Switchaboo
HomepageSwitchaboo's Reviews
If it weren't for the extra battle modes and decent replayability, I probably would've gone with a six, but it's that which keeps its head above water and carries it through. The core gameplay is classic Super Monkey Ball fun through-and-through, and fans of the series will revel in that. I had good mindless fun with this one; it was easy to get lost in the fun and before long, I found I had been playing for a few hours without realising it. It's just... nothing special, you know?
Paper Trail is an adorable story that unfolds into being about making your own path in life and seeing things in a new light. Every little detail leads into adorable environmental storytelling that slowly unravels Paige's backstory in-between each area. While I am not usually a fan of puzzle games, Paper Trail enamoured me with its humorous characters and accessibility, providing the folds you have to do without giving you everything.
Intelligent Systems has knocked it out of the ballpark with their quality of life changes, updated music for each chapter, incredible humour, and an all-around perfect experience for Mario RPG fans. Truly, this is the definitive edition of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and an exceptional entry point for younger gamers to explore the world of RPGs while providing enough ways for experienced gamers to give themselves a challenge. I can't recommend Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door any more than this and it’s a must have for any switch owner or RPG fan.
I'm enjoying Biomutant on the Nintendo Switch, but there’s still so much I've not touched upon, like the vehicle sections, mounts, and challenging boss encounters. However, while Biomutant does stumble in some areas, it’s still an enjoyable adventure, even with its shortcomings.
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a fun little quirky time that can fill a single evening with ear-to-ear smiling joy. Admittedly, having a series of individual cases would've provided it with more longevity; perhaps in a sequel. And what a sequel that would be; this game made me smile more than any game has managed to do this year, and that is worth the price of admission many times over.
The strange combination of cosy fishing game and untold horrors make DREDGE an atmospheric and ultimately fun experience that can draw you in for hours. Some minor pacing issues and overly-linear progression don’t stop this from being a worthy addition to your switch collection. Just make sure to keep an eye on the depths
Endless Ocean: Luminous is a very niche title; some will love it while others won't, although, in my opinion, it's a decent diving experience on the Switch. There's definitely some fun to be had with others online, which is the best part of the whole game. Although the magic from the original hasn't made the cut here, leaving Endless Ocean: Luminous adrift at sea.
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is faithful to many of the 1990s classics. Fans of Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Doom and especially Turok: Dinosaur Hunter will love this game. You can tell KillPixel knows their stuff!. There will, of course, always be a market for a good old homage because I think we all want to be reminded of simpler times. Wrath: Aeon of Ruin certainly does that and is one of the best boomer-shooter throwbacks I’ve played.
Stitch. is a lovely little puzzler on the Nintendo Switch. There's enough content to keep you playing with its daily challenges, weekly puzzlers, unlockable content and possible DLC offerings in future. Its gameplay is easy to understand and addictive once you get into it. If you haven't already realised, stitch. is worth your time and money and will be a favourite for anyone who loves puzzlers. I wholeheartedly recommend this one!
All in all, CorpoNation: The Sorting Process is a beautifully dreary dystopian narrative game. If you like the dystopian genre, customisation, pixel art style, and gameplay reminiscent of Papers, Please, you will love this game. Even though it is challenging at times, and the sorting controls may fight you, if you give Ringo 110%, then you will succeed. Well, I’m off to play some state sanctioned video games... Work hard!
On reflection, I now realise how original Another Crab’s Treasure actually is. It’s quite bold to take a genre known for a certain tone (gloomy, gothic moodiness) and overlay a completely polar opposite tone on top of it. That takes some cojones! But Another Crab’s Treasure pulls it off, and Aggro Crab must be applauded for presenting a challenging, meaningful and, at times, riotous gameplay experience.
Regardless of its issues, I'm loving ArcRunner on the Nintendo Switch; it's a very addictive roguelike, gameplay loop. I especially love the online mode, the selection of weapons, and the perks. Though I wish there were a few more characters to play as, that's just a personal gripe. ArcRunner is a fast paced shooter and if you love roguelikes, this is a no-brainer!
When I saw the trailer, I was captivated by the art and its presentation. However, it appears I fell victim to shallow marketing efforts. Aside from Maliki: Poison of the Past’s stellar 2D artwork, every aspect feels clunky and lacking in any form of satisfaction. I don’t revel in being this negative, especially when, behind this game, I know it’d have a team of passionate developers’ hard work behind it, but I just can’t see this game as something to recommend. The trailer made the game show promise, but I’m afraid it talked the talk when it couldn’t walk the walk.
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.