Since its original release on PC way back in 2011, Minecraft has become a global phenomenon. It’s appeared on more game systems and mobile devices than most games could ever dream of, it has its own dedicated convention, and Microsoft thought so highly of the franchise that it bought its developer, Mojang, outright for the hefty sum of $2.5 billion. Now, with almost zero hype, Minecraft is available today for the Nintendo Switch, and this is the absolute last time you should ever buy it.
Fans of the game play Minecraft for a variety of reasons. Some just like to relax and build stuff, while others enjoy the survival aspects of the game’s more hardcore modes, and some even see it primarily as an educational tool or platform for larger projects. Whatever your aim, Minecraft on the Switch is essentially the most “perfect” version of the game that exists today, and probably ever will.
The reason for this is the Switch itself. Both a big-screen console and a handheld at the same time, it not only perfectly replicates and (in some ways) surpasses the Minecraft experience offered by more powerful systems, it also trounces the mobile versions of the game which came before it.
On the Switch, Minecraft looks great on both an HDTV and on the system’s built-in screen. As a mobile game, the Switch version performs better than the PS Vita edition (which had, well, issues) and with a larger screen, and thanks to the Joycons, it puts the touch-based controls of the iOS and Android versions of the game to absolute shame. The only real downside is that, because it’s a console, it doesn’t have the insanely huge community of developers working on add-ons that you’ll find on PC, but if you just love Minecraft for Minecraft, that’s not really an issue.
It’s the idyllic Minecraft experience, both on the couch and on the go, and once you drop the $29.99 on this version, it really should be the last time you ever spend money on the base game. Well, at least until you buy a Hololens.
