It is inconsistency and imbalance that cripple Boost Beast the most, which is a shame considering that it has some clever ideas. But, it squanders that potential, leaving it best to consider other puzzle fixes on the Nintendo eShop.
Where Revenant Saga summons strength in the ideas for its combat systems, it falls short in nearly every other regard. It’s never pleasant to have to rag on a game, but there’s a lack of care with the whole experience more than anything. And, if the developer doesn’t care enough, then the general impression that the player is left with leaves them not caring as much about the world that they are placed in. And that is a worrying flaw to have.
New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers kickstarts a genre's presence on Nintendo Switch that I would like to see plenty more of. Shallow in execution and with little to keep you returning once you have built up your town from scratch, this largely average city builder needs to re-examine its foundations.
Jack of all trades but master of none, Mario Sports Superstars impresses more on paper than when exploring what each sport has to offer. The idea is sound, but, whatever the reason, the result soon meanders away from the road to superstardom.
Wheels of Aurelia is about the road trip not the destination, we’re told. Santa Ragione should feel proud of their efforts to bring to light stories and events in Italy’s history, in educating a generation that may well be less aware of them. I’m just not certain that this was the best way to impart what they learned.
There is some satisfaction to be found in slaughtering the alien forces that are hellbent on attacking Earth in Xenoraid, but the experience fails to ever be more than distinctly average. Even throwing in the chance for friends to fly alongside you as wingmen seems a flawed move, a couch co-op experience that comes at the cost of removing the best idea that the game has going for it. There are better games in the genre to spend your time with on Nintendo Switch, then – meaning that it’s best to leave someone else to defend mankind in this one.
NORTH carries an important message that it wants to impart, but whether it manages to successfully convey it to the player is debatable. The cyberpunk atmosphere helps it to stand apart from other games on the Nintendo eShop. But, with the developer having exerted more effort to create unpredictable and trippy scenes, you soon come to the realization that it is reading the letters sent from brother to sister that beat at the heart of the experience. In comparison, everything else feels meaningless.
Multiple save files will let you experiment with each hero, which can be traded with others through StreetPass. But your quest to defeat Oda Nobunaga is a muddled one, which excels in its artistic direction but lacks in combining that with gameplay that can entertain for even its short duration.
It is in local multiplayer, then, that Big Crown Showdown excels, although in its current state that’s by default. Fun, frantic and maddening in places, there’s undeniable potential in the idea that it has been built around, it’s just the execution and, sadly, lack of online interest that sees it fumble short of the finish line.
Shelter Generations is a mixed bag, then. Shelter 2 is burdened with many flaws, the linearity to Paws helps it to become a more meaningful adventure, and the content that accompanies them lends charm to the whole collection. Taken as a whole it disappoints, which is a shame as, beneath the adorable exterior, the concept has far more potential than what has been achieved.
Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings readily enchants with a charming story and some fantastical worlds to explore. But, while the game’s greatest strength lies in the depths of its alchemy system, Gust has failed to have thrown enough new ingredients into their murky cauldron to innovate on the experience as much as has been seen in what came before. What we’re left with is a rather average concoction.
Fear Effect Sedna has suffered from an internal conflict over whether to stay true to the originals or start over. There is an authenticity in approach that lifelong Fear Effect fans will no doubt appreciate, but, taking a step back to look at the game as a whole, even they may come to lament the many flaws that it is riddled with. It’s a shame, therefore, that it can’t outrun its demons.
It is the game’s adorable demeanour, the chance to experience it cooperatively, and the accessible single-button approach that can be recognised as the strengths that help Tales of the Tiny Planet to overcome this complaint. However, the continuous reliance on trial-and-error, which is compounded by inconsistencies in how the physics engine reacts to your input, can readily frustrate. It’s never enough to dampen your enjoyment too much, especially when thinking each puzzle through with another player, and I will continue to hope that it can find an audience on Nintendo Switch in spite of its misjudged pricing.
Gunhouse never lacks in spectacle, but it won’t take long before you recognise that the gameplay loop that it looks to hook you on is a shallow one. This collision of genres can still entertain, but it needed a few more ideas that remixed its own concept to keep the player’s interest from waning too quickly. It’s good in short bursts, but lacking in depth.
Your road to becoming a master of the piano in Frederic: Resurrection of Music is entertaining, but one that is riddled with shortcomings. While you may rally against the soulless music labels and mass-produced popstars that have hindered all creativity, more conviction is needed to deliver a more rousing performance. That, and more content is needed, because Chopin bows out long before the curtain call.
The lingering question is why does Rogue Trooper Redux exist, then? The chemical-blasted wastes of Nu-Earth are a dull place to survive in, and, aside from some surprisingly strong mechanics, it’s hard to ever summon enough enthusiasm about a game that has been antiquated compared to what we now expect from today’s games. That means that it is a game that is best left to fans of the comic strip, leaving us with the hope that it is part of a grander plan that Rebellion has prepared to see the one-man army return to gun down his enemies in a more modernised take on the genre.
Rotating the world to overcome challenges and stumble on solutions can often allow Puzzle Adventure Blockle to become a rewarding experience. But, when all is said and done, it is unremarkable and lacks the spark of ingenuity that it really needs to stand out against the ever-increasing competition on the Nintendo eShop.
Miitopia will win you over with laughter, but not in the same baffling ways as Tomodachi Life once did. There’s little chance that you will play a wackier game this year, but Miitopia‘s undoing lies in how quickly repetition sets in. Quirky but lacking depth, there’s untapped potential for a grander adventure if Nintendo choose to revisit the idea.
Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure packs character, charm, and potential, but fails to deliver on the goofy adventure that it promises. It’s not bad enough that your parcel will go astray, but any criticism lies more in the fact that wilder ideas were needed to make the activities stand out from the crowd. What we’re left with is a game that treads ground that is too familiar without many fresh ideas away from its main star, which is what nearly put the Global Postal Service out of business in the first place.
Flip Wars entertains as soon as the panic-induced butt-stomping draws out your unawakened competitive spirit but soon falls flat as you realise there isn’t much breadth to the experience. Suited to quick burst multiplayer sessions every now and then, it’s harder to recommend to those looking for something that will keep them hooked for longer.