The Switch accommodates loners, too. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for example, takes players through a vast open world, in which our hero, Link, prepares to battle the villain Ganon, solving puzzles, riding horses and climbing mountains along the way. The graphics, music and tricky puzzles make it stunning and addictive.

Image The Nintendo Switch is being released on Friday.

Buggy Software and a So-So Portable

Naturally, there are problems that Nintendo needs to fix with the Switch.

In one instance, after my Switch was put in sleep mode, it failed to turn back on, even after the device had been charging for hours. This problem persisted for an entire day, and only after the device was left unplugged overnight did it wake back up with a low-battery icon. I suspect the software froze while the gadget was asleep, making it impossible to reboot until after the battery ran down.

Nintendo said that it was looking into the issue and that a software update on Friday would improve overall system stability.

The Switch is also not a great portable. Measuring about 9.5 inches wide, it is cumbersome to hold for long durations. The picture quality on the built-in screen is unremarkable: When being used as a portable, the system displays a lower pixel resolution than when it is docked for use on a TV. It also gets lots of glare in a well-lit living room.

Finally, battery life was short. I was able to play three hours of Breath of the Wild before the Switch ran out of power. That is dismal compared with a Nintendo 3DS XL, a portable gaming device, which has about six hours of juice while gaming.

Bottom Line

Most people would be better off buying a Switch after Nintendo bolsters the system with a larger library of games. But the early signs for the Switch are promising, with coming titles like Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and a new version of Minecraft coming out eventually.

Gaming enthusiasts won’t want to miss out on the Switch. Though it may be an average portable gaming device, the Switch excels as a powerful and compelling home console. With 1-2-Switch, Nintendo also already has a killer app that is a must-play for gamers of all skill levels.

In fact, a friend who helped me test 1-2-Switch professed that she had never won at any video games. So when we played the boxing game, I was confident I would win after years of taking professional boxing classes. Yet when the points were tallied up, I was shocked to see she had beaten me to most of the punches.

The biggest deterrent to buying the Switch could be how tough it will be to get your hands on one. Nintendo said that it planned to make two million systems available worldwide this month — but if my fun experience with it is any indication, it might be hard to find one left on store shelves.