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I built an arcade cabinet for my 4 year old and need some Switch game recs
His Christmas present is going to be a custom-built arcade cabinet. The internals are simply a Nintendo Switch, an 8bitdo arcade controller, a computer monitor, and some speakers. Pretty simple stuff!
He has next to zero experience playing video games and I haven't really exposed him to my games either (screen time and all). So, he's probably got about zero coordination when it comes to using controllers or playing platformers, etc. Also, he tends to get very frustrated with himself if he can't do something, causing him to want to give up.
What are some recommendations for Nintendo Switch (1, not 2) games that will ease him into gaming?
Thanks!
My son is 3 and we've been playing games together since he was about 2 and a half. We've exclusively played older games as they are simpler to control. For example, he loves to play Tetris on my Gameboy Advance SP. It's 2 buttons and a d-pad. We also play a ton of Sonic on my Sega Genesis, 3 buttons and a d-pad. Top Gear 2 on SNES (a recent addition as he's gotten more coordinated) is 4 buttons and a d-pad.
A lot of what we play is multiplayer. For example, in Sonic, he gets to be tails and fly around. In Little Big Planet on PS3 (one of the newer games we've tried), he loved learning how to chase me around and slap me.
All this to say, I recommend older games that rely on simple inputs, and starting off with co-op helps them ease into it. On Switch, Sonic Mania is a great option, it's basically classic Sonic including the second player being tails. You can also buy the physical edition that includes the Sonic Racing game for like $20 USD. There's also the Switch classic options if you subscribe to Switch online. The NES, SNES, Sega Genesis and Gameboy would all be good options.
Now I fully realize some will probably completely disagree with me, saying older games are much harder and frustrating, but I think if your goal is to play instead of trying to beat the level, older games are great for learning coordination.
I fully agree regarding older games. I'd even argue the whole idea of "Nintendo hard" with old games being supposedly harder is a myth ; it's true for arcade games, but not for anything on console. You might've had Castlevania and Ghouls 'n' Goblins beating people's bottoms back then, but they were sitting on the game store shelf next to Kirby and Yoshi's Island. Game designers have always tried to cater to players seeking different levels of difficulty, even if their approaches have changed over the years.
True indeed. Rather than old-school games being uniformly more unforgiving, I figure that average challenge has kinda gradually eroded because players have so many more alternatives to play instead as time goes on that they're much less willing to persevere through anything perceived as a difficulty cliff. When I was a kid I never had trouble figuring out what I wanted to play, since I only had so many options to choose from!
By the same token, maybe OP can start out by restricting his son's library to 5-10 games with some nice variety before opening the floodgates. Not only will it help develop his coordination but he can start building up resistance to ragequitting. Video games tend to have a lure that makes newbie kids want to keep going no matter how many times they die trying to jump over that first goomba.
Agreed - the less is more approach helps build familiarity. My almost 2 year old lives hanging out with dad to "Play Frogs" (Battletoads in Battlemaniacs) and I'm asking myself many of the same questions.
Thinking of my own history, I'd run with your Sonic recommendation and throw Mario World in there. Linear, straightforward gameplay, overworld progression and a few semi-complex button combos (cape bounce) for when he gets a little older.
If your cabinet is running RetroPie or Emulation Station, you may want to stick to old titles as the controls for new games don't always interface well with the control layout.
A question : is the Switch modded? That would expand the selection greatly, thanks to emulators. I'd recommend looking at switch.hacks.guide. Not all Switch units can be hacked, only first-generation models that are susceptible to the Fusée Gelée exploit ; the guide will tell you whether your console is vulnerable based on its model number. Units that aren't can be made so through the installation of a modchip, if you're willing to go through the trouble.
For kids, I will always recommend the Kirby series. They're great platformers that are colorful, full of likeable characters and that are made to be playable by everyone, a lot more so than Mario ; it goes as far as giving you the freedom to fly over most obstacles if you want to. They're light in story and there's, IMO, nothing in them that you might not wanna teach a kid. Plus, many of them are co-op!
The Switch has a handful of Kirby games ; I'd look at Return to Dreamland, Star Allies, and the Epic Yarn remaster in particular.
Yoshi's Crafted World, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Mario Kart could work too.
Goose Game is a ton of fun! You play as a goose and get to terrorize a village by stealing their stuff, honking at them, and manipulating them to complete objectives. It might be difficult for a 4 year old to "finish", but it's hilarious seeing how the NPCs react to what you do.
I came here to recommend the Untitled Goose Game as well. Though my daughter is older, she loves it, and I find it enjoyable to play as an adult. The mechanics are simple and it's very silly fun. There is also a two-player coop (ha) mode.
Whoa!! Would you be willing to share some pictures of how it came out? I love the idea!
There are a number of indie games that might work well for a 4 year old. A Short Hike is a fun little discovery game that may be a little challenging at parts for 4 year old reflexes, but is a pretty straight forward run through. I 100% in like 7 hours, so it would be easy for yuou to test out and costs like $8. Same for Mail Time. Dave the Diver is more complex, but they might really enjoy the fishing part. And an odd addition, but I loved Highland Song. You explore the countryside on the way to your uncles lighthouse and at times have to match a beat to run quickly. Last suggestion is absolutely made for young kids is Snufkins - based on the Moomins. Accessible and very age appropriate.
Sure thing! Caveat: I have next to no woodworking experience and this all came from rough plans and a limited budget. It's not the most structurally sound thing, but I'm not expecting a 4 year old to jump on top of it... hopefully. Here's the current state. It still needs a coat of black gloss paint and some finishing touches on the trim. Then, I'll do some cool, colorful graphics on top of the black.
It's just a Nintendo Switch connected to a monitor and that 8bitdo controller, all on a surge protector. Still waiting on the cheap PC speakers to arrive, which will round out the electronics.
That is so cool, it's going to make him some great memories.
A simple and chill puzzle game like Suika Game with no time or enemy pressure might be a good introduction which allows them to get comfortable with video game controls at their own pace.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is also a pretty gentle introduction to a lot of gaming mechanics like items and inventories, crafting and building, planning ahead and even a bit of action.
I agree with this. If you're new to gaming, then simple mechanics are best. That why mobile games work so well. Almost anyone can get hang of Flappy Bird. Suika game is fun and simple to play.
Some older games tend to be a bit more complex than people give them credit for. Multiple inputs and combinations and lack of saves requiring starting over from scratch
I actually wouldn't recommend Animal Crossing for very young kids because there's a ton of reading involved! Even if it's good practice, it very well may bore them.
Lil Gator Game is another great one for youths. You play as a lil gator kid that's imaginary playing at games like Zelda. He's working with his friends to build the coolest island wide game to entice his sister to play with him. Cute sibling message.
I'm very interested in the comments here. My son (5) has been sitting and watching games with me for a couple years, but we don't play often. I want to do a cabinet as well.
Might be an oddball choice, but my little one loves the game Unpacking. It’s a cozy, artsy indie game where you unpack moving boxes and find places to put all the objects inside. It has a very subtle but sweet story of a girl growing up, moving away to college, falling in love, breaking up, starting a family, told over the span of years with no words — just the changing contents of the moving boxes and the homes they’re being unpacked in. All of that went over my kiddo’s head but the lack of text to read and the focused/creative gameplay really tickled something in their brain. On Switch it can be played with the touchscreen as well as the joycons, which my tactile kid prefers. There’s an accessibility setting that removes the challenge of the game by basically allowing any item to be placed anywhere, and that’s a necessity as far as they’re concerned.
Oh wow - this is just what I need. How old is your child?
Mine is almost two and spends her days pulling items from a box one by one, laying them on whoever's around, repacking the box once everything's out and repeating the effort over and over.
I think they discovered Unpacking when they were 4. They are older now but still enjoy it. I originally picked it up for myself but never expected it to be such a hit with the kiddo!
With the touch controls and that accessibility setting I mentioned it’s pretty approachable for littles. Not sure about 2yo but every kid’s different! The trickiest bit for mine was recognizing what all the items in the box were. It’s pretty much all the stuff a girl or woman might need in her home, so expect a few sets of underwear and boxes of tampons among the more pedestrian stuff. The graphics are really detailed isometric pixel art but there might be a few instances where you’re asked what something is and where it goes.
I saw trailers for the game and was pretty enthused with the lockdown era coziness it projected.
Does it work with a controller? If possible,I'd love to get my young one acquainted with tactile buttons before the inevitable takeover of a touchscreen.
Yep, it totally works with controllers. The game is sort of a point-and-click style, so controller use boils down to targeting what you want to click, and pressing the A button. We actually bought the game for both the Switch and PlayStation, but as only the Switch has a touch screen, my kid prefers that version. Understandable for this kind of game, but controller play is valid too, it just requires more coordination.
It's been a while since I've played it, but I remember Bomb Chicken to be pretty damn good platformer. It's a game where you play a chicken that suddenly gains the ability to lay bombs, and you navigate through levels with that. It's a very simple gameplay loop, and I had a good deal of fun with it. It's also not too long.
It might be a bit too difficult for a 4 year old, but hey, you never know! Nowadays it's on Steam as well, but the OG release is on the Switch 1. Like many Nitrome games, it has this adorable pixel aesthetic, so if you balked at the idea of a chicken laying bombs, don't and give some gameplay videos a look!