While it definitely won’t change your mind if you loathe the genre, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition does enrich the fan with a nerdgasm full of content while providing a simple, but somewhat therapeutic swabbie smashing experience.
As a throwback to an arcade favourite, Raging Justice does a decent enough job to provide you with the short and shallow candy fix that made the genre appealing in the first place. It may be ugly in design, in a 90s 3D model pre-rendered kind of way, but it does have a plasticine charm to it all to make it visually stand out.
Hyper Sentinel does a great job of bringing a classic formula into the modern world of gaming. Its addictive and fast gameplay sinks that hook deep enough into those who want to make a dent on the online leaderboards.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition a short but memorable experience. The art style and animation alone stand out tall and proud amongst the ruckus of the indie scene. At its core, it is a game that does repeat traditions and repetition both in gameplay and pace that some may find a little tedious. But, as for myself, I found it quite difficult to put down. There would often be times where all I needed was one more strike to down a Jotun, only for it to bury me in the ground and punish my impatience. It was within these subtle moments and lessons learned that kept me willing and invested until the very end.
When it comes down to it, Agatha Knife takes an interesting topic that is rarely explored within the gaming world. The short, sharp, and witty narrative do provide a certain unapologetic personality that fits very well in this day and age. It's unfortunate that it all starts to become pretty stale quickly as the game's repetitive loop of generic point-and-click fetch quests rides alongside a script that is spread far too thin to retain your interest. There are some good ideas to be found here, but it's all spoilt by the lack of meat on the bone and not enough seasoning.
During my time with South Park: The Fractured But Whole, I have been attacked by hillbillies for being cisgender, trapped in a dark room with two randy priests, and somehow managed to bend time and space with my own flatulence. To top it off, these moments are mild in comparison to what else the game has in store.
If you don’t happen to be a billy no mates, then Super Rocket Shootout is a buzz to play in small bursts. It’s the sort of game you will itch to stick on for 10 minutes when you have enough friends over to fill the slots. It may be light on single player content, but it’s a game that’s simple enough to get to grips with, fun enough to have a laugh with, and cheap enough to buy for these sort of occasions. Just remember to beat the Story Mode first. Overwise you will be very limited on your gameplay options.
Rogue Aces is an excellent little game that works incredibly well however way you play it. The quick, convenient menu system ensures you snap right back into the action for some sweet on the go gaming. I would love to see a split-screen multiplayer added at some point as it’s clearly begging for it, but as a solid, satisfying solo-focused shooter that’s only 123MB in size, it is a Nintendo Switch necessity that will barely make a dent in your storage.
The Bethesda Pinball collection is a decent addition the Pinball FX3 library. Sure, the DOOM table trounces over the other two with a BFG 9000, but that doesn’t mean that they’re disappointing by any means. Each one really does emphasise the game that it is based on, while the sound and visuals to all three are top notch. It’s just that the DOOM one looks, sounds and plays so well, it’s easy to ignore the others as a result.
As for myself, I do love a bit of retro gaming, and Lode Runner Legacy does a great job at supplying plenty of content around its basic gameplay structure. If you want to experience a bit of gaming history, then this little title may very well be up your ladder. It plays great on the TV and its quick fix gameplay works perfectly for a handheld. Sure, it may not tickle the taste buds of those seeking complexity, but with a great building mechanic and tons of levels to play through, there’s plenty here to keep you occupied under a tight budget.
In all honesty, I couldn’t help but feel that Urban Trial Playground is a blatant quick cash grab to release on Nintendo Switch when there isn’t any competition in the genre. Without the Ubisoft-published Trials series or even OlliOlli to compete against, it does seem like a half-baked attempt to sail a blue ocean. Sure, there’s fun to be had here, after all, these stunt bike racing games usually are. It’s just unfortunate that this latest effort is very bog standard and comes at an absurdly high price point for its content. If you want my advice, dust of that old Xbox 360 and bang on Trials Evolution. It’s a much better game by a country mile, and at least provides a level editor to mess around with.
If you enjoyed Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, then chances are that you will take to this with a similar embrace. For those that have never played a Shantae game, it’s easy enough to get to grips with without knowledge of the series. On the whole, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a stylish and fun 2D platformer that fits as well, if not better, than it does on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Some of the backtracking may be a bit tedious for some and the save system in particular is less than desirable. These are only small criticisms in the grand scheme of things though because Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse as a whole is an absolute joy to play.
Shadow Bug is a decent, but short little game to kill some spare time with. While I didn’t find it a particularly difficult to play through, the extra challenges in place can raise the bar a little bit higher. Besides the fun but temperamental Joy-Con pointing feature, it is a game best suited to the touch screen in Handheld mode. Although, this does beg the question whether it is actually a game best played on your mobile as opposed to the Nintendo Switch. You will, after all, be paying roughly double the price for the privilege to do so.
Needless to say, Castle Of Heart isn’t a good game. Its humdrum platforming mixed with shoddy animations and sluggish controls makes for a rather dopey gaming experience. While the game’s main gimmick of keeping your life afloat does have some potential, it’s never quite implemented well enough to stir up anything new or interesting.
Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition is a decent enough little Metal Slug-esque explorer that does what it can to extend upon the usual left to right progression found in most games of a similar ilk. The crafting system is simple enough, and, despite some repetitive mission objectives, it’s an enjoyable experience overall. I did find the screen orientation a big problem, especially in portable mode, which is a shame really because, as a multiplayer game, it does work rather well.
Last Day Of June is a short but satisfying tale that uses the Groundhog Day formula to immerse you in a touching and thoughtful way. It’s clear to see that the game’s core inspiration has been taken from Steven Wilson’s haunting but beautifully animated music video “Drive Home,” which is something that constantly looms in the background. Yet while it doesn’t shy away from very serious real-world situations, it also doesn’t tastelessly sink you too deep into its dark depressive undertones either. It has a clever approach, especially considering the choice of medium that it uses, which is all so beautifully and carefully constructed to tell you its story.
Attack on Titan 2 is an undeniably fun experience that makes good use out of its source material. While the controls can be a little fiddly to begin with, it soon all gels together well enough to see that everything has been painstakingly thought out. The audio design is also on point, with plenty of panic from allies and a soundtrack that is satisfyingly faithful to the anime. It’s a shame that the same can’t be said about its technical performance, which is a little rough around the edges. It isn’t enough to hinder the experience too much and I did have a ball with it on the whole. There’s more than enough content to sink hours into here, and, with a little more polish and refinement, it certainly has the potential to become much more.
If you are not into this sort of game, then it’s unlikely that Danmaku Unlimited 3 will change your mind. However, even if you are curious about what a bullet hell game is really all about, then you can’t really go wrong here. It’s actually quite approachable for beginners to the genre, due to its gradual learning curve and spirit bullet mechanic. While the more hardcore will certainly get their fill by how incredibly chaotic it can all get on higher difficulties. Overall, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a great little game that’s well priced, thumb blisteringly addictive and one of the most hardcore arcade titles you can get on your Nintendo Switch at the moment.
Typoman: Revised is a good little game to kill a few hours with. It would have been nice to see more use of the platforming component and a bit more variety in how the puzzles are handled. Its atmosphere works well within its motive, if not a little too close to LIMBO. I did have fun with it all in all though, along with one or two real head-scratching moments. Just don’t expect it to last that long, or even really care when it does finally come to a close.
A Hole New World is decent enough to blast through for some nostalgic kicks. While there’s certainly a challenge to this title, the difficulty balance between the bosses and levels do seem worlds apart. It’s a brief experience on the whole, but the New Game+ and Challenge mode you unlock once you beat it do provide some longevity aside from collecting the 150 gems, at least. The upside down element does give the game an interesting spin. Although, the lack of platform puzzling that could have easily taken advantage of the mechanic can, unfortunately, leave it feeling a bit gimmicky overall.