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If you threw a party and invited all of the adventure/roleplaying games along, Unepic would be the one in the center of the room blurting out jokes, laughing too loudly and making sarcastic comments about all of the other guests.
Get past the iffy localisation and maybe the cutesy characters if you have to, and DragonfangZ is a fun and interesting genre mash up. The roguelike element makes it ideal for a quick pick up and play session, but you'll also be rewarded if you invest more time to build up stats and learn the increasingly deep systems that are more in line with traditional JRPGs. All in all, it's simple-looking yet increasingly deep experience, one that can be as absorbing as it is perplexing.
At its best, which is when a level is at just the right difficulty for the individual player, Nuclien provides a very smooth, fast-paced, and satisfying number puzzle experience. The aesthetic is pleasing for the most part, and blasting your way through intricate layouts feels great. With only a couple of hours' worth of content on offer, all of which is based around the same concept, Nuclien does feel a little bare-bones (although, in fairness, this is reflected in the asking price). It won't wow or amaze you as you play, but it isn't a bad way to pass the time, either - especially if you enjoy quick reflex puzzles on the go.
Despite a few niggles with the implementation of its drawing mechanics on a button-based handheld, Draw A Stickman: EPIC 2 remains one of the most creative genre mashups we've played on Switch. With a splash of RPG, a sprinkling of puzzle solving and a generous dollop of creativity, you end up with a recipe for family friendly entertainment that feels fresh and new on Nintendo's hybrid console (even if it has been out on PC for over two years already). Add in the Down Below DLC as standard and it's not hard to draw your own conclusions on this little gem.
Furi's series of dauntingly challenging boss fights are capable of turning all but the most committed of player into a gibbering wreck. It's a deceptively clever game that combines shooter and and beat-'em-up mechanics, all wrapped up in a stylish anime-influenced shell. It's not for everyone, with numerous difficulty spikes and an over-reliance on repetition. But it's refreshing to see a game rewards patient observation and persistence, as well as mastery of a carefully calibrated control system.
The Escapists 2 is an ingenious, multi-layered clockwork sandbox that offers you a wide range of routes to freedom. Its tough demands and myriad competing systems can lead to frustration, but a winning sense of humour and knock-about fun always brings you back for another jailbreak attempt.
All told, Embers Of Mirrim is a delightful fantasy adventure with only a few notable flaws. It may be a bit on the short side and have some jarring bottlenecks that pull you out of your enjoyment, but it's a beautiful game to experience from an artistic standpoint. We would recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for art in gaming form. Although the gameplay sometimes misses that mark, Mirrim nonetheless stands as a worthy experience for those that are looking to try something a little more thoughtful.
When it's firing on all cylinders, running fast and smooth with massive and beautiful enemies getting obliterated by hundreds of lasers firing in all directions to furious metal guitar solos, RXN -Raijin- is everything an old school shmup fan needs, and a strong call back to what made the genre so revered in the first place. Unfortunately, the game also has some missteps ranging from the tolerable multi-pilot levelling system to infuriating slow down. The structure and chapter length suit short sessions, but may leave some players wanting more to chew on. At times thrilling, and at others confounding, it's a flawed but nonetheless enjoyable straight-up shmup.
Opus: The Day We Found Earth is a lovely little game. At more or less the length of a movie, it's not going to keep you entertained for the weekend, but it's perfect for a quiet night in. Digital stargazing is a surprisingly compelling pursuit, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with OPUS - it's charming, affecting and proof positive that the Switch can be a wonderful storyteller.
King Of The Monsters is simple to play, but with a range of moves available as you fight your way through the different creatures. Outside of aesthetics the monsters largely play the same however, making the fights quite repetitive. The game works well with the five minute caravan mode as you attempt to smash up as much of the city as possible, whilst not loosing the fight to increase your score. There's no long term appeal with the game, but turn off continues and boot it up for a few two-player fights every now and then and it can still provide some entertainment.
The King of Fighters '96 offers the usual enjoyable team battles with a good range of fighters to pick from. This particular entry introduces some nifty gameplay changes to the series. Of course, all of this and more would feature in the ultimately better The King of Fighters '98, but it's a confident entry in the series nonetheless. If you're interested in the ongoing story then The King of Fighters '96 is still a competent fighter, and there's plenty of entertainment to be had in its hand-drawn brawls.
Basic in both presentation and premise, Pic-A-Pix Deluxe serves up a dish of picross puzzling that will test your brain capacity but does little to innovate on a well-worn conundrum recipe. Still, with some Switch-specific features - including four-player multiplayer support - and plenty of nonograms to its name, Lightwood Games' pixel puzzler is right at home on Nintendo's new handheld home.
Slower paced than many shmups, Pulstar is still fun to play through as you avoid enemy attacks, take shots at your attackers and look for an opportunity to unleash a charged attack. Despite some elements blending into the background on occasion and moments of slowdown, the visuals in the game are well done. The music is great and enhances the experience greatly. A detachable pod would be a good option to add some choice to how you tackle the challenge and too often you must rely on memorisation to get through the dangers, but nevertheless Pulstar remains an tough yet enjoyable retro offering.
Even with extra content and performance enhancements, a frustratingly limited camera and lack of variety reduce Woodle to a cheap and cheerful but flawed and basic 3D jump and collect-athon. While its cute and whimsical charm and uncomplicated nature make it suitable and accessible to younger audiences, there are still plenty of contemporaries on the eShop that are more accomplished and polished. While adequate considering its price, it's nonetheless an idyllic yet simple little game.
Judging a game on its own merits is very important. However, when a title happens to borrow just about every aspect of its design from an iconic game series, it's hard not to acknowledge. Claims could be made that a game like this is nothing more than a shameless clone, but thankfully in the case of Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, the developer has intentionally crafted it with a sense of love and admiration of classic Zelda games. While it's not as flawlessly executed as the series it draws inspiration from and it doesn't add anything particularly groundbreaking, it's still a heartfelt tribute to the earlier entries in Nintendo's long-running series.
The Coma: Recut is interesting in concept, but flawed in its execution. Mixing survival horror with stealth and visual novel elements provides a unique side-scrolling experience. While the anime art style and slow pace might detract from the horror, along with the main mechanic becoming repetitive instead of scary, there is still enough narrative content to get invested in the twisted tale of Sehwa High.
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Deluxe fully deserves a place among Nintendo Switch's already amazing line up of local multiplayer titles. It's accessible yet deceptively deep twin stick-based mechanics make for a decent amount of challenge in the solo campaign, even if it's a little on the short side. Even with no online, using bots or getting up to five other friends involved, multiplayer matches are a joy and always thoroughly entertaining. Striking a great balance between cooperative and competitive play styles, It's combination of charming presentation and witty retro humour are sure to keep the laughs coming regardless of player demographic.
Easy to pick up and play, The Last Blade may at first seem a simple fighting game but you'll soon discover a good range of fighting options as you employ a mix of defensive and offensive tactics to see you through. Fights among the well-balanced cast of characters are hugely entertaining whether putting together a series of moves, interrupting an attack with a well timed deflection or simply stopping your opponent's assault with a kick to the face. Its excellent sequel will make an appearance on Switch in the future and should you only wish to have one Last Blade game, you'll need to decide if you prefer some extra characters and the EX mode to the balanced fighter lineup in this first game. Ideally, they'd be bundled together, but even on its own The Last Blade is one of the best picks for Switch-owning fighting fans.
Hiragana Pixel Party is a welcome rarity: an educational game that's both good fun and an effective learning tool. If you've ever wanted to read Japanese — whether for language study, travel, or playing import games — this is a great way to get started, and an enjoyable rhythm-based runner with an excellent chiptune soundtrack besides. がんばって!
If you've never jumped in to the enchanted world of Sparkle, this is as good a place as any to start. It's a polished, competent match three game with decent production, plenty of stages and addictive ball blasting action, even if it is very derivative and repetitive. For those familiar with the series or the genre as a whole, Sparkle unleashed is merely a slight variation on more of the same. With Sparkle 2 already out on Switch, as well as it being released for every other system in all the known kingdoms, Sparkle Unleashed is another solid, if unremarkable addition to the console's library.