WHAT THE SWITCH? A RETAIL ODYSSEY THAT DIDN'T QUITE CLICK

Last October I talked about the then-recently announced new console, Nintendo Switch, and why I thought it was a clever move from the gaming giant. So now that the console has been out for a few weeks (it's been released worldwide since the 3rd of March, 2017), I’d like to revisit the Switch, but not for a review. Rather, I’d like to share with you a unique (and frustrating!) experience I’ve had trying to get a working console.

When the Nintendo Switch was first announced last fall, I personally thought that it was a pretty nifty looking device, even though I wasn't quite sure I'd rush out and buy one on the release day. Deep inside I made the decision not to pre-order the console, but as March 3rd quickly approached, suddenly I decided that, yes, I did want to pick one up. I stayed up until midnight (EST) continually refreshing the Walmart website until I managed to snag one, with Neon Red/Blue Joy-Controllers, thankfully getting it checked out within a couple of minutes.

The new console arrived that next Monday, March the 6th, and it was here that my strange, frustrating, adventure began.

Before I go into any more details, I'd like to point out that I agree with the Nintendo Customer Service Representatives that I spoke to who assured me that my issues represented less than 2% of customers and that the Nintendo Switch is a solid gaming platform. I'm sharing these experiences with you because they are interesting, but please don't let them dissuade you from buying this awesome device!

As I was busy most of that week, it took me several days to finally unpack the device and get it set up. Setting it up was actually pretty fast and went without a hitch, but alas, not so long after I started playing around with it, I noticed that the docking station was acting up. While connected to the TV via a HDMI cable, the signal would drop out every once in a while and refused to come back. Also, the Switch would not consistently be charged while docked, sometimes running off of A/C power and at other times running off of a battery. I also noticed that the dock was a very tight fit for the console, and ran the risk of scratching up the screen.

Thankfully, Walmart has a pretty awesome returns policy, so I packed up the system and brought it to one of my local stores. Sadly, they didn't have any Nintendo Switch consoles in stock and they were unable to order a replacement, so, eventually, I was forced to accept a refund. While I was originally set on getting a console that came with the neon controllers, due to their uniqueness, I was able to come to terms with getting one with the grey Joy-Cons and finally tracked down a second Switch.

Happy that I was able to get a second system, while many were scouring the Earth just trying to get their first, I soon set up this new Switch and started enjoying it -- Only to discover that the console's screen would randomly cut off while in tablet mode. Because the Switch would still output audio, I figured that there was something up with the display and this, too, ended up having to be refunded.

I decided to take a short break from trying to get a working system, having started to get burned out on the process. Eventually, though, I got restless and decided to take one more crack at it. I actually managed to track down two consoles, this time at two nearby stores, deciding to sell one online at a very reasonable price and keeping the other for personal use. The one I kept worked out great for a week or so of playing it almost exclusively while docked, yet once I disconnected the tablet for an extended period of time, surprise-surprise, I noticed that it was unable to maintain a charge, going from 100% battery down to around 25% in about 20 minutes.

Nintendo's Customer Service was profusely sorry the few times that I contacted them during this adventure, and on each occasion made sure to assure me that less than 2% of Nintendo Switch consoles had experienced any major issues like these. They said that it was probably a matter of the stores in my area having received an unfortunate batch of products, and when I asked them if I should try to track down a fourth system, the last representative I spoke to said he would probably give it a few weeks or so to iron out any further problems.

I don't believe that I've ever returned a game console in the past, let alone returned one more than once. I think the fact that I returned the Nintendo Switch three times is a testament to the fact that I think this game console has a lot of potential. Honestly, it's the first home console that I've been excited about in over a decade and the first I bought on launch day since the GameCube came out back in 2001. I'd really like to get a brand-new, working Nintendo Switch that comes with the neon Joy-Cons, and I guess I'll just have to be patient while I wait to find one.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the topic. So please stay tuned for more crafty content coming your way, care of Jessica's Journey, as written by Joypad Jess from NerdyButFlirty.com.