Justin Nation's Reviews
As a whole Pocket Rumble stands up very well as an extremely budget-friendly fighter that has few frills but delivers what is most crucial. Looking and playing great whether in docked or handheld mode it’s light, easy to get into, and has a surprisingly-diverse roster with some very unusual characters. Throw in Online support that even competitive games with higher prices have been known to lack or implement with higher instability and it very much delivers a fair value for its humble price tag.
As a whole Yuso has a very cute and clean look that pairs up well with its tough puzzle goodness. What makes it work so well are the multiple layers of Yuso types, the rules that govern them, and the tricky way many of the puzzles have been crafted. Even ones that can appear to be simple can hide gotchas in how you’ll need to execute them to be successful. About the only caveat I would offer is that there’s nothing that clearly makes the Switch necessary for this experience, it would likely even scale down well onto a mobile phone and look good given its very clean look. That said, if the Switch is your preferred platform for puzzling it’s another very different option for your library.
Through the game’s 8 chapters and more than 90 stages you’ll be in charge of a growing roster of squids looking to fight back ooze-infected sea creatures who threaten them...
As a whole SpiritSphere DX puts a unique spin on a very classic game. The varied character play styles and modes offer up some great options for some light and fun competition (or cooperation) with a friend. That said, there’s no ignoring that the best way to experience the game is with another person and grinding the single-player mode really removes the majority of the magic of the experience. Throw on the somewhat aggravating method of unlocking all of the game’s characters and the game unfortunately gets in its own way a bit. If you’ve got people to play against with some regularity and are looking for a good pick-up-and-play (with Hand2Hand mode quite literally) game to enjoy anywhere SpiritSphere DX has its charms.
If you have an ability to think spatially and plot things out in your mind CubiKolor will be a worthy challenge to consider. There are times when the camera can be tricky as you try to get a good position and depending on how things are oriented you can sometimes move in the wrong direction but for the most part this is a well-implemented, if simple at its core, puzzle experience. If you’re been looking for a puzzle challenge quite different from what’s already available on the Switch, CubiKolor definitely stands out as unique.
While it can be fun recommending it is a tricky proposition. Overall I’d say spending some extra money and getting a full-on party pack would be your best bet, whether it is the one that includes Drawful or not. The relative price difference isn’t large and having some variety is really a better option. For people who may enjoy the original Drawful already whether you really need this one is probably most dependent on whether you think you’ll use the custom prompts or not. If not the value proposition dwindles a bit. There’s nothing wrong with the game, it’s just a very hit or miss proposition.
Kudos to Bethesda and the folks at Panic Button for, yet again, bringing a true AAA mainstream title onto the Switch with less compromises than I could ever have imagined. Gone are the days of Nintendo systems needing to settle for dumbed down or half-assed ports, Wolfenstein II screams quality and is an outstanding technical accomplishment. While that, in itself, would already be a great selling point it’s then the quality of the story (insane as it is), its characters, and its varied action set pieces that further set Wolfenstein II apart from its own peers. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Bethesda has in store for Switch owners next!
Even with the game’s other failings, compelling and tight combat could have been a real saving grace...
In the game you’ll play as Violet, a teenage girl who is in a hurry to grow up...
This is a world defined by a very different turn of events from World War II, one where the Nazis defeated the United States and dropped an atomic bomb on New York among other things...
As with all roguelikes I would imagine there will be a crowd that finds the mix of gameplay in Paranautical Activity entertaining and challenging in some way. Once you get into your groove you can certainly move through multiple levels and find success, with some random elements thrown in along the way so you’re never quite sure how things will shake out. That said in terms of FPS action this is a very shallow and generally dull experience reminiscent of unevolved gameplay from the same era that inspired the game’s visuals. Oddly-themed enemies and being different aren’t enough to save what’s ultimately uninteresting play.
In the end I see Figment being the sort of game that may vary wildly in how people feel about it. If you’re in tune with its themes and embrace everything it has to offer it’s really a beautiful and brilliant title, daringly doing everything its own unique way. If some of the elements just don’t pull you in it may play out very differently though. On the strength of its creativity and earnestness I happen to be a big fan and I’d encourage everyone to at least give it a look, it’s a pretty unique experience on the Switch.
Overall, though there’s a fair amount of content between both games and the production qualities are decent on the whole I found Anima: Gate of Memories to be aggravating in both of its forms in this edition. It’s possible I may not somehow be in their target audience but instead I choose to believe that despite whatever lofty goals they had for the title it just isn’t executed very well against its contemporaries. On multiple levels this feels like a game that could have found success one or two generations ago but as titles have broken through and proven what’s possible it now comes up lacking. If you’re interested in the property or are itching for some decent slashing action it has its moments but be warned it can be a bumpy ride.
In it you’ll play as a young boy who is hoping to save his lost family, and the rest of his village, after they’re all overcome by a mysterious illness...
All in all I was very pleasantly surprised by de Blob and its light style and creative play. Even though I wouldn’t consider the vast majority of it challenging, making it pretty ideal for kids, everything still felt fresh and fun along the journey. While I’m hoping the sequel, which I suspect will make it to Switch as well, is able to address some of my relatively minor concerns I’d still consider it a platformer well worth checking out for gamers of all ages and skill levels.
All in all the somewhat light and silly tone of the game, its puzzles, and characters make for an entertaining few hours and the stage seems to be set well for the rest of the story to unfold. I wouldn’t say it is the best example of the genre on the Switch, and people who typically don’t enjoy these sorts of games would be unlikely to find this one to be any different. However, if you’re looking for some humor, some oddball puzzles, and the start of what could be a light but interesting story The Journey Down: Chapter One seems to get things off to a promising start overall.
As an exploration of artistic expression Lost in Harmony is a gorgeous and fascinating feast for your senses, blending great music with visual flourishes throughout. I suppose you could find the story of Kaito and Aya to be a touching one but it’s also only used as a vehicle for driving Kaito’s dreams and not much more for the most part. If you’re someone who really wants to master levels and nail their execution, or even tend to get frustrated by unfair or sloppy sequences it’s the controls that will absolutely grate on your nerves. I appreciate what they’re trying to do but the controls simply don’t hold up to the action on the screen. You can work through it and progress but there’s no denying they’re aggravating. All of this makes Lost in Harmony tough to recommend over better-executed genre titles, though there’s nothing else quite like it on the system so that does make it novel.
Overall, if you’re down for some very challenging play and an absolute avalanche of tracks to play through MUSYNX is a fair choice. It’s greatest strength is going a more traditional route and nailing the implementation, but if you’re looking for something a little different it may disappoint. Regardless, it is a well-implemented and polished title that will offer hours of enjoyment to music and rhythm game lovers.
Without a doubt Lanota was a massive surprise for me, as its unassuming presentation and opening levels completely gave me a different impression of what to expect than what was delivered. Keep in mind, I’m considering that a very good thing though as the gameplay is refreshingly different and sometimes hectic, with the playfield exhibiting a somewhat crazy mind of its own at times moving around the screen and making your life even more challenging keeping up with what it’s throwing at you. If you’ve been feeling like the genre’s in a bit of a rut and are willing to overlook its weaknesses Lanota is a fabulous rhythm game worth checking out.
With the exception of the issues with control INK provides a great combination of platforming and puzzling to a degree, offering a fair amount of content for a pretty reasonable price. It isn’t an incredible game but it knows what it wanted to accomplish and, for the most part, executes it well outside of the somewhat wonky controls. If you’ve been looking for something a little different that you can play for a few minutes to clear a new level and then put down for a while it’s not a bad fit.