Topic: Thinking about purchasing a Switch or Switch Lite for my Nephew what would be some good games to get for it?

Thinking about purchasing a Switch or Switch Lite for my Nephew that is 5 years old what would be some good games to get for it for him, Also would it better to get the Switch or the Lite version?

In terms of model, it’s more or less what you see as a better deal. Having a console that doubles as a portable is part of what makes the Switch such a standout console, so the Switch Lite being strictly mobile is a bit of a drawback, but not a dealbreaker. Switch is a better value overall, I’d say, but Lite is better if you’re on a budget.

As for games, in terms of general games, I’d go with some more easier, colorful games. I can’t speak on his personal tastes, but Super Mario Odyssey would be a good pick- it’s pretty easy, but it’s also a really great game in it’s own right. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and any of the Pokemon games would be solid picks as well. Those are just a few general recommendations, but if you know any of your nephews game preferences (if any), I’d be glad to offer some more specific ones.

@mowerdude
Consider standard Switch which he can play both docked mode and handheld mode. But since your nephew is still 5 years old, dock the Switch and let him play with Joy Con grip. As he grow up, his hand probably strong enough to carry Standard Switch in handheld mode.

Recommended games for 5 years old boy :
1. Mario Kart 8
2. Animal Crossing New Horizons
3. Go Vacation
4. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracket
5. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee
6. Moving Out
7. Doraemon Story of Seasons
8. Little Friends: Dogs and Cats
9. Brain Training
10. Paw Patrol Mighty Pups

Minecraft I think is a good shout, it’s Lego without having to clear up afterwards. Even better on the Switch as there is the Mario theme for it.

@mowerdude Mario Kart 8 has a steering assist and acceleration assist feature so little kids can participate in the races. It keeps their kart on the road, and going around the track. My niece likes it, and steers wherever she wants, but it keeps her moving forward to the end. We play split screen multiplayer often - up to 4 players.

Mario Odyssey is probably my nieces' favorite game. It's pure joy to play. I played through it at least twice on my own, and at least once through with my nieces.

So, Mario Odyssey & Mario Kart 8 are easy recommendations, or must haves.

@mowerdude Regarding which switch model to get, I would say get the regular Switch, so you can play it on the tv. The Switch Lite cannot display on tv, it's strictly a handheld (which is fine, if that's what you want). Playing on tv with a regular Switch allows you to play socially with family & friends, which is part of why I like gaming, and essential for me. Well, and seeing games on a big screen can be more immersive.

My nieces and I have been playing Spot the Differences Party! lately on the tv. Next time I see them, we're definitely playing that. They are 6, 9, 13 years old.

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/spot-the-differences-pa...

@WoomyNNYes Agree the standard Switch is a better value as you mentioned. Lite is someone truly on the go not because it's less in price. There is Very Big tradeoff if you get the lite. So unless your truly a on the go maybe the lite but the price difference doesn't tell the whole story.

Don't get your nephew a Switch Lite. It's a trap, as you may know, Switch controllers have a tendency to drift (meaning that they won't function properly after a while). At least if it happens on a Normal Switch, you can send in the controller to get it repaired for free. But on a Switch Lite, you have to send the entire Switch Lite in & end up paying like $100 every time. Plus not every game works with a Lite so maybe your nephew would run into issues. Hope this helps.

Couple of things here based on my own family:

1. I bought myself a Switch Lite back in February and regretted it later because I couldn’t play on the TV. I exchanged it just in time for the 30 day GameStop window to expire and got a regular Switch and couldn’t be happier with it. My older son followed the same path when he got tired of sharing with my younger son, but he didn’t do it in time to exchange and now wishes he had gone full sized. (Yes, we have 3 Switches in our house and only one of them is a Lite.)

2. Super Mario Odyssey. I can’t recommend it enough. It might have overtaken Half Life 2 as my favorite game of all time.

@mowerdude Like others have said, I'd suggest going for the regular Switch, because it's more future proof, also considering the potential stick drift.

As for games for kids, here's a couple of my personal suggestions, some echoing what others have already suggested:

Splatoon 2
Go Vacation
Mario Kart Deluxe
Mario Party
Yoshi's Woolly World

And here's a nice addition, the main game is free to play, and it's a title that you can immediately download, and one which is actually a lot of fun for children and even for older gamers, depending on their tastes. It's called Island Saver, and it was actually made and sponsored by a real Bank, for educational purposes, teaching kids all kinds of things concerning saving, spending and investing money.

Here's a review, to give you some idea: