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It feels kind of weird to say this now that I own Nintendo Switch 2 but, just buy a Nintendo Switch Lite if you don’t have one already.
I know this sounds weird, why would I recommend someone to purchase a “lesser console” if they already own Nintendo latest’s hardware that is backwards compatible with most games on Switch 1?
And let’s not forget that a majority of these games will look and run even better on handheld mode due to HandHeld Boost mode. However, despite being fully aware of all this I went to the used market and got myself my very own Blue Nintendo Switch Lite, all because I was chasing a certain vibe.
Let me explain.
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The Unmatched Vibe of the Nintendo Switch Lite
One day I was scrolling through YouTube and saw a video of someone just casually playing on their Switch Lite with some Lo-fi beats in the background, and before I knew I was chasing their reality.
I went to my office immediately after finishing the view, grabbed my girlfriend’s Yellow Switch Lite, and booted up a small game called Link’s Awakening.
This was the game Nintendo Released on the same day of this console, and although I had played through it before I couldn’t stop playing it all over again, and I was enjoying far more this time.
That’s when I realised, that some games, just felt better to play on a smaller console for me. And visually, because the screen is smaller, the graphics will look a bit sharper.
But in the end though, I did not finish my Link’s Awakening playthrough… on my girlfriend’s Switch Lite!
The Switch Lite is Cheap
The price might’ve gone up in retail store but the Switch Lite is still cheap in the used market. Knowing this I hopped on Vinted and patiently looked for a used Blue Nintendo Switch Lite. After a few days of waiting patiently a perfect listing appeared, and for 110, I had the Blue Nintendo Switch Lite I was chasing ever since I played that YouTube video.
When looking for one I didn’t even consider purchasing it new, because I think €220 its just too much, for a secondary console or even for someone that’s looking for their first Nintendo Switch.
As for me, I super happy with mine, and since owning it I’ve played through a couple games already, and tried other that fit the vibe I’m chasing with this console, so let me leave with some recommendations.
Games to play on Nintendo Switch Lite
There’s one thing that has always bothered me on both Switch 1 and 2. The fact the every time I tried to play a retro game, made my eyes hurt, and it was always because of the size of the screen.
So yes, the Switch Lite is perfect to play these retro games and lately I saw myself playing the following
- Pokémon FireRed
- Persona 3 Portable
- Ocarina of Time
- MegaMan StarForce Collection
Pokémon FireRed
Pokémon FireRed especially, was amazing to play on Switch Lite since it reminded me of when I used to see my friend play it on its Blue GameBoy Advance. This time I decided to use an unconventional team and had a ton of fun with it! I’m eagerly waiting the Pokémon RSE to come out any day now Nintendo.
Persona 3 Portable
Persona 3 Portable, is the game I played every day before sleep for 20-30 mins. I’m about 20 hours in and it’s a game I’ve been wanting to try for a long time now. More than any of the games I listed above this is the one that I vibe with the most.
Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time is available on Nintendo Switch Online, but I never played it much before owning the Lite. With this console I was finally able to enjoy this game properly, even though I know I’ll never reach the end since the remake is out right now and definitely the best way to experience Ocarina of time.
MegaMan StarForce Collection
I started MegaMan StarForce 1 early this year but never finished the other 2 games on the collection but now I’ve been steadily making progress by picking it up from time to time. This game has a ton of value due in terms of gameplay time, and it also shows you can brilliantly port a Nintendo DS game to newer console.
What about newer games?
The Nintendo Switch game collection is sill growing with strong games, even though the market is shifting more and more to the Switch 2. However from Nintendo you can still enjoy games these great games:
And it’s not just first-party titles, amazing third-party titles can still be played:
- Final Fantasy Ressonance (the latest Final Fantasy!)
- Mina the Hollower
- Digimon Story Time Stranger
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World (Coming Soon)
So, as you can see, you won’t run out of new games to play on your Switch Lite, and even so you can always count on all the other amazing games already available that pair well this console. For years my girfriend’s console was just an Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley machine, and she was super satisfied with it. But I did beg her to play other titles like Breath of The Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, since they run super well on here too.
However, there is one last thing that I want to cover that influenced my choice.
The Switch Lite was Nintendo’s last ‘fun’ console
The Nintendo Switch Lite is super fun console, and I’m not talking about the games, rather its colors.
Remember when Nintendo’s console would come in so many different colours, even for home consoles? You could buy a Green Game Boy, a Pink Nintendo DS, an Orange Game Cube, and an even a Poké Ball style Nintendo 3DS. Looking at these looked fun, and that immediately reflected on the way we played our games.
Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch, didn’t have that many colourful variants. You could purchase different coloured Joy-Cons but that was just not the same.
In contrast the Nintendo Switch Lite has 8 different colour variants, and it makes me wish I had them all lined up on a shelf. They brought back the fun with this smaller colourful console, and picking up one to play gives me the same feel I had when I grabbed my Yellow Game Boy as a kid.
Should you buy a Nintendo Switch Lite?
I think you should absolutely purchase a Nintendo Switch Lite, especially if you’re looking for a secondary system. It’s the perfect colourful console that you can grab for a quick session before bed or chill on the couch. And due to its smaller size it easily fits on a backpack and you can pop it out while waiting in line or in bus trip.
It’s been perfect for me to experience retro games, and also re-experience other recent games, like Metroid Prime 4 which I’m obsessing with all over again while writing this section. All because I was playing The Ocarina of Time remake and started noticing how much similarities there are between the Hyrule Field and Sol Valley, although this is a topic for another time.
For now, do your self a favour and look for a cheap Switch Lite, I guarantee you will not regret it. This console will be discontinued next year and prices are still fairly good, but after February they will go up!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll be seeing you again next time, with brand new content.
