What part of the Nintendo Switch do you find to be the most innovative?

[-Apples-]

We already have a discussion on disappointments and a discussion on satisfaction, so let’s start another thread about reviews on the Nintendo Switch now it’s been seven years.

Obviously, the idea you can play it on the big screen and on the go would be one of them, but let’s not forget the other innovative aspects each software title brought us. Almost every franchise has broke the mold compared to the older games when they made it to the Nintendo Switch. Let’s discuss the top innovations we seen on the Switch, both software and hardware.

My take:

1. You could play much larger games on the go.
2. Terraforming in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. Outdoor item placement in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
4. Experience Candies (in Pokémon Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet)
5. Koraidon and Miraidon (as ride Pokémon in the main series Pokémon games)

 

[Suguri]

Nintendo Labo comes to mind. They did a pretty great job combining papercrafts and gaming (before that Yoshi Switch game, which I haven't played yet), despite only being a novelty at the end of the day. I hope to try out one of the kits sometime...the variety one especially.

 

[Yoshi155]

It’s got pretty impressive designing. I like how the Joy-Cons can actually produce sound, and it’s weird that they rarely ever use it in games.

And of course, the obvious answer would be the fact that it’s like an Xbox One or PS4 that you can take wherever you want. Actually, it’s to the point where I rarely ever use it on the TV. It’s really convenient to be able to play it wherever you want despite having larger games than the 3DS.

 

[Khaoticnoize187]

That it managed to do the portable home console hybrid better than the wii u coulda.

 

[Midoriya]

Aside from the answer of it being both a home and portable console, save data transfers are now ridiculously easy, more easy than I thought they'd be. I was able to transfer everything from my old Switch to my new one with no issues and it didn't take that long, either (aside from having to wait for all my games to redownload overnight). I can't imagine having to do that by myself with the 3DS systems (never experienced that before).

 

[-Blue-]

Nintendo Labo comes to mind. They did a pretty great job combining papercrafts and gaming (before that Yoshi Switch game, which I haven't played yet), despite only being a novelty at the end of the day. I hope to try out one of the kits sometime...the variety one especially.

Yeah those were interesting, but they kind of slept on the idea after a while. Maybe the sales just weren't there, but the games they offered were very basic.

I wouldn't say it's the most innovative, but I like that I can just power my Switch down and resume playing whatever it was. Before the Switch, every other Nintendo console was just on or off. You either got to spot where you could save or just dealt with having to lose whatever progress you had. It's very convenient for when you just don't really have the time. A lot of stuff just happens out of nowhere where I need to do something, someone needs me asap, ect so it's very nice.

 

[Suguri]

Yeah those were interesting, but they kind of slept on the idea after a while. Maybe the sales just weren't there, but the games they offered were very basic.

I know, right? The Labo's definitely got potential, which is why I think it's innovative. I think it deserves more fun games than what it already has to offer.

 

[-Blue-]

I know, right? The Labo's definitely got potential, which is why I think it's innovative. I think it deserves more fun games than what it already has to offer.

I think the price also hurt its sales. They should've lowered it a bit because it was very generic games. They could've made double the sales at $30 instead of the $60-80 or whatever they were asking for.

I always wanted to try that robot cardboard one, but there was no way I was spending $100 to look like discount Optimus Prime lol. I did buy the first edition, but that was because when it came out I got these award points at school. I accumulated enough apparently and I looked at the online reward shop and there wasn't much I really wanted, but it had the labo set. So I figured what the heck.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

The Joy-Cons, Labo, and ability to play both in handheld and on your tv.

I think the price also hurt its sales. They should've lowered it a bit because it was very generic games. They could've made double the sales at $30 instead of the $60-80 or whatever they were asking for.

I always wanted to try that robot cardboard one, but there was no way I was spending $100 to look like discount Optimus Prime lol. I did buy the first edition, but that was because when it came out I got these award points at school. I accumulated enough apparently and I looked at the online reward shop and there wasn't much I really wanted, but it had the labo set. So I figured what the heck.

$100 for the Robot? I don’t remember it being that much and i got two kits (one for main play and one for backup parts). I also got second copies of the Variety and Vehicle kits and for the VR Bird and Pedal. A few of the Toy Cons from my original kits broke and needed fixing.

 

[Cress]

Just like in the disappointing thread, this isn't the most innovative, but it's one of the highlights to me even if it is a small thing.
Kirby Star Allies uses the HD rumble in one of the bonus areas to somehow vibrate in the perfect way to make your controller play Green Greens! I have no idea how to explain it but it's something that you need to experience in-person (but here's a video anyways).

Yeah the wiimotes had proper speakers, but the way the game devs saw the HD rumble and went "yeah we could use that to play music" feels so wild to me.

 

[Neb]

The HD rumble was very impressive when the Switch was new and Sony ended up improving on it with haptic feedback on the PS5 a few years later.

 

[-Raven-]

What Blue said + honestly the controllers are so *slick*. Their QA is pretty bad, but I can’t really think of another console where you can so smoothly augment the controllers in different ways. I just think it’s cool. The Wii controllers had different peripherals that started going in that direction, and the Wii U had support for tons of controllers, but they still had clunky wires and whatnot. If the QA was better then joy-cons would be some of my favorite controllers. The novelty still hasn’t worn out.