Switchaboo's Reviews
It may be a largely by-the-numbers JRPG, but man, they're some good numbers. Simply converting it to Switch 2 is impressive enough, but maintaining the depth of character and gameplay means it is a must for genre fans who haven't experienced it already.
Those of you who are here for a good time and not for a long time will probably enjoy Midnight Swamp. It does all the basics pretty well and any point-and-click adventure fan would enjoy this; that being said, the length felt more akin to a demo and some more ambitious meta-game would have been welcome. A promising platform for Wild Omul to build upon and I, for one, am excited to see what they do next.
Bluey's Quest for the Golden Pen is a wonderful experience for fans of Bluey and acts like an additional episode to the series. The game itself is a good experience; however, I genuinely believe it is not priced well for the content available and is better value on iOS and Android devices (despite my son wanting me to score it a 9/10). A lack of multiplayer also holds the title back for a series that is so family-orientated. Overall I recommend the game for younger children, just not on console.
Mina the Hollower is perhaps one of the best-value Switch/Switch 2 games of recent times, which has to be applauded. I personally found it a bit too frustrating at times, but if you give it the patience it deserves, then the rewards are pretty handsome. The soundtrack, pixel art, level design and sheer breadth of gameplay make Mina the Hollower another hit from Yacht Club Games.
While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth certainly pushes the Nintendo Switch 2 to its absolute limits, resulting in some occasionally questionable textures and infrequent frame rate dips, this is absolutely the most impressive port to the Nintendo Switch 2 from a sheer scope perspective. While other recent ports like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle have shown that the system can compete with more focused adventures, the bustling world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is simply mind-boggling when you have it all sitting within a tablet in the palm of your hands.
Seriously, what a joy! This game reminds me of some of the earliest phone games that hit the sweet spot between being very simple and very addicting, and I mean that in the best possible way. Kabuto Park isn’t the type of game you really sink your teeth into, and it never tries to be, but sometimes rather than a full meal, all you need is a snack to go along with your summer vacation. If you are looking for a short and sweet game that runs on good vibes and repetition, definitely pick this up.
I’d go as far to say that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the greatest movie-based games I’ve laid eyes on, certainly in recent years. If you forget the IP for a moment, then it’s still an enthralling and immersive adventure game whichever way you look at it: epic set pieces, gorgeously detailed levels and some of the most fun I’ve had in a game for a while. There are rumours of a sequel but nothing confirmed at the time of writing; please, MachineGames, do the decent thing!
What I will say about Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is that it’s much more memorable than many of its previous entries. I remember playing through Yoshi’s Crafted World fondly, but after the credits rolled, I found myself struggling to remember any memorable moments. Finding new creatures and discovering the many different ways you can engage with them leads to plenty of memorable ‘a-ha’ moments, and that’s what it’s all about. It also helps to give the Yoshi series a profound point of difference among Nintendo’s slew of other platformer franchises, so I’m all for the multi-coloured dinosaurs exploring the avenue of gameplay.
Constance is a fine metroidvania which is well-paced, well-designed and beautifully drawn. The combat is a bit meh; however, some will view that as being more accessible but some will view it as lacking ambition. Whichever way you view it, I would personally recommend Constance to any metroidvania fans who love a meaningful story and/or don’t want a massive time sink.
Shadows of the Afterland should be recognised as a top-tier point-and-click adventure on the Nintendo Switch. It was a fun (if at times moribund) experience which looks great and is faithful to its inspiration, but it will only appeal to fans of the genre and not a whole lot more.
Man, this one hurt me a bit. I was really hoping I’d love this game more than I did. And it’s not like I hate it either! The characters and story in Tales of Berseria keep me extremely engaged, but the actual gameplay part annoyed me deeply for so long that I couldn’t fully forgive it. Is the game much more fun by using the exp bonuses and the option to just turn off encounters? Oh yes, tremendously, but I just can’t feel good about the solution being “just don’t play this part; it sucks” rather than some more positive changes. It’s a remaster, people, come on! It has been 10 years! If you have already played and enjoyed the original Tales of Berseria, this doesn’t have anything new to make it worth your while. If you are a new player like me, I’d never suggest playing the original over this version.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is filled with a sea of wild scenarios hindered only by one’s imagination – it's just a shame that it can often take so long to get to its most magical moments. The island motif is certainly a nice touch, providing the player with the autonomy to mould the space to fit the scenes in their minds. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on an island paradise; due to certain decisions likely decided on during meetings with Nintendo’s legal and marketing departments, Living the Dream often fails to recapture the magic of previous entries.
Mullet MadJack is a game about vibes, which I can only describe as being immaculate. It’s such a simple gameplay loop with a constant forward momentum that helps it overcome problems shooters traditionally have on consoles, especially the Switch. It’s hard to miss things when they’re right in front of you and you’re only ever running forward. Despite the motion sickness and photosensitivity problems that handheld mode can exacerbate, at least in my experience, and despite the irritating micro-bump in load times, it’s still a smooth and enjoyable experience on the Switch. Now, whenever the dark, corporate future-now is getting you down, you can easily whip out a dark, corporate future-past – and kick shoot it in the face!
Pragmata is a poignant game that tells a heartwarming story wrapped up in a science fiction horror action game. And while that could have described a handful of past games, Pragmata’s hacking mechanic sets it apart from its previous competitors. As the credits rolled, I found myself itching to go again, and that’s a huge compliment from me as I rarely play games more than once. And yet, while I enjoyed my time with it from start to finish, its minor annoyances keep it from being a 10, and the performance for the admittedly impressive Nintendo Switch 2 port then keeps it from being a 9. And while an 8 is a great score in a review, it is perhaps the most optimistic 8 I’ve ever written.
Darwin’s Paradox is a respectable entry in the slew of games inspired by classics like Limbo and Inside, and while it shows glimpses of something special, it never quite reaches the same heights. And while the game is, for lack of a better term, good, the current state of the Nintendo Switch 2 version only highlights its foibles. Overall, a 7 feels apt; it does a lot right and is enjoyable for the most part, but its start-and-stop nature and unfortunate performance challenges on Switch 2 keep it from being elevated any further.
All in all, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an intoxicating adventure that I couldn’t put down. The heady mix of exploration, adventure, puzzle-solving and accessible but challenging combat is moulded together by Ember Lab fantastically well. The news that a sequel, Kena: Scars of Kosmora, is coming out shortly makes me incredibly excited!
When taking the whole experience into account, The Midnight Walk is a lot of style over substance that isn’t actually that much fun to play, which can work for some. Certainly, I’m sure there are some teenagers out there playing this game right now who are preparing to craft their entire personalities around it for the next few years to come. These things come in cycles, you see. But much like those same teenagers years later when reflecting on their blunder years, as I look back on my time with The Midnight Walk, I’m already struggling to recall specific details and why they were meant to be so important. In time the cycle will continue, and another “cute horror” game will emerge to remix the familiar into something vaguely new and neat. By then, your embers will most likely have been forgotten, little Pot Boy.
While the Bellabel Park addition is generally quite lacklustre, it can’t be argued that it’s simply an add-on to a flawless game. All of the main issues with the original have been fixed in this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and playing through Super Mario Bros. Wonder for a second time gave me the warm and fuzzies like I was playing it for the very first time.
Spilt Milk Studios has made such a cute, cosy game set in a fantasy world. I love all the named NPCs and all the different races that come to your store. However, the trash left behind by the titular Trash Goblin has left a bit of a stench on the Switch port of this title. I do genuinely recommend exploring the life of running a trinket store, just maybe not on the Switch.
The Zooseum DLC is an excellent addition to the base Two Point Museum game. The same silly fun with some excellent new mechanical additions; it’s a great reason to pick up Two Point Museum again and dive back in.