In a strange twist for a series that you would expect to be built around drawing in new consumers, Just Dance 2018 feels like a perfect match for those who already love the games and are really serious about their dancing, yet does nothing to draw in newcomers. In some ways, this year's edition feels like it is almost a ‘greatest hits' for its hardcore fans – the one entry that you'll always fall back to just to play through the best stuff. Yet with such a hefty cost needed to access all of the game's content, only the most serious will get true enjoyment here.
Poi: Explorer Edition is a great platforming adventure in its own right.
If you love games like Zelda II, and feel at home in front of any dungeon-crawling RPG, you'll undoubtedly get some fun out of this game; for others, though, there are better alternatives in the genre that you could try first.
The Count Lucanor is a mostly enjoyable horror tale that is only prevented from being a truly great game thanks to a couple of performance issues and relatively short duration. At its best, the game offers a surprisingly rich story, intriguing (and genuinely creepy) characters and surroundings, and enjoyable puzzle-based tasks to ponder over. The candle and saving systems add to the stress imposed by the castle, forcing you to choose between being safe in the present or keeping supplies for later on (although a harder difficulty setting which provides less of these items could have worked wonders). If you're looking for something a little bit different, this could well be the game for you.
To answer our initial question of whether or not Party Golf can successfully join the eShop's masterful collection of multiplayer goodness: quite simply, yes. The amount of customisation options are mind-blowing and essentially allow you to make the game be whatever you want it to be. The asking price at launch feels just a tad steep (a bit more polish and a slightly higher level of presentation wouldn't go amiss) but, with the right friends around you, you'll be having so much fun laughing at each other's mistakes that you'll hardly care.
On a platform that is destined to become almost overcrowded with colourful, vibrant, ‘happy' games, having a burst of horror as an option is very welcome indeed. Unfortunately, this isn't the game to showcase the genre, nor is it one to showcase games in general. Some promising early moments left us with high hopes for this title – there were times where we felt genuine, edge-of-your-seat fear – but it soon becomes clear that it cannot live up to the standards it is trying to achieve. If you're looking for a horror fix, maybe wait until something else comes along.
Rogue Trooper Redux boasts an enjoyable campaign with a wonderful supply maintenance system in place. The ability to spend your earnings on whatever you please rather than relying on what is handed to you sets this title apart from the more "standard" games in the genre. The online multiplayer modes aren't as fun as they could be, though, and the main game's relatively short length (anywhere from 5-10 hours depending on your play-style) means that it strays just short of being a truly amazing experience. Despite this, it is still definitely worth your time - whether you've played the game before or not. If you enjoy your shooters, give this one a go.
If the game was considerably cheaper you could potentially justify a purchase for having quick, easy-to-set-up fighting rounds; as it stands, though, this may well be best left alone.
Squareboy is a decent beat-em-up, if a little on the short side. The Switch version is definitely the better version of the game but perhaps doesn't quite do enough to justify the cost when a free option is available elsewhere. This isn't a bad game by any means – in fact, we had a rather enjoyable time playing through the story levels – but its flaws and inability to stand out from the crowd stop it from being a sure-fire hit.
Tumblestone is an excellent puzzle game that definitely deserves to be played by fans of the genre. Aside from maybe Puyo Puyo Tetris, you are unlikely to find a puzzle game that offers quite this much content and such an addictive nature. The lack of any online functionality is disappointing, though, and whilst the Switch's portability could have made this the definitive version, this odd omission takes away a nice feature unnecessarily. If you haven't played the game before, though, or aren't fussed about playing online – this is still a very solid choice.
Unbox gets everything right in theory, but fails to actually deliver on the majority of its goals. The character design, the core ‘unboxing' mechanic, and the collecting side to the game could have been great but there are just too many problems standing in the way for it to be truly successful. We can't help but feel that the game just needed an extra dose of love and attention on the technical side of things because, if that was at the standard of the creativity and fun of the characters and ideas, it would have been a great experience and a whole lot of fun. As it stands, it might not be quite worth your time.
Stardew Valley offers its players a chance to live a second life – one where you can forget the troubles of the real world and get excited over finding a particularly rare carrot. It is a truly magical experience; games can often be enjoyable but they don't all manage to be as captivating as this. This is the sort of game that ideally requires a significant amount of time to be invested; the enjoyment doesn't necessarily come from the day-to-day actions you perform, but rather from the general growth of pride, satisfaction, and sense of security as the days go by. Fans of games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing will be right at home here and, for those who aren't, there is a decent chance this game might just surprise you. For the asking price the risk couldn't be more worth it.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime caught us by surprise; we were expecting a great multiplayer party experience but ended up with something much more than that. If you have a great bunch of friends and the necessary controllers, be sure to gather everyone round for some challenging but hilarious teamwork. If you don't, or if you prefer playing alone, load the game up anyway and enjoy an intense, strategically-minded campaign with a warm and welcoming exterior. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime deserves to be played and should most definitely be on your eShop wishlist – we're in love, for sure.
At its best, Tower of Babel has some great auto-running action that will have you flying around the screen at breakneck pace, firing yourself to the top of the speed-running leaderboards. Unfortunately, though, the whole thing is let down by some game-breaking issues and a rather lacklustre aesthetic that maybe answers the question of why there has been so little mention of the game prior to release. A frustrating case of a game that could have been excellent but shoots itself in the foot with its many problems, Tower of Babel is best left for another day.
Unfortunately, the third entry in the Physical Contact series looks like it should probably be the third one that you consider avoiding.
Overall, then, Binaries is a decent puzzler that is definitely worth the time of players who can't resist having a ‘100%' icon plastered over their save file and enjoy speed-running through dangerous levels. It doesn't tend to innovate past its main theme, though – instead relying on more obstacles, spikes and guns to make things trickier. If you're desperate for a puzzle game that will have you trying to complete levels over and over again (before feeling a huge amount of satisfaction when you finally complete one you've been stuck on), then this may well be for you.
An interesting concept that has been executed very successfully makes INVERSUS Deluxe a solid purchase option for Nintendo Switch owners. The adaptable arenas create fun, action packed matches and it can be difficult to put down at times. A surprisingly challenging difficulty level in the game's Arcade mode could possibly put off some players but will likely attract more, feeding their need to fight for the highest score possible. Enjoyed best with friends, but thankfully also a worthy experience to play through alone, INVERSUS Deluxe could well be your next go-to party game.
To answer our initial question, then: yes, BUTCHER is a great game to play if you have that DOOM itch, as well as being a great game in its own right. It feels fantastic to play; your movement and shooting feel wonderfully responsive and every trigger press is immensely satisfying. It could have been better with more content, and Handheld mode doesn't feel quite as impressive as TV mode, but for the price you can't really go wrong with what is an enjoyable game that does ultimately do a lot of things right. Maybe one for those who like their games on the more challenging side – give it a chance if you're brave enough!
Beach Buggy Racing is a decent kart-racer; the driving is fun, the items are bonkers, and you'll likely be playing it for some time. Perhaps enjoyed best in small bursts, and without the expectation of it being a mega-serious racer, the game does offer some easy-to-play fun for both solo players and groups of family or friends. It can't steal Mario Kart's pole position and it suffers from a couple of little niggles but for a fraction of the price it does offer an acceptable alternative.
Overall then, Semispheres is a wonderful puzzle game with some incredibly clever level designs that will leave you stumped at times, a tricky but enjoyable twin-stick system, and a beautifully designed world with pleasing visuals and sound. A couple of things let the experience down slightly and the whole thing can be completed in under three hours, so it isn't a bargain for the asking price, but you'll definitely find enjoyment in getting to grips with the puzzles and character movement. A great buy for puzzle fans and a potential pleaser for everyone else too, Semispheres is certainly one to consider.