NIntendo Switch 6-Year Announcement Anniversary Retrospective

In this episode, we take a look back over the 6-years since Nintendo originally announced a revolutionary system, the Nintendo Switch, and we take a look back during this 6-Year Announcement Anniversary Retrospective.Show more

It's hard to believe that the Nintendo Switch has been in our lives for 6 years now. It is truly a system that, regardless of what you think of the games, the power, or lack thereof, the Switch has truly changed the landscape in the world of video gaming. There have been rumors for a long time that Nintendo had wanted to combine their handheld and home console into one device, and many people thought that he would either be too expensive or too underpowered, But few can argue with the success that has been the Nintendo Switch.

Let's take you back to 2017, the day prior to the Switch announcement. Nintendo's flagship console at the time, the Wii U, was floundering. It had an incredibly weak library of games, consumers did not understand the difference between the Wii and the Wii U, and many just thought the Wii U was a tablet accessory for the original Wii. There are many tremendous first-party titles from Nintendo themselves on the platform, Super Mario Bros U, Mario Kart 8, and remasters of classics such as The Legend of Zelda Windwaker and The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, but the Wii U had just not caught on. At the same time their handheld console, the 3DS, had enjoyed years of success but was starting to show its age. Something had to be done if Nintendo was going to bounce back from the Wii U and maintain its dominance in the handheld arena.

As early as 2015 rumors started to swirl about a new console coming from Nintendo, with every indication that The Wii U as a platform would be abandoned sooner than later. Rumors of a new platform, code-named NX, began swirling. More and more speculation started as 2016 progressed, and then it happened. That trailer, that reveal, that system that went on to become the Nintendo Switch.

There are many things to love about the Nintendo Switch. You truly do get to enjoy console-quality games on the go with the hybrid design. While not as powerful as a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One, the lead competitor systems at the time, it still had enough power to create beautiful games such as The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. The Joy-Cons allow you to play in handheld mode, there was a grip that you could put them in so you could play as a pro controller, or you can use them almost like a Wii remote. You could connect up to eight systems locally to enjoy local multiplayer games, and you could also enjoy online multiplayer too.

Not all has been wonderful for Nintendo and the Switch platform since its launch, however. Within months after the Switch launching we all learned a new term, Joy-Con Drift, an issue where the analog sticks no longer center properly. The Switch was also hobbled by the lack of any online chat function right through the system. You have to use Nintendo's smartphone app if you want to chat while playing, and only certain games are supported! While the library of games is terrific, there are also key gaps such as Madden NFL football. Finally, Nintendo themselves have taken to rehashing games released on the Wii U and making them available for the Switch. Oh, and they do it at a full retail price too.

The Nintendo Switch has been a fun system over these past 6 years, but it is not without issues. Nintendo tried to correct some of these with two hardware iterations, the Nintendo Switch Lite, a handheld-only solution, and the Nintendo Switch OLED, which provides a better, larger display, enhanced audio, and an ethernet connection in the dock. Even across all of these versions, there's still something at a hardware level that Nintendo can improve upon. I don't know what we are going to see next from Nintendo, I think they are going to stick with this hybrid format, however. I would honestly be surprised if by this time in 2024, we don't have some word, if not some official announcement from Nintendo regarding a Switch successor. I hope they keep the core functionality similar to the Switch because it is a great platform. I'd like to see a few other hardware interactions however, such as a TV mode-only console would be terrific! Give me something with enhanced visuals and audio that might sacrifice portability. I'm okay with that. But what about you? What would you like to see from a successor to the Nintendo Switch? What if some of your favorite Nintendo Switch memories be?

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

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