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Topic: Switch / Birthday Present?

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galatie

Hi all,

I am a mom to a 6 year old who's birthday is coming up at the end of this month and I wanted to surprise him with a Nintendo Switch, which I know that he would absolutely love, since all of his friends have them!

I just read that a new generation of Switch might be released early next year, no confirmed date as of yet, and not sure how reliable this is, but how likely is it that a newer version will be released in 2021. If so, should I wait to buy the newest model? I'm just conscious that I might be waiting for a long time...?

Any advice would be great, as I am a mom who knows absolutely nothing about gaming consoles!

galatie

Magician

An upgraded Switch has been long-rumored but nothing has been officially announced. My advice would be to purchase a Switch Lite rather than a standard Switch. Save a little bit of cash in the event that an upgraded Switch is released next year. Come Christmas time most kids will have their eyes on either a PS5 or Xbox Series X.

Your child may want one of those consoles next year instead of an upgraded Switch.

Switch Physical Collection - 1,241 games (as of March 23rd, 2024)
Favorite Quote: "Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age the child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies." -Edna St. Vincent Millay

WoomyNNYes

@galatie I'll go a different route. If you want TV support, get the Switch V2. V2=version 2. It's hardware uses less power, and achieves a 40% increase in battery life than the original. Most stores are likely selling the V2 these days since it came out summer 2019.

How to buy Switch V2: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/11/guide_where_to_buy_...

If there is an upgraded Switch released in 2021, you should still be able to play everything it can play. I'm not sure it's worth waiting till next march or summer for the "rumored" newer switch version.

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

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galatie

I was thinking of purchasing Nintendo Switch Console, Animal Crossing: New Horizon Special Edition? The pastel coloured controllers looked pretty cute!

What is the main difference between all of the Switches? And can anyone recommend a good first game for a 6 year old boy? He liked playing Super Smash Bros at his friends house so maybe this?

galatie

galatie

And does the Animals Crossing Special Edition version come with the extended battery life console?

galatie

gcunit

@galatie The Animal Crossing edition is the newer edition, but you might find it harder to come by.

Personally I would not follow the advice above to buy a Switch Lite - it's not as family friendly as you can't connect it to a TV or detach the controllers and split them between two people. The only people who should buy a Switch Lite are those who know that that's what they want for specific reasons. Everyone else should get the full-fat Switch - it's just the best all-round option.

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Magician

@galatie

In the absence of a display box, you can tell the difference between a V1 Switch and a V2 Switch by the barcode. Barcodes beginning with XAW are the V1 model, while barcodes beginning with XKW are the newer V2 model. As for which game? Smash Bros appears to the best choice, since that's what his friends are playing.

Edited on by Magician

Switch Physical Collection - 1,241 games (as of March 23rd, 2024)
Favorite Quote: "Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age the child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies." -Edna St. Vincent Millay

porto

@galatie I have a 6-year-old cousin so I can help you with the games he likes

He likes to play Paw Patrol: On A Roll. it's a simple game filled with all his favorite characters. I will probably depend on whether or not he likes the cartoon. Yoshi's Crafted World is a more expensive one, but it's filled to the brim with lovable characters, easy platforming, and a nice challenge. if your kid likes the Ryan philanthropist I highly suggest against Race With Ryan. Unless you want to listen to him say "Amazing!" for 2 hours at a time.

Edited on by porto

porto

Switch Friend Code: SW-2940-3286-4610 | My Nintendo: Pikmin4 | Twitter:

Snatcher

@galatie I would get a switch lite with a case, and a game to start him of what games do you think he would like maybe mario kart or minecraft but not fortnite keep him away form fortnite!

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WoomyNNYes

@galatie If you get a Switch, plan on getting a tempered glass screen protector. The Switch screen isn't as scratch resistant as modern cell phones. The Switch & Switch Lite have different size screens, so, you'll need to buy the right one to fit their screen. I believe amFilm brand is most popular tempered glass screen protector in the US - this is what I got.

https://www.amazon.com/amFilm-Tempered-Screen-Protector-Ninte...

Edited on by WoomyNNYes

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galatie

Thank you, everyone, this is all super helpful! I think the last video game I played was Duck Hunt on one of the very first Nintendo’s to come out!

I have been looking the last few weeks and saw The Animals Crossing Switch at a store near me. I was actually trying to hold off on buying him any consoles for at least a few more years but many people have assured me there are a lot of fun family games you can play together. So, I think I will purchase the Crossings Switch, the tempered glass screen protector, and a game that is age appropriate and also fun for the family. And definitely no Fortnite!!! 🤗🤗🤗

galatie

MarioVillager92

@galatie If your son's into Smash Bros., then yeah that's a great choice for him. Here are some other Switch games I'd personally recommend (in no order):

Super Mario Odyssey
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Super Mario Maker 2
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (loved it on Wii U!)
Super Mario Party
Luigi's Mansion 3
Sonic Mania (there's the physical "Plus" edition that has some more content)

Super Mario 3D World's coming to the Switch next year as well - it's one of my favorite Mario games so that's an easy recommendation. Any of the games I've mentioned are good choices in my book.

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Ninfan

@galatie i would wait for upgrade. There was a small upgrade of switch that had better battery life so there might be a better new sometime next year. Also I would get a normal switch not a switch lite as some games like fortnite need a bigger screen to play. The games on switch eshop , where you buy games online always has sales of some really good games for only a euro. So I wouldn't really worry about the price of anything.

Ninfan

galatie

Thanks, everyone!

I just went to the switch eshop to look at some games - and some games are available via download now? Are there any pros/cons to purchasing games this way, or should I do it the good old fashion way and just buy the physical game to insert into the console?

Or does it not really make a difference?

galatie

porto

@galatie Downloading them is easier. You don't have to take the cartridges out every time you want to play a game... but some games, especially AAA titles, take up GB storage quickly. So if you want to download all of your games, I suggest you get a 256 Micro SD card. Getting games physical won't use up storage.

porto

Switch Friend Code: SW-2940-3286-4610 | My Nintendo: Pikmin4 | Twitter:

galatie

Thank you! I am amazed that games can be purchased digitally now for these consoles - so handy!

galatie

SwitchForce

@galatie remember Digital are tied to the account that bought them so if you don't like them you have no way to re-sell them. So decide carefully before doing so. They may be cheap but no one else can gifted them besides your account they are linked to. Check carefully before going Digital only. The time it takes to change games is a null factor here. Want to know more here's some backstory. Spend the money and get 400gb microsd card it doesn't cost more but gives you more storage.

Digital Distribution Vs Physical Media and True Ownership

Edited on by SwitchForce

SwitchForce

Chimera_Police

@galatie one benefit of digital is that you can’t lose the cartridge. That’s worth considering with younger kids - they’re pretty tiny for Switch. I would definitely invest $20 in a case if you’re thinking about it for road trips. I wouldn’t worry about memory cards at first - it would take a while to fill it up.

Lot of great recommendations. I think Yoshi’s Crafted World, Kirby Star Allies, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Captain Toad would be my picks for (easier) games you can play together in co-op (cooperative) mode, maybe with Yoshi and Luigi being the best options. Outside of that, you really can’t go wrong with Super Mario Odyssey as a really approachable 1-player adventure that’s kind of a must-have for the system.

I also picked up Just Dance as a fun family option and recommend it. My wife, daughter and I enjoy playing it together, and it usually gets some giggles (and the benefit of a small amount of exercise)!

Hope that helps!

Chimera_Police

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