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Infernium is a beautiful, strange first-person adventure that draws its inspiration from an eclectic range of sources. It's frequently frustrating and maddeningly vague, but those with the determination to crack its secrets will be richly rewarded.
All told, Streets of Red is a surprisingly varied and replayable game with plenty of clever ideas and riffs on the old school arcade beat 'em up formula. Though the visuals and music may not be terribly exciting, the pop culture references crammed into every stage help to give the game lots of charm.
Octocopter: Double or Squids is still just as enjoyable as it was when it was originally released on the Wii U. With a number of updates that improve the overall experience and the inclusion of multiplayer, original owners who did enjoy it the first time round have a great excuse to buy it again.
Rogue Aces is a stellar, fresh experience - even more so if you never played spiritual forerunner Wings of Fury - that has landed on the Switch eShop seemingly out of nowhere. It not only delivers an audio-visual treat but also an overwhelmingly entertaining stimulation of the senses thanks to the frenetic aerial ballets you will take part in. Easy to pickup but devilishly hard to walk away from, Rogue Aces demands just the right amount of arcade shmup skills and strategic planing with the odd lucky break when something just works out. All of this is complimented by some excellent humour in the form of audio quips from your Captain, the enemy Baron aces and the one-liners from ally pilots. Kick the tires and light the fires, fellow Switch pilots; this war won't be winning itself with you sitting pretty on that carrier deck.
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.
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.
All told, Lode Runner Legacy is the sort of game that fails to impress, but does enough things right to be properly satisfying. Even though the levels can feel rather stale after a while and the presentation is underwhelming, there's a huge amount of content on offer and the creative suite adds a meaningful dimension to the overall package. We'd give this game a recommendation, particularly for fans of puzzle games. Lode Runner Legacy is certainly not a must-buy, but it also won't be disappointing if you do opt to take the plunge.
From the outset, Masters Of Anima, tries its utmost to engage with a different world that's ruled by a unique magic, bare-bones lore and a bunch of awkwardly portrayed and forgettable characters. The floundering voice acting and clunky script, coupled with a cringe-worthy story that's more embarrassing than your drunk uncle dancing at a wedding, grates quickly. The title certainly won't hold your hand when it comes to defeating the only enemy in the game, which could prove to be tedious for some. Masters Of Anima is no Pikmin, but if you're looking for a fantasy land filled with tough enemy encounters and a game that's relatively straightforward, then this one is for you.
Bombslinger is a decent game, but its brutal and unforgiving difficulty is sure to turn many potential buyers off. Building up a character with abilities, items, and weapons is engaging as you find new ways to deal with what's put in front of you, but to have that all ripped away upon death is truly heart-breaking. If you can stomach the set-backs then Bombslinger is sure to please, but if you'd rather take your belongings to the grave, you'll be in for a tougher and more frustrating time.
You may be able to clear the whole game loop in under 30 minutes, but we very much doubt you will play it once and never touch it again. It's quite simply brilliant, addictive and another must-have shmup you need to add to your growing digital arcade Switch collection.
The Bunker puts legacy FMV games to shame, delivering a slickly produced psychological horror experience for the price of a trip to your local cinema.
Super Daryl Deluxe is one of the coolest games on Nintendo Switch right now. Its skill-based combat will have you coming back for more as you unlock numerous abilities that change the game, the story will have you laughing with its witty through line, and the visual presentation is a sight to behold thanks to a stylish art style that is sure to please. If you ever need a bit of a pick me up, there's not much better than playing Super Daryl Deluxe on the go.
Sling Ming is a polished game with rock-solid physics and smart puzzles, all shot through with a simple, endearing story and a catchy soundtrack. Difficulty is carefully balanced with addictive mechanics that reward perseverance, leaving a game that can stand proudly with the best indie offerings on the eShop.
Devious Dungeon is far from a bad game. Its feedback loop of exploration, levelling up and gear acquisition makes for a fun and rewarding experience for the first few hours, but its lack of tangible depth ultimately torpedoes the endless potential of its randomly built dungeons.
Despite that glaring lack of online multiplayer - and a slightly awkward off-screen targeting system - Skies Of Fury DX brings a new slice of fun, fast and furious dogfighting to Nintendo Switch.
While Nintendo Switch isn't short on puzzle games, it's still got plenty of room for those with a clever twist at their heart. Warp Shift has plenty of creativity at its own core, offering up an engaging twist on some simple principles. While it may be a little light on the narrative - a crying shame considering how interesting the world beyond its puzzles appear - there's still plenty of brain-teasing fun to be had in its charming company.
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.
Tengai is part of a distinguished niche shmup pantheon we like to refer to as the 'flying-person shooter'. It sits comfortably on top of other great examples of the genre such as Forgotten Worlds, Space Harrier, Lords of Thunder, Cho Aniki and Gynoug (aka Wings of Wor). It's not only one of the finest shmups developed by Psikyo during its active years, but an absurd luxury to have it at this very sensible price. It offers an arcade perfect, single- or two-player horizontal scrolling shmup that still manages to not only pack a punch and a challenge but make current age efforts looks dull by comparison.
ClusterPuck 99 is certainly worth considering if you plan on hosting an eight-person party any time soon for a night of local multiplayer action. It won't be the star attraction, but it'll entertain friends and family for more brief periods. Where the game falls short is its lack of online multiplayer. It would have been great to be able to team up with the same number of people online. Additional modes could have then been included such as a competitive mode. Without online, what's left is a game that just isn't anywhere near as entertaining for solo players and is very hard to recommend. If you are interested in this, ideally you'll at least a few people around to play this game with.
World Heroes 2 Jet is not a bad fighter, but it's not a must-download title either.