The Game Boy has made me a fan of Nintendo, the Switch has brought me back

Editor's note: This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Game Boy. To celebrate, I publish an updated version of an article that I wrote on March 4, 2017, just after the release of Switch.

I pick up the Nintendo switch, and a few moments later, Link crosses the grassy hills of Hyrule in Legend of Zelda: The Breath of Nature. It's been 10 years since I have a Nintendo console, and after only 20 minutes, Nintendo's old feeling is back. The Switch is Nintendo's latest console, and it's absolutely a transformer – literally. It is a mobile gaming device that can seamlessly transform into a home console. Nintendo recently pulled the rope to nostalgic heart by launching the Nintendo Classic Edition (also called the NES Mini, the one you still can not buy) and bringing Mario back into the Android / iOS game, Super Mario Run. But the Switch is not about reliving the past. It's about translating the essence of Nintendo into a modern and unique console, which has caught a lot of my attention.

My Nintendo CV

When I was a kid, I had the original NES and games like Super Mario Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Double Dragon II and Final Fantasy. My favorite was The Legend of Zelda – yeah, the original. The first time I played as Link, I could not believe how fast I got involved in the game.

Zelda was the first NES game to help you save your progress. Its distinctive gold color cartridge housed a battery and a memory chip – a first for Nintendo. This backup function has made Zelda one of a kind. The story of Zelda lasted weeks, making the overall gaming experience more immersive and complex, like reading a good book.

The original NES was a Swiss entertainment knife that could play solo, while being a must-see attraction for the crowd. I spent hours in the game room, huddled with friends around a television, in front of a wooden cabinet, watching and playing punch-out !! Mike Tyson, Duck Hunt, Tecmo Super Bowl, Kung Fu and Excitebike. The NES has defined this Nintendo essence with its playful balance, accessibility, social magnetism and originality. Do you remember the NES Zapper and the NES Power glove?

Years later, the GameCube had this Nintendo essence. Initially, I bought it to play Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. What I did on each occasion – yes, who needs a girlfriend? But there were also games like Mario Kart: Double Dash, which easily became the centerpiece of two-player epic competition group meetings, especially when they were connected to a projector.

Between the NDA and the GameCube, I had the original Game Boy that made console style games portable. I've gone through so many AA batteries that my parents' house probably has a half-life now.

My brother and I each had a Game Boy console and we had a cable that tied them together so we could play one against the other in games like F – 1 Race.

There was nothing like the Game Boy when she came out; This green screen was certainly one of the reasons why I needed glasses in adolescence. But the Game Boy had the same Nintendo essence as the NDA. While the graphics were rudimentary, I always played console-style games on something that I could easily take anywhere.

Although I did not own all the Nintendo consoles, I enjoyed playing games similar to those of my friends: Super Mario World on Super NES, GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64 and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii.

As I got older, I was attracted to other consoles that had roommates and friends, like PlayStation and Xbox. It's not that Nintendo went astray, it's just that I gave up on Nintendo – which felt more geared toward kids than around 20 years old. No, I never entered Pokemon; I avoided it and, over time, I just lost interest in Nintendo.

This essence of Nintendo

In the sandbox of the video game industry, Nintendo is in its corner, building sandcastles – even if the princess is in another. I own a PlayStation 4 Slim and a game like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is absolutely awesome. Honestly, it is one of the best games I have ever played. But it's still not Nintendo – which is good because it's not what we're trying to do. Nintendo also does not try to be a PlayStation or an Xbox. It's as if people were trying to argue Star Wars against Star Trek – these are very different things and – despite what some fanboys would say – one is not necessarily better than the # 39; another.

Nintendo is the fun two-seater convertible, ideal for car rides. And even though a person may own faster cars and better workmanship, the pure essence of Nintendo is unique. It's an intangible one that's hard to explain. Yet, as in many technological products, when this connection exists, you can feel it.

Transformative fun

I do not want to buy the Switch to relive beautiful memories of my past; it's for the Nintendo Classic Edition. I want a Switch because it is filled with the same Nintendo essence as the NES and the original Game Boy: fun gameplay, ease of approach and everything that brings people together.

The switch also does something I've always dreamed of: it's a portable gaming device powerful enough to be a home console. Nintendo has devised a way to do it seamlessly. It's so much fun to switch from a handheld to a tablet with controls similar to the Wii, to a home console on a big screen TV. This versatility will appeal to children and adults.

At first, the controls and buttons on the Switch seemed a bit small for me – the Joy-Cons are about the size of a biscotti. But, I quickly adapted to them and in a few minutes the console disappeared as I played Zelda.

Then there's the Nintendo little touches like the satisfying click sound when you mount the Joy-Cons on the screen! Even the notched TV dock is pure magic of Nintendo. Who would make such a dock for a game console? It reminds me of Apple's 1992 PowerBook Duo dock.

For me, the Switch is packed with the best of Nintendo's DNA. It seems capable of providing a wonderful solo experience and I am looking forward to trying a two-player game such as "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe", the Joy-Cons immersing in the steering wheel controls.

Now that the Switch has renewed my interest in Nintendo, I only hope that when I finish playing Breath of the Wild, other Switch games will be ready to be bought and played – or maybe Nintendo will add some of these old NES games. games at her meantime.

Editor's note: This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Game Boy. To celebrate, I publish an updated version of an article that I wrote on March 4, 2017, just after the release of Switch.