The Nintendo Switch proved to be a massive success and turnaround for the company following the lackluster performance and support for the Wii U, with high-profile releases like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet showing the latest console's longevity.
Still, no console is perfect, leading some fans to have their fair share of criticisms for the games released for the console/handheld hybrid. Some of these critiques would even be considered unpopular or unconventional, ranging from age-old game mechanic debates on Breath of the Wildto the acclaim of indie games like Hades.
Low-Effort Third-Party Ports
One of the things that the Nintendo Switch has allowed a segment of gamers is access to games once locked behind PlayStation, Xbox, and PC systems. The recent releases of Persona 5 Royal and NieR:Automata are just two recent examples of this, but not everyone has been totally satisfied with how ports have been treated. Redditor TaifurinPriscilla said that "If anything, I'm annoyed that third parties don't make an effort when porting for the most part."
It's not entirely unfounded, as Kingdom Heartsand Assassin's Creedhave seen lackluster ports via cloud-based technology. Given that ports aren't handled by the main team of a developer, ports can sometimes feel like technological afterthoughts.
Weapon Degradation In Breath Of The Wild Adds To The Experience
For all the plaudits Breath of the Wild earned, some debates surrounding its gameplay mechanics have endured almost six years after its release. The most notable one, in particular, is the weapon degradation system. It's still debated, with many thinking it's a needlessly tedious feature, but Redditor Blade1587 thought that "Weapon breaking in botw IMO makes the open world traversing feel more intense and unsafe, which for me makes it more immersive."
While it can be a hindrance for many when traversing the open world, this is another valid way to look at it. BotW is one of the tougher games in the series, and this mechanic could be viewed as an element of realism to heighten the tension.
Better Racing Options Than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The Mario Kart series has often been regarded as the best spin-off series in the Mario franchise, with the post-launch support for the remastered/ported 8 Deluxe being perhaps the definitive experience. Going against the grain, however, Redditor THE_GRAND_KENYAN11 thought that "Most racing games (NFS, Burnout, GRID) are more compelling than Mario Kart 8 if you're a solo player."
In the racing genre, Mario Kart is understandably classified as an "arcade racer," where much of the appeal stems from having friends readily available to play couch co-op with. It has plenty of modes and mini-games to make it engaging, but, understandably, other franchises like Burnout would provide racing experiences with more single-player depth for genre veterans.
Mortal Kombat 11 Is A Batter Fighting Option Than Smash Bros.
Like what Mario Kart is to the racing genre for Nintendo, so is Super Smash Bros. for the fighting genre. The latter series practically ushered in its subgenre with its novel gameplay concept, flipping several traditional fighting game mechanics on their heads. Regardless it's for those reasons that THE_GRAND_KENYAN11 also stood by his belief that "MK11 -> Smash for 80% of people. Again, like MK8, single-player or online functions are lacking for Smash."
The same concept applies with Smash Ultimate, as -- even going outside of the highly competitive meta scene -- it's predominantly meant to be enjoyed as a "party" or "arcade" fighter with friends locally. Using over-the-top weapons at random and platforming gameplay likely won't entice hardened fighting-game players.
Breath Of The Wild-Style Reinvention Would Hurt Other Series
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was arguably a milestone game for the medium as a whole. As well as games like Super Mario 64, Skyrim, and now Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild brought something revitalizing to the genres it catered to. Naturally, this led many fans to plead for other franchises to adopt its open-world game design.
However, Redditor steadysoul thought this could be detrimental, saying "The desire for a botw style game for several Nintendo franchises is just going to result in some really mediocre games." It would likely hurt the open-world elements of imitators specifically. Games shouldn't opt for massive, seamless open worlds just for the sake of it, as that could result in bloat of meaningless side activities or lifeless environments.
Pokémon Let's Go Are The Best Switch Games In The Franchise
The best mainline Pokémon games can be a bit of a debate depending on which corner of the fan base questioned, though, many longtime fans seem to agree that the Switch generation has been the weakest. Things have been looking a bit better since the release of Legends: Arceus, but Redditor NumerousEgg3200 thought that "Out of the 3 existing Pokémon game series on the switch I find the let's go series to be the best one yet."
Granted, this comment was made for Legends' launch, but there's a reason behind this take. Though it was a mostly straightforward remake of Yellow, it arguably had the best graphics and most charming art direction to date. In addition, the change to how wild Pokémon were encountered was widely beloved, as well as quality-of-life features like removing HMs from the Kanto experience.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Too Barren
Since the Nintendo Switch's launch, millions of fans were begging for a new entry in the Animal Crossing franchise on the company's new console. New Horizons was finally released in 2020, and it became a sensation with its charmingly addictive life-sim gameplay.
Though, Redditors like adzpower felt strongly in the opposite direction and said "Animal Crossing New Horizons is soulless and strips away everything that made the previous games good. It's meant to be a life sim, not a design sim." In the post-launch phase, some fans admittedly did feel like the gameplay was confined to short bursts. It wasn't a sustainable loop for those players, and the simplistic cosmetics didn't help.
Hades' Acclaim Is Overblown
Supergiant Games' Hades released in 2020 to critical acclaim and effectively being crowned the year's indie darling. High marks went to its high-octane combat, the addicting gameplay loop, stunning art direction, and impressive storytelling in a genre that typically puts narratives in the back seat.
Though, Redditor SpicyHmmus didn't take to its style and said "the combat is too mashy for me, variety is very low for a roguelite, and Greek mythology is so overdone I just can't get myself to care." On the surface, it can certainly seem like the incredibly fast pace of the action could come across as claustrophobic and overwhelming. That's in addition to the fact that the roguelite genre is a particularly niche one as is.
Metroid Dread Is Superior To Super Metroid
Metroid Dread was a return to form for the legacy franchise. It successfully planted its flag in the modern gaming scene, which was especially needed if Metroid is going to maintain mainstream popularity. Some fans, though, took the acclaim a step further.
Redditor TTU4488 simply stated that Dread is superior to Super Metroid, which is quite the assertion for veteran fans. On top of being an exciting new addition to the canon, Dread was well-received for giving the long-running gameplay formula a fresh coat of paint. It's hard to go back to the SNES game's less fluid, more grid-focused controls.
Too Many Ports, Indies, & Legacy Games
The Switch has become a far more successful platform for Nintendo's first-party lineup of games. Likewise, the dedicated third-party support has given Nintendo fans more variety on the side than the Wii U ever provided. Nonetheless, some fans feel like the latter (and more) has oversaturated the Switch's catalog.
Redditor ise311 said "Too many bad indie games and too many old games being ported in. Give me new fresh titles. Give me more AAA quality." Diversity is certainly key for any gaming platform. Triple-A titles understandably undergo long development cycles, and that's partly why smaller-scale and third-party ports are welcome. However, flooding the market with half-baked ports and indies while Nintendo continues to lean on the usual tentpole franchises can start to feel stale.
Source:gamerant.com