I’m interested in finding out how the Switch Lite’s D-Pad is. I wouldn’t buy a Lite for that D-Pad given the versatility of the Switch itself and alternative input methods on that system, but given the hybrid nature of the machine it’s hard to predict whether it’ll be micro-switched like past Nintendo handhelds and the Vita, or it’ll have a mushy membrane like every Nintendo console D-Pad to date.
That did surprise me is how the Joy-Con analogue sticks are pretty serviceable for playing shmups with. No, really. So I picked up Rolling Gunner today and I thought I’d save my thumbs the wear and tear of rolling them across the individual Joy-Con buttons. Something which works but gives me blisters within days of play.
And I was surprised by how responsive and accurate the left stick was. It’s no Saturn D-Pad or arcade stick but I was able to weave in and out of thick patterns of bullets without ever feeling like it was letting me down. It does take a bit too much effort to do very quick, small motions, but the amount of travel makes it a decent substitute for purely digital input.