I'd recommend any turn-based strategy games, such as Mario + Rabbids. Doesn't require lightening quick reflexes and is a deep game that will last the wee man a long time.
@Silly_G This brings up an interesting question in my mind. I am asking about switch games because his brother has a switch, and he lets him play on it. We are thinking of getting my special needs son his own switch for Christmas, and getting him more games he can play, hence this thread. You mentioned that you got your sister a 2DS. Would that maybe be a better choice for my son? He does already have Mario Kart 8 and Mario Odyssey, but he could continue to play those on his brother's switch, and then start collecting his own games on a DS. You seem to have a lot of experience with special needs individuals and Nintendo. What are your thoughts on this?
@Silly_G And yes, Mario Odyssey gets difficult for him. He often has to get help from his brother because he gets stuck and can't get past certain places.
@janagar : It's difficult for me to comment because everybody's needs are quite unique, and such decisions would need to be considered on a case by case basis, but it is assuring that I was correct in assessing which games would probably be a good fit for your son, and which ones wouldn't (being Super Mario Odyssey and especially Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker), and of course, through experience, I'm sure you can ascertain what would be suitable judging by what your other son plays.
Ideally, I would have preferred to get my sister a Switch from the get-go (I would only allow her to use it docked) but because she no longer lives with us, I cannot exercise any kind of control in terms of how she treats her possessions in my absence, and she is extremely clumsy (due to her suddenly movements) and can also be irresponsible (she doesn't like acknowledging her limitations or asking for assistance). She is not confined to a wheelchair or anything like that, and she moves around the house independently, but she does have a walker for when she is out and about. She also has osteoporosis after suffering a number of falls throughout her life (she is 31).
Her carers also replaced all of the carpet in the house to floorboards (for God knows what reason) which makes me even more anxious about her wellbeing and the likelihood of her dropping and breaking her possessions.
The choice to get her a 2DS was mainly driven by the fact that it cannot be easily broken (due to the lack of clamshell design). I have bought her several styluses, of which she has lost most of them (she experienced difficulty in placing the factory stylus into its slot so I bought her some larger standalone ones, which she has also lost). Plus, the cheaper cost of entry made me feel a lot more comfortable about getting her one. I also only buy her games via the eShop (except for Pokémon Sun, which is the only cartridge she will ever have) as she would inevitably lose or damage her cartridges otherwise. Similarly, if I were to get her a Switch at some point, I would only buy digital games for her (despite my own preference for physical games). I am hoping that Nintendo will release a more child-friendly Switch at some point, which would make me feel a lot more comfortable about getting her one.
I can only assume that your son knows his limits and would not behave recklessly with his possessions, so perhaps the Switch would be an appropriate option for him, so long as you stick to providing him with games that you know he can play independently (and that he can place and remove the Joy-Con and Switch without causing damage to them). My sister is also intellectually impaired, and I can only assume, from what you have told us, that your son's impairment(s) is/are primarily physical, so I think he should be okay, plus, the calibre and variety of games on Switch are so much more superior, and he will have access to all of the latest (and most popular) releases. The 3DS is mostly dormant at this point, with Nintendo relying on classic software to drive sales, It might not hurt to ask him what his personal preference might be (in which case, a New 2DS XL might be a good option for him). My sister also has strabismus, so, it would be impossible for her to see 3D anyway.
If both boys have a Switch, they can also share games between them, which could save you a bit of cash in the long run (assuming that you mainly buy physical titles).
This is a topic that doesn't get spoken about enough in the industry, so I would love to know what course of action you take.
@Silly_G Thank you for such a thorough response. It sounds like you are a very caring and loving brother. Your sister is lucky to have you.
From what you have said, I think that the best choice for my son will still be the switch. Especially since he sees that his brother has one.
My son suffered from brain cancer at a very early age, and has many side affects because of that and the chemo/radiation he had to go through. He also uses a walker, like your sister (but not at home, only when he is out), and has a lot of balance and motor control issues. He does have intellectual impairment from the tumor and the treatment, and functions on about a kindergarten level in some areas, but higher in others. He dexterity is more that of a toddler, however. But his interests are that of a 13 year old boy, which is why it is so difficult to find things for him that he can enjoy. I don't know much about the games that Nintendo offers, other than that my son is a huge Mario fan, and also seems to always wanting to be using his brother's switch, which is why we are thinking that it is time to get him his own. I just want him to be successful at it. I did a lot searching online for a list of games that might be good options for special needs individuals, but couldn't find anything, hence why I came here and asked.
From everything that has been said, I think we will go ahead and get him the switch. There have been some excellent suggestions for games on here, so I feel confident that we will be able to find games for him that he can both enjoy and feel successful playing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me detailed and helpful answers! It really does help us know what to do.
@janagar after reading your comments and having a five and threw year old I could definitely add Arms to a list of games I think he would enjoy. Keep us updated and sending good luck your way.
@Silly_G And yes, Mario Odyssey gets difficult for him. He often has to get help from his brother because he gets stuck and can't get past certain places.
Well, Super Mario Odyssey gets difficult for me. I have not played it in months bc it can stress me out. Also Super Smash Ultimate might be worth a look. On the Wii U version, levels 1-3 were easy. I would imagine Ultimate will be the same.
Just to update everyone, we got a switch for my son for Christmas. To go along with it, we got Mario Party (he really wants it) and Kirby Star Allies. I've looked into Kirby, and it looks like it will be a great game for him.
He already has Mario Odyssey (I didn't know it had assist mode. Once I turned that on it made a huge difference!) and Mario Kart 8 (I also didn't know about the assisted steering feature. Thank you for telling me about that!). He's been borrowing his brother's switch to play Odyssey and MK8, but he will be so excited to have his own switch! His birthday is in February, so we plan to add Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee for sure, and then will choose some others from the list of games you all gave us.
I cannot thank you all enough for your advice, support, and recommendations! It has made a huge difference! I am so grateful to have some solid suggestions to look at, instead of trying to dig through the countless available games (that I know nothing about), and trying to figure out if they will work for my son or not. So again, thank you for taking the time to seriously consider and answer my question. Merry Christmas, Everyone!!
@janagar hope he and you all have a great time together with the Switch. We've already clocked a lot of family time with Super Mario Party. That seems like a great selection of games.
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