Nick Hanchet
Skee-Ball seems more than happy to resemble an early-2000’s flash game instead of a unique take on the arcade classic that it represents.
YouTubers Life: OMG Edition isn’t necessarily a bad game, but it’s an awful port for Nintendo’s finest. Considering mobile iterations also exist, it’s bizarre that touchscreen inputs are nowhere to be found. Whilst that certainly wouldn’t be the saving grace, it would certainly alleviate some of the many control issues found throughout. A unique take on the sim genre, one that’s unfortunately hampered by technical woes that almost make this unplayable. Almost.
Though the content and concept of My Time at Portia is sublime, having the potential to enslave your attention for months to come, the Switch port lacks the polish and love it so desperately deserves. Should quality of life fixes be implemented, this will certainly be worth sinking your time into. For now, not so much.
Glaive: Brick Breaker appears to be a game that exists just to pay homage to its inspiration, Brick Breaker. It never tries to be much more than that, and is content wallowing in mediocrity.
Summary The Deer God seems to be content with being below average and makes no effort to convince you it’s worth any of your time.
Trials Rising is the latest of the nearly-20 year phenomenon which, unfortunately, proves that less can indeed be more. The addition of the mid-game grind immediately dissuades the player from continuing and, coupled with the Switch version’s shortcomings, only highlights how great we used to have it.
Next Up Hero manages to introduce intriguing, innovative ideas, but at the cost of executing the core gameplay mechanic well.
Oh My Godheads: Party Edition is a massively enjoyable game that, unfortunately, doesn’t quite manage to hold your attention for extended play sessions. Various game modes are available, yet only the Capture the Flag-inspired mode is worth any considerable amount of time.
Siegecraft Commander is a colourful, easily accessible take on the RTS genre that beautifully blends elements of Tower Defence titles. Unfortunately, variations in matches are few and far between, and awkward controls juxtapose the easily accessible nature that Blowfish Studios have managed to accomplish.
Whilst the muddled story that immediately assumes you know the lore found in previous titles limits the draw of the campaign, Fate/EXTELLA LINK easily provides a surprisingly deep, content-rich adventure that is certain to become a time-sink should you let yourself go unchecked.
My Hero One’s Justice is an incredibley feature-rich tie-in to the popular My Hero Academia manga series. Its take on the anime 3D arena fighter is adorned with explosive battles, though is blemished with technical issues.
Darksiders’ unique graphical style has aged well, but its gameplay and mechanics have not. Other games offer more engaging and thoughtful combat and level designs, making Darksiders: Warmastered Edition a tough sell. Not necessarily worth revisiting, if you have experienced it before.
Castle Storm is a highly accessible yet mechanically deep take on the RTS genre, mixing in elements of both tower defence games and physics-based combat to an impressive level of competency and quality. The amount of content available throughout is staggering, and an endearing graphical style keeps you enjoying each spectacle the game throws at you.
My Hero One's Justice 2 is, expectedly, a slightly better, more story-relevant take on 2018's surprise hit.
Certainly not for everyone and absolutely not your typical game, Actual Sunlight provides a deeply emotional and occasionally difficult narrative to wade through on a dreary afternoon.
Despite the minor issues that appear here and there, Mantis Burn Racing feels at home on the Switch.
Disc Jam, a game that takes the design philosophy of Rocket League and mixes it with the core principles of tennis, has made it's way to the Nintendo Switch. Ace.
DYNASTY WARRIORS 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition is probably the most content-rich, sit-down and zone-out kind of game that has ever existed. With a multitude of modes at your disposal, and with friends in tow, you can’t go wrong with this.
Ms. Splosion Man rightfully deserves to have another chance at success, and certainly deserves to not be so quickly forgotten about. Tight controls, bundles of character and great multiplayer mayhem is to be had throughout, and I can’t thank Twisted Pixel enough for having the gumption to release this upon us once more.
Surgeon Simulator CPR is a clumsy, yet enjoyable, outing that is best played with a friend. Not for those that don’t like squirting blood… or fun.