Making the ‘Switch’: A Dad’s Guide to the new Nintendo console

‘Tis the season!  Hopefully Black Friday worked wonders towards your holiday shopping list, but if it didn’t, or if the gamer in you thinks you can do better, ABOD is here to help!  Since we here at ABOD Gaming are Dads first and Gamers second, this review will be done to cater to both the gamer and dad in all of us.  Now it would be impossible to make any 2017 video game list and not include Nintendo; they’ve had an amazing year all around with plenty of games for your little ones to enjoy, no matter their age.  The Nintendo Switch console, which launched earlier this year, has been the latest hot gaming commodity;  if you had trouble finding one at launch, you’re in luck, because most big box retailers have plenty in stock in time for Christmas.    

The Switch is a fantastic console and caters very well to a younger audience with lightweight controls and a very simple interface.  The games available are fantastic and many exclusive to the Switch console; speaking of games they look great on both the handheld screen (720p) and your high definition television (1080p).  It’s a good kid-dad hybrid because it works well to entertain the kiddos after school and on the weekends, but can also go with you on your commute or as some lunch hour entertainment during the week.  Of course no console is complete without some amazing games and the Switch has a healthy selection this holiday season.  

Let’s begin with Nintendo’s flagship franchise, Mario.   The Switch’s entry into the franchise is Super Mario Odyssey and it’s a phenomenal first entry for the new console.  The game offers original levels as well as nostalgic nods at fans, sure to bring back memories to all us old-timers.  The game’s campaign is short, but tons of fun which is the key behind Mario…it’s just fun to play!  Once the campaign is over the game really opens up with more moons to be found in each of the previous stages.  There’s other collectibles and outfits to find which adds to replay ability of all the stages.  The game offers two kid friendly options towards gameplay; the first is the addition of “Assist Mode”,  which adds guide arrows which lead the player to every moon, and additionally gives the player extra and regenerating health, not to mention the ability to spawn right where they died.  The second option I personally found a bit annoying and something that should be overlooked altogether; two-player mode, which basically enables your child to independently control Mario’s hat.   In case you haven’t been keeping track, Odyssey incorporates Mario’s hats in brand new and interesting ways, which make the hat crucial to gameplay.  What this means for two-player mode is that, unless you don’t plan on progressing at all during your gaming session, you might as well avoid it at all cost.  Controlling only the hat makes it very boring for your child, but lacking said control makes it very difficult for you to solve even some of the more basic puzzles.  My qualms with the cooperative mode aside, I cannot recommend this game enough!

Another must have game for any Switch owner is definitely Splatoon 2, which may come as a shock to anyone who has only looked at the game from afar.  Splatoon 2 was my first foray into the franchise and it was an unexpected delight.  While the game is catered towards an online experience it does feature a single player campaign which my five-year old adored and which got him ready for the online component.  The online modes work a similar way to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s Graffiti game mode, where each team is basically trying to tag the environment to match their team color.  At the end of each match, the team who has tagged the majority of the map is declared the winner and earns bonus XP and cash.  The XP is used to level up your created character and unlock new items for use which include all the cosmetic items you would expect as well as new weapons.  These are of course afforded using the cash earned from winning matches.  The game also has a “horde” mode where you and 3 other players defend an area from enemy NPCs culminating in a boss battle of sorts.  These are all concepts that many of us, as gamers, are very familiar with, but our children may have not yet encountered in a game and Splatoon makes it a very fun learning experience.  The game is very competitive and yet inviting and friendly; it features very simplistic controls and objectives easy for young minds to grasp and yet fun for all ages. 

 I understand some may be cautious about allowing your children to play online, but luckily Nintendo requires a separate app to be downloaded for voice chat, which means you don’t have to worry about the kiddos having to put up with the filth you often encounter online; not to mention the Switch supports child accounts which allow you full control over what they can do; and all friend invites require friend codes as well.  

Lastly, rounding off my trinity of launch holiday games is Zelda: Breath of the Wild.  If you’re a long time Nintendo fan, chances are this game was what piqued your interest in the Switch; well the good news is that Nintendo did not disappoint with this entry in the beloved franchise.  This is the Zelda game we have been waiting for; an open world with countless opportunities and paths to choose from and an adventured limited only by our children's imagination.  The game just works and nearly anything you can think of works as you think it should.  Everything from smart enemy NPCs, to destructible weapons and equipment, to the survival aspects of having to find and prepare food is just a refreshing take on an old formula.  The overall sense of freedom, scale, and adventure is so vast it can actually feel overwhelming at first; if you’ve played the Witcher 3, then you know the feeling well.   I will say the game does an excellent job of limiting the areas you can reach of the top, to give you a sense of direction; you’ll need warmer clothing for the diverse snowy areas and flame resistant clothing for other areas etc.  In terms of child friendly gameplay, this is higher on the difficulty scale, as the puzzles will prove too difficult for younger children and with no voice-overs many of the missions objectives are explained via text.   While they may not be raiding temples or completing trials, children will find lots of fun in just controlling Link in the vast open world and exploring the beautiful landscape.

There you have it folks!  My thoughts on making the Switch part of your console family this holiday, but more importantly how to make sure you have the best games to enjoy it with the kids.  Sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the Switch and you experience gaming with the kiddos on it!

Honorable Mention:  Although I wouldn’t put it on my top games list for the Switch, my children love playing Arms.  If you haven’t heard of the game, its been flying pretty low on the Switch radar.  It’s a very kid friendly take on your arcade fighter where two characters square off in a classic showdown.  Each character has Arms made of springs that extend and can hit the opponent for a great distance; before each match you can pick your boxing gloves individually per Arm and even unlock more Arms via gameplay.  There’s no real campaign or story, the game simply has a handful of modes you can play with.  It does support up to four plays local split screen which is great if you have multiple little ones. The only real caveat is the game is priced absurdly high for such little content; I would only pick it up if you find it on sale as the $60 price tag isn’t justified. 

Not Recommended:  Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a fun and very strategic game, which can look very kid friendly on the outside; I, however, have to caution you to not be fooled.  This is basically Mario’s attempt to imitate Xcom in both gameplay and difficulty.  The game offers very light exploration, but the core gameplay is the battles which involve a turned based style and a lot of trial and error even for the most seasoned gamer.   The tactics are just far too complicated for younger children.  If you’re thinking about this game as a “Dad game” on the other hand, it is a very good tactical RPG at its core. 

By Adam R.  

@TheRealGamerDad