Four years ago, on March 3, 2017, the Nintendo Switch was released worldwide. The Wii U had arrived in 2012, but its impressive lineup of launch games dried up shortly thereafter and then quickly disappeared, selling only 13.5 million units over its lifetime.
The smaller handheld Nintendo 3DS and its various hardware revisions would hold the fort while the veteran Japanese company began work on its new gaming hardware, a device that would merge Nintendo’s best ideas into a single console. The end result was the Nintendo Switch, which was released not only with a large library of original and third-party games, but also with a killer app in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Since then, the Switch has become a haven for all types of games. Nintendo continues to develop well-received original titles for the Switch, such as Super Mario Odyssey, Pokémon Sword / Shield and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, to name just a few. Some of the best games from the Wii U era also received a second chance on the console that is just as comfortable on the streets or in your living room, such as Bayonetta 2, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have all found new audiences on the Switch.
In addition to the first and a surprising number of third-party games from developers who managed to take full advantage of the Switch’s surprisingly capable hardware, the console was also a huge success with its selection of independent games. You don’t have to go far to find some of the best games of any genre available on iith.
Hades, Hyper Light Drifter and Return of the Obra Dinn are just a few of the many games available in a crowded market right now. Being able to play these award-winning games while on the move has also been a big reason why independent games have seen an increase in Switch sales in recent years, as fans load their memory cards with the best of the smaller side of the that the industry has to offer.
With 80 million units sold worldwide in half its life cycle – including the recently released Switch Lite as well – Nintendo believes that the brave handheld device is on its way to selling more than the Wii by a fair margin. The Nintendo DS family of consoles still remains the company’s top seller, with more than 154 million units sold, but the Switch still has a lot to offer, even in an industry that has seen the launch of next-generation consoles from Sony and Sony. Microsoft.
Games like Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl, Monster Hunter Rise, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 are still on the way, and there will likely be a lot of people interested in choose a Switch and see why all the fuss is going on when fans get interested in these new titles in the coming months.