A year ago, the handheld-only Nintendo Switch Lite stole my heart with its fun colors, compact design, and affordable price I liked it so much that I even wrote an anime column about why the Switch Lite was the console I'd been waiting for

But that was only a few weeks after I carried Nintendo's handheld gaming console on my daily commute Now that I've been working from home for a few months, my relationship with this lovely yellow device appears to have changed a bit My once on-the-go lifestyle is mostly gone, and I find myself sitting in front of the TV with my family more often than I would have expected

So there are times when I wish I had a regular Nintendo Switch (finding one in the spring was near impossible), and there are reasons why the Switch Lite is not the perfect gadget I once thought it was But it remains an excellent entry-level gaming device and should not be neglected in conversations comparing gaming consoles as we have seen recently

After a year of using the Nintendo Switch Lite, here are some of the things I like and dislike about it

Some hardcore gamers may consider the Switch a novelty item or a device for kids However, it has a purpose, and that is precisely the purpose for which Nintendo has positioned it It is an accessible gaming console made for a mildly mobile audience

I'm not so mobile anymore, but I still appreciate Nintendo's system and the fact that I can get a functional gaming console for only $199 The Switch Lite hasn't turned me into a full-fledged gamer, but it has served me well enough that the Xbox Series X and PS5 are completely off my radar A next-gen console would be a great holiday gift for many, but I'll take a Nintendo eShop gift card instead It's less of a burden on my family that way

As much as I love nostalgia, playing modern versions of Pokemon or Super Mario Bros is enough to make me feel like a kid again I've found that some of the best games on the Nintendo DS rival the DS games I loved when I was younger; with the Switch Lite, I can disappear into the world of 2005 for a few hours at a time

Sometimes, I can even warp back further into my childhood Right now I'm playing the "Crash Bandicoot N Thane" trilogy, recreating the games I used to play on my father's PS2 before I tragically destroyed it I think I was better at destroying boxes when I was 5 years old than I am now (I literally destroyed that boxy PlayStation)

In the immortal words of rapper JaRule, I felt hustled, scammed, cheated, deceived, and led astray when I learned that not every game I wanted to play would be available for the Nintendo Switch Again, I am a novice gamer There are enough titles out there to satisfy me, but when it comes to new releases like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, for example, I am limited

I can see the compatibility benefits of owning multiple consoles, but as I explained, that's not an option for me, so I'll leave it at that Besides, I have a habit of leaving games unfinished, so I shouldn't complain about wanting more games when I haven't completed the ones I already have

My biggest complaint about the Switch Lite is the poor battery life I am spoiled by my Bluetooth earbuds, e-reader, and iPhone, and I can last at least a day's worth of activity before the battery runs out The Switch Lite, on the other hand, has less than 4 hours of game time If you had a particularly slow commute to work one morning, you would find the Switch Lite dying before you got home at night As a mobile device, it should have more stamina

But again, I am no longer a mobile device I play Switch Lite almost exclusively in bed, and the charger is never farther than arm's reach (or hanging off the side of the bed) In that sense, the pandemic was the best thing that could have happened to Switch Lite

Miss the long commute? Not really But I do miss pulling out my Switch Lite on the train and disappearing to Koholint Island for a few hours Fortunately, this year continues to provide an excuse to escape reality