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To me, a perfect game isn’t one that does everything and can appeal to every single player: it’s a game that succeeds in everything that it proposes itself to do, in how it executes itself and in its own experience. Unicorn Overlord is perfect. This review took a while as I truly legitimately sat down and mulled over the game, wondering if there was anything that I truly had a problem with, but the truth is that I didn’t. I enjoyed every single second of Unicorn Overlord in a way that I haven’t enjoyed any game in many years. This was my first taste of a Vanillaware game, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have hit a jackpot and picked up an absolute masterpiece on my first try. As a fan of RPGs, as a fan of fantasy and fiction, as a gamer and generally as a person, I cannot recommend Unicorn Overlord enough. If you have any interest in its genre at all, it will be well worth the time invested.
Moonglow Bay on the Nintendo Switch is a fun, if not flawed, fishing game. I like using the boat to explore, find new fish by collecting data on them in my journal, plus there’s lots of tasks to complete, allowing you to rebuild the town, along with a pretty cool photo mode, but the performance issues hamper this relaxing voyage somewhat.
Since I had a hard time battling motion sickness while playing this game, I could only really play in short intervals. And even though I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the gameplay, and the game in general, not being able to play it for longer than 25 minutes at a time really put a damper on my enjoyment as a player. I really hope that there can be changes made to be less nauseating, and more intuitive (e.g. shortcuts to map with a player marker). Overall, I would say that Botany Manor is a good game… taken in small bites.
It’s weird—I actually did like Pepper Grinder plenty, and I think that it did an amazing job making its gameplay responsive and intuitive, but it legitimately feels like they got a very sturdy base and forgot to build the rest on top of it. I want to play more, but the game loses me after a small handful of stages, and I can’t shake the feeling I’m drilling by myself in an empty place. Gameplay twists, some dialogue, more expressiveness, maybe some plot - there are plenty of things that could’ve elevated Pepper Grinder from a quick snack into a great meal, but they’re just not present. I do still recommend that you pick it up if you enjoy the aesthetics and the platforming style, but ultimately - it needs more seasoning
I am so happy that Princess Peach: Showtime! exists. It's about time Princess Peach got her time in the spotlight, both metaphorically and literally. And yet, after all is said and done, the game sadly won't live up to the heights of some of her Mushroom Kingdom pals' solo entries. The gameplay is fun but basic; the level design is well suited for each transformation but gets repetitive. The game actually reminded me of a classic 3DS 2D platformer, it would've worked wonderfully on that system, especially with the set designs and the 3D slider (what could have been). Overall, it's a fun time; it just fell a little short in its execution.
South Park: Snow Day! is a miserable disappointment of a game; it is by far the WORST game I’ve reviewed here in my time at Switchaboo. I’d rather play the infamously terrible South Park first person shooter on the Nintendo 64 because at least that game was short.
After playing Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, I still have no idea what the world of Moomin really is. But I will say that I am starting to understand why it is so popular here in Japan. The characters and environment feel like they're jumping off the pages of a picture book. This game has been a wonderful experience. Even though it holds no challenge, if you’re having a stressful day, I recommend playing Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley while curled up in a blanket with a nice cup of hot chocolate. It certainly made my hectic days better, so I feel like it would do the same for you.
Dungeon Drafters is a decent game, but I can’t deny that I thoroughly enjoyed its limited Steam Next Fest demo more than its full release. I was expecting it to expand on what we saw in said demo, but instead, it focused on stuff that wasn’t in it.
Contra: Operation Galuga is ok for a weekend get-away but it doesn't do enough to stand apart from the thousands of better run & gunners on the eShop. If you want to play a good Contra game, look no further than the Contra Anniversary Collection.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fine game. Just fine. It doesn’t do anything particularly memorable, but what it does, it does so well. It’s entertaining on a basic level, and I did have fun, but I’m not going to look back at the Switch library and think of this game as a standout. Not every game needs to be a The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey, that much is certain, but as far as Nintendo published games are concerned, this one barely scratches the itch of memorable joy that one would expect from them.
It’s no surprise that Penny’s Big Breakaway is a modern-day masterpiece in the platforming genre, you can really tell that the development team has a true passion for momentum-style platformers. In short, Penny’s Big Breakaway sticks the landing and finishes with a flourish.
Look, I can go on and on about problems as much as I want, but at the end of the day? This game is a blast. Berserk Boy is exactly the fix of action platforming that I needed in my life, and it’s just the perfect mixture of fun and challenging. Yes, I wish that the characters and the story were a lot more interesting, and I genuinely believe that it could have been done, but this game is just plain fun as hell. Sometimes a game conquers all of its problems on vibes and hype alone, and boy am I glad that Berserk Boy is one of these. Not only did this game make me happy, it gives me the feeling that if the creator decides to make more games, they will be gems. I’m excited to see more, and definitely recommend you pick up Berserk Boy.
Tamarak Trail has a unique take on the deck building roguelite genre; however, with the use of dice, you trade strategic choices for randomness. The campaign doesn't help keep you interested, and ultimately, it feels like a chore, especially when you come across the same enemies. Yarrow Games rolled the dice with Tamarak Trail and they ended up with a promising structure that lacks meat on the bone.
Cricket Through the Ages is a hysterical romp that had me audibly laugh out loud throughout its entire two-hour run time. It takes the sport and tells a silly historical recap from the Prehistoric Age to a zany space age. It's a short experience, and while it's certainly not perfect, it's an absolute hoot and you'll absolutely remember it for years to come.
It’s been widely reported (though not fully corroborated) that the original Final Fantasy was so-called as an allegory to it being Hironobu Sakaguchi’s last chance saloon in the industry. So here we are, reviewing Elden Pixel’s latest title, A Void Hope. Is there any meaning behind that? I sincerely hope not, because A Void Hope is a bold leap for Elden Pixels, and one I feel has paid off. It’s an engrossing, if slightly dark, narrative experience that will please any horror fan. The games industry would be a sadder place without Elden Pixels, so, everyone, please back your beloved indies!
While playing Cavern of Dreams, I could have shut my eyes and been transported back to the late 90s/early 2000s. It’s Friday night, I’ve got a stuffed crust pizza from the local supermarket, I’ve just finished watching Robot Wars and it’s time to go upstairs and play Banjo Kazooie… OK, maybe Cavern of Dreams doesn’t quite hit the same heights, but it’s arguably the best collectathon I’ve played on the Nintendo Switch in the six years since Yooka Laylee came out.
I did enjoy my time with Jujitsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash, especially the online co-op mode; however, the combat can take a while to understand. Things aren't perfect here as there are some balancing issues and, while it's not going to re-invent the fighting genre, there is some fun to be had online if you can get over the game's short-comings.
Another Code: Recollection is a leisurely experience for fans of puzzle games and narrative-driven adventures that has successfully integrated two titles on different platforms into one experience for the Switch—with some new gameplay mechanics. Players can enjoy uncovering the full mysteries of Ashley’s past, including some unexpected plot twists, in this undemanding offering.
Rising Lords has an interesting world to explore, but it is for the most part locked behind a highly difficult campaign. With the struggles that come from just putting the game in sleep mode, the mediocre tutorial, and the overall poor performance, there's a feeling of an early access game given a full release too early. The bones of Rising Lord's are strong enough; with some effort and improvements, there's potential for new additions to the genre; however, the switch port just doesn’t hold up.
The developers of GRIME, Clover Bite, more than deserve all of the praise they’ve received over the last three years. GRIME is up there with the best Soulslike metroidvanias, and the Definitive Edition is great value for money due to all of the content included. As a result of all this GRIME II is one of my most anticipated games of 2024. However, ultimately, the performance issues on Nintendo Switch mean I’m unable to score it higher, and I’d also recommend any Switch players seriously review whether there are better platforms to enjoy GRIME on.