8 Nintendo Switch Criticisms That Also Apply To The PS4 & Xbox One

Mar 30, 2017 March 30th, 2017

1. Relying On Older Characters & Franchises

"Where are the new characters?" they cry. "Where are the new franchises?!"

It's a worthwhile comment to make, but make it about the industry overall, not just the Switch being sold off the back of Zelda, or the fact Mario Odyssey is one of the most tantalising upcoming exclusives.

Because let's take stock: Who are Sony's PlayStation mascots right now? Nathan Drake and just this year, Aloy... kinda? Back at launch the PS4 was being paraded around with the sentient shed that was Knack. Knack and... 'the Helghast guy'. Really iconic characters there, Sony.

On Microsoft's end, well... they have no one. Not a single character other than Master Chief or maybe Marcus Fenix, and they've got a combined age of 27 years between them.

At least when Nintendo fall back on their time-tested icons it's to do something truly great with them. Breath of the Wild addresses the very idea of a 'Legend of Zelda' head-on across its story, coming complete with a great cast of characters, and Mario Odyssey is daring to take the rotund fireball-throwing plumber into an actual bustling city for a change.

Say what you like about reusing these guys, but as the PS1, N64, PS2 and Xbox 360 proved in abundance, a system is so much more when it comes with a pretty face.