I fell out of love with the Nintendo Switch — here’s how it’s winning me back

I fell out of love with the Nintendo Switch — here's how it'due south winning me dorsum

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Final year was a pretty terrible year for the Nintendo Switch. Its software release schedule was average at all-time (outside of the phenomenal Metroid Dread), Nintendo Switch Online bemused united states of america all with its rip-off Expansion Pack and the Nintendo Switch OLED, while a capable upgrade, wasn't the Nintendo Switch Pro we all wanted.

While I had some fun with a couple of Switch games, mainly Super Mario 3D Globe + Bowser's Fury and Mario Golf game: Super Rush, 2021 was easily the twelvemonth I have played the handheld/home console hybrid least. My Switch spent most of the last twelve months jammed inside a conveying case and blimp in the back of a drawer.

If you'd asked me a calendar month ago, I would have said that was to be my Switch's fate for the foreseeable time to come, simply something has inverse. Over the last few weeks, I've rediscovered my love for Nintendo's hugely pop console. Here's why the Nintendo Switch has earned its spot dorsum as one of my go-to gaming devices.

The power of portability

Nintendo Switch in handheld mode — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Like many people, belatedly last month I traveled habitation for the holidays. While I was sorely tempted, I decided that attempting to carry a bulky PS5 or Xbox Series X on a crowded railroad train was a recipe for disaster. I settled for throwing my Switch (and dock) into my bag instead.

Arguably the Nintendo Switch'due south biggest selling point is its portability, and to exist honest it was the main reason I bought the console at launch. For obvious reasons, over the last 18 or and so months, I've had precious few opportunities to actually go anywhere. This meant I effectively viewed the Switch as just another dwelling house console, and through that lens, it struggled to compete against the shiny new side by side-gen systems sitting under my television.

One time I was back home for a menses of almost two weeks, sharing a house with my immediate family, I rapidly rediscovered the ability of portable play. You really come up to value being able to seamlessly pull the Switch out of its dock and continue playing without a hitch when you don't take consummate control over the main living room television set.

When my adventuring in a galaxy far, far away via the contempo Switch port of Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic was disturbed past a sibling wanting to watch the new Home Solitary movie on Disney Plus, I could just pluck the Switch from its dock and continue my questing.

This is hardly a new revelation. The Switch turns five years quondam in a couple of months, its capabilities are well documented, merely I'd forgotten just how useful existence able to play anything on the organization in either handheld or Television mode really is. It's non an exaggeration to say the Switch managed to forbid a few family unit squabbles in my household.

The Nintendo seal of quality

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe screenshot — (Image credit: Nintendo)

While putting several dozens of hours into my Switch over the festive break, the other thing I was reminded of is just how stiff the all-time Nintendo Switch games are.

I've seen many people claim the PS5 and Xbox Series X had a relatively disappointing showtime year in terms of must-play software. While I think 2021 was a stronger twelvemonth for gaming than many give it credit, there are some pretty excellent games you probably missed, even I tin can't deny last twelvemonth was definitely devoid of many truly top-tier releases.

Jumping back into the likes of Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Jiff of the Wild, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze was a stark reminder that the Nintendo Switch has a glut of impressive software that y'all cannot play anywhere else.

This doesn't excuse the fact that Nintendo's output has been a niggling ropey in the last 2 years. Animal Crossing New Horizons has been the only real boom hitting (and information technology's not to my personal tastes), but the Switch really does accept a library of exclusives that are well worth periodically revisiting.

Nintendo Switch: Looking ahead to 2022

breath of the wild 2 screenshot — (Image credit: Nintendo)

I'm hoping that my re infatuation with the Nintendo Switch doesn't burn out equally quickly as it has begun. In social club for that to happen, Nintendo needs to come out swinging in 2022 and requite me reasons to keep picking upwards those Joy-Cons throughout the year.

Right at present, the upcoming Switch schedule is looking solid, if a little sparse. I'one thousand not traditional a Pokemon thespian, only Pokemon Legends Arceus has piqued my interest. Similarly, Kirby and the Forgotten Lands has captured my attention. I'm curious to run into more from both of these games in the next few weeks.

On more familiar basis, the likes of Splatoon 3 and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope volition almost certainly be excellent, and I can't expect to play them later in the twelvemonth. However, the big one is, of class, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. I am keeping just almost everything crossed that information technology doesn't slip into 2023.

I've previously written about how the start Jiff of the Wild was so proficient it ruined all other Zelda games for me. If Nintendo manages to go along up the same level of quality with its hugely anticipated sequel, so I can't meet it being anything merely an accented masterpiece. Its release would probably single-handedly keep me glued to my Switch for months on end.

Hither's to hoping that 2022 can exist a year where my Nintendo Switch doesn't see any prolonged periods stuck inside a night and dusty draw. Nintendo you lot've got me excited almost your platform once once again, don't let me fall out of love for a 2nd time.

Rory is a staff writer at Tom'southward Guide based in the UK. He covers a broad range of topics including tech news, deals, gaming, streaming and more. When he'due south not writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he tin can exist found watching a borderline unhealthy amount of movies and existence thoroughly disappointed past his terrible football game team.