ICEY is a great, if short, game that you will most certainly remember once you have put it to rest. Its clever and interesting take on both the genre and gaming, in general, keeps the surprises coming long after you have finished it.
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.
The King of Fighters '98 is a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library and kudos to Hamster Corporation for converting a classic on to the system so cleanly. With a deep gameplay mechanic and interesting character skill sets, it's a classic brought back to life with the convenience of the console.
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.
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.
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.
As a single player experience, Sine Mora EX is a great modern day shooter that keeps the tradition of the coin-op alive. The collaboration between Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality has been a solid one. The controls are tight, the sound is great with plenty of replayability to be had. There’s plenty of challenge for the hardcore shmup fan and a surprisingly approachable title for newbies to start off with. Some may not grasp the hook quite as strongly due to the high difficulty and repetitive nature that these games are known for nowadays.
No one can deny how well Nidhogg 2 suits the Nintendo Switch. While the controversial new art direction may split the fan base and the lack of kill count record comes across as a strange absence, this stabby sequel’s healthy amount of new stages and a fun weapon system still makes it an absolute must for couch competition.
With plenty of modes, tons of upgrades, an in-depth record of your statistics and, most importantly, fun gameplay, 20XX certainly deserves a place next to Capcom’s mascot in the library of your Nintendo Switch.
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.
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.
With my time spent on this little platformer, I have developed a bit of a soft spot for Pankapu. We have been through a great deal together. The world of dreams ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there if you let it.
On the whole, I found DOOM quite difficult game to score. It’s a port that looks completely and utterly underwhelming on the TV and yet probably stands as the best first-person shooter out there that can be played natively and conveniently so well on the go. Some will either love or hate the Metroid Prime-style platforming and losing track on where to go next, but one thing’s for sure is that the game itself stays very faithful to the series and makes old-school first-person shooter feel predominantly new and fresh again. Even cranking up the difficulty feels extremely rewarding when you finally learn to successfully ride the angry waves of its kinetic flow. Bag all that up with tons of upgrades, stacks full of secrets, easter eggs, toys, and the tricky yet hopelessly addictive rune trial challenges and you have an immersive shooter that you can rock out to whilst sat on a rooftop.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.