Justin Nation's Reviews
As someone who originally played Super Meat Boy years ago, and has played games that have iterated on it since, I can say there’s still nothing that quite captures everything it does right. It feels fabulous on the Switch, it’s still as tough as ever, and the rewarding feeling when you conquer a tough-as-balls level never fails to put a smile on my face. If you’ve never indulged this may be the best platform to play it on as you can take it anywhere, and if you’ve played it before it’s well worth taking a return trip to Paintown, population: You.
Taking in the big pixelated picture Puzzle Box Maker is a niche title that’s important to have available as an option in the Switch library. There’s absolutely nothing quite like it on the system and that makes it both a major risk and refreshing to see. Conceivably there’s a never-ending amount of content possible with it, you just need to be very aware of the limits of what is capable of. If you’d like to explore your creative side and be able to experience your art in a unique way, or particularly if you’re raising a younger gamer who still isn’t quite ready for prime time, this could be a great title to explore.
Overall I’ve found it difficult to score Gunhouse. One the one hand I really like its unusual art style and appreciate the fact that it is doing something very different. On the other though I do enjoy playing it I don’t personally quite find it as addictive as I would have hoped either. I’m not positive what about the game isn’t clicking for me but having spoken to other people giving it a shot it seems there’s a mix of folks who adore it and those like me who can’t find fault but also aren’t sucked in by it. All games have an element of an acquired taste to them and in this case I find myself roughly in the middle of the road. It offers a unique challenge and its implemented quite well, but at the same time the price may be a tad high and the puzzle mechanic will have to click for you to ultimately be successful. If you’re a puzzle game fan looking for something different I’d say give a variety of reviews and videos of the game a look and try to size up the situation for yourself.
In the end Brawl isn’t necessarily a bad game, it’s just a hodge podge of ideas that individually may work but somehow when they’re mashed together it doesn’t seem to congeal. There’s obviously been effort to inject some personality into things but at the same time what makes each character distinct ends up detracting a bit from the ease of handing someone a controller and having some fun. With the voice work it’s also obvious that the single-player story mode had some investment but the glorified tutorials with somewhat bland play and wonky AI failed to leave a very positive impression. Just from top to bottom the overall effort plays out as pretty average, though its stuttering periodic performance issues make it more difficult to redeem.
If you’re a fan of this style of gameplay since it has a very affordable asking price it may not be a bad match. Simply understand it is what it is, nothing less and nothing more. If this type of puzzle isn’t your thing it absolutely will do nothing to change your mind. It works, but it is a pretty dull affair all around… just at a budget price.
All said Furi could have easily coasted with its looks while delivering far less. Its presentation is outstanding and its combat is much more challenging, and yet generally fair, than anything I’ve played in a long while. If you’ve been feeling that games are too easy and repetitive Furi does an admirable job of breaking the typical mold, and it is an experience quite unlike anything else available on the Switch. Just be ready for some frustration, it doesn’t hold back.
The greatest strength the game has is the diversity of variations it throws at you, with new wrinkles and variations in almost every level...
I think one of the keys to enjoying The Escapists 2 is understanding both what it is and isn’t. If you approach it like a sandbox game you’ll be able to have some fun for a while simply going through the daily prison routine, and it can be interesting for a while, but that won’t generally advance you towards escape. It all revolves around looking for anything unusual in the circumstances you find yourself in that will provide an opportunity, scanning your crafting list for anything that stands out, and then putting together your means of escape through trial and error. If the game would organically provide tips on what you’ll want or need to do through the grapevine, or as a reward for turning in favors (or even money) it may not have always been quite as aggravating. Without a doubt it is a unique title and for people who enjoy challenging themselves with something different it should deliver, you just may want to look at a strategy guide if you’re feeling lost.
Unfortunately, there’s just so much going on that is actively wrong with the game I would end up calling my time with it excruciating...
In general, as you progress through levels and try to gain stars for completing them quickly, none of this is terribly difficult and roughly plays out to a formula...
All said, for the price of admission, Red Game Without a Great Name has more to offer than its lacking title would imply. With the likely frustration factor as you get further in it seems mostly suited to playing in shorter bursts, the levels are generally very quick to either complete or fail at before it takes you right back into the action again. If you enjoy some challenge and undoubtedly some aggravation in your gaming, it's not a bad budget title to check out.
Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that's also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you're looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.
Plantera DX is simple, generally serene, has steady progression, and provides some simple satisfaction of watching your little sort of farm grow from nothing into something more elaborate. It lacks any sort of complexity but that's also a big part of its charm for the right audience. If you're looking for something to just help you relax, or perhaps want to get a game that could probably be played and enjoyed by people of just about any age, Plantera is a chilled out match.
As you may have gathered I’m not at all a fan of Rock ‘N Racing Grand Prix and I absolutely cannot recommend it to anyone as it gets the fundamentals of a racing game so wrong. On pretty well every critical level the game is lacking, provoking more frustration than anything else when trying to play it. This is a game that probably wouldn’t even be fit to be scrapped for parts.
Bloody Zombies will represent a few hours of moderate fun for people who enjoy the classic beat-em-up style. Certainly playing with some friends would likely help to enhance the experience but if you’re up for a challenge you can go it alone as well. Just be warned that its controls don’t quite feel as if they’re ready for prime time and once you adapt to how things work you should be able to have some fun with it.
What it will all boil down to with Pic-a-Pix Deluxe is whether you’re a big fan of this style of puzzle game or not. If you’ve consistently enjoyed the Picross series, or games like it, there’s seemingly nothing here to hold you back. If nothing else the variety of having both traditional black and white puzzles mixed with multi-color puzzles really changes up the challenge and makes for some great variety. If you love a good puzzle game the planned continued support for the this on top of the already-substantial base of 300 puzzles to start should make it a good investment.
For its few hours of playtime Guns, Gore and Cannoli delivers precisely what its title suggests, though not much more. It’s a bit more of a challenge taking it all on by yourself, and certainly with some friends the carnage can be more fun as a group experience. While its memory probably won’t linger with you for a long time it’s still a fun diversion if you’re looking for some arcade-style shooting action… and ZOMBIES!
Overall, Stikbold is an engaging multiplayer game that has some wild action and distinguishes itself with a great idea in the form of the Wheel of Rumpus mode. While the Story Mode isn’t terribly long it is quite a lot of fun and it’s great that you have the option to either tackle it alone or with a friend. Results will vary depending on your group but if you like chaotic and raucous fun to get people laughing it sets the table for a good time.
As a whole Blossom Tales really shines on the Nintendo Switch and easily inspires nostalgia for Nintendo’s classic franchise. Carefully doing just enough to be different but not deviating too far from the games that inspired it somehow manages to carefully walk the tightrope effectively. Ultimately I see both it and Ittle Dew 2+ being two equal sides of the same reverent coin, offering their own takes on Link to the Past. I’d consider both to be worth your time, in the case of Blossom Tales it is just far more direct a copy of the formula rather than merely being inspired by it, but the quality of the execution makes it stand on its own regardless.
All in all if you’re a casual gaming fan Sparkle Unleashed is an affordable title that is well-executed and offers quite a lot of content for the price of admission. While it is a variant on games already out there on other platforms as always 10 Tons has managed to ensure they put their own stamp on it and it and it is one of the few casual games of this kind on the Switch. If you’re looking for something to help you unwind with on the couch it is an excellent choice.