Nintendo Life
HomepageNintendo Life's Reviews
Art of Fighting was certainly visually impressive when it arrived in 1992 with large sprites, a good camera system and a (simple) story that works well. Unfortunately the game is quite limited, with only two of the ten characters available in the single player mode. The strong attacks are awkwardly implemented and whilst the spirit gauge could provide an interesting way of playing, it is quickly forgotten about as you move to fight against the CPU's repetitive attacks. There are some good ideas here and a two-player fight can provide a little entertainment, but SNK would produce more successful fighting games after this. Some of them are available on the Switch (for the same price) and would be a better choice than Art of Fighting.
Beach Buggy Racing is a decent kart-racer; the driving is fun, the items are bonkers, and you'll likely be playing it for some time. Perhaps enjoyed best in small bursts, and without the expectation of it being a mega-serious racer, the game does offer some easy-to-play fun for both solo players and groups of family or friends. It can't steal Mario Kart's pole position and it suffers from a couple of little niggles but for a fraction of the price it does offer an acceptable alternative.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was a massive game on other platforms and is even bigger on the Switch. The visual downgrades were expected, but the removal of the gray filter present on other platforms actually makes the Switch version look better overall, in this scribe's opinion at least. The brilliantly rendered cutscenes, deep character customisation and fine-tuned fighting mechanics make for a title that is easy to pick up but hard to put down. This is another case of a game that makes one wonder just how much developers can do with Nintendo's diminutive console. Fans of fighting games and Dragon Ball alike should look forward to picking this one up.
Point-and-click beginners may struggle with the myriad puzzles Thimbleweed Park lays across its curiosity-piquing plot, but its developers have rightfully made it possible to get ahead even when all you see are dead ends, with the inclusion of the tips line.
For fans of SteamWorld Dig we suspect the recommendation isn't needed as they'll buy this anyway. For those that skipped the first game, however, Dig 2 is a must-have - its charming aesthetic and cast set the scene for a tightly designed and clever exploration game. Now the wait begins for SteamWorld Dig 3.
Robonauts reworks the conventions of a classic arcade shooter by pairing the timeless genre with basic platform game action.
Overall then, Semispheres is a wonderful puzzle game with some incredibly clever level designs that will leave you stumped at times, a tricky but enjoyable twin-stick system, and a beautifully designed world with pleasing visuals and sound. A couple of things let the experience down slightly and the whole thing can be completed in under three hours, so it isn't a bargain for the asking price, but you'll definitely find enjoyment in getting to grips with the puzzles and character movement. A great buy for puzzle fans and a potential pleaser for everyone else too, Semispheres is certainly one to consider.
If it gets patched soon we'll happily declare this one a highly recommended game, but in its current state we simply can't recommend it at all. Fingers are firmly crossed 2K will issue a patch quickly to solve the problem, but there is of course no assurance of that at present.
The overall presentation is a futuristic pixel art masterpiece, while the synth techno soundtrack is varied, tense, moody and constantly thrilling. Failing however regularly never becomes dull and whether roguelikes, lites or procedurally generated games float your proverbial boat, NeuroVoider has charm, addictive and explosive gameplay with a vibrant cyborg chic aesthetic. Despite ticking a lot of popular genre boxes, it manages to dig its mechanical feet in on its own merits due to frantic action, satisfyingly tight controls and a wide range of customisation through parts and weapons.While the idea of a roguelike RPG shooter might sound like a bit of a mish mash, NeuroVoider is an immensely enjoyable experience if you want to invest time in the customisation or just go in arcade style, all plasma cannons and laser beams blazing.
Sine Mora is an intriguing, stylish shooter that's well worth a punt at a budget price. Sine Mora EX, however, is a trickier sell; the underlying quality is still there and it can be a memorable experience, but the additions are sloppy and add little, making it tough to justify at its full price. On Switch it has portability going for it, with the game looking handsome on the handheld or TV - it's understandably sharper and easier to play than in the previous Vita version, for portable fans. It's a fascinating game, and may draw you back for plenty of repeat plays or even score-chasing runs to climb online leaderboards. Its flaws, however, mean it's not currently among the best of its genre.
Taken on its own merits this is comfortably one of the the best fighting games on the Switch right now, and offers surprising depth, stunning presentation, brilliant offline and online multiplayer modes and bags of replayability.
36 Fragments of Midnight does a lot of things right - a cute protagonist, nice platforming, and an easy to understand objective make it seem like you're onto a winner. Unfortunately, though, even with its low asking price it is hard to fully recommend a game that can easily be completed in under 15 minutes.
Great visual design, varied levels and a number of different enemies make Spin Master an enjoyable game to play through. It can be cleared very quickly, but limiting your credits is a good way to ensure the challenge remains. Those uninterested in highscore chasing will find less replayablity in the game, but it's a fun way to spend half an hour whenever you do boot it up; it offers quick arcade thrills when playing with a friend, whether on a big screen or undocked with a Joy-Con each.
R.B.I. Baseball is a game that isn't sure of what it wants to be. It incorporates some elements of both retro and modern titles, but rather than fusing successful elements of both eras, R.B.I. falls flat. Extremely dated visuals, poor presentation, absence of online modes, bad animation and overall lack of polish make for a game that we simply can't recommend, even to hardcore baseball fans.
At first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking Puzzle Adventure Blockle was a cheap and nasty mobile port. This is not the case. While simplistic in terms of its design, the game's art, audio, and overall execution is hard to fault. The weakest aspect of this title is ironically the story. The excessive script that sets it apart from many other puzzle games is what prevents it from being a more tolerable, accessible and generally more enjoyable title at the same time. The positive to take from this is that the puzzle segments are at least fun to play for both short and prolonged periods, and cater to all skill levels as each one can be merely passed or completely perfected. Anyone looking for a good puzzle game, that continues to add extra layers to its core mechanics as progress is made, may want to take a look at Puzzle Adventure Blockle.
Lichtspeer is mechanically simple but stylistically demented. Set in a world that throws more neon at you than a dodgy warehouse rave, its arcade style gameplay is certainly repetitive, but satisfying enough to keep your interest for a while with the solid spear-hurling gameplay at its core. The addition of co-op multiplayer is well implemented, both enjoyable in its own right and extremely easy to jump in or out of. It's a short, repetitious experience, well-suited to the Switch's portable nature, but its occasionally unfair difficulty is used to pad the game out. Additional content and a bit more variety would make this über compelling, but it's still a good time so long as you keep an eye on your blood pressure.
A deceptively simple idea that can become laboured and bewildering as well as oddly compelling, Kingdom: New Lands is certainly a curious take on the strategy genre. Its ambiguous, incredibly minimalistic nature will initially intrigue and could easily frustrate in equal measure. Fans of roguelikes or tower defence-style games may prefer more complexity, as the simple mechanics give you control over choices rather than actions and rely on astute observation and perseverance, rather than on skill or improvisation. There is a balance to learn and a set of rules to be discovered, but even with the admittedly gorgeous aesthetic - and progressing beyond the initial stages to where the dilemma of ambition over security ramps up - it may still not be enough of a pay off to reward your time. Definitely one to consider, albeit carefully.
There's certainly nothing wrong with celebrating the past and polishing up classic game concepts for modern consumption, but Double Dragon 4 is a prime example of how not to do a revival - which is ironic when you consider that the WayForward-made Double Dragon Neon did a much better job back in 2012. The use of NES-style graphics isn't a negative in itself, but too little has been done to refine and improve gameplay which, even back in the late '80s, was showing its age against a new breed of slicker and more enjoyable examples of the genre. The co-op focus of the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers does at least mean it's easy to rope in another player for a trip down memory lane, but this is nonetheless a crushing disappointment given the incredible potential of the franchise, and should only be purchased by diehard Billy and Jimmy fans.
Monster Hunter Stories is an excellent adventure that channels the colourful world of Capcom's storied series into a joyous JRPG. It suffers from performance issues on non-New 3DS hardware, but it's still full of personality, beautifully presented and fun to play, with combat that's easy to grasp but engaging throughout. Longtime MonHun fans will appreciate Stories as a thoughtfully-made spin-off, but the gameplay template and tone are so different that you don't need to be familiar with — or even enjoy! — mainline Monster Hunter to have a great time here. Regardless of whether you've been hunting Hornetaurs since the beginning or couldn't tell a Felyne from a Fatalis, Stories is yet another charming 3DS RPG that's well worth your time.
Don't be fooled by the connection to Metroid II: this game has been revamped, redesigned and rejuvenated to such an extreme degree that to all intents and purposes it's a brand new adventure. This is far and away one of the best Metroid games ever made, and one of the best examples of the entire Metroidvania genre as a result. Melee counters and free aiming have made combat feel fresh and exciting again, while the environments are incredible – especially when viewed in auto-stereoscopic 3D. It's a given that this is a must-buy for Metroid fans, but it's also essential for those who've never played a 2D Metroid and want to see what the fuss is all about. This is what the fuss is all about, and the wait was so, so worth it.