Mercenaries Saga Chronicles offers an awful lot of tactical turn-based strategy content for the asking price, but the dull storylines, repetitive gameplay, and absolutely identical nature of all three titles make us question the reasoning behind packaging them all together as a bundle. In their own right, each game will provide you with hours of well-designed battles, but we doubt many players will genuinely want to sit through all three games as they would be effectively playing the same game three times.
Standing out from the crowd with a unique, physics-based control scheme is all well and good but, by restricting its usage to just one simple idea, the game feels like it needs to be developed further to truly shine.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a wonderful sequel to the already impressive SteamWorld Dig, and this 3DS port of last year's Switch release does not disappoint. Taking everything that was great from the original, and improving it even further, SWD2 can stand proudly near the top of the list of 'must play' titles on the Nintendo eShop.
Toki Tori 2+ on Switch is still the same, cute and cuddly, yet fiendishly tricky game that we've been enjoying for the last few years, but with some notable improvements that make it the best version currently available on consoles. The difficulty of some puzzles may still be too much for some, but the levels of frustration that plagued earlier releases have been somewhat nullified thanks to new mechanics. If you're interested in what the title has to offer, or have only played it in its earliest forms, we urge you to give this version a try.
Mulaka offers a truly intriguing insight into the culture and mythology of the Tarahumara people, but is let down by some frustrating gameplay issues. Exploring and puzzle solving is a simple but enjoyable affair, and there are elements of the combat system that show real promise, but some oversights surrounding the game's pacing and controls leave quite a lot to be desired. If you're interested enough in learning about the topic it wouldn't be unwise to give the game a go despite its flaws, but players looking purely for great gameplay might want to ponder over it a little longer.
Super Toy Cars is a decent enough tabletop racer that will have fans of the classics like Micro Machines taking a quick nostalgic trip down memory lane, but it never manages to live up to the games from which it clearly takes its inspiration.
Packet Queen # features a new, enjoyable type of puzzle gameplay that has you making fast decisions on the fly, and can start to feel pleasingly addictive, but a lack of content and a completely unnecessary story mode that ends in disappointment make the title fall short of greatness. For its relatively low price the game isn't a bad option for passing the time, but the puzzle gameplay itself needs to be placed within a much better overall package than it is currently to truly impress.
Guilt Battle Arena is a lot of fun while it lasts with frantic, fast-paced action that forces players to act quickly in the heat of battle. Our main issue, however, is that everything that the game has to offer can be seen very quickly, and the desire to keep picking up the game, again and again, isn't as strong as we'd initially hoped. Fun in quick bursts, but lacking slightly in gameplay content, we'd urge you to place this one on your ‘maybe' list.
Combining crazy physics and an even crazier story scenario, Coffin Dodgers has managed to do just enough to stand out from the crowd, offering a decent little kart-racer that should generate a laugh or two. A slight lack of content and a less-than-perfect overall quality prevent it from being something worth shouting about, however, so you might want to consider your options before jumping in with an immediate purchase.
Detective Pikachu might be described as a spin-off, but the visual and narrative direction the game has taken is an incredibly welcome one that we would love to see again. The gameplay can be a little too easy and repetitive at times, and we were surprised to see the ending appear so abruptly, but everything is presented within a very solid package that will have kids and adults alike hooked. Dedicated fans of the series will likely get the most out of the experience, with the game's art, storytelling, and genuinely likeable cast showing the world of Pokémon in a great new light, but we'd urge anyone interested to give this one a go. Our adventure only just ended but we're missing our Pika-pal already.
Penny-Punching Princess offers a great twist on the classic RPG formula, adding a new bribing system that takes your opponents out of the game to use for your own advantage. You'll find many hours' worth of content available here, and learning how to best use your magic calculator abilities for maximum success is highly enjoyable.
Toki Tori is a charming, fun, and pleasingly tricky puzzle game that will put your mind to the test in simple, but challenging levels.
Atelier Lydie & Suelle is a rather standard entry to the Atelier series. Content with relying on a pretty standard setup, the game doesn't innovate or move forwards, although fans of the series will no doubt be interested in the new story alone. It's a pretty interesting take on the ridiculously wide genre of RPGs, with a much heavier focus being given to its deep crafting system, but that might not be enough to convince new players on its own.
The Adventure Pals is a truly wonderful experience that had us grinning from the moment we launched the game, right up until the credits. The platforming is tight and precise, yet relatively relaxed and easy-going on the whole, and the game's perfect cast of bonkers characters provides humour, wit, and a genuinely loveable world to explore. A couple of little niggles stop the game from hitting the true heights that it deserves to reach, but we'd urge you to look past these and dive into the fun. If you're a fan of platformers and cute things, you need to play this game.
Gal*Gun 2 offers an on-rails shooter experience that gets very familiar and repetitive far too quickly, without ever really providing enough content to keep you hooked. The pure fantasy element of the scenarios at hand is certainly the selling point, but the gameplay that surrounds it isn't strong enough to justify a purchase. If you're a fan of the series' earlier titles, or if the art and plot appeal to your tastes, you'll likely get something from the game, but anyone looking for great gaming action will likely be pretty disappointed.
With multiple updates planned for the near future this issue could soon start to be addressed so, unless you're entirely sold on the concept alone, we'd recommend holding off until these new features have landed.
Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers takes the best part of the series' early games, adds some nice improvements, and provides a more refined overall package.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is a crazy, over-the-top experience that gets better the more you play. The game feels incredibly polished, with a mostly satisfying battle system that gets surprisingly deep, and beautifully presented cutscenes that progress the story along nicely. The focus here is definitely on the lengthy campaign, although we can imagine top online players becoming intensely competitive with practice. It might not be able to completely blow you away, but our playthrough has left us with a pleasingly satisfying aftertaste. Make sure to give this a go if you're intrigued.
Shape of the World is a very different offering on the Switch's eShop, and one that we are glad to have experienced despite its shortcomings. Describing it as a video game doesn't feel quite right; it's more of an interactive playground that lets you take a couple of hours out, switch off, and be treated to some thought-provoking aesthetics along the way. It's definitely not for everyone, and it's all over a little too quickly, but Shape of the World is a nicely put together piece of art that deserves the attention of those most intrigued.
Chameleon Run Deluxe Edition offers a challenging autorunner experience that will no doubt have you hooked and cursing at the same time. The combination of slick jumping and colour swapping makes whizzing around each level enjoyable, and the new features added to this Switch edition are very welcome, but the main bulk of the game will likely be over relatively quickly for most. It's definitely an enjoyable ride while it lasts, though, and fans of the genre shouldn't be disappointed.