This is going to be controversial. I grew up with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In fact, my fondest memories were playing the SNES with my family. It wasn’t because of the games per se, but because of the fun factor and the quality fond family memories formed. In fact, playing the Super Nintendo with my family are among my most memorable memories with my family. Period. The Super Nintendo had the best game lineup of any Nintendo system; Zelda, Mario, Mario RPG, Final Fantasy II through VI, Mario Kart; you name it, they had it. Super Star Wars!! There’s too much to actually count. It was a very social console and brought friends and families together.
Nintendo has done something similar with the Nintendo Switch, but has adapted it for the current generation 26 years later. In fact, with the exception of May, there has been a major AAA release for the Switch every month since launch, mostly multiplayer titles, as the Switch is a social console after all. All year. Since March. This doesn’t even take into account that two of the greatest games of all time, Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild were released on the console.
One of my colleagues and current lead writers Matthew wrote a piece that the Switch is the best console since the Nintendo GameCube. Being a bit older, I want to take this even further. The Switch is the best Nintendo system since the Super Nintendo. If the console continues with its high-quality game releases and third-party support, which there is no sign of slowing up, the Switch will surpass the SNES, the greatest Nintendo console ever.
Something For Everyone
One of the greatest aspects of the Nintendo Switch is that there is something for everyone. There are hardcore games like Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, which comes out in December, and even upcoming third-party titles like Skyrim and the recently released DOOM. LA Noire is great. Wolfenstein II is so violent I’m surprised it’s being released for the Switch, but it’s a fantastic title. Then there are games like Super Mario Odyssey, which appeals to everyone, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, ARMS, Pokken Tournament DX; the list goes on. And this is since March and all of these games come out through the holidays. It’s an amazing lineup of games.
The Switch is Social
One of the greatest aspects of the Nintendo Switch is that it brings people together. It is social by nature, whether you’re playing on the TV or have multiple systems with you. Instead of LAN parties, you can now have “Switch” parties. It’s the ultimate social console. The Super Nintendo was an incredibly social console. It was a ton of fun, especially playing together with family. It was limited though by the technology of the time. While the Switch doesn’t quite have the third-party support that the SNES had, it has more than current years. I’ve been alive since the NES era. I have never seen a console that has the ability to bring people together like the Nintendo Switch can, even though the Super Nintendo did in its own right. Technology has evolved though and what Nintendo has done with the Switch is everything they ever meant to put in a console. It is the ultimate Nintendo console.
The Switch is the Best Nintendo System Since Super Nintendo
The Switch will ultimately rival the SNES in the quality of its software. Nintendo’s marketing is the best its been in years. The Wii was good, but the Nintendo Switch have both gamers and non-gamers excited again. The SNES never had two GOTY-quality games come out in a span of six months. So many of my friends were getting disillusioned with gaming and their current consoles. They bought a Switch, and now their passion for gaming is re-invigorated. This is only something Nintendo can accomplish.
The GameCube and Nintendo 64 were great consoles. Ocarina of Time is my favorite game of all time. Super Smash Brothers came into its own on the GameCube with Meelee. Goldeneye was one of the best multiplayer games of the 64 era.
Here’s the thing though: a few games don’t make a console. Hardware and high-quality software, including a consistent release schedule, do. Previous Nintendo consoles lacked this going back to the N64. The Switch is the best piece of hardware Nintendo has ever created. Its social potential is unlimited. It’s the best Nintendo console since the SNES and maybe the best Nintendo console of all time, and it hasn’t even been out a full year. It’s not letting up though. The software keeps coming, even third-party titles.
It’s the first time I’ve played video games socially with my parents in over 21 years. I got an SNES 26 years ago. That just goes to show you how special the Nintendo Switch is.