Overall, Dead Cells is a fantastic game. Some great visuals, smooth controls and satisfying gameplay that I’m sure most people will enjoy. It’s not for the faint hearted though and the difficulty may be a bit much for some so be warned of that. But it never feels impossible and the constant, drip fed progression is rewarding enough to keep playing and unlocking things. Dead Cells is great and if you’ve sampled the plethora of excellent Switch indie games like Hollow Knight, Iconoclasts and Salt & Sanctuary, then you will feel very much home with this release too. It stands shoulder to shoulder with indie game giants thanks to its visuals and fantastic, addictive gameplay. For me it’s an essential purchase whether from the eShop, the standard physical edition or the Signature Edition, I think any fans of action platformers owe themselves to play this excellent game. Buy 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, 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.
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, 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.
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, 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 I think Yesterday Origins is a great experience for point and click adventure game fans. It presents a solid package very reminiscent of the second era of adventure gaming. If you liked Microids other efforts like the Syberia series, you’ll do well to pick this one up too as it’s more of the same, but potentially even better. Sure, a few presentation issues mar it a little as well as bizarrely sluggish controls but adventure fans will still enjoy it, even if it’s not going win any more people over to the genre. Still, if you want to settle down with a nice coffee or tea and play this one, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, as long as you don’t mind checking a guide once in a while.
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 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.
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, if you are a fan of Punch Out!! or nostalgic for that sort of arcade experience then look no further than Pato Box. It’s weird, wonderful and looks as whacky as it plays. The adventure mode is a hugely welcome surprise despite a couple of rough points and a questionable frame rate. Pato Box delivered the unexpected and gave you something you didn’t know you actually wanted until they gave it to you. The standard fighting is of course up to scratch and more polished than the adventuring and the fact you can just concentrate on that if you want to is welcome. It delivers fun and challenge in equal measure. It looks and sounds fantastic too which makes it into a very solid, quirky package.
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, Runner3 represents a welcome return for Commander Video, especially in his best form. Runner 2 was one of the best rhythm games on the Wii U and, although there is much stiffer competition on the Switch, Choice Provisions have done it again. Providing a fun, personality-filled musical running experience, Runner3 is a no brainer for rhythm game fans. Its a pity there are only 3 worlds, and the extreme difficulty will not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Even if I wanted to throw my controller out of the window a couple of times.