Overall, Tachyon Project is a surprisingly good twin-stick shooter. I think it’s got plenty to offer for fans of the genre with its health/time gimmick, a somewhat interesting story, lots of customisation, mission types and enemy variety. It’s got a lot going for it, including the cheap price. Yes, the battle arenas may be a little boring and taking damage from enemies as they spawn are obvious flaws, but they’re not enough to stop me from recommending it.
Overall, Her Majesty’s SPIFFING is a pretty harmless game. It’s a simple way to spend a couple of hours if you want to sit back with a coffee and maybe have a few chuckles at the ridiculousness of it all. Even if it’s playing hugely on British stereotypes it’s very inoffensive. If you’re not into the genre then you’ll probably find the slow-paced nature of puzzle solving a bit of a bore, but adventure fans will lap this up I’m sure, especially if you’re British. It’s a shame it’s not a little longer and it will be a while before we get to see the second and third episodes in the series but you can’t expect so much from such a small developer and I find it impressive they pulled off such a well-presented package to rival other, bigger publishers.
Overall, for the price, I think it’s not a bad game to take a punt on if you’re into turn-based strategy games like I am or are looking to spend a few hours with some light car combat. Sadly it’s nowhere near as compelling as say Advance Wars or Final Fantasy Tactics, but for £4.49 I’m struggling to find too much of a fault. The gameplay is okay and it does try its best to be a fully fledged title although it obviously lacks in a certain polish in quality that a bigger budget would allow. It tries presentation-wise with storyboards which is nice, but overall visuals are slightly below par. It's just average at best.
In conclusion, if you’re into point and click adventure games like Thimbleweed Park, TV shows like Twin Peaks or Stranger Things, film noir and slightly whacky humour, then there’s no doubt in my mind that The Darkside Detective is perfect for you. With its mini episodic style structure, it’s a good fit for the Switch and the excellent soundtrack from Ben Prunty make it an easy recommendation. Whether it’s as funny as other games it’s trying to emulate, I’m not so sure, and maybe the gameplay is a little too simple, but it’s still enjoyable and nothing falls flat.
In conclusion, you already know what I’m going to say, Aegis Defenders is a genre mashup that works excellently. The transition between exploring, building and defending is seamless and it all fits together so well. It provides a solid challenging campaign that can be played by yourself or with a friend and either way, you’re going to have an exciting, super tense time. It’s wonderful looks and accompanying soundtrack make it one great little package for a decent price. Sure, it is a little overwhelming by the half way point and I think the friendly AI could have been programmed to back you up a little better but it’s still doable and if you like a really well-made challenge, you’ve got it right here.
Overall, Bayonetta 2 was a classic for the Wii U and guess what, it’s still a classic for the Nintendo Switch. If you didn’t have the fortune (or misfortune, I guess) of owning a Wii U, this is the perfect chance to catch up with the series. It’s a game that deserves to be played by more people and hopefully will. As far as all-action games go this is definitely top tier and is unlikely to be beaten anytime soon, at least not until Bayonetta 3 is released. If you’re into action games, this is completely essential.
Overall, Typoman is still a really good puzzle platform game. It has a really unique concept that’s brilliantly executed. Puzzles and action moments are balanced really well, and it’s paced to perfection. The direction and wordplay are something to be admired. Sure, it may be a bit limited at times and the platforming sections may irk you somewhat, but that doesn’t stop it from being a game I can easily recommend.
Overall, I never feel comfortable giving a negative review of a game, especially when you can see they were trying at some point along the line. However, the high price point, low quality of gameplay and some poor design decisions have forced my hand when it comes to Hollow. Hollow is not a good game, it’s not even an average game. It’s sadly below par for what it is trying to achieve. From the screenshots to the trailer you may be tricked into thinking Hollow is a quality made game, but it’s not. It’s not scary and it’s not fun to play. It’s below average at best and poor at worst.
Overall, Bridge Constructor Portal is a puzzle game that’s a top tier in its field of engineering and physics. You can spend hours tweaking stages here and there, experimenting with different structures and so on. If you enjoy testing your engineering skills and really taking your time to find the best way to solve the puzzle at hand then this game is a no-brainer. If you’re not into puzzle games or really slow methodical games then this definitely won’t be for you. I think I’d still say it could do with a little more in terms of variety and a much-needed level creator and sharer though. Aside from that, it’s an excellent proposition for the right audience.
Overall I think The Final Station is an excellent game, as far as survival games go it’s one of the more playable in my opinion. It keeps its gameplay fairly simple but the predictable gameplay loop really had me hooked, always switching between riding the train and going out exploring. The story and atmosphere provided really did add a lot to it though and if these had been lesser then maybe I wouldn’t hold it in the same high regard. It’s an interesting concept and I hope we can see more like this from the developers in the future.
I’m not going to lie when I say that had A Hole New World been released on the NES back in the day, there’s no doubt in my mind it would be considered a classic of the console along with Mega Man, Castlevania, Zelda and so on. Times have moved on however and even though there’s a case of quality retro about it, it’s still held back by some of the pet peeves of the era. It has some nice visuals, music and decent controls but I think modern gamers won’t have the patience for it and that’s including me, the last two levels really soured my enjoyment since they went about difficulty in the wrong kind of way. I’m pretty sure retro fiends will still get a kick out of it though. It’s above average, bordering on good, but not quite there for me. A few tweaks and it could have been an excellent retro adventure.
If you’re unsure by now, I’m pretty much in love with this game. It’s one of the finest horizontal shooters that I’ve played and carries so much variety and addictiveness that can’t be overstated. I’m usually not a fan of rogue-likes, especially of the kind that make you lose absolutely everything with death. But Steredenn is something special and makes the genre special. The music, the visuals and the gameplay come together so sweetly to form this perfectly rounded shoot ‘em up that took me by complete surprise. I went in with low expectations, I came out with a very high opinion of Steredenn.
Overall, Penny-Punching Princess is a quirky Switch game from a reliable publisher. Sometimes you can get games of pure genius, sometimes you’ll get a solid effort. Sadly Penny-Punching Princess is more towards the latter but that is not to say it’s not an enjoyable game, because it is. I think the price will do it an injustice though as I do think it’s too expensive for what it is and will put off a lot of potential customers who are on the fence. It’s mindless action that holds on to the money concept for dear life and it works well, if a little clunky at times, and the brawling isn’t particularly as deep as it could have been. It’s still an enjoyable romp though for those wanting a bit of chaotic action with a twist.
Overall, if you’re into shooters of any kind, Tengai is a no-brainer. After a good, but slightly different Sol Divide release last week, this one brings the classic Psikyo back and the horizontal perspective adds a nice twist from what we’re used to. It’s easily one of their top tier games in my opinion, with the only sour note being the indiscernible hit boxes for your characters. It has amazing rollercoaster visuals, an excellent pumping traditional Japanese soundtrack and a lot of personality. It’s cheap and endlessly replayable if you’re into that and it’s a great addition to your Switch shooter library. For me, Tengai is up there with the best Psikyo have to offer along with Gunbird and Zero Gunner 2.
Overall, Atelier Lydie & Suelle is a very niche game that fans of the series will no doubt enjoy. I’m sure if you give it time and are willing to fork over the hefty price tag, newcomers will find some quaint enjoyment in it too. It’s ambitious for its budget which I appreciate, even if it doesn’t come out looking the best. Aside from that and the poor frame rate, the production is great with music and direction. The story is what you will be here for and if you’re into the cutesy anime style of the dialogue then you’ll definitely be in for a warm, delightful, fuzzy time as you go with the sisters on their journey to be the best in the Kingdom. I definitely did.
Overall, Deep Ones is not a very deep game. It’s as simplistic as its visual inspirations with slightly awkward and clunky mechanics. I can appreciate the visual style and as a nostalgia trip for those pioneering gamers in the mid-80’s. But standing as a game on its own it’s just a little too uncooked and not particularly compelling to play despite the potential. A mixed bag of level design plus controls being too stiff and unresponsive for my liking. It’s short, but cheap so it’s not the end of the world if you think it looks interesting, but for me, it’s below average as far as the gameplay goes, although other things around Deep Ones do rescue it somewhat, making it not an entirely wasteful experience.
Overall, Masters of Anima is a great game. It has a nice visual flair and presentation mixed in with some very solid and unique gameplay that’s not often seen these days. It’s not perfect though, it suffers a little with repetition, flow disrupting difficulty spikes and the odd command issues that shouldn’t be present in a game where real time quick actions and thinking is needed. These issues didn’t stop me from enjoying the game overall however and I believe Masters of Anima will be a solid addition to your Nintendo Switch download library. It’s a great game with a few little issues here and there that stop it from being an essential Switch purchase.
Overall, Sky Rogue is an interesting diversion of a game. It’s definitely not going to be the main game you’re playing at that moment, but will probably occupy a nice side game acting as a palette cleanser to whatever big game you have going on. It’s a shame that it lacks enough depth to suck you in for longer gameplay sessions, but a 20 minute burst here and there will probably be your limits. In that case it’s quite enjoyable, just don’t expect too much more than that. If it was a couple of pounds cheaper I wouldn’t have too much of a problem in recommending it.
When focusing on the gameplay, the mechanics of it, the physics, level design and creativeness accompanied by the magnificent audio and visual presentation, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is one of the finest games available, even four years after its initial release on the failed Wii U. Making such a fantastic game available to a wider audience is not only a financially good decision for Nintendo, but also an altruistic one too. Obviously that’s a joke but in someways it does feel nice that these fantastic Wii U games are getting a second chance of life and being talked and shared around once more. In my opinion, as long as you didn’t have Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze on the Wii U, this game is absolutely essential. If you did have the fortune to play it four years ago like me then you may find it difficult to consider double dipping and that’s fair. It’s just a phenomenal game though, and one of the best platformers ever created.
Overall Garage is a good solid title that I can easily give a solid recommendation to. It doesn’t cover any new ground but it’s a well put together offering for those looking for a nice bit of unapologetic action with a horror theme. Sure the combat, especially the close quarters kind, isn’t quite as good as it could be, but there’s still fun to be had exploring the darkness and taking down the undead and gruesome monsters that lurk in garage.