Calculator
Developer(s)Sabec
Initial releaseMay 12, 2021
PlatformNintendo Switch
TypeSoftware calculator

Calculator is a software calculator released by Sabec for the Nintendo Switch, a video game console, in May 2021. It was widely criticized for its US$10 price point and platform, with critics noting that better-suited devices featured free software with equivalent functionality. As an Internet meme, it became one of Metacritic's best-rated games for the Switch by user score. Calculator was cited as an influence on other non-game Nintendo eShop releases.

Overview

Calculator replicates a scientific calculator, including methods to compute elementary arithmetic, trigonometric functions, and logarithms.[1][2] It visually resembles the calculator app bundled with iOS devices.[3] Calculator was developed by the British company Sabec for the Nintendo Switch, a video game console.[4] Before it, the company had been known to release utility software and simple games for the platform.[4][5] These include a piano, drum set, and guitar, as well as a night vision app that uses the Joy-Con's infrared sensor.[5][6] TouchArcade's Shaun Musgrave, who had regularly reported on Sabec's releases, regarded them as "over-priced, virtually useless software".[7] Calculator was first listed on the Nintendo eShop on May 11, 2021, and released on May 12.[8] It was priced at US$10 or £8.09.[9][10] Sabec advertised it as suited for students and engineers.[11] The app was later rated for ages 3 and up by the International Age Rating Coalition and then released in Japan on June 24 at ¥899.[2][4]

Reception

Calculator was the first Sabec app to go viral.[12] It was widely criticized for its price point, which was more expensive than some physical calculators, while not having more features than free alternatives for smartphones and personal computers. Publications that criticized Calculator's price–performance ratio include CNET,[8] Engadget,[11] Eurogamer,[10] GameSpot,[3] Gfinity,[1] Kotaku,[13] Nintendo Life,[14] and TechRadar.[9] Several critics questioned its usefulness, similar to the web browser on the PlayStation 5, as there were devices better suited to use as calculators.[1][13] Musgrave considered it to not be the company's worst release and highlighted the comedic aspect of using a calculator on a gaming platform.[7] In his review for Gfinity, Henry Stockdale noted that the app's widescreen layout felt unnatural for a calculator.[1] Adam Vjestica, writing for TechRadar, considered Calculator proof of the faulty maintenance of the eShop, saying that "the bar is so low, that as long as a game works, it'll be allowed to slither onto the eShop, even if it stinks up the joint in the process". He believed that the number of low-quality releases, as well as the media coverage they attained, hampered the visibility of higher-quality indie games.[9]

Calculator became an Internet meme. On Metacritic, a review aggregator for video games and other media, users review-bombed the app with perfect 10/10 scores accompanied by humorous comments. This gave Calculator an average user score of 9.1/10 within days of its release, ranking it as the fifth-best Switch game by user score, on par with Monster Hunter Rise.[15][16] In speedrunning, the video game streamer SmallAnt set the record for counting to 1,000 using Calculator in 38 seconds.[17]

Legacy

Shortly following the popularity of Calculator, Sabec released further non-game software to the eShop, including a xylophone,[12][18] a handpan,[6] and Spy Alarm, which uses the Joy-Con's infrared sensor to detect motion.[19][20] The company also developed licensed games based on the British game show Bullseye and the character Popeye.[21][22][23] Calculator has been cited as an influence on other non-game products entering the eShop, such as the note-taking software Notes released by Game Nacional in June 2021.[24][25][26] In August, it spawned the multiplayer game Battle Calculator by Blacksmith DoubleCircle, in which up to four players compete to compute a given number as quickly as possible.[27][28]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Stockdale, Henry (May 18, 2021). "Calculator Nintendo Switch Review: A Math Made In Heaven". Gfinity. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Gueed (June 24, 2021). "Kaigai de wadai to natta Switch-muke kansū dentaku "karukyurētā" ga kokunai nintendō e shoppu ni mo tōjō" 海外で話題となったSwitch向け関数電卓「カルキュレーター」が国内ニンテンドーeショップにも登場 [The scientific calculator "Calculator" for Switch, which has become a hot topic overseas, is now available on the domestic Nintendo eShop]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Bonthuys, Darryn (May 12, 2021). "At Long Last, The Nintendo Switch Gets A $10 Calculator App". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Nintendo Switch ni "kansū dentaku" haishin kaishi gakusei ya enjinia no riyō o sōtei" Nintendo Switchに「関数電卓」配信開始 学生やエンジニアの利用を想定 ["Scientific calculator" now available on Nintendo Switch, intended for use by students and engineers]. ITmedia (in Japanese). June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Stokes, Ian (May 11, 2021). "This Nintendo Switch Calculator game costs £8 and does exactly what you expect it to". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Gray, Kate (November 1, 2021). "From The Makers Of 'Piano', 'Drums', And 'Guitar' Comes... 'Handpan'". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Musgrave, Shaun (May 12, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Retro Machina', 'Tested on Humans: Escape Room', and Today's Other New Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Van Boom, Daniel (May 11, 2021). "The Nintendo Switch is getting a calculator app. It costs $10". CNET. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Vjestica, Adam (May 15, 2021). "The Nintendo Switch calculator app sums up everything that's wrong with the eShop". TechRadar. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Phillips, Tom (May 11, 2021). "Nintendo Switch is getting a calculator app, priced £8". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  11. 1 2 Hardawar, Devindra (May 12, 2021). "The hottest new Nintendo Switch app is... Calculator!". Engadget. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Musgrave, Shaun (May 19, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Zelda: Skyward Sword HD' Amiibo Coming, Plus 'Sunless Skies' and Today's Other Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Parrish, Ash (May 12, 2021). "The Wait Is Over: Calculator Debuts For Nintendo Switch". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  14. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (May 11, 2021). ""Nintendo Switch Has Games" – And Now It Has An Expensive Calculator, Too". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  15. ↑ Gurwin, Gabe (May 19, 2021). "Calculator For Nintendo Switch Is One Of The Highest User-Rated Games On Metacritic". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  16. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (May 14, 2021). "Random: Fans Are Having A Field Day Reviewing Nintendo Switch's Calculator". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ Tamburro, Paul (May 19, 2021). "Calculator is now one of the top 5 Nintendo Switch games on Metacritic, somehow". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (May 18, 2021). "Introducing Xylophone, From The Studio That Brought You Nintendo Switch's Calculator". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  19. ↑ Holt, Kris (May 25, 2021). "'Spy Alarm' turns your Switch into an invisible tripwire". Engadget. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  20. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (May 24, 2021). "Later This Week, Nintendo Switch Is Getting An Infrared Spy Alarm". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  21. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (June 17, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Rangerdog', 'Metal Unit', 'Luciform', and Today's Other New Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  22. ↑ Bellingham, Hope (November 2, 2021). "A new Popeye game is being made by the team who made the Nintendo Switch Calculator". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  23. ↑ Gray, Kate (November 1, 2021). "The Developers Of Hit Switch Game 'Calculator' Are Making A Popeye Game". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  24. ↑ Parrish, Ash (June 11, 2021). "Switch Gets A Notes App, So The Calculator Doesn't Get Lonely". Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  25. ↑ Knoop, Joseph (June 11, 2021). "Move Over Calculator — Now There's a Nintendo Switch Notes App". IGN. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (June 10, 2021). "Move Over, Calculator – Nintendo Switch Now Has A Bafflingly Expensive Notepad". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  27. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (August 5, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Dungeon Defenders: Awakened', 'Dodgeball Academia', 'I.F.O', and Today's Other New Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  28. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (August 5, 2021). "Switch's Calculator Is Outdone By 'Battle Calculator', A New Competitive Multiplayer Game". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
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