You may have thought the Nintendo Switch was the ultimate handheld console, but you haven’t seen anything yet. Nintendo’s Starlight game station, by itself, is not a new console, but a special version of the Switch designed for hospitals and health centers, comes equipped with 25 games and can be shot in different rooms.
The Gaming Station, which is the latest collaboration between Nintendo and Starlight, was announced last year at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. The hospital itself was the first to receive the console, which comes in four designs (Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Donkey Kong) and was specifically designed to be easy to disinfect and clean. The 25 preloaded games at the Gaming Station include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Party, Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu, Super Mario Odyssey, Stardew Valley, Cuphead and Minecraft. What a throw!
We will end with this exciting quote from Starlight, who say it better than we could ever:
“Play provides happiness to children trapped in the hospital by providing much-needed entertainment and distraction from stressful situations. It can even provide emotional support, which reduces anxiety and improves mood.”
Yes, we will only be here crying over our disadvantages, then.