Nintendo Switch Launch Window Buyer’s Guide

The Nintendo Switch is now available worldwide and that has left many people happy, and many upset over the lack of hardware availability. However, there is still a lot to be happy and excited about with the console. The device’s on the go nature is outstanding, and yet as someone who mainly plays it in docked me, I can still thoroughly enjoy it as a home console as well. We’re going to take a look at what’s currently available for it game-wise, accessory-wise, and look at just how essential those things are on day one. After all – you want to avoid any hidden costs when you can, and when you’re already carefully budgeting for a console, extra stuff may just not be doable right away.

Physical Games

• 1-2 Switch
• Just Dance 2017
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• Super Bomberman R

Digital-Only Games

• Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
• Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
• FAST RMX
• I Am Setsuna
• Snipperclips

Now when it comes to must-buy games, you’re looking at a few different options depending on your preferences. Anyone who loves the Legend of Zelda series should adore Breath of the Wild. It’s an incredible experience a must-own even for a lapsed fan such as myself who has grown a bit weary of the default Zelda 3D game formula. Just Dance is what it is, while 1-2 Switch is a fine mini-game compilation, it’s also something that many will be fine waiting for a price drop on since it is so very limited in terms of depth.

Super Bomberman R looks like a solid pickup for fans of the series – but the question of whether or not it’s worth full price is going to depend on how much you like it. If you’re new to the series, then you’re best off getting either the Xbox 360 or PS3 games than buying this just to see if it’s to your liking. Platforming fans can’t go wrong with either offering involving Shovel Knight – but if you want the whole series so far, then the Treasure Trove is for you. Specter of Torment is just the latest DLC, but sold as a standalone product.

Fans of puzzle games might enjoy Snipperclips, which has you cut things out in the world and solve problems. JRPG fans will enjoy I Am Setsuna, which has been compared to Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross – and while it is a fantastic product, it does fall a bit short of those two all-time classics. The dark storyline is well-worth experiencing though, as is the incredibly-moving piano-heavy soundtrack. FAST RMX follows up on the Wii U’s sleeper hit FAST Racing Neo with more tracks and higher-fidelity graphics. Starting this up shows off the power of the Switch and showcases graphics that are some of the best on the console so far. It’s a great pickup for any futuristic racing fans, and blends racing with an Ikaruga-style orange and blue color-coding system to keep players engaged.

While those are available at launch, there are some other games coming down the pike as well. Blaster Master Zero is set for release on March 9, while March 17 sees the release of The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+. The former will be digital-only, while the latter will actually get a physical release. It’s an excellent twin stick shooter with a really dark theme. Fans of Blaster Master craving a proper follow-up to the original should be pleased to see this new entry using an 8-bit visual style for side-scrolling areas and a blend of 8 and 16-bit for the underground sections.  So far, it looks to check every major box to be a proper entry, and at only $10, it’s a great blind buy.

Given that the Switch itself is just a tablet at its core, protecting this device is very important. You can leave it in the dock at all times if you want – that’s what I’ve been doing since launch since it’s impossible to find cases for it. My planned day one buys included a case and screen protector for $20 – which is well-worth it since not only is save data tied to the unit, but I’d really like to not have any damage befall my hardware. Since I couldn’t get a cover or case I did get a protection plan for it – and for what is essentially a $300 tablet, and one without Gorilla glass, that was money well spent in case anything falls on the screen or if it ever experiences hardware failure.

The JoyCons themselves are sold separately if you didn’t get your preferred color, which is nice, but at $50 for either a left or right JoyCon and $80 for the pair, the pricing is a bit steep. You can mix things up a bit with a Legend of Zelda-themed case that also includes some stick covers and JoyCon covers, and for the money, that’s not a horrible deal at all. There are also some earbuds included, but let’s be realistic – they’re a small part of something that’s only $30, so don’t go in expecting much from them.

The stick covers look solid, and I do worry about the rubberized coating eventually wearing out on the JoyCons. The massive game-holding section is incredibly tempting too, but it’s odd that there isn’t a separate area with a velcro cover for micro SD cards as well. Speaking of which, any card up to 2TB will work – even though those don’t exist yet. Odds are, you can get a 32GB card for around $20 or less – so that should last you quite some time unless you plan to go digital-only for the console. Given how small the game cards are, and how tiny the boxes are, it is a bit tough to believe there will be a huge collectors market – but the reversible covers for Zelda and Bomberman R do show that companies are putting some effort behind the physical releases to encourage you to get games that way whenever possible.

Right now, pickings are slim when it comes to finding accessories in brick and mortar stores. The Pro Controller is sold out everywhere I’ve seen since launch, and is hard to come by online outside of the usual second-hand market. It looks like an amazing device, and one that I was planning to get on day one – but honestly, the JoyCons alongside the included grip feel natural enough as a game controller and I’ve never felt like I’m missing anything without it. This is a stark contrast to the Wii U, where I always felt that the lack of owning a Pro Controller there held my gaming back a bit – although with those being clearanced out, this is a good time to buy them and avoid having to rely on sub-par Chinese knockoffs down the road.

When it comes to what to buy on day one – definitely grab any kind of case and/or screen cover that you can. If nothing else, maybe get a cheap tablet cover so there’s at least something to protect the screen. Putting it in and out of the dock does seem like a scratch or two waiting to happen, and you can’t just replace the screen if something goes wrong. A physical game most likely a must, and many are going with Breath of the Wild – although 1-2 Switch has been selling briskly too. It’s surprising that it wasn’t a pack-in game, but with folks willing to spend $50 on it, why charge $0 for it if you’re Nintendo? The Pro Controller is theoretically a must for Shovel Knight and Ultra Street Fighter II down the line, but I can see the games working just fine with the JoyCon grip setup for the time being. That is hard to find and honestly not something you’re likely to miss much once you get used to the JoyCons themselves. The Switch is a great little system and a purchase I haven’t regretted yet despite the low overall number of games – I’m finding myself enjoying what I do have to play far more, and like the Wii U, I don’t see ever having a large pile of shame for the device.