Sam and her brother, Jose The Xavierite
Nintendo is set to release the ever anticipated Switch 2 in June, but truthfully I’m still stuck on the DS and Wii line.
When thinking of old Nintendo, most think of the “retro” consoles like the NES or N64, but for Gen Z, our nostalgia lives with the (3)DS and Wii/WiiU. Though, it is strange to think of these devices as being “nostalgic” now.
I recently spent some time playing with my old 3DS in an attempt to use my phone less and it’s truly brought me an immense amount of joy. It’s a different type of serotonin you can’t get from anything else. Something about it transports you to a greater place, even just for a little bit.
For a few days, I actually brought it to campus to show some friends and play during downtime. To my (partial) surprise, it brought them as much joy as it did me. It struck up conversations even with those not close to me.
In the Xavierite office in particular, some of the staff and I chatted about Pokemon and our favorite games from the series. Pokemon Black and X seemed to be favorites among us. It was nice to be reminded of why I loved the 3DS and its games in the first place.
Funnily, I quickly rediscovered certain frustrations. The most humorous thing was trying to teach my Nintendog new tricks. Thankfully, it was far less stressful in the present. I still vividly recall yelling at my 3DS trying to get my dog to comprehend my mumbled kid voice telling it to spin.
It did end up bringing together some of the TRIO office, with many finding amusement in the virtual dog refusing to listen. A few even attempted to help get it to listen, but to no avail unfortunately.
The most beautiful surprise I found while using my 3DS, though, was realizing how it was a snapshot of my childhood. I found various photos and videos, many of which captured important memories—summers in Mexico, accompanying my big brothers to the airport, and so many more.
It’s harder to recall what you’re like at that age until you’re faced with it. It was endearing to see what was most important to me then. In comparison, I don’t have nearly as strong of a connection with the Switch line, which is natural as I had grown up with the older devices.
I was around 13 when the first Switch came out and knew then it didn’t resonate with me completely. It didn’t feel as convenient as my 3DS, nor did it feel as fun as my Wii.
Of course, I still used it frequently and still do pick it up every so often even now, but it could never give me that same serotonin boost. Though it is portable, I never really enjoyed taking it out. Even now, bringing my 3DS to campus felt far more natural.
In terms of its use as a home system, I think it lost some of the original Nintendo charm. I think part of it is Nintendo’s attempts to ditch the Wii branding after the massive failure of the Wii U. This rebrand has done well for them, but it doesn’t feel as “fun.”
I can admit the Switch is generally a better quality console and nostalgia makes the Wii systems seem nicer, but I think in terms of individuality the Wii line is undefeated. I still use both the Wii and Wii U occasionally and that feeling always sticks with me.
Something else that has always bothered me about the Switch is that it is not a true hand held. I touched on this briefly, but there’s a lack of convenience with the switch. Any DS is far more portable and comfortable to carry.
The Switch provides greater updates to previous DS games, but the sacrifice in quality is just fine to me in comparison to actually getting that true handheld experience. I don’t think there’s any way to replicate that feeling in a home/handheld hybrid.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the Switch as a console but that old vibe just isn’t there. Perhaps it’s the nostalgia blinding me, but I’d much rather pick up my 3DS above all else.
I’m sure in a few years Gen Alpha will feel a similar territorial nostalgia to the switch line. Regardless, I’ll always bet that the consoles I grew up with had a charm of their own that could never be replaced.