Connor Nichols's Reviews
Being that these games came out as a novelty for the sole purpose of draining quarters, these are beyond brutal, almost to a ridiculous degree in the case of the two Dragon’s Lair titles. Thankfully, the QOL features are a fantastic way of making sure that any newcomer will see the endings to all three of these games if they keep throwing themselves at the game, and more diehard fans have the option of playing these in the original fashion if need be.
Unfortunately, that aspect combined with a very slow paced game just leaves this as an RPG you’re better off skipping in favor of higher quality RPGs on the same store.
Considering how this version is also double the pricepoint of the original Steam version for some baffling reason, I think you should definitely wait for the patch and maybe even a sale on this one if you’re remotely interested. You can have a decent enough time once you’re able to get past all this, but it’s still not an excuse for how the port came out this way, especially since this game has a lot of great ideas buried within.
I feel like if some more clever gimmicks were implemented, and if the levels were a bit less samey feeling (differing backgrounds rather than solid colors would be nice) then this game would be easier to recommend to more people, but as it stands right now there’s little that makes this stand out compared to the many similar platformers on the eShop, save for this being one of the few video games to be developed from Bangladesh. Still, if you’re looking for a new one to add to your lineup, Almost There won’t hurt!
Odallus is yet another fun platformer for the Switch’s eShop. While it doesn’t offer too much that’s new, it is an incredibly well made and fun NES throwback worth checking out. However, the baffling quirks of the CRT filter and weird control scheme, along with the lack of the achievements from the Steam version make this particular port pretty rough around the edges.
For puzzle maniacs looking for more Picross fun, this is worth a look at the very least, and a great addition to the eShop’s puzzle library.
The fact that this version still didn’t give the Story Mode the much-requested dub it deserves, along with failing to fix some of the other minor gripes people had with Central Fiction, such as the grindy nature of gaining in game currency offline, or the lack of a sound test, this version just feels more or less like a barebones complete edition rather than an enhanced port that goes above and beyond to improve on gripes people had with the original to make it better than ever.
Double Switch is a very good remaster of a decent FMV game. While I didn’t find it nearly as charming as Night Trap, Double Switch felt more complex and engaging than that title, but it also suffers from a pretty harsh difficulty bump near the middle of the adventure.
Momodoria is an excellent Metroidvania, and an adventure with a lot of charm that’s definitely worth owning on the Switch. Each area is just long enough to not overstay its welcome, and I was absolutely hooked throughout my four hour adventure as I grew motivated to 100% this game, and that was all just on one playthrough!
Hive Jump is a decent roguelike with a great Arcade Mode, a good upgrade system, and enjoyable co-op, but with a very tough barrier of entry. While the other modes can be enjoyed once you get the hang of things in Arcade mode, this game is still one that requires a lot of grinding just to get the basic upgrades in order to survive.
Spheroids is a platformer that has an interesting idea, but blending two types of games together just doesn’t work well here, since the blend barely feels like a mix and rather just two formats stacked on top of each other. From boring level design, mildly interesting gimmicks and annoying music, this was a game that I ended up quitting out of sheer boredom alone, something that doesn’t really happen often, unfortunately.
RocketsRocketsRockets aims to be a budget multiplayer game, and it clearly shows, for better or for worse. While the main game mode it has on offer is incredibly solid, and did provide some enjoyment for a friend and I, it really didn’t last that long due to the limited amount of stages and modes.
Fill-a-Pix just didn’t cut it for me. While it’s nice to have a different change of pace from Lightwood after a lot of Word Search and Picross games in recent years, Fill-a-Pix reminds me a bit of the dreaded Nikoli puzzle game Slitherlink, in that it’s so damn complicated even with all the tutorials and such that it’s a bore to actually solve.
Night Slashers is yet another Arcade rerelease with barely any effort into making customization options available. The core game itself works fine and is an average belt scroller, but considering the audio emulation issues and the blur filter that’s still on these games, this release could have been handled a lot better, especially considering how this is actually the very first time the game has gotten a home release!
Heavy Burger is a fantastic multiplayer game, taking the frantic nature of a twin stick shooter and making it into an ultimate tug of war. During the time spent with a pair of friends, we had an incredible time together, although the fun didn’t really last for that long. While this game is incredibly fun and has a stellar formula, the game itself is very light on content considering the $20 pricetag.
Monkey King is by far the most barebones retro game port I have seen on the Switch next to D/Generation. Save for handy online leaderboards and the option to increase your lives, there’s little else of importance to speak of, from a locked border, a great (but also locked) display option, no DIP switch or difficulty changes, or really anything extra that could have made this port more worth it such as a gallery or new levels, this is a really disappointing release with quite a bit of balance issues.
Nitro Ball is easily the most obscure of the current lineup, but that doesn’t mean that the game is bad, since it’s an insane amount of fun especially in local co-op. With a huge focus on high score chasing, this is a game worth checking out for certain if high score chasing and co-op is for you.
Shoot Out is another decent entry in the Johnny Turbo Arcade line, and while it is a much better hi-score chaser than Two Crude, it unfortunately suffers from dated gameplay, iffy visibility and the continued lack of DIP Switch options.
Express Raider is a short yet addictive Arcade experience. Fully focused on chasing hi-scores, this game is absolutely perfect for handheld sessions and getting the best score, although the lack of online leaderboards are a huge bummer, as this game suffers the most out of the entire lineup from the lack of them. Using the save state feature to save your high-scores is handy, and while there wasn’t much DIP Switch options to change in the original to begin with, it is unfortunate they’re still unavailable as per usual in this lineup.
Two Crude is a pretty average brawler. Not a bad one by any means, since the stages are fun and throwing signs, tanks and enemies is pretty cool, but the novelty wears off quickly once you beat the game, and playing in co-op is really the only way you’ll may be able to get more enjoyment out of it.