Does the Nintendo Switch Make Sense for a Non-Gamer?

There are plenty of Nintendo Switch reviews online, so I don’t plan to tread old ground here. Instead, I want to focus on my impressions of the Nintendo Switch as a console for folks who may not consider themselves to be “into video games”. I fall under this category. As a pre-teen, I had a Colecovision. When I was in college, I surprised my little sister with a Super Nintendo. And 10 years ago, like many others, we bought a Nintendo Wii. Beyond the extent of owning these consoles, I was never really an avid gamer. A few factors influenced this choice:

1) Lack of time. I was concerned that I would have to log hundreds of hours of play, and time was a commodity that I was not willing to sacrifice.
2) I assumed that many new games were too complex, requiring a lot of “study”.

I never showed any interest in Playstation and Xbox consoles for these reasons.

And that’s where the story would have ended, were it not for my daughter Sonia. She’s been wanting a Nintendo Switch since launch. Finding one in stock was virtually impossible — until recently.

Last month, I purchased a Nintendo Switch from our local Best Buy, along with a copy of Mario Odyssey.

Setting the Nintendo Switch up was incredibly easy. The console’s UI is clean and simple to navigate. Configuration is a breeze, save for setting up a child account to access to the Nintendo eStore, which put my Switch in a perpetual loop between asking for my credit card number and re-entering my e-mail address. Beyond that notable annoyance, everything else about the Nintendo Switch has been pretty amazing. If you’re new to consoles, you should be able to have your Switch up and running within a matter of minutes.

Mario Odyssey is a game that is very new user friendly. Exploration is half the fun of this game. I’m not sure if this indicative of ALL Nintendo Switch games, but I like the way the game introduces the mechanics of controlling the main characters (Mario and Cappy) on the first level. Sonia and I found the first level to be informative and engaging, without screaming “this is a tutorial”. The puzzle solving aspect of Mario Odyssey is another highlight. As Mario and Cappy move through the game, they collect “Power Moons”. Solving a puzzle can yield a “Power Moon”. The puzzles start off very easy and build as you advance through the game. Certain parts of the game are VERY challenging, but these are not essential to complete in order to advance. I really like this aspect, as it allows newbie like myself to feel like I am making progress.

When Mario “dies”, he loses 10 coins. Since Mario amasses thousands of coins throughout his journey, losing a life isn’t a significant detraction. Honestly, I prefer this type of game mechanic over having a fixed number of lives. Kudos for whoever at Nintendo came up with this concept.

Sonia and I both really enjoy the Nintendo Switch because it allows us to play together. We often share the Joycons to play Mario Odyssey in a cooperative mode. It’s a lot of fun!

As a self-described non-gamer, I found myself enjoying the Nintendo Switch much more than I thought I would thanks to its fun, easy-to-approach setup. Best of all, my daughter Sonia and I can play together. Will the Nintendo Switch turn me to a full-blown gamer? Probably not, but it is a nice way to spend a few hours each week.

Recommendation time. What are some other good kid-friendly Nintendo Switch games we should check out next? Post your suggestions in the comments below.

-Krishna