A Non-Gamer's Review of the Switch

I can’t believe I bought a fucking Switch. I have always turned my nose up at video games. When I thought of video games, I thought of the unmotivated losers who have freeloaded for years in their mother’s basements to live an imaginary life on a screen. Granted, I knew even then that I was being very brutal with that caricature. But I found myself like many others during quarantine, curious and tempted by all of the talk surrounding the candy-colored consoles, the Nintendo Switch Lite.

I was particularly interested in the quarantine game. Animal Crossing: a humble, animated game where you garden and fish to property. A quiet little life I desperately want to live in right now.

At the end of April, I received a company wide email from our CEO saying we would be working from home indefinitely. Immediately after reading that email, I darted from Target to Target hunting down that fucking Switch like a life preserver in these troubled waters. By the third Target, I bought the last Switch in stock, my canary yellow prize. Along with my Switch, I bought a case (dumb move, I’m not going anywhere), Animal Crossing, and Mario Kart.

I chose Animal Crossing for the emotional healing and Mario Kart for the action. Having my Switch for two months now, I can say I only play Animal Crossing. Life itself is running much like a chaotic Mario game, so the quiet island game is for me. Animal Crossing is played within adorable, calming music, when paired with planting flowers and trees leaves you feeling utterly relaxed and refreshed after playing. I actually find that it helps settle some of my daily anxiety!

My general thoughts: I am really happy I bought this thing. During a time where pursuing all of your homely hobbies isn’t enough to keep you busy during this pandemic, Animal Crossing and owning a Switch has added some much needed levity in my daily life. For someone who isn’t looking to nosedive into gaming culture, I think it is reasonably priced. However, there are a few additional essentials that allow you to get the most out of your Switch that I would reccomend. Nintendo Online, and Discord. Nintendo Online allows you to use your wifi to play with people no matter where they are. It’s about $4 a month. Discord is a gaming chatroom where you can join different channels to learn more about your games and connect/play with other users. It’s free to use. Both of which make Animal Crossing and the Switch a lot more expansive and elaborate.

To the measly non-gamer, the Nintendo Switch is a delightful and lighthearted little escape. Working from home has quickly become “living at work,” so after a long day at my living room workspace, I truly look forward to spending time in my quaint, charming game. Is it a non-essential? Yes. Does it add a little joy to life right now? Absolutely. If you have a Switch, what do you think? What games do you recommend? I hope my review helped some of you fellow non-gamers, and if you have any questions on the Switch Lite or Animal Crossing, ask away! Happy playing :)