Is Switch Nintendo's best system of all time (handhelds included)?

I want to say no. It's freakin' brilliant, but nostalgia may be clouding my vision.

Lol same here... I have such massive nostalgia for Gamecube in particular.

But I think by the end of the Switch's life cycle, it'll probably be the best Nintendo system.

Seriously. They just nailed the premise and library so far. I still have to grab Link's Awakening and Fire Emblem.

Finished Link's Awakening a few days ago... it was awesome :)

(I know I'll definitely be in the minority here, but I enjoyed it way more than BotW).

Switch, PS2, and SNES are my all time favs

My mind is blown by how many games I have in my hands at any given time. not just crappy portable ports.... these are full blow games. I'm leaning towards this being Nintendos best platform yet.

I do wish it were more powerful but I really love the system, it gets more play than my PS4 and PC by a long shot.

No. I hate ports.

I've yet to finish BotW, so i'll probably be there with you. I'll pick it up this week probably.

@lundy86_4: BotW bogs down in open world hell and I've yet to finish too. Which sucks, because it's mostly a masterpiece. But it could have been even better with a bit more focus

It really is a cool system. I'm not ready to call it their best (l'm leaning toward Gamecube there), but I might be willing in a few years. It will depend on how long it maintains momentum.

@xantufrog: Agreed. If they'd gone open-world with focused fully-fledged dungeons, I would have sh*t the bed. Excellent game, with just a few things that drag it down.

yes.

Yes. 100x Yes.

Not yet, but by the end, it most likely will be. The Switch is perhaps the most well rounded Nintendo platform to come around in years in terms of first party hardware and software. It's the high-quality genre defining games of the SNES and N64, the boldness of the GameCube, and the ingenuity and broad appeal of the DS and Wii, all rolled into one. In the end, it'll probably end up my favorite Nintendo platform.

It could be by the time it's all said and done. I still have a hard time ranking it ahead of the GameCube though. That system had just about every single notable Nintendo franchise covered.

As a handheld it's quite badly designed and the games UI do not scale to fit the smaller screen.

Now this on the other hand, ignoring is the battery bullshit, perfection.

I would say yes. There’s just so many excellent games on it already plus it’s capabilities as a portable system are fantastic. The SNES still holds a place in my heart as my favourite system though.

Although Nintendo's games are all good, I can't say it's the best system of all time.

Yeah imo it is, the hybrid being portable or on a TV is convienant, the library is great (not the best yet, but they dont seem to be slowing down, good mix of 1st party, 3rd party, old-school collections, Indies are all solid. Since snagging the switch its been my go to system and I have a ps4 and PC.. Havent really cared about much on the ps4 except some overwatch matches with friends.

If they could implement in game voice chat well I would say definently yes, ps4, xbox, and PC still have the edge on that.

Not even close, seriously people I mean come on. You guys are drunk..

I love the Switch but even I don't consider it the best console of all times and that honor still goes to SNES and N64 combine.

SNES was brilliant but the switch has definitely gone close still another 2-3 years left of the lifespan. Who knows it has a huge chance of becoming best.

Well...I can only speak for the Switch Lite since that's all that I own, but so far I'm impressed with it. Granted I'm still upset about Nintendo using the Wii U as the Switch's beta test (in my opinion), but I do believe that Nintendo does have a chance to make one of the best consoles, if not one of the better consoles.

I was just thinking the Switch is a step backwards from the Wii U.

Nope.

Switch is missing Pikmin, Metroid, F-Zero, Paper Mario and Animal Crossing, which are some of Nintendo's best damn franchises. Inexcusable.

And releasing a console in 2017 that can't play your own biggest games online without serious lag is pure and epic failure.

well its not done yet so we will need to see in due time when the library is done if it lives up to it's predecessors. It has a great set of games at the moment though. plenty to play and more coming.

in terms of the system itself i think its somewhere in the middle.

• not as interesting as a wii or wiiu.
• not as compact as a GBA SP (Somebody PLEASE make a pocket friendly gaming device: phones are rubbish at it).
• not as good at being a console as something like the gamecube was at its time of release.
• also a bit flakier on the hardware side compared to other nintendo devices (really picky on how to charge it, stick drift, can be bricked pretty easily). I dont think nintendo looked at any industry standards in terms of USB, HDMI or anything like that. the implementation of the whole switching screen feature could have been handled better.

still though it's about the games at the end of the day. if things keep going the way they are going i think history will remember the system fondly. the only thing i would like to see improved on on that front is nintendo working more with western developers too to get more content to the switch and to build games for the switch....just to round it out more.

Until there is a new Metroid, DK Country and Pikmin games released, I would say no.

The SNES is my favorite Nintendo console by far.

More like worst to me, because as much as I didn't like the system, at least the Wii U had a good Mario game. As far as only handhelds go, DS>GBA>3DS>GBC+GB>Switch, imo. Metroid Prime 4 and SMT V could make me revise my opinion though if they ever come out.

Not even close!!!

But probably for some nintendo maniacs or nostalgia driven nerds!!!

I only own two games for it, but it seems nice so far. This probably could have been Nintendo's greatest system if they didn't get caught with their pants down by its success. There could have been appropriate software made just for the system that could have been great by the first and third parties from the jump.

AAA ports are not the Switch's strength, but quirky and innovative titles could be. That's what this system needs more of. Nintendo stresses charm over raw power and devs need to cater to that.

I don't think it's fair to rank the Switch among the lineup of Nintendo consoles until at least after the Switch's lifespan when everything is said and done.

I think all the ports will help the Switch in the long-run, and it's good they decided to push many ports out right from the gate. 2019 has been the best year yet for the Switch because we are seeing a greater influx of original titles, and the rate which original titles get launched on the Switch will only get bigger from here on out.

So it's cool that that's happening already, and it's also cool that while new games are coming out that we also have the opportunity to play many 3rd-party games for the first time ever on a handheld device. While we may have played Dark Souls and Divinity 2, it's cool we have the options to play them handheld for the first time.

It's kind of crazy how polarizing this system is. I think it stinks. It's a poor design with apparent flaws.

Of course, I am not talking about software (games) as that is a completely different discussion from hardware. I think that is the disconnect here. Some people, when asked how awesome the Switch is, think of the game library. Others think of the hardware. And so the discussion is doomed from the start.

I think the Switch has a great library so far, but that doesn't make the Switch hardware good.

I very much believe to have a decent discussion we must first define what it is we are discussing.

The Switch will never be a great Nintendo system because it tries and fails to be too many things. It's never going to be a great handheld because of its size, battery life, and ergonomics. It'll never be a great console because the joycons suck, there's no ethernet, the system itself is under powered, and the display options are limited. The system may have a great library of software, but in a lot of cases the Switch fails to support the games as well as other systems.

Consider BotW and Link's Awakening. Even Nintendo can't get their exclusives running in an acceptable state on the Switch.

Consider Nintendo's multiplayer offerings. Well wifi can be spotty and there no ethernet port. And do we even need to get into how far behind Nintendo is at basic social features. Nintendo seems to start over with each console they make and they never get anywhere.

Consider Mario Maker 2. The original Switch has a terrible excuse for a d-pad. Okay no problem, right? Just use another controller. Well that wouldn't be an issue except the best way to edit levels is on the touch screen. Want to play on the TV? Well you're going to have to dock it every time you make a change to a level. Mario Maker worked better on the Wii U.

Just so many WTF design decisions keep me from taking this system seriously.

All that said I've still enjoyed many things the Switch has to offer. I see potential, but I think Nintendo has a lot of work to do. IMO they can't keep this hybrid BS going. They need a standalone console that works with existing Switch hardware similar to the way the Wii U works. With the difference being you don't need to be in proximity to use the Switch in handheld mode. The console simply offers quality of life improvements (ethernet, backwards compat all the way to GameCube), as well as filling the gap for games like Mario Maker. It's important that the extra hardware be optional. Mix and match. That ecosystem could be supported for a long time.

Geez that was a rant.

As a portable handheld system, it makes a great system.

As a dedicated home console... It's another woefully underpowered Wii-like console this generation. Too many compromises there, sorry. Honestly, its just a outdated, proprietary mobile gaming tablet.

PS2 and SNES I think are still better.

And for this gen, I really think the PS4 may be the best, it gets all the 3rd Party AAA games, has a good online experience, has great exclusives, and for me it's really easy to use and user friendly.

I'm not sure if I want to say yes, but it's close. The NES and SNES are locked in for my favorite Nintendo consoles, but the Switch is easily 3rd at this point and it's closing in fast.. especially when you add the fact you can play a lot of NES and SNES games on it. However, the input lag on those games being emulated holds it back for me a bit. If they can clear that up somehow and keep killing it with games though... I don't know, it is possible that by the end of it's life that it may be my new number 1... and that's saying a LOT.

NES/SNES is way better.

The single most overrated, for sure.

Everyone and their grandmother had a Wii. It was basically a Gamecube with waggle controls and worse games. You find the Switch more overrated?

@Litchie: Sure.

No. I'm not coming down on the Switch but with the NES and SNES in their history you can't say that.

I initially voted no purley due to the high esteem the NES and SNES are both held in, but the more I think about it, why not?

The Switch has a lot going for it, and by the end of its lifespan I believe it will be the best Nintendo system to date.

The switch is awful and in the worst tier category of Nintendo systems.

Wii/Wii U/Switch are basically the exact same system sold to you 3 times over and Wii was just a GameCube with motion controls lol

At least the GameCube was decent. Nintendo has been awful for the last 15 years.

I don’t know how anyone can like the switch when it has no games and awful controls that drift every second. Terrible online where you can’t even play against your friends in most games.

It’s just baffling and has too many flaws. Playing some downgraded ports of last gen games, even worse ports of current gen and a handful of NES/SNES games isn’t worth it.

If I want to play SNES games, I have a SNES and I play them the proper way, not some laggy emulation on Nintendo’s awful online service.

At this moment, probably not. But when the BOTW Part II, Metroid, and those other games come into the Switch + more NES/SNES library it'll be the best.

I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, I love the Switch. It's my favorite system this gen. But I think the SNES has it beat with game library.