4 Reasons Why the Nintendo Switch is Great for Families: A Dad’s Perspective

Grateful to Matthew for writing the following post and to Nintendo for sending us a Nintendo Switch and two games to review. Links are affiliate links. 

As you might remember, Nintendo was kind enough to invite Elias, Adeline, and me to Seattle in November to visit their U.S. headquarters. For my kids, the adventure was 36 hours of continuous OMG moments. And while I was thrilled to experience all of the fun with my kiddos, the best part was learning about Nintendo’s mission to bring families together through gaming. As a parent who constantly feels the struggle between allowing my kids to enjoy the entertainment of playing video games and waging the losing battle against giving them too much screen time, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Nintendo understood parents’s dilemmas. In fact, many of the developers, promoters, marketers, and VPs at Nintendo are parents who understand the struggle firsthand.

“Nintendo is dedicated to bringing families together,” said one of the gaming corporation’s VPs. “That will always be a high priority for us.”

If I’m honest, I was a bit skeptical. That’s partly because I’m not the 40-something old gaming fan that many parents are today. While I certainly played (and loved) Mario Bros. back in the 80s and early 90s, I never really engaged video games much after that. Moreover, it’s been my experience—watching Elias and Adeline play games on their iPads and Fires and other devices—that gaming only seems to create environments for solitude.

But then I listened to all of the other parents—regular people like me who had been invited to Nintendo’s headquarters—tell stories about how Nintendo and Nintendo’s games had changed the way they viewed and engaged gaming in their homes. So, I thought, perhaps I’m wrong to be skeptical.

Then, a few weeks later, Nintendo offered our family with a Nintendo Switch and two games and asked if I might write a post about our family’s experience with it for The Mom Creative. Jessica and I were planning to buy a Switch for the kids for Christmas, so the timing was perfect.

The kids about jumped out of their skins when they opened everything on Christmas (we bought a few games and accessories on top of what Nintendo had sent). And then we started playing and I realized that maybe (most definitely) I was wrong.

Here are my top reasons why a Nintendo Switch is worth the investment.

1) Easy setup

Though I love my technology, I’m not exactly tech savvy. But the Nintendo Switch is very user friendly. I had the device hooked up to our television in minutes. And minutes later, Elias and Adeline were bragging about their Mario Kart chops.

2) It really does create an environment that brings families together.

I wouldn’t have believed it before experiencing it myself, but it’s true. So many of the Nintendo Switch games are created for multiple players. We’ve competed at Mario Kart and I’ve embarrassed myself a few times with Just Dance 2018. Even for the non-gaming dad like me, it’s been a lot of fun. Moreover, my kids are in heaven.

And what I’ve really enjoyed is watched them engage a game as a team (rather than opponents). Seeing how well they encourage each other, challenge each other, and help each other has given me such an enlightened perspective on their relationship.

3) Family-friendly gameplay

Unlike other gaming systems that feature games that include adult situations, language, and gratuitous violence, Nintendo is dedicated to creating fun, action-packed games like Mario Odyssey and Arms that are both cool, exciting, and free of content that you don’t want your kids engaging. **Games vary of course. Be sure to check a games’s rating before letting younger gamers play.**

Moreover, Nintendo puts the power of gameplay in the parents hands, offering a long list of limitations and options that put you in control of your child’s game content.

4) The Nintendo Switch is flexible.

On one hand, it’s a fully functioning gaming system that hooks up to your big screen and encourages your kids to get up and move, but it’s also a system that your child can take with them. It’s the best of both worlds—hand held and living room fun.

So far, I’m very impressed with the Nintendo Switch. While I know there’s still more to explore, I’m quite smitten with its functionality, game play, and parental controls. It’s indeed a pricey toy, but one that won’t keep your kid with their faces on a screen, but rather, offer opportunities for you and your kids to engage in some good, clean fun, the kind where laughter and shouting ensues.

Do you play video games with your children?