Never before has a console like the new Nintendo Switch been released. Like typical systems, it hooks into TVs through HDMI ports. It has square controllers reminiscent of a Gameboy Advanced, which come in various intriguing colors. You have to pay to play online and can download games as well, similar to the Xbox and Playstation.

  What sets the Switch apart, however, is a 6.2 inch touch screen that comes out of the home console to create a portable form. The controllers can be taken apart to slide onto the sides of the screen, and work from a distance as well. Gamers can play on an airplane, at the park, or even at school. The only criticism so far is the lack of elaborate games aside from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Most of the titles released so far are simple minigames one would play at an arcade. Even though they seem redundant, a lot of the activities require bodily movement that can actually get quite fun and intense. Nintendo desperately wanted to compete with the Xbox One and the Playstation 4. Now, with such a progressive piece of hardware, Nintendo is back in the running with their two competitors.

  Sony had a similar idea to the Switch when they allowed certain Playstation Portable games to be played on a TV by syncing it to the home console, but they never had both in one system. Microsoft never even released a handheld version of the ever popular Xbox series. The Switch is so different from any system ever released that fans are somewhat hesitant to purchase it. Nintendo’s systems are typically known to either be huge successes or huge failures. They revolutionized the gaming world with the release of the Wii, a system whose intention was to keep users physically active. It was a family-friendly console that reached a much larger demographic than anything previously released. The sequel to the beloved Wii, however, was one of Nintendo’s utter failures. The Wii U sold a tenth of what the original console released. The hope is that the Switch will be completely different from its predecessors.

  Sophomore Bradley Barnes said, “I’ve already played with the Switch, and it’s really really cool. The minigames are pretty dope, but it’s nothing like anything I have played before.” Customers already seem to be enjoying the Switch. Controller connection problems and visual malfunctions have been reported, but the issues appear to be isolated. It has been selling rapidly as every company aside from GameStop, who restocked today, March 22, is out of the Switch. Despite its minimum availability, the console retails at $299.99, the same price as the Xbox and Playstation. Major gaming company IGN rated it a 7/10, calling it a breakthrough in home video game systems. Yet again, Nintendo has switched up the gaming world.