On the whole, the Jurassic Park Pinball collection is a nice addition to Pinball FX3. All three tables have their own flow and your favourite will mostly depend on which one you dig into the most. I found myself playing the original table more than the others, solely because it’s the one I originally had the most difficulty with. I would go as far to say that it’s more of an intermediate skill package as none of the tables are ever quite as easy to play as the Family Guy cabinet. However, that increase in difficulty did have me returning for many hours, with plenty more to sink into once I had finally finished this review.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is a perfect fit with the Nintendo Switch. It’s easy to pick up and impossible to put down – especially when trying to hit that target score. With plenty of variety and levels to play through, there’s quite a lot to get stuck into. However, if you are anything like me, you will probably spend days alone fine-tuning your run, just trying to get that S rank on the first map.
Even after all these years, the original Bayonetta never fails to impress. It is stylish and sexy with a deep combo system for you to master. There’s so much to unlock giving you plenty of reason to go back, and the music is harder to get out of your head than putting a Rowntree’s Fruit Pastille in your mouth without chewing it. Needless to say, if you have never played the original Bayonetta, then what are you waiting for? For those who have, well, you probably already know how awesome the game is. So, again, what the hell are you waiting for?
Aperion Cyberstorm is a game that I really wished would work. It manages to tick the right boxes with its tight controls, bullet hell madness, plenty of weapon upgrades, and screens full of enemies to destroy. However, as we approach the Nintendo Switch’s first birthday we have had an army of similar arcade-style games hitting the Nintendo eShop, and some of which are, quite frankly, much better than what you get here and sit in a similar price range. While there is a lot of content to play around with here, there’s a certain magic that just doesn’t seem to be present on this occasion.
Just like the world of Salt, Dandara is full off ups, downs, lefts and rights. While it does try to have a crack at creating a unique Metroidvania experience, the very control mechanic that gels it all together can at times be its biggest flaw. Bouncing around in an empty room gives you a belief of a watertight control system, yet when facing a room full of foes and bullets all firing towards you in such an unorthodox pattern it gives you the sense that luck plays a part in the progress. As much as I liked the overall idea of Dandara, it did manage to provoke me in ways where I had to solemnly apologise to my little Nintendo Switch.
With Sky Force Reloaded, despite not necessarily bringing anything revolutionary to the traditional arcade shooter, the many collectable systems in place somewhat reflect the special hook that made this genre so addictively popular in the first place. It all feels very well put together and equally hard to put down, even though the thought of the grind did initially put me off. Some may still feel that the progression system in place can be on the slow side, especially for those that just want to trail through it as quickly as possible. As for myself, collecting every medal, and aiming to snatch all four objectives in a single run keeps me on the constant return for more.
While Her Majesty’s SPIFFING holds a promising start to what will, hopefully, be an amusing series, its relatively high price point in comparison to the game’s overall length may very well discourage many. Considering that you can actually get this title for the fraction of the price on Google Play, it could potentially hurt its popularity on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Although to be fair, playing it on the Nintendo Switch will undoubtedly be the better experience, and a bit less harsh on the old phone battery.
For those in need of a quick fix with a group of friends, then you can’t go far wrong with Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Deluxe. The story is funny, the animations of the characters are charming, and the basic gameplay system is on point. If you are playing alone, then you may not get a lot out of this title due to how short the story is and the lack of online multiplayer. You can play against bots I suppose, but nothing beats slamming the wind out of a friend’s stomach.
All in all, The Escapists 2 does a decent enough job in providing that Shawshank Redemption fix you’ve always dreamed of. So much so that when you do finally make it out, you will probably fall to your knees while staring at the stormy sky in relief. Naturally, this game isn’t going to be for everyone as it can be quite intimidating for beginners. It may also test the patience for those who lack it or are initially looking for a quick fix. In all fairness, it is prison after all. It was never going to be a walk in the park. Now shut up and eat your porridge.
For the price that RXN -Raijin- costs, you could easily buy a handful of much better arcade shooters instead. While its eastern flavour attracts to some degree, it doesn’t substitute the sluggish performance and cheap presentation that this game provides. If you want a moderately easy arcade shooter with tiny levels that you can grind to death, then RXN -Raijin- may very well be something you’re looking for. Otherwise, you may be best saving your pennies.
While games such as Golden Axe and Final Fight lie fondly in many of our hearts, it’s hard to deny that unless it contains a killer feature, modern games trying to take on such a vintage genre may fall victim to the nostalgia that it’s trying to recreate. This is most certainly the case with Bloody Zombies. Despite the developer’s efforts to slightly extend the combat system from such arcade classics as these, the game’s overall repetitive nature just doesn’t bode well enough to be interesting in the modern day. I could imagine that even purest would easily rather play something like Cadillac and Dinosaurs over Bloody Zombies, and, to be brutally honest, I felt a bit like a bloody zombie playing it.
If any of the references above tickle your taste buds, then Furi is a no-brainer. It’s a high octane blast of a game that will leave you feeling like a space samurai with a force to be wrecked with. It certainly isn’t for everyone, and by Odin, it can be quite the challenge, but its simple controls and fair but brutal learning curve definitely provides a rewarding learning experience. And, once you finish it for the first time, play through it again and see how far you have come. It may even tempt you into speed running the Furier mode.
This is what Slain: Back From Hell suffers most with. While it’s blatantly attractive to look at, the reliance on being too old-school in the hack ‘n’ slash department makes the game struggle to feel anything above mediocre. This doesn’t mean that I found it terrible by any means. There are a few decent surprises present and I am sure Slain: Back From Hell can be that guilty pleasure for some in its own right. I just didn’t find it nearly as fun as I had hoped it would be, especially considering the potential that can be seen within the half a dozen hours it takes to beat it.
Human: Fall Flat is a fun-filled experience that is best played with others. While you can pursue the journey of builder Bob alone, there’s just no comparison in sharing such an adventure with a friend. Think Snipperclips and Gang Beasts stirred in an alcoholic punch before trying your hand at parkour. This may give you an idea of the clumsy capers that await in this side-splitting unconventional little title.
All in all, Stern Pinball Arcade is a decent pinball package. While its presentation and visuals are quite lacklustre compared to Pinball FX3, the recreations themselves are decent enough to have fun with. There’s plenty of hours to kill depending on your approach to the format, and future plans to update some of the more important issues could eventually strengthen the overall experience. It’s definitely worth a download, even if it is just to take advantage of the free table. Whether you decide to dive into it further, is entirely up to you.
All in all, Pinball FX3 maintains its crown on delivering a stellar virtual arcade experience. While there are a few missing features and tables from previous versions, this title still remains as top dog. You can easily lose many hours just on one table, especially if you are planning to take advantage of the levelling up system and the extra challenges. With promises to iron out the early niggles found in Handheld mode, this great little title can only get better as it evolves.
The End Is Nigh is a simple but brilliant platformer. It doesn’t want to be your friend and it doesn’t care if it offends you. However, its tough love will certainly draw out your platforming potential if given a little perseverance. Everything looks and plays great regardless of your screen preference and with so many secrets to uncover it’s also excellent value for money. Just bear in mind that The End Is Nigh is probably not one for the kiddies…
As a whole, Battle Chef Brigade puts a refreshing spin on the match-three puzzler. It manages to do for cooking sims what Phoenix Wright did for the courtroom adventure. The cook-offs are tense, the level of polish is fulfilling and it all looks glorious when played in Handheld Mode. I would go as far as saying it’s one of my favourite games this year and one of the better games to come out of a Kickstarter campaign. In fact, it has even tempted me to take charge of Christmas dinner this year. Although I very much doubt that my better half will let me.
Embers of Mirrim is a gorgeous little title that can be easily overlooked until you actually see it in motion. It has the atmosphere of Journey, with a hint of Ori and the Blind Forest wrapped with scenic landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place in Pandora. The splitting mechanic sets up some fun puzzling sections with a subtle push to ease you into its control system. Combine that with boss battles that you have to think about along with a fantastic musical score and you have a brief but memorable experience that feels nicely at home on the Nintendo Switch.
Dimension Drive takes an interesting concept and implements it well to separate itself from the many other shooters out there. The split gameplay mechanics may be a bit too much for the majority of the casual market, but anyone with a bit of thirst for a challenge could quite easily get to grips with its structure. It feels a bit like a fast-moving Tetris run at times, creating a somewhat puzzle element within its core when swapping between screens in the more maze-like sections of the game. It's also very well priced for what it is, and more importantly, it plays considerably well as a portable time killer.