I personally never jived with the OG Switch, though I do understand why most of the world adores it.

I’ve never found the Switch comfortable in handheld mode — the awkward joystick placement always makes my hands cramp after a few minutes — so mine has been mostly relegated to dock duty. As a home console, the Switch is simply bad. It’s not set up to be a good experience on a 4k TV, and while that was obvious from the get-go, it’s no less disappointing.

The OG Switch had a key advantage, however: it could undercut just about every competitor on price. For access to one an extraordinary game library, $300 was a small price to pay. Within some lucky kids' Christmas budgets, and otherwise one of the cheapest entry points to modern gaming, the Switch sold fantastically thanks in part to being inexpensive.

The Switch 2 arrives in a radically different reality than 2017. It’s looking like a far better home console than portable device, which is an interesting pivot for Nintendo. Early reports show potentially worse battery life, they didn’t bother to fix the joy-cons, an LCD screen, and the ergonomics look just as bad as the original (I really wish Nintendo had taken some notes from the Steam Deck here).

But, priced higher than a base PS5 and Steam Deck, and within spitting distance of the increasingly irrelevant Xbox Series X, the Switch 2 sits in an uncomfortable spot. The people that buy Nintendo consoles clearly don’t care about 4k or 120FPS. While myself and the rest of the enthusiast crowd celebrate their inclusion (120hz! From Nintendo! Apple has no excuse now), these features are more for folks like me who want a great experience on a fancy TV, and less relevant to Nintendo’s core customer base.

This pivot to a more traditional home console makes sense in the context of the Switch 2’s development which, as Richard Lawler noted on this week’s Vergecast, was mostly during the pandemic. For casual gamers in the post-COVID world, handheld is increasingly the way of the market. I doubt that this will add up to a big miss on Nintendo’s part, and the inevitable Switch 2 OLED will surely fix any issues with handheld mode, but it will make the new console a tough upgrade sell.

That’s the trouble that Nintendo runs into here. The Switch has such a vast install base that most people who might have the propensity to buy one have already done so. The Switch 2’s whole thing is “The Switch, but better.” Better in that context is hard to communicate - it looks about the same, plays many of the same games, includes a bunch of esoteric upgrades that don’t amount to a radically different experience, and carries a far higher cost.

Myself and many others are simply excited for the thing that will play the next Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and Metroid. Nintendo can usually get away with a lot by virtue of their legacy and the quality of those tentpole franchises, but I reckon the Switch 2 will have a hard time. And, the Orange Man’s bullshit is about to make things even worse.

I don’t expect a full-on Wii U situation, but Nintendo does have a tradition of fumbling the followup to a smash hit.

I never thought I’d see the day! My friends and I loved Kirby Air Ride as kids, particularly the demolition derby mode, so I couldn’t be more excited for this sequel.

Sega, surely this means it’s time to revisit Sonic Riders?

The narrative follows Valere and Zale, two Solstice Warriors with a special affinity with lunar and solar magic, respectively. They are among generations of warriors trained form birth to cleanse the world of the evil Feshmancer's (gross) minions. It's a straightforward story with just enough world building and unexpected turns to keep things interesting, but where Sea of Stars really shines is in its characters.

I was fully invested in the merry band of travelers that Valere and Zale amassed, caring enough about each of them to fully experience the few gut-punches that the narrative had in store. With such rich characters and a genuinely interesting world, I was disappointed that the ending fell a bit flat. It just... ended. There wasn't much fanfare beyond the final boss fight, and then I was dropped back at the pre-boss save point^[1].

The turn-based combat remained engaging throughout my 20 hours with the game. Unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of character progression or any customization to speak of, so I wouldn't want to spend too much more time with this combat system, but it services just fine for the game's runtime.

The stunningly beautiful pixel art feels special, set against a backdrop of memorable music. Each frame is intricately designed and bursting with color in a way that feels uncommon today. There are plenty of quirky locations to explore (the swamp with singing mushrooms being a real standout) and funky characters to meet, each rendered with apparent care.

Sea of Stars is also uncommon in that it simply gets to the point. Each location is relatively bite-sized, making hour-ish long play sessions feel great, and the story doesn't suffer from added bloat or filler. This game knows what's important to it and doesn't waste much time on much else.

I've started to truly appreciate media that has a narrow scope. Put another way, media that has a certain economy to it, presenting only what is strictly necessary. As a younger person, I hungered for an all-consuming world that I could sink countless hours into. While that's still a real treat, more often I find myself taking joy in smaller experiences such as Sea of Stars.