Recently I made the decision to get rid of my Xbox Series X. While I had nothing but good things to say about Microsoft’s latest console offering, I realised that since I got my grubby little mitts on a PlayStation 5, I just haven’t played it. I worked out that the Xbox had sat there idle for almost two months so rather than feel like I was wasting my time with a large black paperweight, I thought I’d trade it in to buy something I might use more. A Nintendo Switch OLED.
My thought process here was that seeing as soon I’ll be living with my girlfriend, I wanted something I could game on while she had something on TV. A fair compromise I thought for a gamer who was starting to grow up a little! However, while I’ve definitely put my time in on my fresh new console, there was one change I wasn’t ready for. My girlfriend likes playing games now…
This probably doesn’t seem like a shocking revelation but let me assure you, this lady has always had more fun making fun of my love of video games rather than indulging in them herself. While I have occasionally managed to get her to play a level of Sonic Mania or Crash Bandicoot, it always seemed more like pity toward me than her actually wanting to take part. Now however, there seems to have been a shift. On the first evening of having the Switch, midway through watching something together, she turned to me and asked if we could try out Mario Kart. To say I was shocked is an understatement, but I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity! I duly booted up the plumber karting title and we had a couple of races (I won) and she seemed to be having a great time. Even more shocking though, immediately afterwards she suggested it would be more fun for her if she got to play on the OLED to herself, so I tested this theory and lo… she sat happily playing Mario Kart on her own occasionally giggling and showing me the screen as she did something fun. It was heart-warming to watch and immediately made the console swap feel worthwhile.
Jump forward a week and I mentioned to my lady love that Nintendo had issued as a code for Kirby and the Forgotten Land that I would be reviewing. Cue her confused stare as I explained exactly what Kirby was. To save myself the hassle I just downloaded the demo to let her have a go. It’s now safe to assume that once I’ve finished my review, she will be all over this game. Sat playing for about 45 minutes she couldn’t stop giggling at the pink creatures’ various forms, in particular vending machine mouth Kirby, to quote “Can I pick up my cans? I CAN!”
Suffice to say I haven’t been happier with a gaming choice in quite some time. If the Switch encourages her to keep gaming with me and we can bond more through that then hell yeah I’d pitch this idea to anyone!