Nostalgia kicks
in my first memory, not of gaming, but my first memory of this life in general - is: My cousin, Roy Karaoke, is sitting on the porch of the house we had then in Jerusalem around 1990, when I was 5, holding a portable electronic device, which was visible At the time as if he had come from space.
It looked crazy to me, he pressed buttons and the characters on the green screen moved, strange sounds and music came from the device, the cousin played, when he was not bound to a physical place - it was amazing.
It's not that there was no gaming technology then, it was simply found only in the arcade halls or in the living room - on the big screen that was connected to the big and awkward console that was then.
But something portable, compact and elegant that can be played anywhere, anytime?
I had not seen it until then.
Nintendo's original gameboy,
Why is this memory engraved so deeply in my mind?
Beyond that it just looked like a cool device?
That my cousin just refused to let me play on this device.
I guess it was because I was very small and he was probably afraid I would break it for him.
I think the crying I cried in that scenario was the most jarring / long / horrible I have cried to date.
This device was called "Gameboy", and it belonged to the Japanese who would later become a thing in the field of gaming - Nintendo.
A few years later I got my own gameboy and played the childhood hero of us all Mario of course, but until I had a gameboy, the gaming world made such a leap - that very quickly the device was forgotten behind and I continued to the PlayStation world which fascinated me even more, with new games and new heroes and graphics Impressive.
Today, 30 years after the tragic event, when it's time to try and get back to the same crime scene, and take over a Nintendo device I come with a lot of doubts.
Because, what actually happened at Nintendo during all these years?
Disclosure, I came to this review with a pretty solid prejudice about the Nintendo universe, most of the heroes have never fascinated me, not Zelda, not Pokemon, and even dear Mario from childhood?
I really did not understand why they are still dealing with the same Italian plumber and not advancing to newer and more equal heroes and stories.
Always the same story - a troubled princess, an evil turtle, a man with a hat jumping on mushrooms that grow him, okay, and ...?
Actually, I quite understand why I had an awfully simple time abandoning Nintendo for 3 decades.
Nintendo Switch - a portable console with impressive performance,
And then it happened. 2021. I took the Nintendo switch near, this time the decision whether to play or not, is mine and not the cousin's! I turn on the device, colors, sounds, and ... nothing. I was not impressed. I'm used to the PS's on hand, I'm used to the big screen, I'm used to Kratos from Gad of War, Nathan Drake's Uncharted, Celine from'Returnal ' as mentioned. But I quickly realized that the problem is with me, in my head, and not on the console and that in order to enjoy 100% of this wonder called "switch" you have to first make a switch in your head.
What exactly is a switch?
For those who are unfamiliar - the switch is a compact device, with a large, high-quality screen (at least in the OLED version I reviewed), where on both sides of the screen there are buttons that together form a game controller.
You can detach both sides of the remote from the screen to which they are attached and place the screen on an open leg, on which the screen sits at an angle of our choice, and you can play with the parts of the remote with us, while watching the screen in front of us.
The hysterical part about the switch, is the fact that each of the parts of this sign can be turned into a tiny game sign on its own, and thus, actually play two people in the game, even though you have not specifically purchased another sign.
Any two such small signs (joikons) can actually connect to be a large sign, when they connect to a special bracket, then they will look and feel like a standard sign we know from competing consoles.
In this configuration, the remote will better fit the game on the big screen of the living room.
Super Smash Bruce Ultimate - a frenetic beating game that fits the portable console perfectly,
So we have a portable console, but what happens when our soul desires the big screen and a game that needs to be invested in for a long time and not just "On-The-Go"?
How do we connect the small device to the big screen in the house?
It's very simple - the device comes with a unique DOCK that once we put the switch in it, will broadcast the content from the mobile device directly to the TV screen to which the DOCK is connected.
In terms of the console's user interface, it's a comfortable, clear and fairly simple interface, everything is very intuitive and easy to operate.
You can easily turn the device on and off and from "sleep" mode to game mode it is a matter of seconds as opposed to charging a home game console which usually requires more time until the start of a game.
The joysticks connect together to one "full" remote or function as two separate small remote controls,
The rules before moving between consoles
So, let's start: The PlayStation Guide (is there such a word? I just invented it ?!) that is converted to Nintendo -
Rule number 1:
internalize - it's not PS and it's not a competitor to PS, it's a different product for other uses.
If you compare the two in many areas Nintendo is at a disadvantage, on the other hand if you compare to the PlayStation / XBOX and the others do not have most of the features that only Nintendo offers and in the field of portable consoles it leaves dust on competitors.
It's like comparing dawn chocolate and nutella in a big way ... one is better on matzah, the other in French crepe but the basis of comparison is wrong in the first place, one is chocolate spread and the other is mountain nut spread!
The same goes for the switch with the PlayStation.
Rule number 2:
Use the right games for the console, the ones built specifically for it first and foremost and understand the magic of innovation in the design of the switch.
Because games that were originally intended for other consoles will not necessarily work perfectly smoothly on the switch.
Rule number 3:
Even though the device is basically built for a portable and unique game, play with friends!
The ability to split the sign into two small signs is amazing and makes us able to carry very little hardware on us and play a number of people on the go.
"Switch Lite" - the only mobile version that does not connect to the TV - but also costs less,
The biggest advantage: Gaming - anywhere, anytime
Mobility
, indeed since the merry gameboy days the technology already exists, but a portable console at such a level as that of the new switch I have never seen in my life as a gamer.
There is no doubt that nowadays there are a lot of mobile devices such as the new ASUS mobile that has been defined as a gaming device for all intents and purposes.
But even here, it is not possible to compare a console with remote controls and games in terms of graphics and complexity, to those of the very limited mobile apps in terms of gameplay.
Maybe in the future that will also change, but today a real gamer has no real alternative to playing with a remote control.
The switch gives us the ultimate gaming experience we know from a stationary console both as a portable console and as a stationary console when the device enters DOCK which immediately transmits content to your TV screen.
Games: Do you deliver the goods?
And now, let's talk about the pink elephant in the room, and we'm not talking now about some pink elephant character from a Nintendo game ... but about the games themselves!
For years, many voices have been heard criticizing Nintendo's exclusive and original range of games since the launch of the Switch, this of course compared to its competitors in Sony and Microsoft in the home console segment.
Is Nintendo able to deliver the goods in the gaming segment?
The answer to this is somewhat complex and depends on a number of variables.
Metroid Dread - It's not just this franchise that has survived all these years,
Metroid Dread
I begin my review of the various Switch games with their new title. There is no doubt that the variety of games themselves is what was my biggest concern with this console, as in my head they always did not really have games that interested me unlike the big competitors. I take in my hands the new Metroid Dread, the latest from the mythical Metroid series, which has been revealed not only as a perfect game for the Switch platform in both mobile and stationary mode on the TV screen, but simply an excellent game in itself in general. Here, when it comes to an original Nintendo title the excitement was great, as I was afraid I would have to rely only on titles that reach the PS and XBOX worlds first and only later and sometimes in less successful versions of the Switch. Metroid has shown all the qualities of the switch as a quality console with respect in its place. The control in the figure is precise, fast, there are no falls of frames, or stuttering of the system in terms of loading, everything runs smooth, fast and clean. Go to the DOCK and from there to the TV screen,The game's invested graphics stood out even more from the small screen. Recommended game!
8/10 Score for a game on the Switch console
Metroid Dread - a great game from Nintendo that works amazingly on the console in all game modes,
Mortal Kombat 11
At this point I am already really starting to get excited about the idea that even when I leave the house I can continue to play my favorite games. But my second attempt with the switch suffered a major defeat. The beloved beating game, MK11 that I have written about here quite a bit in the past, turns out to be one that does not go through the transformation into a switch smoothly. No display of items, no graphics in general, no response speed, nothing really went perfectly with the switch version. The joysticks that fall apart into two signs - a genius gimmick without a doubt, are not suitable for such a game - it is not really possible to play with a tiny sign when it is moved by using a joystick (and in fact to be precise in the game's beats and finishes 4 joikons), there is a critical priority here in my eyes for a remote like the PS. All the uniqueness of the switch that allows us to play with two players even if we only have one actual remote (which splits into two) can not be expressed in this game With a sour taste.
4/10 Score for this game on the Switch console (Compared to this game on other consoles)
Mortal Kombat: The best beating game in the world - does not deliver the goods in the switch compared to PS,
Also in a quick wander on YouTube you will find dozens of comparison videos that show how the switch version did no favors with the graphics of this iconic game,
Super Smash Bros
After the failure of the Mortal Kombat experience, I thought to myself that maybe the solution to the beating games would be the one that is native to Nintendo and not one that has been converted to fit a console.
I take over - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which at first I do not really understand what's going on in it, and very quickly I understand, and even more quickly find myself addicted.
From Mario through Pikachu and Zelda to the guys from Street Fighter, everyone's there!
And you can go beating with everyone against everyone, the celebration is great, and this game becomes so addictive that for several weeks I forget about everything and play a lot in it.
The graphics are great, the gameplay is endearing, and especially like my previous conclusions, the game fits into this specific platform, which if I had played on another platform I would surely have enjoyed much less.
It is still impossible to compare such a game to an animal like Mortal Kombat as it is a completely different gaming experience, but the Switch has proven that it also has the solutions to the world of beating games, and this game definitely gives in the head.
8/10 Score for a game on the Switch console
Nintendo's hit game shows that when they produce their native game, their hand is on top,
Overcooked
(2 & 1)
From one blockbuster I switched to another, when I tried Overcooked I knew right away that it was going to be a dizzying success.
The game works amazingly on this console, and as an addictive plus-plus game there is no doubt that the ability to take it on the road was a serious upside.
We did a weekend two weeks ago in the north with friends, I brought two more joicos from a friend, we connected the console to the TV in one of the B & Bs and played 4 overcooked players and it was just great. Also a game experience on the edge of the pool (when I was out of the pool of course!), Of two players based on the small screen when at high brightness was clear enough even in the scorching sun, was definitely enjoyable.
8/10 Score for a game on the Switch console
Not just on the big screen: a perfect overcode to play in a switch, both as a mobile device and as a stationary device, and also with the little Goycons!
Super Mario 3d World + Bowser's Fury
I started testing the games from the title associated with Nintendo Metroid, but now I have moved on to the undisputed king of all time, the heavy cannon, and wanted to see if even after 30 years it is still relevant.
And Mario definitely gave in.
Admittedly there was not and will not be for me about that classic Super Mario of that time from the Gameboy in 1990, but it could be said that my problem is due to the lack that my cousin created in my mind that speaks more than the quality of the game itself.
Now, 30 years later, I'm back to the game in its current version and I find myself still enjoying it to some extent.
The game is invested, high quality and most of all - smarter than past versions that I remember, and not only in terms of visibility and interface, but in terms of thinking of gameplay and various options that can be made in it.
Mario is still the king of Nintendo in terms of platform jumping games no doubt.
Maybe I'm not quite as enthusiastic about these types of games as I used to be.
7/10 Game Score on the Switch Console
Mario - still dominates his field.
Maybe I'm too old for that ...,
Streets of Rage 4
This is where nostalgia culminates.
As a huge fan of the "Bit 'Em Up" games - in which the characters simply progress forever towards the right side of the screen and eliminate everything that gets in their way, which the children of the 80s and 90s remember from Double Dragon, Golden Ax, Contra , Fatal Fury, Probotector ... and of course Streets of Rage.
Games that even before they dominated the PC screens and home consoles, mastered the arcade machines with a high hand, and impoverished every child in "Capland" (and every parent of a child who had to find employment while shopping for their parents in the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem ...).
As a huge follower of these games, I was most excited to try Streets of Rage 4, on the Switch console.
Here for me came the best cracking, simple gameplay + nice graphics + not too complicated buttons - on a portable switch = pure fun.
The game passed me the time, traveling (not when I drive!), Queuing in the mail, just like that in bed before I close my eyes, and also with friends when they came to my house to visit.
10/10 Score per game on the Switch console
Streets of Rage 4: There's no more fun than this for someone born in the 80s / 90s,
In conclusion:
My first Nintendo Switch experience required me to understand that the switch did not come to replace my PlayStation. When I want to play God of War, Mortal Kombat 11, or Returnal I will still play on the PlayStation 5. But what happens when I want to play something simpler? Or a game on the road? Or with 3 other friends who came to my house without going bankrupt and buying 4 PS signs for hundreds of shekels? And what if I go on vacation and want to play in a place that is not at home, I can not carry my monstrous PS5 out of the house. Both excessive and heavy, and also, vanity ... while the switch is small, compact, and can be easily taken anywhere I go without advance planning. In all these cases the switch is without a doubt an amazing solution. I believe any beginner gamer who has no serious commitments to particularly heavy games, can start with the switch and the lighter games in it. In addition to the heavier gamers we built, this is a complementary product that is also quite mandatory so it turns out,In addition to the existing console we already have at home. Of course, if you as players do not have the desire to dominate all types of games, you can also settle for just a switch and have it function as your center console in the living room as well, for me personally it was not enough. As for the new version with the OLED screen, the biggest advantage of the new model is that the screen is larger than its predecessors, and it should be noted that in the eyes of the screen so far it was indeed too small. The sharpness of the screen is of course amazing and the difference in cost is not really big (200 NIS), so I was actually aiming for this model.
And now with you, I'm back to hitting some Pikachu with my Mario in the Switch!
Renewal of a Nostalgic Legend of Success - Streets of Rage, Photo: Renewal of a Nostalgic Legend of Success - Straits of Rage
The device reviewed - Nintendo Switch OLED:
Supports 3 game modes: as a console that connects to the TV screen, as a desktop screen that can be played with the included joysticks, as a mobile device.
Supports all Nintendo Switch games
Comes in a package that includes a Nintendo Switch dock and an HDMI cable.
You can connect and play on the TV with the dock.
The dock that comes with the OLED model includes a LAN connection that allows wired internet access.
(Network cable sold separately)
Includes a 7-inch OLED touch screen, resolution - 1280 * 720, height 10.2 cm.
Length 24.2 cm
Weight: about 420 grams (with Joy-Con controllers attached)
Internal storage capacity: 64 GB
Battery life: about 4.5 - 9 hours (battery life depends on the games you play)
The complete package of the OLED switch also includes a Dock in which you can put the switch, and thus broadcast the content to the TV,
Recommended prices for the consumer (in NIS):
Nintendo Switch OLED - 1,799
additional devices in the Nintendo Switch series:
Nintendo Switch - 1,399 (smaller screen and not OLED)
Nintendo Switch Lite - 999 (device that is only portable without the ability to connect to a TV + smaller screen and no OLED)
It can be purchased at the official Nintendo store in Dizengoff Center Tel Aviv, on the Nintendo.co.il website and in stores marketed throughout the country.
The console and some of the games reviewed were provided by Nintendo's official importer of Gaming in Israel.
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