Getting my Switch on

I don’t know if you know this but I used to work for a gaming company, and was quite into gaming consoles and playing the games that came along with them.  I LOVED my job.  I mean HELLO… I was paid to play games! (a lot of the time I also had to do like you know, actual *work*)

So when I got an invite to attend the Nintendo Switch pre launch event last week I think I might actually have squealed a little.

I was excited to be part of a select few that got to play with a brand new gaming console before everyone else did.  I was also nervous though, it’s been a while since I’ve had to let loose with a gaming console.

Well!  I am totally switched on by the Nintendo Switch!

It is a light , portable console that has detachable controllers (snazzily called joy-cons – joystick slash controller, geddit?) but it’s not strictly only a portable console… What do I mean by this?  It comes with a docking station that you slide the console into which gets hooked up to your big screen and hey presto – non portable console!  I loved that this console has the versatility to effortlessly interchange from a home device to being a portable one.

My favourite thing about the joy-con’s is the HD rumble feature : this allows you to actually feel what is going on in the game in the palm of your hand.  It is eerily accurate and I was astounded to actually be able to feel the amount of balls in the box when I was playing the 1-2-Switch mini game Ball Count.  If using the smaller (but powerful) joy-con’s are not to your fancy, you can always purchase a pro controller.  I foresee the hard core gamer being more comfortable using this accessory.    Other accessories will include steering wheels that can be used when playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

I love that the Switch is ALL about having fun with your friends and family.  When playing the 1-2-Switch games (which are the entry level mini games) it really focused on you looking at your opponent in the eye, bantering with them and then listening for the audio cue’s before out milking them or beating them with your quick draw skill.

The interactive games were by far my best to play, I mean it’s all about looking like a complete dork in Just Dance, or smashing your opponent to the ground, and then picking them up and flinging them around in Arms.

Arms was awesome, I didn’t get any picks of myself playing it but needless to say I was super chuffed that I kicked Sharon’s figurative butt at it.

My absolute best game though was Splatoon 2 taking turf wars to new levels! It was set up in a way that two teams of four competed against each other in a showdown of “inking” the territory with your team colour to gain the most ground for your team.  Sounds simple right? Not!  But SO MUCH FUN.

My kids are at the age where we are considering getting a gaming console for the home – am I considering a purchase of the new Nintendo Switch?  Absolutely!

WANT TO GET SWITCHED ON AS WELL?

You can pre order your Nintendo Switch and accompanying games and accessories on Takealot now before the official launch date of 3rd March 2017.