Nintendo Switch

Started by Steve Elliott, January 16, 2025, 13:28:57

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Steve Elliott

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Xerra

Looks nicer, and has a lot more connectivity it seems.

However, I've still got my Switch and it's not been turned on for around 3 years. Novelty wore off real quick. 

Guess I probably won't be looking at paying a, likely extortionate price for another dust pocket on my shelf :)
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Steve Elliott

I use my Switch a lot (in docked mode mostly). From Nintendo classics like Luigi's Mansion 3 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (it looks like the new Mario Kart has 24 racers!) To arcade machine classics and most genres of game, there's such a variety of games and it also has a portable mode. The extra horsepower and new mouse capability will allow it to cover more demanding, stategy and FPS games better, and yes I like the new design too.
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Xerra

That's one thing I've never done with my Switch, as in put it through a telly and actually played it that way. Mostly during lockdown I was tinkering with it during working hours as I was working from home in my loft, and really didn't have that much to do. Nothing wrong with the Switch, or its games. I just preferred either computer gaming, or playing with my PS4 at the time.
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Steve Elliott

#4
I do most of my gaming on Switch because it's so versatile and doesn't take up much space. At any point I can pull it out of the dock (in docked mode I use the Pro Controller) and go play on the sofa or on a plane for a holiday. I have the OLED larger version. I even have games that you might associate with PC only gaming like point-and-click adventures, Return to Monkey Island, Thimbleweed Park and VirtuaVerse.

The only games I have on PC are games the Switch 1 cannot handle, Cyberpunk 2077, Doom Eternal, F1 24 and Planet Coaster 2.
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Naughty Alien

what is the difference between Switch2 and Lite?? I mean, i understand that there are some hardware changes , docking station and controls can be separated on V2, but other than that, are they capable to run same game, downloaded?

Steve Elliott

Quotewhat is the difference between Switch2 and Lite??

Yes Switch 1 games will run on the Lite version too. But it's a handhold only device (you cannot connect to a bigger higher resolution screen via the dock) it only has a 5.5 inch display rather than an 8 inch display, controllers cannot be detatched so no multi-player support or mouse support. Switch 2 is far more powerful so games will likely be patched to run better or at a higher resolution - especially with the built-in DLSS upscaling and raytracing support.
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Naughty Alien

How this Nintendo switch lite games works. I see that there is a cartridge/memory card. So, if I have 2 units of Lite, am i able to install game from same cartridge on to both and play, or i have to have for each cartridge with same game? Im asking as i want to buy 2 units for my 2 nieces, and i never had anything nintendo so i need some input here.

Steve Elliott

There are 2 types of game, physical cartridge/memory cards you purchase and games you can download from the Nintendo eShop.

eShop games have a licence specific to the console/user account so cannot be shared, but physical cartridge/memory cards can be shared.
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Naughty Alien

Physical cartridge/memory is used to install game and run it without inserted cartridge or it has to be inserted in to unit in order to play it, which means, cant be shared at same time (2 player network game)..

Steve Elliott

#10
All the game data is on the cartridge (you cannot run the game without it being inserted). Only game save data (progress) is unique to each console. You don't actually install a game, the game is read directly from the cartridge.

So you can share games between units, but you cannot use the same game at the same time (unless another copy is bought from the eShop or physical copy).
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Naughty Alien

..got it..thank you very much..can you recommend me a game that can be played between 2 devices, suitable for children? I never had any of these so im not sure what to buy..

Steve Elliott

You're welcome.  :)

If multi-player games are important I wouldn't get the lite because it's aimed at portable mode only and the joycons cannot be removed (required for multi-player gaming).

I would recommend getting 1 Nintendo Switch instead of 2 Switch lites (the original is cheaper than the OLED screen version). Then you could have multi-player games on 1 game cartridge, because the Switch has 2 built-in game controllers (one each side of the screen) which are removable. Plus you get the dock so you can connect to a TV via HDMI.

'MarioKart 8 Deluxe' is great fun for all ages.
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Derron

#13
The normal switch can be used with a lot of controllers (you can even link in your PS4/5-Controllers ... it is all simple Bluetooth. Exception are some specific joycon-games).

Original Joycons can be updated (firmware-wise). I have a lot Asia-Joycons here, 2 sets can be used in the Nintendo-Sports game, others fail because of firmware issues (fail in the sense of "you need to click away the failed message" ... and continue to play :D).

I had some BT-Controller flying around I bought as "price mistake" on amazon (you know... "price drops off" but an old discount voucher is still active... so 40 become 8 :D) and bought some additional controllers ("pro-controller") later for each family member (when they were cheap and "choice" on aliexpress ... or in these "buy 3 things and get them cheaper" offers).
They all work flawless for now. No Joycon drifts or similar.

My used Switch did not come with a Docking Station (but the official power supply) so I ordered some more fancy looking (and smaller) docking station (and a portable in addition - which is still unused in a "switch stuff"-card-box, next to pouches for the switch, "thumb covers" etc...). At the end it is just an USB-C-Hub with Power Delivery and HDMI-out and the ability to eg attach USB-Devices (eg to load) and it is important that the Power supply offers a "non usb-c standard" power mode ... but this only if you use the docking mode (more CPU/GPU performance there...and so more power consumption). If you just use it in "mobile mode" then any USB-C power supply will do as it then just "charges" as usual. So for a "charge over night" thing you do not need an additional (expensive) power supply.
I also bought some "load multiple joy cons at once" hub ... yeah, it is used if my kids want to use something which requires multiple joycons (...at the end these games often only require ONE joycon per player). Anyways, this is like an USB-Hub and allows loading x controllers instead of just 2 which you would need to attach to the switch (which for us is mostly in docking mode ... and without joycons it is smaller :D).

We also ordered plastic wheels, joycon-holders (so they are "bigger" and a bit like a pro controller). I also printed some of these "connect two joycons like //\\" ... but yeah, once the pro-controllers arrived these were never used again ... joycons are too uncomfortably to use for "a man's hands" (aka "big ones").

I bought our switch used but let it build in some chip so I can run homebrew stuff on it (yet I never tried to use the blitzmax switch NX target (switch dev consoles) on it yet ... you know ... plans :D
These chips (rather easy to solder on if you are advanced, but chip and soldering did cost me 40 eur ... on top of an else cheap and "used" (but in superb state) switch) and custom software like Atm...phere would of course allow to run switch roms... (you know - once homebrew "works" the next goal is to run ... your backups)

My switch has these tools installed so the normal switch does boot into a restricted mode which is kinda "offline". All accesses to eg Nintendo servers are blocked. Yes, my kids cannot play via a nintendo-network ... but they accepted it (and I do not have to pay that monthly fee for it...). Also Nintendo can not that easily force firmware updates (... if the firmware servers are blocked) and it is up to me to manually check if I want to update to a specific firmware (so newer games can run it).
You can dump your games on the console ... and do not need to switch cardridges to play them (similar to the eshop-downloads I guess). So my kids are not in danger to break their cardriges or loose them ...
Nonetheless our "public library" (free for kids) offers to lend switch games too ... so yeah, you can lend them and simply play like intended.


Multiplayer can for our switch be done in multiple ways:
- nintendo network (if I booted the original firmware (selectable)
- local network (multiple switches in the same LAN)
- shared screen (as usual ... play on one screen - in our case a 65 inch TV which is big enough for 4 player games)

Games my kids (6 and 9) play "together" (more or less) or when they want us as family to "play on the Switch":
- Mario Party 8
- Mario Party Jamboree
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Overcooked (including sequel)

Alone:
- Fae Farm
- Super Mario Bros (both switch games) but only rarely
- Animal Crossing
- Big Brain Academy (but it is more a guilty pleasure game for them ... sinus wave of interest :D)

games that failed for them:
- Dreamlight Valley
- Zelda (think it became too "complicated" or better games in their "POV" existed)
- Harvest Moon (read...click..read...click click .. slow paced...)
- Mario Strikers Battle League
- Super Bomberman (bahh...this game has too much "set this up, click here and there" - such games need a "start next round" without too much ado!)
- Pikmin ("but my fellow pupils told me you need to play this")
- Pokémon Violet/Scarlet (they are fancy for pokémon in their elementary school ...but these games ... they are so .. nah, like JRPGs on the SNES... too much "bla" compared to a Zelda-Link-To-The-Past-style Pokémon I would like to see too)


bye
Ron

Steve Elliott

Regards the controllers, I always use the Pro Controller in docked mode.
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