So I recently got an award through School and I am thinking there is no better way to blow the money than on a console I will probably rarely play and the new Zelda. But I want to know what the consensus is on Zelda now that were are away from the launch hype. Remember when 8.8 for Twilight Princess was too low? Well it looks even a little generous now. People were pretty high on Skyward Sword near release time too.

Also, what Is up with the Switch? Any flaws that people have figured out how to avoid? I know about the dock scratching the screen and how to fix that. Anything else?

Soooo...I think what they said was spot on. Most of the changes add to the challenge and the gameplay improvements make it a more compelling game. That being said, once you start noticing the minor flaws (like it raining in the middle of you carrying a torch) they stand out more. Also the map and shrine indicator are terrible. Also I got bored of exploring because of the rain. Some guidance would have been appreciated.

As for the switch 11/10. I wish more games were on it. He'll id take PS1, PS2 or Ps3 rpgs on it.

No hardware issues with my switch and still think Zelda is pretty fantastic. it's aimless if you don't like that but i feel it leads to its charm and pick up and playability. Taking the switch with me to work every day and i've already got quite the library on it. Considering the install base I'm hoping the number of titles for it increases.

Can't speak to the Switch's quality as I've been playing on the WiiU But Zelda continues to be one of the most engrossing games I've played in a long while. I'm not going to tell you it doesn't have its flaws such as frame rate issues and a weird menu bug where the sound will randomly cut out while I'm in menus but then be fine once I'm back in game. However, these are easily overlooked by everything else the game gets right. Breath of the Wild is exactly what I want out of an open world fantasy game and probably my personal favorite of the genre.

The only real faults I can say about BotW is that the dungeons are too short and samey (no i'm no talking about the trials) and the bosses aren't very memorable. I didn't like the lack of music at first but the minimalist approach grew on me. the game is really magical in it's sense of discovery but some of the things you would expect out of a zelda aren't as great as previous titles.

The switch however is amazing. I really hope it gets good third party support because I wish I could play everything on it. being able to play anywhere and not having to glue yourself to the tv is a game changer. If there is a cool game that is coming out I would 100% of the time get the switch version.

I thought it was worthy of the praise when it came out and I think that as time has gone by I've begun to appreciate it even more. I'm also still confused about people scratching the screen on the dock. As long as you're careful I don't see how people keep doing it.

For every amazing thing about Breath of the Wild there are two annoying things.

This game would have been a dream game for me when I was 12 but for a middle aged man It's more of a slog and I'm constantly feeling antsy about spending so much time and getting so little accomplished.

I've never so begrudgingly enjoyed yet dreaded playing a game like this one.

I can hardly wait until it's done and I can get away from it.

I'm conflicted...

I just started playing it last week. I'm a little over 20 shrines in, but I can only bring myself to play in 15-45 minute chunks before I get bored and put it down. Maybe it'll grab me at some point, but so far I'm not really all that into it.

If you don't like open world games without structure then you might be in for a bad time.

Breath of the Wild is really great, but I've grown a little bored of it and haven't played it in a couple weeks. I don't have much further to go, but I haven't felt the desire to pick it back up.

Been playing it on the Wii U, and it's great. If you already have a Wii U, you don't need to get a Switch for this game.

Haven't changed. The game is a change of pace the series sorely needed, world is inviting to explore and has an excellent gameplay loop. But it is getting a Zelda bump in terms of scores, as the inventory management gets old, lacks enemy variety, and the characters/story is not interesting.

Still magical. I have put it down, but definitely planning on picking it up again once the DLC comes out. I don't usually like open world games, but BotW grabbed me from the start. I think the world is very well designed to invite you to explore it. It's the most fun I've had exploring and adventuring, and that's a feeling I almost never get from video games. Happy with my purchase.

I mean, I hate Ubisoft open world games because that is like the most structure possible. I hate randomly generated open world games because they are lacking in bespoke content, and those have no structure usually.

This is actually a well-timed thread because I just got my Switch yesterday.

So let me start with my personal feelings on Zelda. When I first heard all the hype and saw gameplay and discussion I was fairly apathetic. I was super happy to see them go closer to the original TLOZ in terms of design but I thought I would found myself disappointed with the art and the emphasis on exploration. What happened though is that Breath of The Wild became my on-the-go chill/MMO placebo. The game just lends itself to sitting in front of you while you go this way or that way, finding herbs and fruit and stumbling upon enemy camps and little surprises. It's what most people probably got out of the Elder Scrolls series but those never really hooked me. This game turned out to be quite a surprise so far. The thing that has legitimately impressed me about BOTW is how it just presents you with a lot of options. You can go as simple as "Finish the tutorial plateau and go straight for Ganon" speedrun style or you can just mosey around aimlessly and trip over surprises or you can do a mix of the two. On the tablet it looks surprisingly good and I think it still has a real solid look in TV mode, but I play on what would probably be considered a small computer monitor so YMMV.

As for my impressions on the Switch on the whole it too is a huge surprise for me. Handhelds have always kind of been my jam. The Game Boy was (and is still) my number one favorite games console of all time and ever since the handheld realm has been what I've been the most interested in. It's the flexibility and the creativity of studios to create compelling experiences with hardware limitations that always made handheld games more of a personal enthusiast hobby over the rest of the contemporary gaming world, such as it was. When Switch made it's way into the wild and impressions came in I felt wary. It was a very kitchen sink approach and Nintendo's messaging on whether or not they intended it to be more of a GameCube or more of a Wii or more of a Game Boy had me uncertain. Eventually fate dropped a Switch in my lap and so I decided to give it a dose of my personal brand of fair shakery. And it's a big hit for me.

Much like the things I like about BOTW the kitchen sink approach of options for how you can play Switch has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. When I got it set up I docked it, pulled the little joy-cons off the side and just sat back in my chair with my hands in my lap. I played Zelda for a good couple of hours like that and it was just comfortable. The little bit of motion control used with the bow (which is optional for all those bumpy bus rides thank goodness) was tight and responsive and it just all felt nice. Then I busted out the Pro Controller (which is expensive but if you can afford the thing it's, again, a nice option) and played for a while with that and that felt plenty good too. Pairing and unpairing the devices was fast and easy too, if not maybe a little confusing the first few times you do it. The only control set up I haven't enjoyed much is the joy-cons in the comfort grip. The cons feel best, to me, sitting in the hands with my arms resting naturally. Forcing them to align vertically in a frame just emphasizes the placement of sticks to buttons which is necessary to the handheld design and, when spread apart, I feel works fine. Mashing them close together though doesn't do it for me. Perhaps my reflexes just expect the offset to be more like the Pro-Controllers Xbox-esque layout instead.

But anyway. I ramble a bit. Playing it in TV mode is pretty good for me. Again, keep in mind I sit at a desk and play on a small-ish 1080p monitor. Playing it in the tabletop mode is also better than I expected. I brought it to work today and on each of my breaks I set it up, snapped off the joy-cons and called a co-worker over to play a race in MK8. Everyone had a really fun time and it was just amazingly convenient to just have this thing as it came out of the box and be all "Hey. Let's play Mario Kart. I have everything I need right here." And yeah, the Joy-Cons alone are not the ideal way to play games super seriously (especially the right side con... I don't mind it so much for Mario Kart but I could imagine that thing feeling super weird for some other games what with the nearly centered joystick) but they worked just fine for our fun little races and they were just there and I had them. It also ran very well with 2 player split screen. Still felt like a solid 60 and while the screen was small for sure the fidelity was enough that everyone had a great time playing. That thing even supports 4 player split screen on the tablet (albeit at 30 frames) but dang.

Handheld mode went through the test as well. I have about a 40 minute commute into work and the same back and I was able to play Zelda on the bus both ways and those break-room Mario Kart sessions with the device sleeping in my bag/locker between each play session and it was only just as I was getting home that it warned me my battery was getting low. That's not a tremendous battery life by any stretch but it was plenty for how I used it that day so I give it a passing grade there.

All in all I found the Nintendo Switch to be a pleasant surprise. It runs well (granted I've only played a couple 1st party titles so I guess we'll see in the future) and the tablet/tabletop/TV gimmick is actually something I've found to be a great success for myself and for friends. The games available on it already are also pretty rad, all told. The Nintendo exclusives like Zelda and Mario Kart are fantastic and digital offerings like Blaster Master Zero, Shovel Knight, and Thumper are super great and also fit the handheld mold very well.

I was put off by the "Is it a handheld or a TV Console" wishy washy attitude but so far it turns out they were right all along. It is actually all those things and it's much better for it.

Also as for your scratching concern unless you have a very warped dock I wouldn't worry too terribly much, especially if you dock and undock it with some semblance of gentleness. If you want a little personal flair and a little insurance, however, the creative fan community has come up with adorable little Switch cozies called "Dock Socks" that you can buy on sites like Etsy (or just make yourself if you have fabric, needle, and thread). They're super easy to make with the right dimensions and they simple go over the front panel of the dock (which is all just plastic and plastic guide rails so it doesn't affect anything) and places a thin layer of cushion between the guide rails and the screen to prevent possible scratching. You can also go the minimalist route and just get adhesive padding or the like to attach to the rails. Anything basically to make the bits rubbing against the screen something soft and pliant, I suppose.

Hope this is enough information to help you! <3

I am currently contemplating buying a Switch. Have the Zelda framerate issues been fixed by now?