Leigh Wynne
Secret Neighbor has come to Nintendo switch bringing a unique horror, multiplayer, online experience. Set in the world of the Hello Neighbour universe, things will be familiar to people who have previously played games in series. Though this time around your goals are all about team work. You select one of six kids and work together with the other members in your team to find key cards that are scattered around one of two houses, and locate all of the six keys to open the basement door locks and escape. All the while being pursued by an evil neighbour who is amongst your party in a disguise, waiting to strike.
From what I can tell from the excellently animated introduction, Bounty Battle brings a whole host of iconic Indie stars into battle. A strange portal appears in each of their worlds, dragging our heroes into a void and bringing them to another world entirely. There, a bounty is placed on each of their heads, and each character must fight to claim the bounties on each other.
In the near future, an economic crash caused by under-population and pollution leads to huge food shortages and starvation across the world. A reprieve from these desperate times is granted in the form of a unique device called ‘Bionodes’ which when implanted in a Human allows them to eat anything. However this device has side effects of its own which turned most of the population into mutants and are known as “ghoulification”.
Wobbledogs is a pet simulation game on the Nintendo Switch that allows you to look after many different wobble dogs, care for them, feed them, decorate their pen and play with them while watching them grow. You can even crossbreed them, allowing you to create new breeds, each with their own traits and unique looks.
Upon starting Wildcat Gun Machine, you’re thrown straight into the deep end without any real context on why you’re here or what your main goal is. While some people may enjoy not sitting through a five-minute-long cut-scene to explain the story or the character’s motivations, I found it a little strange and a bit rushed. I normally like to get to know the character a little more and the reasons for why we’re here and doing the things we’re doing. Sadly it’s never explained, and why our main character is always surrounded by ghost cats is another detail that is never touched upon. The game doesn’t want to waste your time with any sort of introduction or fluff, it wants you to familiarise yourself with the combat and the controls through actually playing it.
Embr is a brand new co-operative firefighting game that is now available on the Nintendo Switch. Will it ignite your passion to put out blazes and save civilians from towering infernos? Or will you watch it all burn? Let’s take a look into the world of Embr and how it plays on the Switch.
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon is a slow-paced rogue-like that sees a samurai fighting through limbo and defeating hordes of monstrosities that live in the depths of hell. Using sharp blades, spears and multiple other armaments you will be slaying, upgrading your arsenal and fighting huge bosses while navigating through a maze searching for a away out. If you die, however, your soul is reincarnated into a new body, losing everything you’ve gathered. You’ll need to start afresh and fight your way back to the top again. A typical formula for any good rogue-like, this is no exception.
Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt is at heart a hunting simulation. It sees the hunter, i.e you, entering multiple ecosystems while hunting one of the many different dinosaurs to take down and claim as your trophy. In the process you earn gems, which is one of main currencies in the game. This will allow you to purchase guns, upgrades and perks. Each environment is slightly different from the last. Some take place at different times of the day with some slightly different effects, like fog for example.
The story in Stitchy in Tooki Trouble is about a small little farm that is ransacked by a stampede of Tooki’s who steal all the corn from the farm for some reason. By some sort of magic a lone scarecrow is brought to life and immediately gives chase to retrieve what’s been taken. The story is very bare bones but sets the scene for the adventure ahead. It has a very similar premise to the Donkey Kong Country Returns plot that sees a strange group of Tiki’s stealing all of Donkey Kong’s bananas.
The story in Slayin 2 is about a kingdom under siege. After the king has been kidnapped, the kingdom falls and inevitably becomes overrun with monsters. It’s now your job to rid the world of these foul beasts and save the kingdom. While it’s not hugely original, it gives you a purpose to go on a monster-hunting spree.
Welcome to the world of MX vs ATV All Out on the Nintendo Switch, where players get to ride a variety of off-road vehicles such as ATVs, bikes and UTVs across multiple open environments and indoor arenas.
The Punchies are a strange, sexless race that reproduce through combat – you heard me correctly! When these creatures fight, it generates a massive amount of power which leaves stars and galaxies in their wake.
The story in Ben 10: Power Trip! sees Ben, Grandpa Max, Gwen on vacation in Strudelbek. After a quick pit-stop in the National Park, a chance encounter occurs. Ben comes face to face with his old nemesis, HEX, who plans on stealing the 4 magical Crystals. He plans to use the power of the crystals to manipulate the real world, summon his rift monsters and cause chaos!
In 2018, Eclipse Games bought out Super Toy Cars: a game I played back then and felt it wasn’t refined enough to stand out from other racers in the genre. However, Eclipse Games are at it again with the second entry in the series, Super Toy Cars 2. Is this a better racer though or does it suffer the same engine problems as its older brother? Let’s find out.
From a presentation’s standpoint, Neon Drive checks all the right boxes. The neon visual design is absolutely gorgeous and is accompanied by a stellar soundtrack. Sadly, the core gameplay is frustrating and isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Neon Drive is certainly an example of style over substance.
Whipseey and The Lost Atlas is a decent title, for a short trip if you’re looking for a cheap platformer. Sadly, I felt the game never evolved into something special. I see a lot of untapped potential here and the makings of a game that could have been great.
So, where to begin with Hokko Life? Let’s start with the similarities to a well known game from Nintendo: Animal Crossing. Both games have resource management, building a community from scratch and crafting various tools to assist in your endeavours. See, everything about Hokko Life screams Animal Crossing, right down to the beginning of the game, where we see our young villager taking a short train ride to a quiet run-down village in the middle of nowhere.
The story in Lost Ember is one about a lone wolf and a curious spirit trying to remember what they have forgotten about their past lives in a journey across a beautiful world where past stories are re-told and truths are revealed.
Atomicrops is about farming, planting seeds, watering crops and trying to survive from an onslaught of intruders that are trying to eat them and kill you. Don’t fret though as you’re not unarmed. In fact, you have your trusty pea-shooter on hand that will allow you to protect your crops and obliterate your enemies.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Boreal Blade. It’s an interesting fighting game that ends up being a ton of fun. The cell shaded visual design work really well with its overall presentation, and the soundtrack keeps you focused with the beating of drums and screams of helpless victims. I wish there had of been a single player mode and a few more customization options at the very beginning of the game, but still there’s tons to unlock and enjoy here. The controls can take a little while to get used to, but it’s still a unique fighting experience on the Nintendo Switch and one that I think is a solid investment for fighting game fans. It has a few issues, but it’s definitely still worth a try.