Were you a day-one Switch owner? If so, what appealed to you about it? Or if not, why was that the case?
Zoe, 23, a private security worker from Seattle: I bought it day two. I felt bad about spending the money, but I had it at the time. I didn't pre-order—I wanted to buy it in person, but couldn't on day one, because of work. I've never owned a console before this one, and to be honest, the hardware seemed bad—the small JoyCons and reportedly short battery life almost turned me off the system. That the only games in the first month were Breath of the Wild and a few PC indie titles was really disappointing—but I'm looking forward to some stuff coming out in the next few months, like ARMS and Splatoon 2. The last month has been pretty rough, though—the Switch is now sat next to my desk, getting dusty, waiting for more games and the Virtual Console.Rosie, 22, a customer service operative and musician from Glasgow: I was a day-one owner. I picked it up early from an infamous Glasgow games shop that no longer receives games from Rockstar, because they'll be sold early. I was actually in a higher-paid job when I bought it, and I did so because I was very attracted to the hardware, having not owned a portable device for a few years. Despite owning a Wii U, I feared that system's version of Zelda would be compromised. So, impatiently, and worried about spoilers for that game, which I thought wouldn't be up to scratch on the Wii U, I went out and bought a Switch."Zelda ruled my gaming life for a good week and a half, but I've barely touched the Switch since." — Stephen from California
Do you have a history of buying Nintendo consoles?
How has the Switch fitted into your previous gaming habits? Are you using it more as a handheld, or playing it docked, on the TV?
Rosie: I've ended up playing a lot more of the Switch than I expected, but I do think that's largely down to Zelda being so good. A lot of games I end up finding quite dull, or not wanting to revisit them after playing them a few times, and that's been true of Snake Pass. Having said that, Zelda being so good on a platform like the Switch is ideal, because I've been playing in bed and while out and about a lot, which is lovely. It's a wonderful game to play in the sun. I'll say that, much in the same way I'm reluctant to pull out a tablet to watch a video, I don't like playing the Switch on a bus, where I'm being jostled somewhat. This is a personal thing, but I don't like burying my face in a visual thing in crowded situations where I need to be aware of the space I'm taking up."My absolute favorite thing about the console is the little two-tone tweet noises that play when you select your profile, first ascending then descending. Marvelous." — Rosie from Glasgow
After a month, and a bit, with the Switch, what are your favorite aspects about it, and your least favorite things? Have you suffered from any of the reported problems, like screen scratching, and JoyCon connectivity issues?
Olivia: I really like the portability of it. Not just the fact that it's handheld, but that the entire console can be easily moved. The JoyCons are also pretty versatile. When I play on the TV, I attach the JoyCons to the Grip, but my boyfriend just holds them individually. The battery isn't great—it only lasts about two or three hours when playing handheld. We very briefly had a left JoyCon connectivity problem, but that seems to be sorted out.Matthew: It might be my age beginning to show, but the novelty of having a "full-fat" Zelda game I can play anywhere is still an unexpected joy. That it's arguably the best Zelda in 20 years, with apologies to Ocarina of Time fans, seals the deal. As a Nintendo fan, I'm pleased that the Switch appears to be doing better at retail, so far, than the Wii U. It'd be a sad day if Nintendo consoles were consigned to history by market forces, and the only Nintendo games we got were the likes of Super Mario Run. I've experienced none of the reported issues—battery life isn't great, sure, but we've an alarming number of USB-C chargers around the house, so it's not been an issue. I also keep it in flight mode most of the time, to extend battery life. That said, I have found its internet connectivity a little flaky. And if the dock did scratch the screen, that would be entirely unacceptable."It'd be a sad day if Nintendo consoles were consigned to history by market forces, and the only Nintendo games we got were the likes of Super Mario Run." — Matthew from Glasgow
Overall, are you happy with your decision to pick up a Switch?
Matthew: Even if it turned out to be little more than an expensive Zelda machine, I'd probably be happy with the Switch. But I'm conscious that that's not necessarily the attitude of the wider game-playing—or game-buying—audience, so we'll see how it fares. I think it's a pretty compelling option, though, especially for folk who skipped the Wii U and have the likes of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon 2 to look forward to. A new F-Zero would be great to see, and a new Star Fox that actually captures the spirit of the original. And just imagine how perfect something like Knights of the Old Republic would be on the console—I'd love to play that on the go, on a decent-sized screen.Rosie: I'm happy that I have a Switch, but extremely worried about how I'm going to feel in the eight months or so this year in which Zelda has exhausted all its pleasures, but nothing else I want is out. And what'll happen next year. And the next. I would describe my state of being, relating to the Switch, as Enormously Anxious. The Switch has a very sparse line up—I'd love to be able to play something like Dark Souls on it, or Destiny, or The Witness. The Witness would be perfect on Switch! More than anything though, I need Smash Bros. I don't care at all if it's just a port of Smash Bros. Wii U—I need to be able to take my Switch around and play Smash with people on the go. There is nothing that I crave more than Smash on my Switch. I'm anxious, because none of these are things that I can accurately predict happening.Martin: I'm happy, although the drought of physical games is starting to feel a bit real. I am seriously hoping Nintendo has some surprises lined up for E3. I'd really like to see Luigi's Mansion 3 be confirmed. I've played the arcade version of Mansion, and one of the most satisfying feelings is the "shunk, shunk" feel as the hoover accessory sucks up coins. I imagine that will be well replicated through the HD Rumble of the Switch."I am seriously hoping Nintendo has some surprises lined up for E3." — Martin from Edinburgh