Nintendo Life
HomepageNintendo Life's Reviews
Once you've got the hang of things Power Spikes II is a simple volleyball game that can provide some entertainment. There's a range of serve options, power shots and frantic moments where you hope to get to the ball in time, but the simplified nature leads to little variety even with the various shot types. There are times you can score quickly (maybe even from a serve) and there is a rush of excitement when you do so, but there is also a lot of time spent knocking the ball back-and-forth, simply tapping left or right to get into position to make sure the process can continue. Ultimately Power Spikes II is a little too simple to offer long term appeal.
Even if it sounds cliché, Gunhouse really is a game of two halves. On the one hand you have an immensely attractive looking title with a wonderfully unique art style, some amazing music and over the top characters. After a few rounds though, it feels like they are trying to mask what is underneath - a simple and sometimes frustrating sliding block puzzle game. The rules seem a bit too restrictive given the interesting melding of genres, especially how the controls in docked mode aren't ideal compared to using using the touchscreen in handheld mode. When things do click though, and there's a barrage of crazy firepower at your disposal. If you can embrace the craziness and forgive the missteps, the game becomes an immensely satisfying and addictive experience.
Of Mice and Sand -Revised- does a lot of things right; a mixture of quests, resource management, and a necessity for clever thinking result in a decent experience for the most dedicated fans of the genre. Unfortunately, though, a lack of clear direction and a tricky-to-master workflow mean that it likely won't quite click with everyone else; these games work best when you find yourself addicted to their menial tasks and, this time around, that sadly wasn't always the case. Not a bad option to consider for fans of tactical management, then, but be wary of our warnings if you do choose to give it a go.
While Baseball Riot has a simple, quirky, challenging and meaty campaign, there is a real sense of deja vu. The art style and core mechanics are virtually the same as its prequel, and although it is aesthetically vivid and satisfying to beat a difficult stage or line up a perfect shot to obliterate a row of nasty foes, the grind you go through to beat it might deplete that addictive nature that puzzle games such as this strive for. All in all, the game ends up being a solid, but often frustrating and wholly unoriginal experience.
Despite feeling a little too short in all, there's no denying the satisfying allure of ChromaGun's first-person puzzlery. More a hat-doffing love letter to Portal than a clone, it offers a unique experience on Switch - one sure to having many a cheek flushed with happy colours.
With plenty of replay value to be had through mission rankings, in-game collectibles and a vast list of missions to undertake, Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 certainly offers plenty of aerial bang for its buck. The mission template does repeat a little too often, but thankfully the art of maneuvering your helicopter around each level often elevates whatever cookie cutter goal you've tasked with completing. Silly and challenging in equal measure, this little port makes a relatively painless landing on Nintendo Switch.
Super Meat Boy is another excellent indie addition to Switch's library.
Double Dragon gives you a number of ways to dispatch enemies, a few different attacks to deal with thanks to the use of weapons and the fighting generally works well. There are a few issues with the game, however, with the biggest two being its short length and its distracting slowdown. If you are just looking to clear the game, then there's little long term value here, although it is fun to go through again with a friend, battling the bad guys before your final showdown. Arcade Archives Double Dragon is not an essential download, but there's still enjoyment to be had from this old school title.
If you're interested in a horror-inspired Bomberman clone with shaky movement, non-distinct stages and a toned down freneticism BRAWL might just pique your interest. For the rest of you looking for a party/combat game there are other, more solid feeling, options out there including but not limited to Switch's own Super Bomberman R.
Vesta does a remarkably fine job of aping the design and simple brilliance of Zelda puzzles, while putting its own unique spin on things as it does so. Though its puzzles can sometimes be unfairly or frustratingly designed, a pleasing visual style, meaty campaign and generally satisfying gameplay loop make this a win in our book; we'd absolutely suggest you give Vesta a try (especially if you're a Zelda fan). There's plenty to love about this quirky puzzle game, and it's one you'll likely want to revisit from time to time.
Ambition Of The Slimes throws the classic turn-based RPG formula on its head, enabling you to use the underdog to capture human enemies and battle in an interesting, new way. The large variety of attacks, abilities, and techniques available to you make the battles truly exciting, but a very harsh level of difficulty across all game modes sadly results in a lot of frustration. If you enjoy your turn-based battle games, this one is most definitely an interesting option for you to consider – just make sure to be prepared for a very, very tough challenge.
Shu is an elegant, attractive and thoughtful 2D platformer that strips away a lot of the excess of its genre rivals. It's still not ripping up any rulebooks or reinventing the wheel, and it's far from the best platformer on the eShop. If you're after a more sedate alternative to Sonic Mania and company, however, it's an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.
Bite-sized but very tough to chew, Yōdanji is a devilishly tricky roguelike with a fun theme, addictive, goal-based gameplay and massive replay value. Its 21 unlockable characters are the key to the latter, with each yōkai essentially acting as its own unique class, and discovering and trying to master the mechanics of each monster is pure old-school joy. Its anachronistic presentation won't be for everyone, and clunky controls make for a sometimes confusing crawl, but anyone looking for a tough-as-nails good time with plenty of personality will get more than their money's worth here.
Azkend 2: The World Beneath does everything it can to spice up the 'match 3' puzzle genre, boasting a narrative thread, power ups to collect and different objectives at every turn.
All told, 60 Seconds! is a disappointing addition to Switch's growing library and one that we would recommend you take a pass on. Although the idea at its core isn't half bad, there's very little here that we would say is done well, and given that there's no shortage of excellent games on the Switch eShop, you'd be better off spending your money on something else. Big fans of survival games might find some enjoyment in this one, but we'd recommend you pick up The Flame In The Flood instead, or wait for more survival titles to arrive.
InnerSpace is a really intriguing title that we wish we didn't want to ever put down; the game's worlds give such a strong sense of amazement that you will want to spend every second flying through them. Unfortunately, you'll likely be left too frustrated by the sometimes near-impossible-to-find story progression tasks to keep going. We really want to love this game, and we very nearly did, but we just can't quite manage it.
World To The West is a nicely put-together adventure game, making use of a good roster of characters with different abilities to provide the player with enjoyable puzzles and combat. Some pacing issues and the odd niggle here and there prevent this game from being truly special but, if you are a fan of 3D adventure games full of humour and exploration-based puzzles, you'll definitely have some fun here.
Nightmare Boy throws a whole heap of platform-adventure ideas at the wall, but only a few of them manage to stick. It's a Metroidvania with a distinctive style all of its own, but there are some glaring issues with its narrative, controls, pacing and performance. If you're after something completely different in the platformer category and have a high frustration threshold, however, there's a certain amount of quirky fun to be had here.
Romancing SaGa 2 is really intriguing new JRPG. The combat system has a great sense of depth thanks to its distinctive take on levelling, the inclusion of formations and how the player is held accountable for each party member. The kingdom management aspects also provide a greater sense of player agency and helps set it apart from conventional role-playing games. Due to this design, the story and character development – including the dialogue throughout – aren't quite as refined as other Square Enix titles. Regardless, the entire concept has aged surprisingly well – even by modern standards.
Art Of Fighting 2 takes the first game and improves on it in a number of ways.