Happy 1st Anniversary, Switch!

Wow... an entire year has passed.  I can still remember exactly one year ago waking up early on a Friday to drive down to my local Best Buy to stand in line for the Switch.  I already had it pre-ordered, so I didn't have to worry about any ticket systems that have become the norm for system launches.  I just wanted near the beginning of the line so when the doors opened, I could go in and out relatively quickly. There were only about 10 people in line when I got there and most had theirs already pre-ordered.  I picked up my Switch, my collector's edition of Zelda and Super Bomberman Z and went home feeling elated.  Console launches are already special days, but Nintendo console launches for some reason always feel more special to me...

So to celebrate the Switch turning one year old, what I'm going to do is talk about the games that I have played and mention the ones that I bought that I've still yet to play.  I'll also talk about what Nintendo needs to fix down the road, because as much as I love the Switch, it's far from the perfect system.  As Mario would say, "Here we go!"

Games I've Played

It all started with the one game that I'm sure every Switch owner has.  If any Switch owner doesn't have this game, then they must have bought it for the Wii U, but they wouldn't if they had a Switch.  So, paradox!  Anyway, I failed to secure a pre-order for the Master Edition, which had all the goodies you see here plus the sword, but I was more than happy to settle for the collector's edition.  I just really wanted that awesome Zelda Switch carrying case, which I still use to this day.  The coin, though.. No idea where that's at.  The map is still rolled up, something I never bothered using, and the soundtrack is on my iPod.  Again, I really loved that carrying case, which alone justified me purchasing this edition.

As for the game itself, I simply adored Breath of the Wild.  The last Zelda before this one, Skyward Sword, was such a disappointment for me.  Breath of the Wild felt like Nintendo's heartfelt apology to me.  They righted so many wrongs that Skyward had, one of which was having a massive world underneath a cloud barrier that you could only access three areas of.  BotW let you access its massive world right from the start and the only barriers that halted your progress was the amount of determination you had in exploring areas you know you shouldn't be in.

BotW was also a Zelda that reinvented itself on every fundamental level.  Up until this installment, Zelda games always had their own sense of identity but stuck to a strict formulaic structure of finding dungeons, getting tools and using those tools to continue to progress to the next dungeon.  Breath of the Wild opened all that up letting you progress through the four main dungeons in any order you wanted.  Hell, you could even bypass the dungeons altogether and head straight towards Ganon himself.

It was the completely reworked weapons and gear system that made that possible.  Gone are the days of using your Master Sword as your main weapon, although you can still get it, but it's a long and arduous quest.  Instead, you can pick up many, many different weapons from tree branches to clubs to flame swords and the like.  There's no leveling system in Zelda, so if you found a deadly sword with a majillion damage point rating at the beginning of the game, you could use it and begin unleashing hell.  Crafty Nintendo, though, devised a way from letting players become overpowered by seeking out strong weapons at the onset.  They made them break far too easily.  So it became a game about weapon management.  You had to think of which weapons you wanted to use at certain times, and this feature turned out to be a polarizing one among fans.

I could go on and on about this game, but to prevent it from becoming a review, I'm going to move on.  Before I do, though, I just want to say that my one real complaint was the game not having enough main dungeons.  They opted to pockmark the landscape with 120 shrines - mini dungeons that had either puzzles to solve, enemies to beat, or just simple participation rewards for finding the shrines.  Because there were so many of them, a lot of them were just cut and paste shrines, and I always had a problem with that.  I felt it made the game feel rushed.  It was no substitute for having several more masterfully crafted dungeons that took you at least a couple hours to finish.

I knew going in to this game that it wasn't going to be the end-all be-all of Bomberman games, but I haven't played a Bomberman game since Super Bomberman on the Switch, so I figured it was time.  I had every intention of playing a lot of online Bomberman, but sadly the online was almost completely unplayable and I lost all interest in returning to it when they patched it.  The single player was fun, however having to sit through the god-awful voice acted cutscenes was hard for me to do.  I also wish I had the time to return and check out the DLC for it, because you can play as a bomber in a Pyramid Head costume!  How cool is that?

The one knock that everyone loves to throw at the Switch is that it's the receiver of a lot of old games.  The Birth of Isaac: Afterbirth+ was another example they'd use to say that the Switch had no games.  I didn't mind, because I never did play Birth of Isaac.  This was going to be the first time for me and I was going to do it with the definitive edition.  Birth of Isaac was also the first roguelike that I played and I fell in love with it instantly.  I loved going into a dungeon not knowing what enemies I was going to fight or what power ups I was going to get.  I also loved the really morbid sense of humor the game employed.  Birth of Isaac also was the game that suggested to me that the Switch was going to be the platform of choice for indie games, and it sure enough was.

Oh how I wish I had a physical copy for this.  Far from a fantastic RPG, I am Setsuna still holds a place in my heart thanks to the homage to its old school JRPG roots.  I knew that the Switch would be the go to platform for RPGs because RPG and handheld gaming go together like peanut butter and jelly. Being able to play Setsuna at work on my break was pure joy.  I loved the battle system, very similar to Chrono Trigger.  The story was serviceable, but I loved stumbling across that hidden 16-bit village.  My only real complaints, though, was serious difficulty spikes with a couple of bosses..... and SOOOOO MUCH SNOW.  I loved the graphics, but there was just too much white.  

I don't usually buy games over again, but this was a special case on two fronts.  For starters, my Wii U copy ... I broke it.  I got so frustrated in 150cc that I ejected the disc and snapped it in half... Yeah, I know.  Rage issues.  So anyway, what better way to replace it than with the Switch version that not only has the DLC but also has a proper battle mode!  This was the Mario Kart that the Wii U should have had!  It also had near flawless online and well... playing on the go is a major plus.  Seriously, this is one of the must have games on Switch, even if you already own it for Wii U.  

I love Puyo Puyo (Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine).  I love Tetris.  Put the two together and you have puzzle game bliss!  I actually ended up playing through the entire single player campaign, which was almost as bad as trying to sit through Bomberman's cutscenes, but I enjoyed the challenges.  I got to play with someone at work too, thanks to being able to hand off one of the controllers to him.  Plus, the game came with free key chains that I'm still using.  Great fun!

Remember when I said that the Switch was the de facto platform for RPGs?  That would be the case with this little gem.  Disgaea 5 Complete not only has all the DLC from the PS4 version, but also can be played on the go!  You have no idea how fantastic of a feature it is to be able to lift the Switch out of the dock when it's time to go to work and pick up your progress when it's break time!  As for the game itself, it's not really one of my favorite Disgaeas.  I think my favorite was 3.  The one problem I had with 5 was how they reworked their Item Worlds. It was a lot more work to farm levels compared to previous games, but I still enjoyed it.  Disgaea is simply crack.

This is the only title that I really regret getting.  I saw a video review for it and even though the reviewer named off several negatives that I knew I'd have issues with, I still went for it because it looked so unique.  But its roguelike nature combined with ever-so-careful precision movement caused the game to be far more frustrating than I had the patience for.  Thankfully, the developers listened to feedback and patched in a mode that let you play structured levels without the procedural generation so I finally went back to it and was able to beat it.  

I loved the first Splatoon, but I felt its single player campaign could have been better and I was hoping for a longer one here.  Sad to say, that was not the case, and even the end boss felt lackluster.  Still, Splatoon 2 was a lot of fun while it lasted, but I never did get sucked into the online multiplayer.  I just am not a fan of the way Nintendo structures their matchmaking and how they pick random arenas.  I do have to say kudos for continuing to support Splatoon 2 with free DLC.  They are doing DLC right.

The game that should never have existed but did and everyone was better for it.  The concept of taking Rabbid characters and throwing them in the Mario Kingdom universe while designing the gameplay to emulate X-COM was so unique that it deserved extra money for me, so I sprung for the collector's edition you see here.  The game itself was absolutely fantastic.  So fun, great level design, funny and charming as hell and had a terrific difficulty curve.  I wish I had the time to go back to it to play some of the DLC, but there are just too many games to play.  I say that a lot about games I love that have DLC.... 

I'm a huge fan of Picross and when I saw how this game played, I was reminded of it.  At the time, an actual Picross game was not available on the Switch yet, so I went with this.  Basically, you have to connect numbers by lines and make sure they aren't intersecting each other.  Once you finish a puzzle, a picture reveals itself.  I was really addicted to it when I was playing and wouldn't stop until I finished it, but then they released more content and I had to force myself off it.

Shortly after Piczle Lines came out, Picross S arrived and I instantly snapped it up.  Sadly, this is probably the most bare bones Picross I ever played.  For one, there's no graphics variation when it comes to the grid.  I remember Picross DS having a lot of different grid styles really helping to vary up the visuals.  Two, you can't even use the touchscreen to play it.  You have to use the controller to move around and mark cells.  Very disappointing.  Lastly, the Mega Picross mode uses the same pictures the normal mode used, and that's when I felt very ripped off and stopped playing it.  

While we're still waiting for a proper Animal Crossing on Switch, Stardew Valley stepped up to fill the daily chore needs. I didn't realize I'd have so much fun harvesting 300 turnips until I started playing Stardew.  One of the things I loved about the game was the almost daily discovery of something new whether it was in the town talking to one of the villagers or delving into the many depths of the mines.  Even though it employed a 16-bit aesthetic, it put it to remarkable effect giving the game a strong sense of charm that would cement its staying power with me for more than a month. 

Super Mario Odyssey is to the Mario franchise what Breath of the Wild is to the Zelda franchise: a complete reinvention of itself while executing a near flawless game.  I knew Odyssey would be so special that I took the day off to pick it up at launch.  I loved being able to throw Cappy on enemies and take them over.  I tend to think that Odyssey has some of the best level design of any Mario game.  Overall, I love Odyssey so much that it earned a spot in my top five Mario games which always fluctuates from time to time.  My only complaint was the massive Power Moon collect-a-thon that involved having to outright buy 200 or so Power Moons.  It was just too much.  

If there was any game that would cause me to have a massive delay in my Switch backlog, it's this one.  I never got around to playing it on the PS3 or 360.  When they remastered it for the PS4 and Xbox One, I was going to get it, but never did.  Then, when Nintendo unveiled the Switch for the first time and Skyrim was shown on it, I knew I'd finally play it on Switch.  I spent close to two months in Skyrim doing almost every quest I came across, and I probably still have many left to do when I finally beat it.  Well, if one CAN beat Skyrim.  I just wish Bethesda actually gave a shit and fixed their bugs, many of which still exist since the original version, but man... you just can't beat playing Skyrim at work!  Seriously, I keep telling you, the Switch is the platform of choice for RPGs!  

Yet another release that was deserving of me getting the Collector's Edition.  In fact, hold on.... just hit the Power switch on my Sonic statue to hear it say, "SEEEEGAAAAA!"  Haha, love it.  Took me a long while to finally get to this game, though.  Just too much kept coming out.  When I finally got to it, I understood immediately the hype around this game.  Sonic's had such a muddled history with bad games released using his visage.  It took having to return to the days of the 16-bit era for a great Sonic game to emerge again.  Seeing remixes of favorite stages and mash ups of different styles blend together so well gave me a sense of Sonic euphoria I haven't experienced since Sonic the Hedgehog 2.  Truly a fantastic game and best on Switch!

The last game that I've played thus far on the Switch also happens to be a downright superb game, probably the best indie platformer since Super Meat Boy.  Celeste is about a young girl who needs to climb the titular mountain in order to prove to herself her worth.  The journey up the mountain is fraught with hazards, very reminiscent of Super Meat Boy.  What sets Celeste apart, though, is a slow release of new abilities and mechanics that opens up the gameplay far more than Super Meat Boy could hope to achieve.  Celeste's story is also a somewhat serious one dealing with themes such as depression and reflection.  It has a very old school pixel look to it, but play it for a few minutes, and you'll soon see the style is a thing of beauty.  Celeste is without a doubt one of the best games available for the Switch this year, even though this year just started. 

Now we'll move on to the games currently sitting in my Switch backlog.

Games I've Yet to Play

I really mean to get to this game at some point. I did play the demo and I had fun.  It has a bit of a Super Punch Out vibe to it... which I really hope Nintendo will do something about. *hint hint*  

I'm not big on the Fire Emblem franchise (GAAAAAASP) but I decide to pick this game up because I loved Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U and I heard you don't really need an understanding of Fire Emblem to enjoy FEW.  

Someone told me that this game's a bit like ICO, and my ears immediately perked.  I was advised that it's short in length, but bruh... have you seen my backlog?  Anyway, what's funny is that every time I saw this game advertised on social media, I'd start hassling the developers for a Switch version (wasn't announced yet).  Now that the game's been out for months, I still haven't started it yet... 

I heard a lot of good things about Axiom Verge, that it was a pretty solid Castlevania game and well, we still don't have a Metroid game on the Switch, so I went for it.  I bought the Multiverse Edition because the publisher was good enough to press a physical copy and that deserves my business. 

This was another game that I decided to buy just because there's a physical release.  I really want to encourage developers and publishers to put out their games on physical media because physical is forever, and their artwork should always exist.  Anyway, I don't really know anything about the game other than it's supposed to be really good. 

Both of these games I bought out of principle.  Believe it or not, I haven't played either.  I've been meaning and meaning to get to Doom when it was on the PS4 but never did.  When Bethesda announced that they were bringing it to the Switch, I just had to buy it.  I knew that I'd be sacrificing performance for the weaker console, but Nintendo's always had a problem with third party support for their platforms.  Well, here we have a major third party supporting the Switch and I felt obligated to support them for it.

As for L.A. Noire... yes, the game is old, but this is the first time that I can think of in a long while that Rockstar has released something for a Nintendo platform.  I still have the game on the PS3, but never got around to opening it and I was able to get it nearly dirt cheap because of a reward program so I sprung for it.  I'm looking for it to playing it one day and I heard it's actually a really decent port.

Another game that I've been meaning to get on the PS4 but waited so long, now it's out on the Switch.  It's been sitting on the home screen ever since it came out for the Switch, but alas I just haven't found the time for it.  I really want to play it, though!

Ok,  the only reason I downloaded this was for one, the hub is free.  You get two tables I believe before you have to buy the other tables.  Also, it's the only game I know of that lets you play Switch in a vertical position.  I think that would make playing pinball on Switch a lot of fun!

"OH COME ON, LUCAS!  YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THIS YET!?"  Yes, I know... one of the biggest Switch releases and I still haven't played it yet... Sue me.  The thing is, this came out while I was still playing Skyrim.  I try to only play one game at a time, let alone one RPG at a time.  And well, when Skyrim was done, I just wasn't really in the mood to play another massive RPG.  It'll get played eventually. Don't know when though.  But hey, at least I sprung for the special edition!

This is one of the two ACAs that I have on the Switch.  Kid Niki has special meaning to me because it was an arcade game that I always found myself playing in amusement parks when I was a kid.  Actually, this game falls outside of the "I've Yet to Play" category, because I have actually played it on the arcade, and played a few levels on the Switch.  I just haven't returned to it yet to finish it.  It aged poorly, though, so I recommend it to no one. 

The other of the two ACA games.  I remember playing King of Monsters all the time in the arcades.  It was my favorite Neo Geo game.  I just need to find time to play it again on my Switch. 

Finally got around to downloading this game when they put it out on sale.  Don't really know much other than that it's supposed to be a phenomenal little indie title.  

So, if you've been counting, then you'd see that's 30 titles I purchased on my Switch.  30 titles in one year.  That's more than two games every month, for the FIRST year of a new console!  I don't think I've done that with any other console that I've owned.  I ended up with over 100 games on my PS2, but that took a while after its first year to accumulate.  So, in order for me to buy 30 games in the first year, that means the Switch is truly impressive.  I just want to keep playing the thing!  But will Nintendo keep that momentum coming, though?  That's the tricky part.

For now, though, the only major problem Switch has is the lack of Virtual Console.  I have no idea why they're being so stubborn with their legacy games.  All they have to do it is put their catalog on there and BOOM!  More money!  Every great Nintendo game of old with you to play at home or on the go! 

What worries me, though, is that they're saving some of their best legacy titles as select bonuses for people to entice them into buying subscriptions to Nintendo's online service, and that pisses me off.  Even though it's only 20 dollars a year, Nintendo has the gall to try to charge for online service of any sort.  They don't know how to matchmake.  They don't know how to friends list.  They don't know how to voice chat.  Their "service" is horrible.  The only thing that's worth mentioning is their fantastic net coding which allows online games to play without a hitch.  If they truly want to offer a service, they should learn how Sony and MS does theirs and do it better. 

For 2018, I want to see three things: continued releases of amazing software from both first and third party; the Virtual Console; a subscription service worth paying for.  Oh, one last thing. 

Come on, don't give me that, "But I have it on five other devices!" That's exactly why it should be on Switch as well!  Supposedly, the hang up is Netflix's fault, but still... Nintendo needs to kick them in the ass and get Netflix on the Switch!  

Anyway, Happy First Anniversary Nintendo Switch!