Touken Ranbu Warriors is a good hack and slash game, but it’s not the best we’ve seen from the developers on Nintendo Switch. Mixing in the mini-games and some varied objectives is a nice touch to the familiar formula. But characters feel too similar, levels feel a bit too short, and the lack of co-op play is a shame. I was there almost day one for Dynasty Warriors 2 on PS2 and remembered being blown away by the spectacle on screen with all the soldiers, both enemies and allies. I had this feeling for most of the games to follow. With this one, however, I didn’t since it’s just usually you and your partner and occasionally a handful of soldiers. If you’re a fan of the game’s source material or are totally new to this style of game, then I think there is something here for you. For me, this was brainless hack and slash fun but not the best I’ve seen on Nintendo Switch.
Cotton Fantasy feels like the definitive Cotton experience. Taking aspects from all the games that came before it and creating an experience that is just a joy to play through with Cotton or with the varied characters available. If you love your arcade games, this will likely put a big smile on your face with all the colours and numbers glaring back at you on screen and, of course, a pumping arcade-style soundtrack. The games main niggle is the price of entry is a bit steep, and the game is very light on content. Whether you are old or new to the Cotton series, this is an excellent side-scrolling shooter that is a must-play for high score chasers and fans of retro shooters.
Gibbons is a game that really clicked with me from the moment I picked it up. I’ve reviewed many games for this wonderful website and lovely surprises like this keep me coming back to writing time and time again. I will add some caution that this game will not click with everyone. Some will likely see this as simply a Monkey swinging simulator, and the gameplay may not click. It’s rare to play a game where the developer’s message resonates so clearly and leaves me thinking for days, contemplating and inspired. I’m a huge supporter of animal charities myself, and this felt like such a good way to bring awareness to an overlooked issue. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to cover this game. I sure hope you give it a chance too. If not, then please consider supporting a charity that speaks to you.
Dungeons of Dreadrock is a solid dungeon crawling adventure that will appeal to gamers looking to enjoy a good puzzler in bite-sized chunks. A few small niggles propped up like gotcha mechanics and the controls being a bit finicky. However, none of these severely deterred the experience. When I entered the mountain, I was pretty hooked on the experience to its conclusion, thanks to the game’s uniquely crafted puzzles. This feels like a fun game to also share with a loved one if you want to try to tackle the puzzles together. Whether you’re a fan of older dungeon crawlers or new, this adventure is well worth your time.
I recommend Dandy & Randy DX if you’re playing alone looking for that simple retro fix that might just tickle the nostalgia memories. I highly recommend it if you want something to play with together. Sure the premise is simple but I can’t think of any other title that has this theme that lets you play locally. Playing games together can solidify some memories that will last forever. Know a friend who’s feeling a little blue? Buy this game then take the Switch over to them. It might be the pick up they need. Dandy & Randy DX doesn’t push any gaming boundaries. But this is an absolutely solid and uplifting game that is well worth the price of entry.
While I did manage to find a few things to nitpick there is no denying I kept coming back to this game run after run. The random generation of the character types and level design is so enormous that every attempt at taking down the castle felt different. On top of that, the controls are tight and easy to use and the game is overall enormous fun to play. Rogue Legacy 2 is everything I loved about the original title with so much more added to it. Unless you absolutely hate the rogue-lite genre there is plenty of incentive to jump into the sequel thanks to its accessibility features and general refinements to the gameplay. Even years from now Rogue Legacy 2 is sure to solidify itself as one of the best in the rogue-lite genre. Well at least until the next game that is.
What started as a game that didn’t click turned into something quite special. Discovery is this game’s greatest strength, heading into the unknown to researching everything you find and coping with the tough challenges that come. It feels very much like a first entry in a promising gaming series. The crafting and exploration are fun but the combat feels awkward and unforgiving. The Serpent Rogue is a unique crafting adventure which will most likely appeal to players that have the time and the patience to overcome the high barrier to entry. If this all sounds good to you, The Serpent Rogue may be the gaming tonic you’re looking for.
Dysmantle may not seem like much from its appearance but there is a highly addictive survival experience here. Survival games are often hit and miss, sometimes the survival elements are a bit too much and more often than not the experience eventually dissolves into tedium. But I didn’t get that here, I found myself pretty keen to boot this game up over and over and set off into the unknown to see what I discovered. While overall game progression is slow, you always seem to unlock something through every play session. I never felt in a hurry to get off the island. I was pretty content to take in everything on offer. If you’re looking for zombie-infested island adventure alone or with a friend, you can’t go wrong with Dysmantle. I highly recommend it!
Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles is a good relaxing puzzler that will appeal to those looking for a new head scratcher to enjoy on the sofa with a warm drink, in bed or in the bath. Just be careful you don’t drop your Switch in there. The slow pace won’t appeal to everyone and hunting for collectables proved more frustrating than fun for me. I enjoyed Lumote the most when I was taking my time solving the puzzles and taking in the calm vibes this game gave off with its cute noises and botanical appearance. If that sounds good to you then go pick it up.
I kinda liked Revita in the end. To begin with, I didn’t really warm to the use of health to obtain new abilities. But with time and further upgrading, it actually brought an enjoyable risky challenge to the experience. If you’re experienced with the genre it might take a bit of a grind for the formula to click. But if you’re new the accessibility features may make this quite an appealing jumping on point. If you’re hungry for a new roguelike challenge Revita is a train ride well worth taking.
I started out quite enjoying Lumberhill but as the game kept progressing the faults became just a little too apparent. The novelty of the same missions wears off pretty quickly. On top of that, the gameplay lacks a lot of polish. The game may be pick up and play but a lot of the mechanics just feel clunky. On top of that, this is another title that has inconsistent difficulty. With a bit of polish, a lot of these issues could be patched out. I still recommend the game if you’re looking to play with some friends locally or online. You may even have a laugh at some of the game’s glitches, just watch out for splinters.
So do I like this port and do I recommend it? I did have fun with this game but that did require putting up with some pretty rough edges. The combat often becomes a cluttered mess and enemies feel like inconsistent meat shields at times. But I can’t deny there were moments where I felt like an awesome Jedi. Star Wars fans will certainly love this game. I would also recommend this to lovers of the Wii console, a fan base I know exists out there. For everyone else, it’s a bit tricky, since this is a title that resides in the past with no modern quality of life improvements. It’s also hard to ignore that some will see this port as a downgrade from the Xbox 360/PS3 versions. But if you love your Star Wars or just want to play a game that’s a decent action-adventure this is not a bad pick up.
Nobody Saves the World is an excellent title from Drinkbox Studios. The studio has pretty much proved that they are capable of tackling any genre and turning it into an experience that is challenging, addictive and entertaining. Nobody Saves the World should not be compared to Diablo or Zelda because in my opinion it’s in a league of its own. One of the best games I’ve played this year. I highly recommend picking it up on Nintendo Switch.
Sockventure is one of the better hardcore platformers I have played. When I was in the flow of things and somehow magically weaving through all the hazards I was having a terrific time. But I really didn’t like the difficulty spike at the end of this game. It felt a bit like a washing machine cycle where everything is going so well only for the darn thing to break down at the end and leak onto the floor. Sockventure thankfully is not that disastrous and if you like your hard games this will absolutely gel with you. It’s a solid game that feels like a pair of socks I have worn before. But sometimes comfy is enough and Sockventure will certainly entertain.
I have to say I wasn’t quite sure how to rate tERRORbane. Since the game at its core really just has the player walking around searching for glitches and progressing the story. One could say this is a retro-looking walking simulator. This design most certainly won’t suit everybody, particularly if you’re looking for any form of challenge. At the end of the day, it did get a chuckle out of me now and then and the premises is most definitely different. So I guess I decided to settle on a solid recommendation. If you’re looking for something casual to enjoy you can’t go wrong here.
Pompom has the look and feels of a popular 16-bit 2D platformer. But with a unique take on the formula, it ends up as something really quite special. The developers took a risk having you protect the main protagonist rather than playing as them, leading to an experimental and enjoyable gameplay experience. This may even appeal to gamers that have never been fond of the 2D platform genre. Probably the best video game I have ever played starring a hamster protagonist. Be sure to give it a look.
Taito Milestones for me is an awesome collection of Taito arcade titles that showcase more of the company’s early work rather than their best. It’s a collection that will certainly turn the heads of the retro gamers that are looking to enjoy these titles on modern systems. There’s a pretty good variety of games which is welcome but some will click more than others. To me this milestone collection showcases originality and risk taking from the era where video games development was in its infancy. It’s just a shame we don’t see much of that innovation in modern gaming today. Taito Milestones may not be the best of Taitos past but it’s still a blast to play.
Flat Kingdom scores a positive pass for me mostly thanks to its original take on game design and appealing paper craft graphics which I have always been a sucker for. But the experience is crumpled with frustrating jumping controls and a pace that just went a little too slow and formulaic for me. Everything works here with no notable glitches. If you are looking for a new original platformer it’s worth a look, but for me it’s just a few pages short of greatness.
Imp of the Sun is a shining beacon of light. The game feels like it has some limitations with its short length and repeated template to reach each boss. However, it feels like the developers took the budget they had and made sure not to waste any frame of this game. It plays well, sounds great and looks unique. Some gamers will expect more which is fine but to me, this title ticks all the right boxes for good game design. I very much look forward to the developers’ future work.
Take Off -The Flight Simulator was not for me, but I guess I want to conclude with some positives first. There are probably some gamers that will be able to look past this game’s faults and enjoy the experience for what it is. After all, there aren’t many flight simulators on Nintendo Switch. Though I would say this game sits more between arcade design and flight simulator. The game doesn’t feature any DLC and there is a decent variety of planes to fly. But despite all this, there are clearly better options if you have access to other consoles or PC. For me Take Off was not a flight worth taking.