either platforming playstyle. A weirdly dark story set in a dystopia with plot twists all over the place it keeps itself interesting even if a little confusing. There’re bits of water, gravity changes and at one point the screen chases you going back to older game but being good because of it. The location of the character can sometimes be hard to determine and the boss fights are quite fun. I would recommend it.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – One of the more popular games on the Switch being an open world sword-fighting puzzle game with a lore built up from previous games in the series didn’t thrill me and I was disappointed with it. It may be because I’ve never played a Zelda game before but I found it slow paced with annoying weapon degradation mechanics and my first major boss fight against an elephant thing proved to be a dull puzzle which with what were decent combat controls was also quite disappointing. There were also interesting weather mechanics which could have improved a game such as Skyrim but the whole game of Zelda couldn’t keep me there and I’d say it was average at best.

Portal Knights – A third person fantasy fighting and building game which had different worlds and objectives to complete to level up and get stronger. You can find learn to build more as you progress and the enemies become tougher as you go on. I didn’t play much of this but I think I has potential. The building in it isn’t as well done as Minecraft and there are many games with better combat out there.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – A tactical shooter similar to XCOM complete with special moves and destructible cover. There’s weapon choices, character choices and even different damage types. There’s level ups and skill trees. Boss fights which require a bit of thought. An easy mode which restores your squad’s health at the start of a battle. This game was pretty good but only for a certain type of gamer or me when I’m in the right mood. Although it was as much about luck as strategy.

---

Games like Skyrim, Sonic Forces and Portal Knights are all available on the Xbox as well as the Switch which means that most of the value for someone who already has an Xbox to get a Switch is from Nintendo exclusive games or the gimmick of portable with motion control.

The novelty of the Switch soon wore off as did the charm of the Nintendo exclusive games. I tried many times to find interest in it but I was unsuccessful. I do wish Nintendo would stop pushing gimmicks like motion controls and portable because if they invested into a proper console to come out at the same time as the next Xbox they may prove to be a decent rival to the Xbox and PlayStation rather than becoming my spare choice for when I’ve got the one I actually want.

It may be fair to say that the Switch is not yet at full strength and not as developed as it will be so it may be unfair to judge it but it had one massive flaw: the games never dropped in price. I have been a gamer for as long as I can remember, from the Megadrive to PS1 and PS2 onto using all three Xboxes and the price of a game on all the consoles I’ve had would start high and decrease over the months, this didn’t happen on the Switch. Where I’m happy to waste £10 on an Xbox game I’m unsure of I never had the opportunity with the Switch as everything remained at £40 and I think it’s over a year since the Switch released. This was the final decider for me.

Overall, the Switch just ended up gathering dust because I had no reason to use it when my Xbox was sat right next to it with cheaper games in a wider variety. So I took it to GAME and got a few Xbox games for it which I know will get used

This was just my experience and others may be different so if you want one, get one.