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As an opening salvo from Nintendo in publishing a 'Nindie' itself on the eShop, this stacks up well and achieves its goals - for those looking to share Switch with friends and family members of all gaming stripes, Snipperclips is an excellent option.
As an ode to the RPGs of the past, I Am Setsuna succeeds in recreating the sort of adventure you experienced on older Nintendo hardware. Its combat system is the main supplier of this nostalgia, with the deep active time battle system, the number of weapons and moves you can perform, and the time management aspect.But those not looking to take a trip down memory lane may be left wanting more, though in pure gameplay hours this offers a reasonable return on investment. The no-thrills plotline and gameplay outside of combat could have been fleshed out, leaving this one short of its full potential. I Am Setsuna could be the perfect complement to your Nintendo Switch, but if you're not foaming at the mouth with nostalgia it's certainly an optional purchase.
Specter of Torment is the latest in a fantastic series of games; it further cements Yacht Club Games's reputation as a developer capable of crafting experiences that are not only on par with, but often surpass the efforts of some of the largest studios in the world.The game's excellent level design, charming art style and top-notch soundtrack hold up as well in 2017 as they did three years ago in the original Shovel Knight. If you haven't played a Shovel Knight game before, we would highly recommend you pick up Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove for your Switch instead of this, as it contains Specter of Torment as well, but if you'd rather save some cash you can't go wrong with Specter of Torment.
Super Bomberman R is a no-frills entry in a series which has been dormant for far too long. It's hard to believe, but it has been nearly 10 years since we had a proper Bomberman title on a Nintendo console, and the Switch's unique focus on local multiplayer makes this a perfect fit - we can finally put the Sega Saturn version with its cable-tangling multitap accessory in the cupboard. Support for Switch Pro Controller as well as single and dual Joy-Con play - along with local network and online multiplayer - make this the go-to multiplayer launch title for old-school gamers who those who have never played a Bomberman title before and want to see what all the fuss is about. If you're looking to share the joy with your friends at launch, Super Bomberman R is your best bet, but for those flying solo, it might be a less fulfilling experience.
The 3DS eShop has a new hit in Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D. With addictive gameplay, pleasing aesthetics and plenty of unlockable content, you'll find a lot to love in what is clearly a labour of love from Tanukii Studios. Hopefully, this imaginative and charming sequel will find the audience and success it clearly deserves.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a landmark release for its franchise and Nintendo. It's the first time that Nintendo has truly taken on the open-world genre in a current-generation sense; in arriving late to the party, though, it embraces some strengths from top-of-the-class games while also forging its own identity. This game is a revolution for the franchise, but the Legend of Zelda essence is still there - its soul remains.The end result, then, is a captivating experience. This will be in the running as the best game in the IP's history, and it will likely be discussed as a leading contender in the broader open-world genre. Nintendo has bravely taken one of its biggest franchises in a new direction, and it's delivered a triumph.
1-2-Switch does a great job of showing off the unique feature set of the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers, but it's seriously lacking in long-term appeal. When played with a group of friends or family members it's a proper hoot, and has the same social gaming appeal that made Wii Sports a living room tradition for so many households all over the world, but there's no escaping the fact that many of these mini-games lack longevity; some are so basic that they fail to maintain your interest past the first go, no matter how inebriated you and your pals happen to be.For a retail game, 1-2-Switch feels a little anemic, and would have been much better suited as a pack-in title. Nintendo has countered this stance by claiming that it couldn't bundle the game due to cost, but including a download code with each Switch sold wouldn't have incurred any real physical expense – beyond lost retail sales, of course - and that would have been a sensible trade-off when you consider how solid an advert this game is for the system. How many people were sold on the Wii's merits simply by witnessing Wii Sports at a friend's house? By refusing to bundle 1-2-Switch with the base system, Nintendo has missed out on the kind of exposure that marketing simply cannot buy you; as a stand-alone release it feels too fleeting and ephemeral, but as a free pack-in it would arguably have been much more appealing.
All told, Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is a relaxing yet surprisingly deep farm game. Though it takes some time to pick up speed right out of the gate, once the game establishes a rhythm it can be relatively hard to put down. An in-game day passes by so quick in real time, you'll find yourself going for just one more day, and this naturally makes the game a good fit for quick bursts of play on the go. When you take a look at all the content on offer — three distinct towns, dozens of unique NPCs, multiplayer options, and more than enough farming chores than can be handled in one day — you have a game that offers an incredible amount of bang for your buck.We would strongly recommend that you pick this up even if it only mildly interests you; the mechanics here are quite easy for newcomers to pick up, and the game does a great job of deepening things and leaving much of the path forward open to player choice. For the 20th anniversary of Harvest Moon, fans couldn't have asked for a better game, even if legal matters mean that it's not - officially - part of the celebrations.
Legna Tactica is a thoroughly middle-of-the-road experience; a serviceable clone of classics that fails to impress or distinguish itself beyond its influences. The SRPG gameplay at its heart is engaging and decently diverting, but bland characters, subpar writing, and a modest (perhaps slightly disappointing) presentation make it a tough recommendation in light of its company — if you're looking for a Final Fantasy Tactics clone, Mercenaries Saga 2 and 3 both fulfill the same role with more polish and a lower price tag. Otherwise, spend the extra gold for Stella Glow, Fire Emblem Fates, or Devil Survivor 2 — three of many tactical options with considerably more charm.If you've played through all of those alternatives, though, this is a diversion to keep you busy.
It's a little perplexing how long it took for Picross e7 to be released outside Japan, especially when one considers that it still doesn't really do anything new. It's the same old, same old, really - if you've exhausted the supply of Picross titles on the eShop (Hopefully including Mario's Picross and Mario's Super Picross) and just can't get enough of them, e7 is here to satisfy your appetite. It's a little annoying that Mega Picross once again doesn't have original puzzles, but everything else is still solid as usual, even if it's lacking any creative spark.
Mercenaries Saga 3 stands out; not for any particularly compelling features, radical design decisions or memorable characters, but rather for the simple fact that it's a commendably competent strategy RPG that comes cheap as chips. It doesn't do much to distance itself from its predecessor — Mercenaries Saga 2 — so veterans from that campaign may find a bit of fatigue here, but if you're fresh to the battle there's plenty to enjoy: satisfying gameplay, quick pacing, and an appealing art style make a lack of overall originality and smaller presentational hiccups more forgivable.
Punch Club has a fantastic soundtrack, great 16-bit art, and a good amount of content going for it. We can't help but state, however, that this game quickly evolves into a grind, and thus we only recommend it to committed fans of this genre. You'll spend a good amount of time tediously raising your fighting stats and tending to individual meters instead of feeling like you're making choices for your player's life. This isn't too bad in short bursts, but it makes the game feel more like a chore than fun at times, and the lack of Easy mode means stat gains are never permanent. The fights themselves are also rather dull and slow, especially early on.There's something glimmering in Punch Club, and it's a shame that it's not more fun for general audiences. Hardcore management fans should have a great time here, but we'd caution casual players to stay away unless they enjoy the tedium of everyday life.
While Plantera doesn't boast an impressive physics engine or an exhilarating, fast-paced experience, it has a certain charm that makes it worth playing, even if only for a few minutes each evening. However, it doesn't offer much else that similar games will, and if you only intend on playing it on one platform it is a fairly high price for a title that is free on mobile devices, albeit with ads and microtransactions, and costs more than twice its PC counterpart. To sum up, if you are into relaxing farming games and want a peaceful experience, you should look into buying Plantera, but for some it may a little too simplistic and shallow to hold attention.
What's frustrating about Toby: The Secret Mine is that it feels like it's actually trying to offer more than the sum of its parts, but just doesn't quite pull it off. It feels too bogged down in its inspirations to present any exciting ideas of its own, and while it's visually stunning at times, even this apes off superior titles that came before. Some challenging platforming and decent puzzles make it one to consider if you're looking to give your Wii U one last Nindie hurrah, but otherwise we'd recommend waiting on a digital sale before diving into this dark adventure.
Lifespeed has the basics down, but more could've perhaps been done. We know making a game isn't easy these days, especially for smaller developers, but with the seemingly lengthy development cycle the game had, eight tracks seems like a bit of a limited offering when they're pretty much the most important feature. If some more time had been spent increasing the variety of locales to say, double, the game would've been quite recommendable; as it stands you've got good gameplay but a little bit less content than normally desirable. If you're happy replaying the available tracks, though, it's certainly worth consideration.
While Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS was below the standards of its original in our view (and scored as such), the same can't be said of Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. It takes fantastic original material and carefully adapts it for the portable, with extras compensating for one lost feature. In the process it becomes an elite 3DS 2D platformer, joining its Wii U predecessor in that company.If you have the Wii U version it's a tough decision on whether to double dip; both versions deliver the same terrific core game. If you haven't played this on Wii U and like Yoshi, 2D platformers or charming games, though, then this is a must-have for the 3DS.
Zombie Brigade is a bad, bad game. It's billed as a parody, but it misses the point entirely. Yes, it's better than Meme Run - we didn't get vertigo while playing this game, for example - but there's just nothing to recommend here. Save your money, save your brain and don't spread this infection any further.
Forget the disappointing video game adaptations of the past, Dragon Ball has finally come of age on consoles. Dragon Ball Fusions fuses fan service with an enjoyable story and battle system to create a fresh Dragon Ball video game experience, with the only blot being the sometimes tedious energy aquisition process . If you are looking for a new and original Dragon Ball title to play on your 3DS, your wish has been granted.
While the famous Windows screensaver had a certain mesmerizing quality to it, Maze Maker does not. The environments are bland, the mazes themselves feel repetitive and the online features, while well thought out, don't seem like they'll ever generate the kind of community they need to make them worthwhile.It's a game of good intentions and deserves credit for implementing level creation and online features, but it gets lost when seeking entertainment value.
What we have here is a great puzzler for the 3DS. Don't let the simplistic graphics and basic controls distract you from the fun gameplay you'll experience in Shift DX. Aside from a few weird spikes, the difficulty is forgiving for new players but also challenging at points for puzzle veterans. The price tag is also just right for the amount of content you get; playing these two games free on iOS means putting up with ads every time you die.Shift DX takes a simple concept and creates plenty of fun levels out of it. Anyone who enjoys this genre or has a small interest in it should definitely pick this one up.