Is A Nintendo Switch Worth Buying In 2022?
Are you wondering whether a Nintendo Switch is worth buying in 2022? The Nintendo Switch has been a popular system among a mass audience of over 110 million system sales and growing. However, as the system surprisingly nears its sixth year on the market, some may be dissuaded from buying the console as rumours of the next system draw closer. Is the Nintendo Switch worth buying in 2022? We'll answer that by describing Nintendo's upcoming slate of games, third-party support, and online experience.
- With so many Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters, it will be hard to topple. Is the series finished?
Nintendo Switch First Party Games
Click to enlargeIf you haven't picked up a Nintendo Switch yet, you're missing out on an incredible suite of first-party games on the system. Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are some of the highest-rated titles in their series by critics and fans alike. In addition, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an incredible crossover fighting game that holds almost every beloved character from the medium with Banjo & Kazooie, Sora, and Simon Belmont all joining the battle alongside many others.
The Nintendo Switch arguably holds the greatest first-party lineup when you consider the games from the Wii U that have been transferred over to the hybrid system. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2, and most notably, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are now available on the Nintendo Switch. There is a wide array of games to choose from in the first-party catalogue, and that doesn't include the emergence of well-made Pokemon titles like Sword & Shield and Pokemon Legends: Arceus that have been praised for changing up the tired, traditional formula.
The Xenoblade Chronicles series features almost all of their 100+ hour games on the system, providing much entertainment to JRPG fans as well. The Nintendo Switch first-party game lineup alone is worth a purchase of the Nintendo Switch, and that doesn't include the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel and Metroid Prime 4. Maybe one day, the Japanese company will finally bring back the F-Zero and Kid Icarus series as the Nintendo Switch reaches its sixth year in 2023.
- Nintendo might have some high-quality games on the Switch but will there ever be a remake of Super Mario RPG?
Nintendo Switch Third Party Games
Click to enlargeImage via Capcom
Click to enlargeEver since the Nintendo 64, third-party game support hasn't been the strong suit of these systems. The Switch has received more support than most, however, with Fortnite, The BioShock Collection, and the Borderlands series supporting the platform, among many other key franchises from the PS3 and Xbox 360 era. It has even received its own Monster Hunter entry called Rise, which has sold well on the Nintendo Switch.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has been left by the wayside when it comes to most third-party games. There are no Call of Duty, Destiny, or Battlefield games on the Nintendo Switch, and most major triple-A releases skip the platform, due to its limited graphical capabilities. The FIFA series does launch on the platform every year, but EA has not been updating its features and instead just adds a roster update. It's by far not the best version to play; you should check out sports games on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S instead.
However, if you want to play Nintendo games and some prominent indies like Cult of the Lamb, the Nintendo Switch could be the right system for you. The much beloved Hollow Knight was first playable on the system, and Nintendo has done well pushing top-quality indie games to its service as timed exclusives.
- If you like Hollow Knight and are desperately wanting Silksong, we've made a list of great games like the indie masterpiece.
Nintendo Switch Online Experience
Click to enlargeOverall, the online experience for the Nintendo Switch system is mixed, to say the least, and you'll need to pay for it with a monthly subscription. The basic version of the online service is significantly cheaper than the competition like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, but games often disconnect and the playable online experience of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is trepidatious, especially if you're playing with people outside your region.
However, something that Nintendo Switch Online offers is a playable catalogue of Nintendo's classic titles. Games like Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda can be picked up and played at a moment's notice. PlayStation Plus Premium has a wider array of content, but if you ever feel nostalgic for the NES, SNES, or Nintendo 64 (which you'll need the Expansion pack for), Switch Online is honestly not that bad. They just need to improve the net code and service quality across the board.
The Expansion Pack has been a great value for some, including Animal Crossing and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players. Fans have received the DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons called Happy Home Paradise and the ongoing Expansion Pass for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for free. That's a great value included with the purchase, including the N64 library which gets updated every month.
- The recent Coconut Mall inclusion in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might be the best interpretation yet.
So, Is A Nintendo Switch Worth Buying In 2022?
Click to enlargeWith the sheer quality of Nintendo's first-party catalogue and wide indie support, the Nintendo Switch is certainly worth buying in 2022. Would we like to play these beautiful games like Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in 4K? For sure. However, as of right now, the experience of taking your game on the go or playing at home is still a feature that's well-liked in 2022.
In addition, Nintendo has said, according to GameRant, it will support the Nintendo Switch for between seven to ten years, so we still have a lot to look forward to.
And once again, with promising titles like Splatoon 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, and whatever else Nintendo has planned on the horizon, there's still much to be anticipated for.
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