One of the best things about the Nintendo Switch it is that it is actually a “game console” and not a PC that plugs into your television. On some levels, Nintendo will be unable to escape the modern digital world of installations and patches, but at its core, the Nintendo Switch does something that other consoles don’t.

It lets you plop a game in an play. No installations, no waiting five hours to play the game you buy. (looking at you Final Fantasy XV). If you purchase a physical version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, everything you need to play the game will be in the box and ready the second you turn it on.

This used to be the barrier between consoles and PCs back in the early days of gaming, and it’s a barrier that has been muddled so much over the last decade. With the Nintendo Switch struggling to overcome its limited memory issues, this confirmation becomes twice as important for those who need every last MB available.

Bless the Nintendo Switch for dancing to its own beat.

Third-party developers should follow in Nintendo

We’re sure that this will be true of all Nintendo products throughout the consoles lifetime. I wonder how many third party companies will follow suit. Early indications point towards a lot of physical Switch games, even indie games that have often settled for just a download like Cave Story and The Binding of Isaac.

If someone can cram Skyrim onto that little cartridge, I’ll be very impressed.

Use a chess clock to keep track of move and play times
Tick tock

Use a chess clock to keep track of move and play times

These chess clocks feature dual clocks for players to control their own timers, and loud alarms so everyone knows when time is up. These clocks can be used for other 2-person games, like checkers, that may benefit from a game timer.