Nintendo Switch fans, lend me your ears
7-Apr-24 3:10pm
#1 Staraang
My 8-year old daughter is getting a Switch OLED for her birthday this week. I've never owned one and was looking for advice on how to maximize the experience. Specifically looking to learn the following:
1. Best accessories to get, i.e. controllers, dock station (do I need one?), travel case, screen protectors, anything else useful.
2. Best games for kids and most economical ways to obtain them. Nintendo games get pricey so I'm open to suggestions. Happy to buy used here or elsewhere.
3. Is it worth purchasing NSO?
4. Anything else worth knowing.
Ngl, I'll probably want to play this thing too so if you have suggestions for adults, I'll take those too!
#1 Staraang
My 8-year old daughter is getting a Switch OLED for her birthday this week. I've never owned one and was looking for advice on how to maximize the experience. Specifically looking to learn the following:
1. Best accessories to get, i.e. controllers, dock station (do I need one?), travel case, screen protectors, anything else useful.
2. Best games for kids and most economical ways to obtain them. Nintendo games get pricey so I'm open to suggestions. Happy to buy used here or elsewhere.
3. Is it worth purchasing NSO?
4. Anything else worth knowing.
Ngl, I'll probably want to play this thing too so if you have suggestions for adults, I'll take those too!
7-Apr-24 4:36pm
#2 shadyfozzie
1) get an extra set of joycons.. then you can play 4 player games like mario kart, party, etc.. The OLED should have a docking station come with it..
2) any of the mario games are good.. what is she into?? There are practically games for all kids.. Get games used, as they don't save to the cartridge, but to the system so you can save some $$$ that way.. get a carrying case as you can hold games in that too..
3) you don't need NSO unless you want to play online. They have a 7 day trial if you wanna try it..
4) Buy a memory card if you want to get online games... they take up a lot of memory (depending on the games) so having one is always good..
#2 shadyfozzie
1) get an extra set of joycons.. then you can play 4 player games like mario kart, party, etc.. The OLED should have a docking station come with it..
2) any of the mario games are good.. what is she into?? There are practically games for all kids.. Get games used, as they don't save to the cartridge, but to the system so you can save some $$$ that way.. get a carrying case as you can hold games in that too..
3) you don't need NSO unless you want to play online. They have a 7 day trial if you wanna try it..
4) Buy a memory card if you want to get online games... they take up a lot of memory (depending on the games) so having one is always good..
7-Apr-24 4:37pm
#3 benstylus
If it's new the dock will be included.
Games to get depends on her interests. Typically can't go wrong with Mario or Lego Games though. Lego games are often on a pretty deep discount on the eshop.
#3 benstylus
If it's new the dock will be included.
Games to get depends on her interests. Typically can't go wrong with Mario or Lego Games though. Lego games are often on a pretty deep discount on the eshop.
7-Apr-24 4:58pm
#4 SupremeSarna
A Switch OLED comes with a dock and two Joy-Con controllers. I'd recommend getting a Switch carrying case (the Game Traveler branded ones are pretty solid) and an official Pro Controller, though the latter isn't cheap. Official Pro Controllers can be identified by the thicker +Control Pad and the smaller font on the face buttons.
Kids will do well with Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros., Yoshi, Pikmin, and LEGO. I might suggest Splatoon and Pokemon, but those are riskier. As a few warnings:
-Recent Pokemon games are lower quality than older ones, but a kid would still probably like them.
-The online community around Splatoon is highly questionable. They can write and draw whatever they want in the plaza, and though there is moderation, not all of these posts are very wholesome.
-Kirby Star Allies and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are quality games, but the former contains some pretty heavy subject matter (cult worship, abuse, and an implied suicide attempt by one of the characters) and the latter has a villain encounter that may terrify a young child (the PAL release put "Fear" on the age rating, for context).
-Kirby's Dream Buffet is good, but its online component is mostly dead by now. Splatoon 2 is the same way.
-Nintendo's games have leaned into sex appeal more this generation than previously. It shouldn't be anything too bad, and the ESRB rating should mention if it's present. But I figured I'd mention it.
NSO is definitely worthwhile! I recommend the standard package (not the Expansion Pack) for $20 a year. It gets you access to NES, SNES, and Game Boy games. Some of the games included on these apps are T-rated games, so do research on any game your daughter wants to play. You also get access to online modes in games, and your online experience may vary. Be safe.
Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers can experience analog stick drift. If that happens, contact the company to take advantage of the warranty, and they'll repair them or send new ones for free.
For cheaper games, buy second-hand or trade on GameTZ.
#4 SupremeSarna
A Switch OLED comes with a dock and two Joy-Con controllers. I'd recommend getting a Switch carrying case (the Game Traveler branded ones are pretty solid) and an official Pro Controller, though the latter isn't cheap. Official Pro Controllers can be identified by the thicker +Control Pad and the smaller font on the face buttons.
Kids will do well with Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros., Yoshi, Pikmin, and LEGO. I might suggest Splatoon and Pokemon, but those are riskier. As a few warnings:
-Recent Pokemon games are lower quality than older ones, but a kid would still probably like them.
-The online community around Splatoon is highly questionable. They can write and draw whatever they want in the plaza, and though there is moderation, not all of these posts are very wholesome.
-Kirby Star Allies and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are quality games, but the former contains some pretty heavy subject matter (cult worship, abuse, and an implied suicide attempt by one of the characters) and the latter has a villain encounter that may terrify a young child (the PAL release put "Fear" on the age rating, for context).
-Kirby's Dream Buffet is good, but its online component is mostly dead by now. Splatoon 2 is the same way.
-Nintendo's games have leaned into sex appeal more this generation than previously. It shouldn't be anything too bad, and the ESRB rating should mention if it's present. But I figured I'd mention it.
NSO is definitely worthwhile! I recommend the standard package (not the Expansion Pack) for $20 a year. It gets you access to NES, SNES, and Game Boy games. Some of the games included on these apps are T-rated games, so do research on any game your daughter wants to play. You also get access to online modes in games, and your online experience may vary. Be safe.
Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers can experience analog stick drift. If that happens, contact the company to take advantage of the warranty, and they'll repair them or send new ones for free.
For cheaper games, buy second-hand or trade on GameTZ.
7-Apr-24 5:22pm
#5 Staraang
Thanks @shadyfozzie and @benstylus. She’s probably going to like mainstream stuff like Mario, Mario Kart, possibly Zelda. I’ll probably look out for deals in the eShop and get a memory card if I find we’re making a lot of digital purchases.
Any tips on getting first-party games at reasonable prices? I’m finding it hard to locate them even on FB marketplace. I don’t know if there are any particular sales besides Black Friday that I need to watch out for.
#5 Staraang
Thanks @shadyfozzie and @benstylus. She’s probably going to like mainstream stuff like Mario, Mario Kart, possibly Zelda. I’ll probably look out for deals in the eShop and get a memory card if I find we’re making a lot of digital purchases.
Any tips on getting first-party games at reasonable prices? I’m finding it hard to locate them even on FB marketplace. I don’t know if there are any particular sales besides Black Friday that I need to watch out for.
7-Apr-24 5:28pm
#6 Staraang
SupremeSarna wrote:
A Switch OLED comes with a dock and two Joy-Con controllers. I'd recommend getting a Switch carrying case (the Game Traveler branded ones are pretty solid) and an official Pro Controller, though the latter isn't cheap. Official Pro Controllers can be identified by the thicker +Control Pad and the smaller font on the face buttons. Kids will do well with Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros., Yoshi, Pikmin, and LEGO. I might suggest Splatoon and Pokemon, but those are riskier. As a few warnings: -Recent Pokemon games are lower quality than older ones, but a kid would still probably like them. -The online community around Splatoon is highly questionable. They can write and draw whatever they want in the plaza, and though there is moderation, not all of these posts are very wholesome. -Kirby Star Allies and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are quality games, but the former contains some pretty heavy subject matter (cult worship, abuse, and an implied suicide attempt by one of the characters) and the latter has a villain encounter that may terrify a young child (the PAL release put "Fear" on the age rating, for context). -Kirby's Dream Buffet is good, but its online component is mostly dead by now. Splatoon 2 is the same way. -Nintendo's games have leaned into sex appeal more this generation than previously. It shouldn't be anything too bad, and the ESRB rating should mention if it's present. But I figured I'd mention it. NSO is definitely worthwhile! I recommend the standard package (not the Expansion Pack) for $20 a year. It gets you access to NES, SNES, and Game Boy games. Some of the games included on these apps are T-rated games, so do research on any game your daughter wants to play. You also get access to online modes in games, and your online experience may vary. Be safe. Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers can experience analog stick drift. If that happens, contact the company to take advantage of the warranty, and they'll repair them or send new ones for free. For cheaper games, buy second-hand or trade on GameTZ.
Wow, great feedback - I appreciate it. Thanks for the heads-up on Kirby and Splatoon. I just assumed any first-party game was going to be kid-friendly but had no idea Nintendo was becoming more relaxed with content.
$20/year is very cheap but will dive a little more into what NSO offers before pulling the trigger.
What's the benefit of the Pro controller in your opinion?
#6 Staraang
SupremeSarna wrote:
A Switch OLED comes with a dock and two Joy-Con controllers. I'd recommend getting a Switch carrying case (the Game Traveler branded ones are pretty solid) and an official Pro Controller, though the latter isn't cheap. Official Pro Controllers can be identified by the thicker +Control Pad and the smaller font on the face buttons. Kids will do well with Mario, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Smash Bros., Yoshi, Pikmin, and LEGO. I might suggest Splatoon and Pokemon, but those are riskier. As a few warnings: -Recent Pokemon games are lower quality than older ones, but a kid would still probably like them. -The online community around Splatoon is highly questionable. They can write and draw whatever they want in the plaza, and though there is moderation, not all of these posts are very wholesome. -Kirby Star Allies and Kirby and the Forgotten Land are quality games, but the former contains some pretty heavy subject matter (cult worship, abuse, and an implied suicide attempt by one of the characters) and the latter has a villain encounter that may terrify a young child (the PAL release put "Fear" on the age rating, for context). -Kirby's Dream Buffet is good, but its online component is mostly dead by now. Splatoon 2 is the same way. -Nintendo's games have leaned into sex appeal more this generation than previously. It shouldn't be anything too bad, and the ESRB rating should mention if it's present. But I figured I'd mention it. NSO is definitely worthwhile! I recommend the standard package (not the Expansion Pack) for $20 a year. It gets you access to NES, SNES, and Game Boy games. Some of the games included on these apps are T-rated games, so do research on any game your daughter wants to play. You also get access to online modes in games, and your online experience may vary. Be safe. Switch Joy-Cons and Pro Controllers can experience analog stick drift. If that happens, contact the company to take advantage of the warranty, and they'll repair them or send new ones for free. For cheaper games, buy second-hand or trade on GameTZ.
Wow, great feedback - I appreciate it. Thanks for the heads-up on Kirby and Splatoon. I just assumed any first-party game was going to be kid-friendly but had no idea Nintendo was becoming more relaxed with content.
$20/year is very cheap but will dive a little more into what NSO offers before pulling the trigger.
What's the benefit of the Pro controller in your opinion?
7-Apr-24 5:29pm
#7 benstylus
B2g1 sales happen occasionally at target, keep an eye out for sale threads here...
Honestly for older games yoy might check ebay too. A lot of 1st party titles that retail for $60 can be had for $40-$45.
#7 benstylus
B2g1 sales happen occasionally at target, keep an eye out for sale threads here...
Honestly for older games yoy might check ebay too. A lot of 1st party titles that retail for $60 can be had for $40-$45.
7-Apr-24 5:35pm
#8 Staraang
benstylus wrote:
B2g1 sales happen occasionally at target, keep an eye out for sale threads here... Honestly for older games yoy might check ebay too. A lot of 1st party titles that retail for $60 can be had for $40-$45.
Probably what I'll end up doing. Hopefully I can give some business to someone around here first otherwise I'll check out ebay. Any benefit to GS Pro membership to get cheaper games?
#8 Staraang
benstylus wrote:
B2g1 sales happen occasionally at target, keep an eye out for sale threads here... Honestly for older games yoy might check ebay too. A lot of 1st party titles that retail for $60 can be had for $40-$45.
Probably what I'll end up doing. Hopefully I can give some business to someone around here first otherwise I'll check out ebay. Any benefit to GS Pro membership to get cheaper games?
7-Apr-24 6:20pm
#9 SupremeSarna
@Staraang The benefit of a Pro Controller is that it's a bit better for retro games since his had a +Control Pad, it can take a lot of abuse from a hyperactive kid, and it's less likely to suffer that analog drift I mentioned. A kid would likely be fine with just Joy-Cons, but there is more chance of drift. (I've never experienced it, personally, so it's far from a guarantee.)
I might've oversold the stuff in those specific Kirby games, but you should do your research on those particular elements. In KSA, the villainous cultists are ultimately saved and turn good. In KatFL, the scary boss in question can be seen here: https://www.youtube....
I don't know how much fear is too much for your daughter, but I'm sure you can judge.
#9 SupremeSarna
@Staraang The benefit of a Pro Controller is that it's a bit better for retro games since his had a +Control Pad, it can take a lot of abuse from a hyperactive kid, and it's less likely to suffer that analog drift I mentioned. A kid would likely be fine with just Joy-Cons, but there is more chance of drift. (I've never experienced it, personally, so it's far from a guarantee.)
I might've oversold the stuff in those specific Kirby games, but you should do your research on those particular elements. In KSA, the villainous cultists are ultimately saved and turn good. In KatFL, the scary boss in question can be seen here: https://www.youtube....
I don't know how much fear is too much for your daughter, but I'm sure you can judge.
7-Apr-24 7:52pm
#10 flamingtoastjpn
If you subscribe to NSO, you can pay $100 to get two game vouchers that can be redeemed for digital games.
It’s not a huge discount but it’s a convenient option
#10 flamingtoastjpn
If you subscribe to NSO, you can pay $100 to get two game vouchers that can be redeemed for digital games.
It’s not a huge discount but it’s a convenient option
8-Apr-24 4:07am
#11 egg
I played King Oddball on Vita and it seems perfect for an 8yo. Also Fez if the controls don't suck. (If rotating is mapped to L/R and not ZL/ZR I will scream)
Also Pokemon Sword/Shield the only trouble is knowing which version to get. Nintendo are terrorists and want to confuse everyone.
#11 egg
I played King Oddball on Vita and it seems perfect for an 8yo. Also Fez if the controls don't suck. (If rotating is mapped to L/R and not ZL/ZR I will scream)
Also Pokemon Sword/Shield the only trouble is knowing which version to get. Nintendo are terrorists and want to confuse everyone.
8-Apr-24 9:09am
#12 KCPenguins
Get a glass screen protector and case. Amazon has 100's and many case+screen protector combos. Pick one that is relatively cheap and has a lot of reviews averaging near 5 stars. If you're going to buy mostly physical, get a case that holds more carts. Apply the screen protector before giving it to her if possible. Maybe not as important with the OLED, but giving it to a kid I'd play it safe.
As said if you know you'll buy mostly digital get a large memory card. Even if you go mostly physical I'd still get at least 256gb as nearly every cart has required downloads and many digital games are cheaper than physical. Buy the card from a reputable store. Amazon can sell counterfeits, even direct from Amazon.
Many 3rd party games on the e-shop go on sale for deep discounts regularly, 50-90% off. Expect each title to be 10-20 gb, so again memory card. Many of these titles are much cheaper digital. As mentioned the Lego games regularly go on sale for under $10, but the physical ones all hover around $30.
First party games go on sale regularly. A normal good sale is $40 and happens ~4 times a year. A very good sale is $30 and happens maybe once a year around black Friday. Unfortunately they just had the Mar10 sale, so it will likely be a while before the next one, maybe after the May-June direct (or whenever they announce the Switch successor). Lastly, QVC has a sale regularly for new customers where you can get 1 first party game for under $30 shipped. I got Luigi's Mansion 3 for $26 during the Mar10 sale at QVC.
As for games, I have boys around that age. Big hits were Minecraft ($30 game), Animal Crossing New Horizons, LoZ BotW, LoZ TotK, LoZ LA, GOAT Simulator (goes on sale for under $10), Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Odyssey, Mario Wonder, Kirby Forgotten Land, Mario 3d World/Bowser's Fury, Lego Jurassic World, Lego Skywalker Saga, Untitled Goose Game, and Pokémon Arceus. They go on spurts of playing 1 game for weeks or months, then move onto something else or go back to an old favorite like Minecraft, Zelda or Animal Crossing. There are free to play games like Fall Guys, but if she is the type that would ask for paid skins I'd avoid that unless you're willing to pony up.
Games they didn't like or weren't big hits were Pokémon Let's Go, traditional Pokémon games (Sword/Shield, Diamond/Pearl), NSMBUDx, Mario & Sonic Olympics, Sonic games, Mario Party, Arms, Hyrule Warriors Zelda, Wii Sports, Lego Marval, Lego City and Paper Mario. Many of these they played only a bit and then went back to one of the others listed earlier.
The online membership is nice if they like NES/SNES games. You can get in on family plans which makes it very affordable, and you get access to DLC for Mario Kart and Animal Crossing as long as you have the NES Online membership.
One thing that was odd for me was saves were tied to profiles. So let's say you bought Tears of the Kingdom and wanted to play it yourself. You'd have to create a profile for yourself as well as your daughters. If you both wanted access to NES Online on your profiles you'd both need to subscribe (thus the family plan). It's not a big deal for us as the kids can take advantage of NES Online on my profile.
I wouldn't worry too much about a pro controller for an 8 year old at this point in time. I regularly play with joycons despite owning a pro controller. And I'm sure you've heard of joycon drift. The controllers will eventually start to register movements without moving anything. Nintendo fixes this for free as of now.
As others have mentioned, a second set of joycons is nice. It allows for 2 player on any game, and 4 player on a lot of games in a pinch. The Switch tabletop mode is nice. I once had to take the kids while getting an oil change. It took longer than expected, so we were there over an hour. Sat at a table, popped in Mario Kart and soon my kids were having races with other random kids waiting with their families. I felt like it was one of Nintendo's Switch commercials. lol
#12 KCPenguins
Get a glass screen protector and case. Amazon has 100's and many case+screen protector combos. Pick one that is relatively cheap and has a lot of reviews averaging near 5 stars. If you're going to buy mostly physical, get a case that holds more carts. Apply the screen protector before giving it to her if possible. Maybe not as important with the OLED, but giving it to a kid I'd play it safe.
As said if you know you'll buy mostly digital get a large memory card. Even if you go mostly physical I'd still get at least 256gb as nearly every cart has required downloads and many digital games are cheaper than physical. Buy the card from a reputable store. Amazon can sell counterfeits, even direct from Amazon.
Many 3rd party games on the e-shop go on sale for deep discounts regularly, 50-90% off. Expect each title to be 10-20 gb, so again memory card. Many of these titles are much cheaper digital. As mentioned the Lego games regularly go on sale for under $10, but the physical ones all hover around $30.
First party games go on sale regularly. A normal good sale is $40 and happens ~4 times a year. A very good sale is $30 and happens maybe once a year around black Friday. Unfortunately they just had the Mar10 sale, so it will likely be a while before the next one, maybe after the May-June direct (or whenever they announce the Switch successor). Lastly, QVC has a sale regularly for new customers where you can get 1 first party game for under $30 shipped. I got Luigi's Mansion 3 for $26 during the Mar10 sale at QVC.
As for games, I have boys around that age. Big hits were Minecraft ($30 game), Animal Crossing New Horizons, LoZ BotW, LoZ TotK, LoZ LA, GOAT Simulator (goes on sale for under $10), Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Odyssey, Mario Wonder, Kirby Forgotten Land, Mario 3d World/Bowser's Fury, Lego Jurassic World, Lego Skywalker Saga, Untitled Goose Game, and Pokémon Arceus. They go on spurts of playing 1 game for weeks or months, then move onto something else or go back to an old favorite like Minecraft, Zelda or Animal Crossing. There are free to play games like Fall Guys, but if she is the type that would ask for paid skins I'd avoid that unless you're willing to pony up.
Games they didn't like or weren't big hits were Pokémon Let's Go, traditional Pokémon games (Sword/Shield, Diamond/Pearl), NSMBUDx, Mario & Sonic Olympics, Sonic games, Mario Party, Arms, Hyrule Warriors Zelda, Wii Sports, Lego Marval, Lego City and Paper Mario. Many of these they played only a bit and then went back to one of the others listed earlier.
The online membership is nice if they like NES/SNES games. You can get in on family plans which makes it very affordable, and you get access to DLC for Mario Kart and Animal Crossing as long as you have the NES Online membership.
One thing that was odd for me was saves were tied to profiles. So let's say you bought Tears of the Kingdom and wanted to play it yourself. You'd have to create a profile for yourself as well as your daughters. If you both wanted access to NES Online on your profiles you'd both need to subscribe (thus the family plan). It's not a big deal for us as the kids can take advantage of NES Online on my profile.
I wouldn't worry too much about a pro controller for an 8 year old at this point in time. I regularly play with joycons despite owning a pro controller. And I'm sure you've heard of joycon drift. The controllers will eventually start to register movements without moving anything. Nintendo fixes this for free as of now.
As others have mentioned, a second set of joycons is nice. It allows for 2 player on any game, and 4 player on a lot of games in a pinch. The Switch tabletop mode is nice. I once had to take the kids while getting an oil change. It took longer than expected, so we were there over an hour. Sat at a table, popped in Mario Kart and soon my kids were having races with other random kids waiting with their families. I felt like it was one of Nintendo's Switch commercials. lol
8-Apr-24 10:23am
#13 SupremeSarna
Target is currently selling WarioWare: Get it Together! and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope for $15 and $20, respectively. Both are games kids can enjoy. Wario has some crude humor in it.
#13 SupremeSarna
Target is currently selling WarioWare: Get it Together! and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope for $15 and $20, respectively. Both are games kids can enjoy. Wario has some crude humor in it.
8-Apr-24 10:58am
#14 Staraang
SupremeSarna wrote:
@Staraang The benefit of a Pro Controller is that it's a bit better for retro games since his had a +Control Pad, it can take a lot of abuse from a hyperactive kid, and it's less likely to suffer that analog drift I mentioned. A kid would likely be fine with just Joy-Cons, but there is more chance of drift. (I've never experienced it, personally, so it's far from a guarantee.)
I might get one of those and an extra set of Joy-Cons too.
I might've oversold the stuff in those specific Kirby games, but you should do your research on those particular elements. In KSA, the villainous cultists are ultimately saved and turn good. In KatFL, the scary boss in question can be seen here: https://www.youtube.... I don't know how much fear is too much for your daughter, but I'm sure you can judge.
She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that.
#14 Staraang
SupremeSarna wrote:
@Staraang The benefit of a Pro Controller is that it's a bit better for retro games since his had a +Control Pad, it can take a lot of abuse from a hyperactive kid, and it's less likely to suffer that analog drift I mentioned. A kid would likely be fine with just Joy-Cons, but there is more chance of drift. (I've never experienced it, personally, so it's far from a guarantee.)
I might get one of those and an extra set of Joy-Cons too.
I might've oversold the stuff in those specific Kirby games, but you should do your research on those particular elements. In KSA, the villainous cultists are ultimately saved and turn good. In KatFL, the scary boss in question can be seen here: https://www.youtube.... I don't know how much fear is too much for your daughter, but I'm sure you can judge.
She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that.
8-Apr-24 10:58am
#15 Staraang
flamingtoastjpn wrote:
If you subscribe to NSO, you can pay $100 to get two game vouchers that can be redeemed for digital games. It’s not a huge discount but it’s a convenient option
Thanks, I'll check it out.
#15 Staraang
flamingtoastjpn wrote:
If you subscribe to NSO, you can pay $100 to get two game vouchers that can be redeemed for digital games. It’s not a huge discount but it’s a convenient option
Thanks, I'll check it out.
8-Apr-24 11:07am
#16 Staraang
KCPenguins wrote:
Get a glass screen protector and case. Amazon has 100's and many case+screen protector combos. Pick one that is relatively cheap and has a lot of reviews averaging near 5 stars. If you're going to buy mostly physical, get a case that holds more carts. Apply the screen protector before giving it to her if possible. Maybe not as important with the OLED, but giving it to a kid I'd play it safe. As said if you know you'll buy mostly digital get a large memory card. Even if you go mostly physical I'd still get at least 256gb as nearly every cart has required downloads and many digital games are cheaper than physical. Buy the card from a reputable store. Amazon can sell counterfeits, even direct from Amazon. Many 3rd party games on the e-shop go on sale for deep discounts regularly, 50-90% off. Expect each title to be 10-20 gb, so again memory card. Many of these titles are much cheaper digital. As mentioned the Lego games regularly go on sale for under $10, but the physical ones all hover around $30. First party games go on sale regularly. A normal good sale is $40 and happens ~4 times a year. A very good sale is $30 and happens maybe once a year around black Friday. Unfortunately they just had the Mar10 sale, so it will likely be a while before the next one, maybe after the May-June direct (or whenever they announce the Switch successor). Lastly, QVC has a sale regularly for new customers where you can get 1 first party game for under $30 shipped. I got Luigi's Mansion 3 for $26 during the Mar10 sale at QVC. As for games, I have boys around that age. Big hits were Minecraft ($30 game), Animal Crossing New Horizons, LoZ BotW, LoZ TotK, LoZ LA, GOAT Simulator (goes on sale for under $10), Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Odyssey, Mario Wonder, Kirby Forgotten Land, Mario 3d World/Bowser's Fury, Lego Jurassic World, Lego Skywalker Saga, Untitled Goose Game, and Pokémon Arceus. They go on spurts of playing 1 game for weeks or months, then move onto something else or go back to an old favorite like Minecraft, Zelda or Animal Crossing. There are free to play games like Fall Guys, but if she is the type that would ask for paid skins I'd avoid that unless you're willing to pony up. Games they didn't like or weren't big hits were Pokémon Let's Go, traditional Pokémon games (Sword/Shield, Diamond/Pearl), NSMBUDx, Mario & Sonic Olympics, Sonic games, Mario Party, Arms, Hyrule Warriors Zelda, Wii Sports, Lego Marval, Lego City and Paper Mario. Many of these they played only a bit and then went back to one of the others listed earlier. The online membership is nice if they like NES/SNES games. You can get in on family plans which makes it very affordable, and you get access to DLC for Mario Kart and Animal Crossing as long as you have the NES Online membership. One thing that was odd for me was saves were tied to profiles. So let's say you bought Tears of the Kingdom and wanted to play it yourself. You'd have to create a profile for yourself as well as your daughters. If you both wanted access to NES Online on your profiles you'd both need to subscribe (thus the family plan). It's not a big deal for us as the kids can take advantage of NES Online on my profile. I wouldn't worry too much about a pro controller for an 8 year old at this point in time. I regularly play with joycons despite owning a pro controller. And I'm sure you've heard of joycon drift. The controllers will eventually start to register movements without moving anything. Nintendo fixes this for free as of now. As others have mentioned, a second set of joycons is nice. It allows for 2 player on any game, and 4 player on a lot of games in a pinch. The Switch tabletop mode is nice. I once had to take the kids while getting an oil change. It took longer than expected, so we were there over an hour. Sat at a table, popped in Mario Kart and soon my kids were having races with other random kids waiting with their families. I felt like it was one of Nintendo's Switch commercials. lol
Great feedback and pretty much what I was looking for, thank you.
She seems to like Stardew Valley so I might get that and maybe Animal Crossing. Probably will get either Mario Wonder or 3D World, Mario Kart, a Lego game, and Minecraft as well. That would be a good set to start with I think. I'm tempted to get Tears of the Kingdom too.
#16 Staraang
KCPenguins wrote:
Get a glass screen protector and case. Amazon has 100's and many case+screen protector combos. Pick one that is relatively cheap and has a lot of reviews averaging near 5 stars. If you're going to buy mostly physical, get a case that holds more carts. Apply the screen protector before giving it to her if possible. Maybe not as important with the OLED, but giving it to a kid I'd play it safe. As said if you know you'll buy mostly digital get a large memory card. Even if you go mostly physical I'd still get at least 256gb as nearly every cart has required downloads and many digital games are cheaper than physical. Buy the card from a reputable store. Amazon can sell counterfeits, even direct from Amazon. Many 3rd party games on the e-shop go on sale for deep discounts regularly, 50-90% off. Expect each title to be 10-20 gb, so again memory card. Many of these titles are much cheaper digital. As mentioned the Lego games regularly go on sale for under $10, but the physical ones all hover around $30. First party games go on sale regularly. A normal good sale is $40 and happens ~4 times a year. A very good sale is $30 and happens maybe once a year around black Friday. Unfortunately they just had the Mar10 sale, so it will likely be a while before the next one, maybe after the May-June direct (or whenever they announce the Switch successor). Lastly, QVC has a sale regularly for new customers where you can get 1 first party game for under $30 shipped. I got Luigi's Mansion 3 for $26 during the Mar10 sale at QVC. As for games, I have boys around that age. Big hits were Minecraft ($30 game), Animal Crossing New Horizons, LoZ BotW, LoZ TotK, LoZ LA, GOAT Simulator (goes on sale for under $10), Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Odyssey, Mario Wonder, Kirby Forgotten Land, Mario 3d World/Bowser's Fury, Lego Jurassic World, Lego Skywalker Saga, Untitled Goose Game, and Pokémon Arceus. They go on spurts of playing 1 game for weeks or months, then move onto something else or go back to an old favorite like Minecraft, Zelda or Animal Crossing. There are free to play games like Fall Guys, but if she is the type that would ask for paid skins I'd avoid that unless you're willing to pony up. Games they didn't like or weren't big hits were Pokémon Let's Go, traditional Pokémon games (Sword/Shield, Diamond/Pearl), NSMBUDx, Mario & Sonic Olympics, Sonic games, Mario Party, Arms, Hyrule Warriors Zelda, Wii Sports, Lego Marval, Lego City and Paper Mario. Many of these they played only a bit and then went back to one of the others listed earlier. The online membership is nice if they like NES/SNES games. You can get in on family plans which makes it very affordable, and you get access to DLC for Mario Kart and Animal Crossing as long as you have the NES Online membership. One thing that was odd for me was saves were tied to profiles. So let's say you bought Tears of the Kingdom and wanted to play it yourself. You'd have to create a profile for yourself as well as your daughters. If you both wanted access to NES Online on your profiles you'd both need to subscribe (thus the family plan). It's not a big deal for us as the kids can take advantage of NES Online on my profile. I wouldn't worry too much about a pro controller for an 8 year old at this point in time. I regularly play with joycons despite owning a pro controller. And I'm sure you've heard of joycon drift. The controllers will eventually start to register movements without moving anything. Nintendo fixes this for free as of now. As others have mentioned, a second set of joycons is nice. It allows for 2 player on any game, and 4 player on a lot of games in a pinch. The Switch tabletop mode is nice. I once had to take the kids while getting an oil change. It took longer than expected, so we were there over an hour. Sat at a table, popped in Mario Kart and soon my kids were having races with other random kids waiting with their families. I felt like it was one of Nintendo's Switch commercials. lol
Great feedback and pretty much what I was looking for, thank you.
She seems to like Stardew Valley so I might get that and maybe Animal Crossing. Probably will get either Mario Wonder or 3D World, Mario Kart, a Lego game, and Minecraft as well. That would be a good set to start with I think. I'm tempted to get Tears of the Kingdom too.
8-Apr-24 11:41am
#17 Staraang
Do you guys have recommendations on an SD card? What do you think about this one:
https://www.amazon.c...
#17 Staraang
Do you guys have recommendations on an SD card? What do you think about this one:
https://www.amazon.c...
8-Apr-24 12:45pm
#18 nonamesleft
I would definitely suggest Mario 3D World/Bowser's Fury. You can play it with multiple players.
#18 nonamesleft
I would definitely suggest Mario 3D World/Bowser's Fury. You can play it with multiple players.
8-Apr-24 1:36pm
#19 KCPenguins
Staraang wrote:
She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that.
One word of caution on TotK. While it's a great game, it is a bit darker than your typical Zelda. The opening in particular was pretty creepy for Zelda. We initially withheld it from our kids, but they eventually saw it later with no issues. Link to video of opening below.
https://m.youtube.co...
BotW might be better to start with, but it's an open world game similar to the first Zelda. Once you complete the training area, you can go anywhere or do anything, and the game let's you go. It may be a bit daunting (or boring) for an 8 year old on their own.
As for games, you know your daughter. From my experience kids like games more if the parents are involved, but there are exceptions (Minecraft, GOAT Simulator).
#19 KCPenguins
Staraang wrote:
She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that.
One word of caution on TotK. While it's a great game, it is a bit darker than your typical Zelda. The opening in particular was pretty creepy for Zelda. We initially withheld it from our kids, but they eventually saw it later with no issues. Link to video of opening below.
https://m.youtube.co...
BotW might be better to start with, but it's an open world game similar to the first Zelda. Once you complete the training area, you can go anywhere or do anything, and the game let's you go. It may be a bit daunting (or boring) for an 8 year old on their own.
As for games, you know your daughter. From my experience kids like games more if the parents are involved, but there are exceptions (Minecraft, GOAT Simulator).
8-Apr-24 3:02pm
#20 Staraang
KCPenguins wrote:
Staraang wrote:> She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that. One word of caution on TotK. While it's a great game, it is a bit darker than your typical Zelda. The opening in particular was pretty creepy for Zelda. We initially withheld it from our kids, but they eventually saw it later with no issues. Link to video of opening below. https://m.youtube.co... BotW might be better to start with, but it's an open world game similar to the first Zelda. Once you complete the training area, you can go anywhere or do anything, and the game let's you go. It may be a bit daunting (or boring) for an 8 year old on their own. As for games, you know your daughter. From my experience kids like games more if the parents are involved, but there are exceptions (Minecraft, GOAT Simulator).
Thanks for the heads-up on Zelda. I get the feeling she likes games where you build/make things. So she likes Minecraft and I’ve seen her take an interest in Stardew Valley so will probably get that. She played a lot of Disney’s Dreamlight Valley which has some adventure and character development elements so I think she may even like RPGs. She once saw me playing Chain of Echoes and asked if she could play it.
#20 Staraang
KCPenguins wrote:
Staraang wrote:> She's a bit of a scaredy-cat so I don't think she'd tolerate that. One word of caution on TotK. While it's a great game, it is a bit darker than your typical Zelda. The opening in particular was pretty creepy for Zelda. We initially withheld it from our kids, but they eventually saw it later with no issues. Link to video of opening below. https://m.youtube.co... BotW might be better to start with, but it's an open world game similar to the first Zelda. Once you complete the training area, you can go anywhere or do anything, and the game let's you go. It may be a bit daunting (or boring) for an 8 year old on their own. As for games, you know your daughter. From my experience kids like games more if the parents are involved, but there are exceptions (Minecraft, GOAT Simulator).
Thanks for the heads-up on Zelda. I get the feeling she likes games where you build/make things. So she likes Minecraft and I’ve seen her take an interest in Stardew Valley so will probably get that. She played a lot of Disney’s Dreamlight Valley which has some adventure and character development elements so I think she may even like RPGs. She once saw me playing Chain of Echoes and asked if she could play it.
8-Apr-24 3:16pm
#21 KCPenguins
If I could give you my Stardew Valley I would. lol I hated that game. I was wanting a new Animal Crossing. Heard all the comparisons. Was very disappointed. It was more Harvest Moon than Animal Crossing.
TotK has great building with Ultra Hand, but it's a tad clumsy and might be a bit much for an 8 year old on their own. Dragon Quest Builders is Minecraft meets Zelda. I really enjoyed those, but again an 8 year old likely struggles on their own. Good news is there are extensive demos for DQ Builders. Take advantage of demos for her to try out games. Princess Peach, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, etc. Many games have demos.
#21 KCPenguins
If I could give you my Stardew Valley I would. lol I hated that game. I was wanting a new Animal Crossing. Heard all the comparisons. Was very disappointed. It was more Harvest Moon than Animal Crossing.
TotK has great building with Ultra Hand, but it's a tad clumsy and might be a bit much for an 8 year old on their own. Dragon Quest Builders is Minecraft meets Zelda. I really enjoyed those, but again an 8 year old likely struggles on their own. Good news is there are extensive demos for DQ Builders. Take advantage of demos for her to try out games. Princess Peach, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, etc. Many games have demos.
Nintendo Switch fans, lend me your ears