So, yeah. Fatal Fracture is a bad game. It functions, but it has no reason to be. The process of buying it is actually more engaging than the game itself, and I think I'll just close this review with that.
Listen; I know I shouldn't expect much when spending $0.99 on a 3DS game, but I at least expect a full product. Squarcat feels like a group assignment in Beginners Programming, and two of the team members decided they'd rather get drunk and make Tik Tok videos than help their classmates.
It's unfortunate that Theatre Tales was released in this unfinished state because it could be a fun, charming game for young players. In its current version, however, it's a big disappointment…like buying a volume of classic fairy tales with the pages of all but one story glued shut. The game's only $1.99, but you'll still feel cheated after Red gets her happily ever after. But hey, at least someone did.
Easy Japanesey is anything but. This educational game attempts to teach Japanese vocabulary and character recognition, but it provides little in the way of instructions or context. It also barely provides a user interface and is, therefore, as much fun to use as a fast food self-checkout kiosk.
Bus Driver Simulator deserves some appreciation for its attention to detail, but the details are pretty boring in this case. It doesn't help that the gameplay is cumbersome and glitchy, and the visuals are dated and drab. Unless you're really into slow drives through PS2-era depictions of European cities, take the Desert Bus instead. At least then it's for charity.
Brightstone Mysteries: Paranormal Hotel offers a fun premise for puzzle/adventure fans, but it fails to follow through it nearly every regard. The graphics, the puzzles, the story, and even the docked-mode controls combine to make this a crime not worth solving.
Although it's great to see new games released for the 3DS (and with a good implementation of the 3D effect that even Nintendo eventually abandoned), Silver Falls: 3 Down Stars isn't worth dusting off your old portable. It's effectively creepy, but it's also buggy, drab, and a general slog. However, it leaves me with hope that the developers will be able to put it all together in future games.
While I very much appreciate the efforts all the game developers out there put in to entertain us, Demolish and Build falls flat. You get to drive bulldozers and cranes and the like, but it's a lot of work with only a little fun.
Honestly, if it had been released as a handheld electronic game in 1982 my brothers and I would've been all over it. But it wasn't. It's 2019, and even for $1 on a dying gaming system I expected better results from my Space Intervention.
To be fair, you may get $12 of entertainment out of Awkward if you load it up at your next party. But because the questions aren't categorized by appropriateness for different age groups, adults will likely get bored and kids will likely get confused…and possibly traumatized. Each game session can be completed in 5 to 10 minutes, and with no variation to keep players engaged, that's about enough time to push players towards another Switch game or into another room altogether. Which one has the sausage cheese ball appetizer?
Panorama Cotton changes up the series' cute-em-up experience by switching to a 3D action arcade style, but it introduces some problems along the way. The trippy enemies and color palette provide some quick fun, but they quickly wear out and allow performance issues to dampen the experience. Unless you're a fan of the series, this isn't a game you're likely to finish.
Electro Ride: The Neon Racing suffers from touchy controls and an overall lack of depth. It's not amongst the best racing options available for the Switch, but it does contain a couple of unique elements that may appeal to gamers looking for something a little different.
Commandos 2 – HD Remaster takes a fun but difficult real-time tactics PC game and makes it less fun but more difficult on the Nintendo Switch. The celebrated core gameplay remains, but clunky controls and some annoying bugs will make you wish you'd gone with the computer version.
If you're new to Kemco games or JPRGs in general, Sephirothic Stories serves as a light, quick (the game can be finished in around 10 hours), simple introduction to the genre. Unless you're looking for a deep challenge or a modern presentation, there's nothing really wrong here. However, there's also not much new or terribly interesting, making Sephirothic Stories a game that's okay to miss.
So, what we've got in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a well-designed game that's poorly developed. A championship-caliber team that needs another few months (or perhaps another year) of training camp. 505 Games has promised to fix the glaring problems, but I can't review a game based on promises. There's still some fun to be had here, but it shouldn't have been released in its current state. Wait for the updates. If they don't come, wait for a sale…and stay away from the bookshelves.
Ebenezer and the Invisible World brings a fun, holiday-themed premise and palette to Metroidvanias, but not much else. Annoying issues and gameplay repetition will bring out the Scrooge in some gamers, but Metroidvania fans may see it through to redemption.
Dynablaster adds a modern sheen to the original Bomberman gameplay. Key-collecting mode is fun, and there's some multiplayer value. But this release-originally intended for the Intellivision Amico-doesn't otherwise do enough to justify its asking price on the Switch.
Wonderland Nights: White Rabbit's Diary is a beautifully illustrated but poorly voiced and structured visual novel that centers around the politics of Wonderland. As the White Rabbit, it's your job to match up characters to shape these politics, but it's not quite a job worth taking.
Krut: The Mythic Wings is a very pretty but brutally difficult action platformer based on Thai mythology. The game can be completed in under 10 hours, but the bulk of that time will be spent tediously grinding for better gear to advance past even the common enemies. For the hard-core gamers only.
Legend of Ixtona is a by-the-numbers JRPG with turn-based battles fought on an isometric grid. The ability to hire customizable characters and invest in your village adds some unique elements, but not enough to fully overcome the generic gameplay, graphics, and story.