Finally, I have done what many gamers had already done before me: I bought my Nintendo Switch. Well, stumbled across it actually after waiting patiently for my reservation to come through. Didn’t need that in the end, as you can ready in my blog here. As I said from the first, I don’t need a Switch as a home console. In fact, the way Nintendo underplayed the handheld feature in their presentation of the device had me deciding not to pre-order. That, and the lack of release games that appealed to me.And that, my friends, is where I was wrong.
True, the launch games library is slim. But there’s this one game that makes buying the Switch totally worth while: The Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild. Much has been written about the game in gaming media, many people rave about it, the critics award it stellar scores. Let me tell you, they’ve got it spot on. Even I, who is not a big Zelda fan and finds many of the games in the series too difficult and challenging, am totally converted.
I haven’t gone far yet. I’ve just left the Great Plateau and I’m now searching for Kakariko Village. I’ve done four shrines and have beaten some enemies. But the great joy of the game is in exploring. Finding a glittering pinpoint telling me there’s some goody to forage. Finding eggs in a birds’ nest, or creeping up on a non-suspecting butterfly. And the cooking, coming up with recipes. Love it! My only worry is that the fighting will get too hard for me forcing me to abandon my quest, but I’m trying to prepare by reading up on the game.
I’ve bought a huge guide to the game, just because I love reading everything there is to know about it. And I bought a carry case for the Switch. As you might expect, I’m not going to use my device as a console, but to use it the way I love my gaming: as a handheld. In fact, my Switch has only been attached to a TV once, when the device prompted me to do so during setup.
But here’s the thing: I play a lot of games commuting in the train to work. My Vita and my 3DS are my constant companions. So I bought the carry case to bring the Switch with me on the train too. But now that I’m deciding which games to take with me to work, I find that I don’t dare take the Switch with me. For fear that something might happen to it, someone might try to wrestle it from me. Or it might be damaged bouncing around in my laptop trolley. I shudder at the thought!
Tell me about your experiences. Have you taken the Switch with you while you were out and about. Maybe even on the train or plain? Did people look at you with envy, or didn’t anyone pay attention? I’m curious to know, before I take my Breath of the Wild into the Wild!
I’m glad you’re looking forward to portable gaming with the Switch! That case looks really nice! I got a Breath of the Wild case when the system came out, and I absolutely love carrying multiple cards with me. As for my own travel experiences, I bring the system everywhere, as I did with the 3DS before. Sometimes, people are curious about what I’m doing, but most of the time, people either know what it is and acknowledge that I have a Switch or they don’t know what I’m doing and don’t inquire. I can’t speak for everyone, but I think you’d be fine playing it on a commute. Your case looks pretty safe too, so I wouldn’t worry about it getting damaged. It’s so worth playing Switch games on the go!
Thanks, that’s the experience I wanted to hear about. You see, I do most of my gaming in the train, at home there’s always so much to do at night! An uninterrupted 45 minutes, twice a day, is great to make some progress. I might take the chance next week, I’ll let you know how it went!
Glad you are enjoying the game! I knew you would! Enemies do get stronger as you beat big guys or complete certain numbers of shrines or divine beasts, but the only minor regret I have was not being able to get some of the earlier/weaker weapons that Lynel(the scariest kind LOL) drops to take pictures of them (to fill the catalog), though those pics can be purchased at the lab.
Oh, when you come across the small mission to find “Kilton”, you’ll be able to get monster’s masks from him (they look like handcrafted by him and are very cute). Be sure to get those, for they come in handy when you want to avoid getting attacked (though they may not work with the higher ranked kinds that appear later in the game). I’ve come to like bokobrins (especially red ones) for the first time in the series after using these masks at random times.
Thanks for the tips, I’m sure they will be most welcome. I was sure you would love the game too, I’ve always remembered how you played a lot of Monster Hunter. I’m really in awe about that, you know I was never much good at action based fighting, but you clearly are.
I’m not ashamed to say that the monsters can indeed be scary, in a way that I always think I will never be able to beat them. Got to practice my defence and offence, because for now I make heavy use of strategically placing bombs, lol.
Love the cooking and finding new recipes, and the exploration is the best!
I am waiting for more games to come out that I really want before I buy the Switch. Then again I said that about the Wii U and never got one! I usually get Nintendo handhelds though, which this system technically is.
A lot of people say they don’t bother to hook up the Switch to the TV so they can play in bed or carry it around the house. I have to laugh because some of those people don’t like the 3DS or Vita because they say “I don’t need a handheld because I don’t travel.”
Lol, you’re totally right! I guess they’ve finally learned how great gaming on a handheld can be! I’m playing the Switch on the train right now. Nobody looks strangely at me at all