If you are looking for fun and exciting games to add to your Nintendo Switch, we have three great recommendations. For Pokemon lovers, there are the Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet games. For the sports fans and those who are nostalgic for Wii games, there’s the Nintendo Switch Games pack with 6 games.
Read on for our in-depth review of all three Nintendo Switch games including where they shine and where they fall short.
Nintendo Scarlet and Violet Review
We are going to review the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games together since they are quite similar. They are set in the same place and a lot of the gameplay is similar. But they are different enough that we recommend getting both games, even if not at the same time.
What Are You Buying?
1. Two Nintendo Pokemon Games
Nintendo Scarlet and Violet are two of the latest mainline games to be added to the Pokemon lineup. If you are already a Pokemon fan, many of the characters will be recognizable and gameplay will be familiar but just as exciting.
That said, Pokemon Violet and Scarlet are just as fun for anyone just entering the Pokemon universe. Gameplay is easy to understand. In no time, you’ll be on your way exploring Paldea, catching pokemon and fighting fearsome creatures.
If you are wondering which of the two games to get, here’s a quick breakdown of the difference between Pokemon Violet and Pokemon Scarlet.
While the two games are set in the same Paldea region, there are some differences including the school your character goes to, the colour of the uniform that you wear, and the kind of Pokemon available in each game.
For example, the fireball-shooting Armarouge is a Scarlet-exclusive Pokemon while the fire blades-wielding Ceruledge Pokemon is exclusive to Violet.
But the biggest difference is the main legendary dragon-type Pokemon you ride around on in each game.
In Scarlet, it is an ancient fire dragon called Koraidon that gallops on its legs when on the ground. In Violet, it is a futuristic electric dragon called Miraidon that transforms into a motorcycle for ground transportation.
By the way, this ancient/futuristic divide is another major distinction between the two games. Pokemon Scarlet’s gameplay focuses on the past, and this permeates even to the kinds of pokemons you can catch. Pokemon Violet is all about the future.
2. Open World Play
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are both open world games, meaning you are free to explore wherever you want and can take quests in whichever order (though there is an ideal path to make it easier to level up).
The games are set in the picturesque Paldea region filled with cities, small towns, flatlands and majestic peaks. Paldea is based on the Iberian Peninsula, which comprises Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Suffice it to say, it’s a beautiful setting. And with 400 Pokemons to discover, you will not run out of things to do.
That said, it is not as explorable as it seems. You cannot enter most buildings, there are no fun puzzles or side quests hidden around the city, NPCs are not very interesting and many of the storefronts are repeated in multiple cities.
If you are expecting the same level of open world exploration like the one in Witcher 3, CyberPunk 2077 and other open world games, you’ll be disappointed. What’s really fun, though, is the main storyline. That’s where the Pokemon Violet and Scarlet games shine.
3. Fun Gameplay With Plenty of Quests
After an initial tour, you may not have much fun exploring Paldea but the main gameplay keeps the games fun throughout.
There are 400 Pokemons to capture, each with interesting abilities. This is not counting the additional 230 Pokemons that come in the DLC expansions.
The open world style of play means sometimes you’ll lose battles you are not ready for, but that makes the games all the more fun and interesting.
Some of the best aspects of games include the ability to give any pokemon a temporary superpower during a battle and Tera Raid Battles that you can do alone or with friends.
That said, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games have many technical issues and bugs that dampen gameplay. These include inconsistent framerate, messy graphics and even glitches that completely shut the game down.
4. Play With Friends
You can play Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with friends either online or locally. Between 2 and 4 players can explore, battle and trade in the same game. They can also cooperate in Tera Raid battles.
We recommend sticking to local play (where each person has their Switch). Online play is plagued with communication failures and annoying lag, even on ethernet or a strong WiFi signal.
How Easy Are the Nintendo Scarlet and Violet Games to Play?
It is easy to get started on Pokemon Violet and Scarlet. You pick your character and customise them in terms of skin tone and uniform. Have to say, though, customization options are pretty limited.
Once you’ve gone through the tutorial at school, you are ready to explore the open world of Paldea. Despite the many bugs and issues, Pokemon Violet and Scarlet are ultimately really fun games.
There is plenty to do and explore, so you will take days or weeks (depending on how often you play) to finish the game. The main story takes about 30 hours, or up to 36 hours if you take time to explore. There’s also about 20 hours of post-credits gameplay if you want 100% completion on your Pokedex.
What Accessories Are Included?
When you order the Pokemon Scarlet or Violet game, you will receive a physical Nintendo Switch game card from Argos. No other accessories are included.
Pros
- Easy to get started.
- Fun storyline.
- Lots of Pokemon to capture.
- Beautiful open world game that’s fun to explore.
- Local or online multiplayer mode available.
Cons
- Lots of bugs and technical issues.
- Graphic quality is not the best.
- Online play is problematic.
What Else Do You Need to Know
Once you install the game, you can buy additional downloadable content (DLC) from Nintendo’s website. The DLC adds a new area to explore plus 230 new Pokemons. There’s also a new school you can explore as an exchange student, complete with a new customizable uniform.
Where To Buy?
- Argos: > CLICK TO CHECK TODAY’S PRICE
- Argos: > CLICK TO CHECK TODAY’S PRICE
Nintendo Switch Sports Review
The Nintendo Switch Sports package is a brazen attempt to recreate the magic of Wii Sports, and it works. This pack of 6 games (8 with DLC) brings back the memories of spending hours with friends and family bowling an imaginary ball or swinging a virtual golf club.
What Are You Buying?
1. 6-Sport Nintendo Switch Game Pack
This game card comes with six sports:
- Tennis – The tennis game only allows doubles either against friends or NPCs. It is fun but a bit shallow in terms of the moves you can make. Other than a straight return, there are a couple of spins you can do as well as lobs.
- Bowling – one of the most fun games of the bunch thanks to the excellent motion control that allows you to precisely roll the bowling ball in a straight line or curve it. You also get special lanes with obstacles if you are looking for something more challenging.
- Chambara (sword fighting) – the most intense of the Nintendo Switch games. You get a choice between three swords: a regular sword with a powerful strike, a charged sword that charges up when you defend and twin swords that let you do a spinning strike.
- Football – Football is the least fun of the Nintendo Switch sports for many people. You spend a lot of time running after the giant ball and there isn’t much to challenge your skills. To make it a bit more fun, play with friends or play shootout by putting the Joy-Con inside the included leg strap.
- Badminton – Unlike tennis, badminton allows 1 v 1 matches, though there aren’t any doubles. But the intensity of the one on one matches is worth the limited number of players. The game gives you lots of control, letting you hit the shuttlecock left or right and set up drop balls that allow you to deliver powerful smashes against your opponent.
- Volleyball – Volleyball is all about timing and teamwork to be able to set up powerful spike shots and blocks. It is probably the most challenging game in the pack.
The six games are set in a modern sports plaza in which you can explore the bowling lanes, tennis courts, the sword fighting arena and more.
2. Wii Style Sports
If you’ve ever owned a Wii Sports Resort, then many of these games will be familiar to you. With the Switch Sports package, Nintendo has tried to bring back the magic and fun of Wii games.
While you could play most of the sports comfortably seated, there’s something about these games that makes you act them out as if you are actually playing the game in real life. And that’s the whole point.
The Nintendo Switch sports are designed to be intuitive to play with simple JoyCon movements that mirror what you’d do in an actual physical game.
3. Local and Online Multiplayer Mode
Nintendo Switch Sports allow between 2 and 8 players depending on the specific game. With badminton, there can only be two players at a time. In soccer, you can have four on four matches.
Just like Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch sports are most fun when played with friends and family. So take advantage of the multiplayer option as often as you can.
You can invite people to play locally by linking your Joy-Cons or connect online with friends far away. You can also play globally where you’ll be randomly matched up to other players.
The online option offers additional fun challenges such as survival bowling and survival golf. If you are good enough, you have the chance to go up the rank in each game.
How Easy Are the Nintendo Switch Sports to Play?
The best thing about Wii Sports was how anyone could pick up the controller and start playing. The motion control movements came naturally. Nintendo Switch Sports has maintained this intuitiveness. Controls are easy to master, mostly because they mirror natural sports movements.
Some games are easier than others to play. Bowling, badminton and volleyball require some practice to master all movements and controls.
What Accessories Are Included?
In addition to the Nintendo Switch Sports game card, you’ll also receive a leg strap accessory for use with the football game.
Pros
- Easy to get started thanks to intuitive motion controls.
- You can play alone or with friends.
- Most of the games are fun.
- Local and online play available.
Cons
- Many of the games are not fun to play alone.
- Limited challenges and control in some of the games like football and tennis.
Anything Else You Should Know?
Since the official release of the Nintendo Switch Sports, Nintendo has added two more sports via DLC. You can now order and download a DLC pack that adds basketball and the much-awaited golf to the Switch Sports package.
Similar to other games, basketball and golf come with a multiplayer option and you can even play against random people online.
Where To Buy?
Conclusion
And that’s our mega review of the three Nintendo Switch games. We like them. However, they could do with a bit more depth. The open world in Scarlet and Violet is limited and some of the games in Nintendo Switch Sports quickly grow old and boring after just a short time, especially if you are playing alone.
If you are into open world games that involve lots of exploration and fighting beasts and monsters, Nintendo Scarlet and Violet are the best games for you.
If you are looking for a bit of sports action, particularly with friends and family, try the Nintendo Switch Sports games.
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