The Nintendo Switch is releasing next Friday. I want so much to be a Nintendo Switch fangirl.
I grew up as a Nintendo kid, with my first exposure being the original NES. Through the years, I maintained a soft spot for Nintendo, even after investing in systems like Playstation and Playstation 2. When PC gaming came into my life during my college years, the consoles saw less and less of my time, but I always managed to own the relevant Nintendo systems and handhelds… even when I haven’t invest in Playstation in over 15 years, and Xbox pretty much never.
Despite this, I have never purchased a Nintendo system at launch. Putting in a pre-order for the Nintendo Switch is the first time I’ve done such a thing! So far, the preorder seems to be fine — I’ve also never preordered from Best Buy before, and I know there’s always the chance they’ve oversold or something. I’d hope by now I would have seen a cancellation if so.
Right now, my plans are this:
Friday March 3 I have taken a vacation day from work. I plan on picking up my Nintendo Switch from Best Buy as soon as I can. I have a pre-ordered copy of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that should be coming in from Amazon that day as well. I may or may not pick up another game… it all really depends on what’s available at launch. Hopefully everything will align so that I get a little bit of time with my new system that day!
I’ve already purchased a micro SD card, which will arrive this afternoon. So, I should be set for storage space. Thank you so much for using SD cards with this system, Nintendo! It’s much better than having to hook up an external hard drive to the Wii U.
I Want to be a Switch Fangirl!
Now, back to the title of this post.
I really enjoy my Wii U. I think it has a lot of great features, and I don’t regret buying it. Despite all that, it was hard for me to be too much of a fangirl for a system that clearly was going to have a shorter production life than it should have. As much as I wanted to support it, the writing was on the wall.
However, I originally had no plans to jump to Nintendo’s next system so soon. My Wii U has plenty of life and gaming left in it!
That changed when I saw the concept behind the Switch. The mobile/console hybrid was exactly what I’ve been looking for. In fact, when I chose to buy the Shield Tablet in December 2015, it was expressly with the idea that I could game on my TV.
The Shield does a fantastic job for what it is — quite impressive, actually. But to see a Nintendo console that takes that idea, and ironically builds off the same sort of Nvidia chip as the Shield contains (but probably more powerful), spoke to me. Knowing what I know about my Shield’s performance, I was instantly on board for the Switch.
So, all that being said, I want nothing more than to be blown away by the Nintendo Switch. I’m a jaded and aging gamer who wants to find that kind of excitement in a console again. I want it to convert me into a Switch fangirl! I’m completely open to this… my current expectations are actually on the shelf, and I’m in hopeful wait-and-see mode.
I’ve been waiting a long time for something in the console world to really sweep me away like I was in my youth. I know that’s probably a hard thing to ask for, since we always have over-inflated memories of what we loved in the past. But hey, I can hope, right?
Have you ever really wanted a system/game to make you a big fan?
How’d that turn out?
Hi Aywren, most of my consoles came from post launch as well and I have always been a big Nintendo Fan. Shortly after getting the Wii U, My thirst for Nintendo news and updates could not be quenched from gaming magazines alone so I started up my own blog instead. It has since became the Nintendo New website you see today and it is largely to the love I had for the Wii U and of course the Nintendo 64 hence the name Miketendo64, which is my favourite console of all time 😉 I will be getting the Switch at some point but for now I am happy to be able to play Breath Of The Wild on the Wii U. My brother and Editor in Chief Jack, on the other hand will be getting the Switch and Zelda: BOTW for it on Launch day courtesy of me for all the hard work he has put into our website over the time we have been operating.
Hi Mike!
I follow your blog and think you do a fantastic job keeping up with all the important news. Thank you so much to your team for all your hard work!
The Nintendo 64 is a great system, but I have to say my favorite will always be the SNES. It probably has to do with it being a big part of my young teen years, with some of the games really shaping my future in ways that games don’t really get credit for. But I think you understand what I mean. 🙂
I originally wanted Zelda for the Wii U, but as I said above, the concept of the Switch lured me in. So I chose to switch to the Switch (haha). But I’m looking forward to your impressions on the game! I know it’s still an exciting release for the Wii U!
Another happy note, my sister was impressed by the Wii U, so she also pre-ordered the Switch, mostly for us to play Mario Kart together online when it comes out in April. We both grew up on Nintendo, but live far apart now, so it’ll be cool to be able to game online like that! So I’m right there with you in sharing gaming fun with siblings. 🙂
Thank you! Your support to our website means a lot to me and I’d be happy to have you on board to collaborate sometime. I owe a lot of my gratitude to my team and so I make sure that to be the best, I have to find the best. If you would like to join Team Miketendo64 and have the chance to share your Nintendo related posts with our followers as well? We would love to welcome you aboard. All we need is your email address and a blood oath (just kidding). 😉
That sounds like fun! I’d be on board as long as you’re flexible with how much I write. I’ve got a full time job (as a tech writer) plus my blog to maintain, so I can’t promise I’ll have content to add all the time. But I’ll certainly be blogging about the Switch and my thoughts on it when it comes out!
If that’s fine with you, feel free to connect with me at wayrift@gmail.com and let me know how it all works! Thanks for offering the opportunity! 🙂
There are no deadlines and you can post as much or as little as you like as long as it is Nintendo themed. You can post the original to your blog and then ‘reblog’ to our website which will give us an extract of the post and a link in which our followers can click on to find your blog and read the rest of the post. The only rule which is more of a guideline than a rule, is to refrain from excessive language or anything of a highly sexual nature as we do try to maintain a ‘family friendly’ website. That is just for our website so you can still write your blog how you like, with no interference or micro management from us.
Sounds great, then! I also keep things family friendly on my blog, so no worries about that kind of content from me. 🙂
Welcome aboard the hype train. Do you have Facebook or Twitter so we can chat? It is not a requirement but it is so when we have special assignments or team assignments we can contact you directly if you want to volunteer
I love Nintendo! My problem is that I come from a family who doesnt do allowance. SO i am stuck without getting a Nintendo Switch. Have fun with yours. 🙂
I’m sorry to hear that! I understand your plight! 🙁
I remember growing up, we did get a little allowance, but my sister and I did things like gather cans for recycle money to pay for games. I had a summer babysitting job one year which netted me enough to buy my Super Nintendo when it was still pretty new! So we had to work for our systems/games, but it made us appreciate them all the more.
Maybe you can look for something like that to save up some money on the side?
I still work for my games, it’s just an adult job now! 😀
I still dont. I am 14. My brother who is 13, though, works with my mom at her gym, while I am stuck at home.
I’m skipping the Switch for the time-being and maybe forever. I’m the reverse of most people I know. I started as a computer gamer (I won’t say “PC gamer” because when I started, the PC as we know it didn’t exist…my first computer was an Atari 400) and moved to consoles over time.
Because of this I don’t have that “I loved Nintendo as a kid” gene, and my tastes tend towards less cute stuff than Nintendo does. I might get Zelda for the Wii U. I bought the Wii U at launch and I think I own 3 games for it. I just didn’t like the hook of the Wii U; that tablet/tv combo. I don’t like dividing my attention between 2 devices. (I’m old!)
I was hoping the Switch was going to wow me but there’s just not much there for me. I don’t need another handheld device and as a TV console, it’s not very powerful (I believe it is the same chip as in your Shield), so I don’t think it’s going to get a lot of 3rd party support, and of the first party stuff, Zelda is pretty much the only IP I enjoy.
If it winds up getting some good Japanese games, though (Xenoblade, Monster Hunter, stuff like that) I might snag one when the price drops. I also hope they finally get the network stuff right. Friends lists that don’t require codes, easy sharing of screenshots and clips.
I think they really missed the boat by not having Netflix and a web-browser on the Switch. It’s powerful enough to be a great replacement for an Android tablet or something… and that would sell me. A tablet I can read ebooks, web browse, and watch streaming TV from…that also plays games with proper controls? That I would buy, and the fact that I could also play on the TV would just be gravy. Maybe it’ll get to that point over time.
Sounds like the Shield might be something you’d be interested in, perhaps. Maybe it’s not console games, but if you pick up the Shield game controller and a mini HDMI, you have a fairly powerful Android tablet with all the tablet apps/functionality and the ability to play games on your TV. Of course, you have to double check that the games have controller compatibility, but of the ones I have played on my TV, it works very well!
Just depends on whether you are in the market for a new Android tablet down the line. I hear whispers there may be a new Shield model eventually, though they held off on it due to (it seems) not wanting to compete with the Switch release.
I want to be super excited for the Switch. Unfortunately the finances for one are not in the cards for me right now. I’ll be looking forward to your opinions once you have one in-hand. I plan on seeing how regular folks feel about it before I decide whether to start setting aside money to buy one sometime before the holiday rush.
I understand — mine is being financed by ye olde tax returns this year! 🙂
I’ve never really been a console gamer. The types of games I play are much more amply available on PC.
I guess technically my first gaming memories are from the pre-PC days: an Atari ST. But it was basically a PC. Console games I mostly play when I want something multiplayer with friends.
Anyway, I hope you have fun with the Switch!
Man the Atari ST was so much better than those early Macs, plus you could play Dungeon Master on it. So…many….hours…playing Dungeon Master.
Oh, hey, someone else who played the ST! 🙂 Yes, I also put many hours into starting games of Dungeon Master when I was young. Finishing it… well, I never did. XD
I understand where you’re coming from! For our family, we were lucky to have a console to game on. A computer was only a dream. It wasn’t until college that I finally opened the doors to PC gaming. I still game mostly on PC, but I do love some console fun!
Reblogged this on Miketendo64! The Place To Go For Anything Nintendo and commented:
Greetings all! I’m new around this site, so I thought this post was a good place to start. It touches a bit on my long history with and love of Nintendo games, and my hopes for next week’s Switch release. I’m sure we’ll all have plenty more excitement to talk about when that time comes!
I am kinda on the same boat as you.
I also grew up with Nintendo consoles up until the Nintendo 64 . After that I stopped with consoles and stayed with PCs until recently when I decided to buy a Wii U just for the Nintendo exclusives (Zelda, Mario Kart and so on). I like my Wii U and also feel that it is being killed before its time.
This also make me a bit apprehensive about the Switch, that it might end up having the same fate as the Wii U. Despite that I am still probably going to get it. There are some things about it that I like plus I am really looking forward to play Zelda Breath of the Wild and Splatoon 2 (whenever it releases). I am not however holding my breath for much of a 3rd party support but that is ok as usually those games I can get in a PC version.
In any case, I sincerely hope the Switch will have a better success than the Wii U did.
When it comes to Nintendo, I don’t usually have high hopes for 3rd party support. But this might be different. I read that the Dev Kit is cheap to buy and support things like Unity and Unreal 4. This is an encouraging factor for 3rd party development, on top of the mobile aspect of the system.
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/02/nintendo_switch_dev_kits_are_nice_and_affordable_according_to_reports_from_game_creators_conference
I’m also reading there’s already a good bit of 3rd party interest and games set to launch on Switch.
https://gamerant.com/nintendo-switch-full-third-party-support/
http://www.polygon.com/2017/2/7/14534302/nintendo-switch-third-party-support
Of course, we’ll have to see when we get there, but this looks far better than the support they got for the Wii U.
Hm. I didn’t know that. Thanks for the links, pretty interesting info there. Now I am feeling a bit more optimistic about the Switch. 🙂
No problem! The possible 3rd party support was another reason I was hopeful for this system. I love Nintendo’s games, and purchase systems for the exclusives, but the more games, the better! I mean, heck, Skyrim is confirmed for the Switch! 🙂
http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-switch
I’ve preordered the Switch as well, a birthday gift to me from me. This will also be the first time I buy a new console at launch (the NES classic edition does not count).
What are you looking at picking up for launch games? 🙂
Zelda, of course. Although what convinced me to get the console is Fire Emblem Warriors, which is set to release this fall.
There’s a lot to look forward to with the Switch. I can’t be the only one hoping to see a new Animal Crossing on the system, though! It would be amazing to have an AC that could be on the big screen or tablet, depending on what you needed.
BTW – I’ve been putting those Amiibo cards you sent me to good use in my AC game! 🙂
Excellent! I have almost completed my collection, I can always send you more of my doubles if you want more.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Switch lately, but I still can’t bring myself to buy one. I just can’t trust Nintendo to supply enough games or support for their hardware anymore.
I can understand that feeling. I’m really enjoying my Switch right now with only Zelda. It’s about all I have time for at this point, so it’s been fine for me. Mario Kart is on its way at the end of this month, though!
so, what do you think of the switch?
I’ve been really pleased with mine so far. I’m looking forward to Mario Kart later this month to see what else it can do!
So, Wren, are you a fangirl yet? 😉
I think I might be, just a tiny bit. 😉