OPINION – Gaming in the hospital? Well, what consoles you should take with you, or how and what can you play, if you are taken to the hospital and don’t want to die of boredom? (Neither of the coronavirus of course, but that’s another matter.) We give you some practical advice on which handheld consoles to take away and which games to play – via remote play or otherwise.

While there are several articles out there, what games can you play, while you are staying at home – in quarantine or just to safe – it can also happen, that the quarantine is elsewhere, or that you already have the symptoms and you have to go to the hospital. Don’t worry: you probably will be better soon, but what about gaming in the hospital while you have to fight the boredom of waiting and you are confined to not be? In our series of articles, we are covering several solutions as to not die of boredom (besides surviving COVID-19 as well of course) in the hospital. Our first subject is none other, than the handheld king of nowadays: the Nintendo Switch.

Gaming in the hospital: why choose the Switch?

If you are only a bit of a gamer, there’s still no need to explain why the original Switch is the best handheld around there nowadays. You can literally “switch” between gaming at home and gaming on-the-go thanks to its dock, which can be linked to a TV via HDMI cable. There no such option with the Nintendo Switch Lite, but plenty of people prefer on-the-go or out-from-home gaming anyway with the Nintendo console.

If you are taken to a hospital, you have several options, depending on whether have the original Switch or a Switch Lite. If you have the former, it would be wise to take the dock with you, as there may be a free TV set with HDMI connection in your hospital room, or somewhere else in the building.

Apocalypse Now?

It depends on whether you want something linked to the present reality or to a worsening situation, or something entirely else: a fantasy game, or typical Nintendo title to cheer you up.

The first category: apocalyptic games are pretty well represented on the Nintendo Switch. The latest game in this category is Metro Redux with the remastered version of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light in it. The two games in Metro Redux are among the bests on the Switch nowadays, so it won’t disappoint you whether you play it for the apocalyptic theme or not.

Another AAA apocalyptic games, linked the zombie virus are – obviously – the Resident Evil games from Capcom. There presently five Resident Evil titles on the Nintendo Switch: Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil Revelations and Resident Evil Revelations 2. While Resident Evil 4 is considered one of the best of the series, as a port, Resident Evil Revelations 2 is perhaps the best. Finally, another virus-themed game is Vampyr, a gothic RPG-adventure, in which you control a doctor turned vampire during the 1918 Spanish flu era, which is often mentioned nowadays as related to the coronavirus flu.

Fantasy escapism at its best

If you want something entirely else, something escapist to you away from the hospital and coronavirus reality, like a fantasy RPG with long gameplay, perhaps you should take a look at Nintendo Switch originals. The obvious choice would be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the first and one of the best games on the Switch, with its endearing, escapist world. Another Nintendo gem would be Super Mario Odyssey, the latest Super Mario action-adventure, or perhaps we shouldn’t forget Luigi’s Mansion 3 either, with Mario’s lovable brother as the lead controllable character in a funny ghost mansion.

If you want to play something more serious and never played it otherwise, let’s not forget about The Witcher 3 either.

There are actually tons of games out on the Nintendo Switch and if you can’t buy them physically because of shops closing down because of the coronavirus, there’s still the option to buy them via the Nintendo Eshop.

Get well soon!

Of course, the essential is that you heal from coronavirus (if you are at the hospital for that reason) or whatever illness fast. Still, while waiting for that, a Nintendo Switch may be your best companion during those trying times at the hospital.

In our next article, we are going to write about the subject of gaming in the hospital with another gaming handheld device: the PlayStation Vita and remote playing so stay tuned!

-BadSector-