Nintendo Switch - Game Cartridge Accessibility

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Aywren

The age of digital gaming has pushed physical media further and further into the background. However, while I will buy some indie games and some digital-only games for my Switch console, I’ve seen all too often how Nintendo shuts down the E-Shops for their systems over time. That’s why I often purchase bigger and more important games in physical format.

In fact, I have quite a collection of game carts for the Switch. But, I’ve also noticed that I’ve gotten a bit lazy about playing games on the cart (since you physically have to get up, find the case, and switch the cart out) vs. playing the easily accessible always-there digital games.

Last week, I talked about the encouragement that easy access provides for things like practicing my fiddle more. Instead of keeping the instrument locked in a case where I had to pull the case out, and then go through the motions of getting all the fiddle accessories out each time I practiced… I decided just to hang the fiddle on the wall where the shoulder rest is always attached, and the bow is always within reach. I do feel this makes practice faster and easier to pick up and put down when the time comes.

So, I wondered if I could apply that to physical media for my Nintendo Switch. I decided to purchase a small game cart holder. There, I could store all of the different physical carts to the games I’ve started and have not finished yet, making it easier to switch out carts whenever I put the focus on playing my Switch.

The left side of the case holds the games that I’m really close to finishing, or games I want to focus on completing before I play another game. For example, I think I’m super close to beating Miitopia, so highlighting it in a collection like this may encourage me to pick it up and work on it again. Also, Breath of the Wild – due to life circumstances, I got about halfway through the game before I put it down and never finished it. I want to play Tears of the Kingdom, which I own. But not before I beat Breath of the Wild.

On the right-hand side, I have games that are bit more casual to dip in and out of. Things like Story of Seasons and farming sims that may not have an exact ending to them. I also put games over there that I probably just need to completely restart – Let’s Go Pikachu, for example.

I’m hoping that organizing my carts this way will serve as encouragement to play and beat some of these games this year. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

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