Late To The Party
Since the days of the original X-BOX, Playstation 2, and Gamecube, Nintendo has been in last place when it comes to online gaming. While Sony and Microsoft were providing online multiplayer experiences nearly two decades ago, Nintendo didn’t offer any internet-based features until the Wii. The Nintendo Switch launched on March 3rd, 2017, and promised an online subscription service sometime in the future. Until then, online play would be accessible for free.
It’s been 18 moths since the release of the Switch, and on September 18th, Nintendo kept their promise with the launch of Switch Online. For those who haven’t experienced X-BOX Live or the Playstation Network, Switch Online is a perfectly competent online service. Unfortunately, and somewhat ironically, the widespread use of the internet in 2018 means that even gamers who exclusively play Nintendo are aware of the amazing online experiences being provided by Sony and Microsoft; and Switch Online pales in comparison.
I Can’t Hear You
One of the earliest, and most integral components of online play is voice chat. The feeling of speaking to fellow players from across the world is highly enjoyable, but it also provides a new level of depth and strategy. Certain games such as Destiny have entire sections that would be unplayable without voice chat.
While Nintendo hasn’t had any games that utilize this feature in an important way, one would think they aren’t blind to its potential. This makes the lack of voice chat in Switch Online seem like a glaring oversight. They do offer voice chat via an app for iPhone or Android, but that seems like an over-complicated after-thought of a solution.
The Nintendo DS introduced what seemed, even then, like a clunky method of adding friends: the friend code. While it’s understandable that Nintendo wants to safeguard its younger, more vulnerable players, it makes playing online a surprisingly isolated experience. The friend codes are back for Switch Online, although social media connectivity allows you to find your real life friends without exchanging codes.
A Different Kind Of Price
The meat-and-potatoes of online gaming is, obviously, the gameplay. While Sony and Microsoft have spent countless dollars (or yen) on acquiring and maintaining their own servers, Nintendo has opted for the peer-to-peer method. This helps explain how Switch Online is only a third of the price of its competitors; but it comes with a different kind of price.
When playing Switch Online, the connection speed during a multiplayer game is limited to the player with the slowest connection. Sometimes this isn’t an issue, but it’s immediately obvious when a player with a bad connection is in the game. On other consoles, lag is often attributable to the game itself; but on Nintendo Switch, any online multiplayer title is vulnerable.
A Rain Cloud, A Silver Lining
One of the more anticipated features of Switch Online is cloud saves. Once again, Microsoft and Sony have been offering this feature for years; cloud saves are something one expects from a modern console. Even if they nailed this feature, it would be par for the course. Unfortunately, certain games don’t support cloud saves.
Nintendo claims that they wish to avoid cheating by switching between cloud and hardware save states. However, Microsoft and Sony have managed to avoid such problems while still allowing cloud saves. Some games that would be ideal for cloud saving will not support it, meaning that one can lose all of their progress in games like Pokemon Let’s Go if anything happens to their console.
Many have described the Switch as a perfect system for ports, and it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Since launching last year, the number of games available on the Nintendo e-shop has skyrocketed. While the Virtual Console isn’t available, the number of quality indie titles and ports is mind-boggling. This is perhaps the area where Nintendo is the most up-to-date with its online service. Titles new and old are easily downloadable for the switch, and playing on the go makes acquiring the Switch version of games worthwhile (even though the limited system memory makes purchasing an SD card a necessity).
Old School Online
In what could be seen as either the start of something great, or a shameless bit of fan-service, subscribing to Switch Online includes access to 20 NES games. The feature uses a similar interface to the NES Classic and SNES Classic. Games can be played in 4:3, pixel-perfect, or CRT emulation. The games run very well, though there are some minor visual hiccups.
Without the Virtual Console, this feature is a nice addition to the Switch. However, rather than being able to choose from a massive library of games, this feature includes a select few games chosen by Nintendo. Like many other aspects of Switch Online, this feels like the first baby steps toward something that could one day be something great.
Those who have been waiting for Switch Online for the last 18 months have many reasons to feel disappointed. The service doesn’t include certain features that made X-BOX Live great back in 2004, nor does it make use of features made popular by the PS4 and X-BOX One. Voice chat is only available using a smartphone. There’s no access to streaming or viewing content on platforms like Twitch. The cloud save feature is limited for reasons that don’t seem to affect its competitors. The use of P2P for multiplayer is Russian Roulette for lag. Becoming friends with someone you met during a game is practically a no-go.
A Step In The Right Direction?
The NES feature is the perfect analogy for Nintendo’s (lack of) online strategy. It delivers outdated games with added online functionality that seems to take priority over the features that define modern online gaming. It’s frustrating to see them making the same questionable choices over and over. Perhaps a drop in sales is the only thing that will ever spark a change.
The decision to start a paid online service is a step in the right direction. Hopefully this is an indication that they’re finally starting to see that online services are one of the main pillars of modern game consoles. Only time will tell if Nintendo can use this new revenue stream to catch up to Sony and Microsoft, but they have a long way to go.
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