Nintendo Insider
HomepageNintendo Insider's Reviews
All in all, Pinball FX3 maintains its crown on delivering a stellar virtual arcade experience. While there are a few missing features and tables from previous versions, this title still remains as top dog. You can easily lose many hours just on one table, especially if you are planning to take advantage of the levelling up system and the extra challenges. With promises to iron out the early niggles found in Handheld mode, this great little title can only get better as it evolves.
An original look and a decent amount of challenging puzzles with some replay value are sadly let down with poor controls that turn this into a frustrating experience rather than a fun one. Maybe swap this one for a game more worth your time.
Gorogoa is a truly mesmerising experience from start to finish whose greatest sin is that it’s all over far too quickly. Your short time spent with the game, however, will take you on a truly memorable journey unlike any other. Beautiful, ingenious and full of mystery, Gorogoa is a game I simply couldn’t put down and one I’m eager to return to again even if just to bask in the magnificent world Jason Roberts has handcrafted one more time.
Accessible to all, Chess Ultra will undoubtedly please aficionados of the strategy game while marking the perfect entry point to those that have always wanted to learn how to play. With the chance for your Nintendo Switch to become a virtual chess board to play against someone across a table, the portable home console could also be seen as the perfect home for it.
Mario Party: The Top 100 could have been so much more. The minigame assortment is a strong one and a fun nostalgia trip for fans of the series, however thanks to the game’s underwhelming selection of single and multiplayer modes that enjoyment is short-lived. A rushed release that sadly squanders its potential. Here’s hoping an inevitable Switch entry can get the series back on track.
This Is The Police is undeniably compelling, the player charged with watching over a city that is already spiralling the drain. As with how your police force is broken down, it is best experienced in shifts – otherwise risking the experience descending into monotony, which, we can all admit, is something that we already suffer enough of in our jobs out in the real world.
That’s about as far as the good parts of WWE 2K18 go, unfortunately. And again, all of these good aspects are content-based, it doesn’t change the fact that the main aspect of the game is still awful. I still don’t know why publishers release games in a state like this and think it’s okay, but there may be some ray of light for Nintendo owning wrestling fans though, as I have no doubt that there will be a performance patch at some point down the line, as the same happened with 2K Games’ other Switch game, NBA 2K18. But still, that’s not a guarantee. Until then, stay well away from WWE 2K18. Just like the WWE tell us in their promos, don’t try this at home, school or anywhere else.
The End Is Nigh is a simple but brilliant platformer. It doesn’t want to be your friend and it doesn’t care if it offends you. However, its tough love will certainly draw out your platforming potential if given a little perseverance. Everything looks and plays great regardless of your screen preference and with so many secrets to uncover it’s also excellent value for money. Just bear in mind that The End Is Nigh is probably not one for the kiddies…
If you have a Switch and want this game, then it's really hard to find you a good reason to purchase this over the Switch version. I couldn't give you a single reason why, given the choice, you would ever side with the 3DS version, unless maybe you really love having a map on the second screen. It is of course always going to play second fiddle to it's more powerful comrade, naturally, but if you focus on pure gameplay then they are virtually identical, so don't think you're being short-changed if you only have a 3DS to play it on. It's a game, like Hyrule Warriors, that isn't for everyone, but those that enjoyed that game are going to have tons of fun with this title too. There is still life yet left in Nintendo's everlasting handheld.
Floor Kids is a rhythm game unlike any other, radiating style from every possible angle. Not just a joy for the eyes and ears though, Floor Kids features satisfying gameplay that helps it stand out in a well-rehearsed genre. While the beat may be a short one, it’s certainly one worth dancing to.
Where Revenant Saga summons strength in the ideas for its combat systems, it falls short in nearly every other regard. It’s never pleasant to have to rag on a game, but there’s a lack of care with the whole experience more than anything. And, if the developer doesn’t care enough, then the general impression that the player is left with leaves them not caring as much about the world that they are placed in. And that is a worrying flaw to have.
Cut from the same cloth as Neon Chrome and Time Recoil, the twin-stick gunplay in JYDGE is elevated thanks to its objective-based approach. Its unmistakable flaw lies in repetition, leaving players to replay missions until they have enough medals to unlock the next which, at the same time, pads out the game’s content. When it comes to passing judgement, JYDGE doesn’t deliver the wholly righteous blow that it wants to.
And, that’s it. Super Ping Pong Trick Shot certainly has an addictive gameplay loop but it exists within a mediocre experience that fails to ever truly engage and maintain your interest. Even Paper Toss is more entertaining, however mindless it is.
As a whole, Battle Chef Brigade puts a refreshing spin on the match-three puzzler. It manages to do for cooking sims what Phoenix Wright did for the courtroom adventure. The cook-offs are tense, the level of polish is fulfilling and it all looks glorious when played in Handheld Mode. I would go as far as saying it’s one of my favourite games this year and one of the better games to come out of a Kickstarter campaign. In fact, it has even tempted me to take charge of Christmas dinner this year. Although I very much doubt that my better half will let me.
With your continued exploration eventually leading you to reach one of three endings based on your decisions, Elliot Quest is a lengthy game that welcomes repeat adventures. Whether you want to unlock all three through your own efforts or resort to checking them out on YouTube is entirely your own choice, but know that this is a suitably challenging game that leans heavily on a bygone era. It’s a homage worthy of your time, but be warned that it still carries the same flaws as its inspiration.
Everything feels very budget. The sound isn’t great, the visuals are only okay and the idea of a single player campaign only goes as far as a few races in each cup which ends with a message thanking you for playing. It could have been so much more and all I got from my time with the game was a hankering to break out my SNES and find a copy of Super Off Road, which did it all so much better… in 1992.
Yes, this last point would occur on any touchscreen system, but here it feels even more ludicrous because the Switch is a system that has sticks and buttons. The developer could have experimented with implementing these controls into the game, rather than just shoehorning the Red Game Without A Great Name onto the system. It’s a real shame as the premise itself is appealing and the art style is sumptuous and brooding. But, beauty is only skin deep, after all.
Beneath its 16-bit look, Quest of Dungeons presents surprising depth and a worthwhile challenge to those that are willing to brave its neverending rooms. In learning through repetition, I’m sure that most will stand a chance at restoring light to the world.
Star Ghost is a simple but effective game. Easy to grasp but tough to master, the fast-paced shooting action is perfect for quick return visits on the go or between bigger games. What it lacks in content it makes up for with addictive and fun gameplay.
Embers of Mirrim is a gorgeous little title that can be easily overlooked until you actually see it in motion. It has the atmosphere of Journey, with a hint of Ori and the Blind Forest wrapped with scenic landscapes that wouldn’t look out of place in Pandora. The splitting mechanic sets up some fun puzzling sections with a subtle push to ease you into its control system. Combine that with boss battles that you have to think about along with a fantastic musical score and you have a brief but memorable experience that feels nicely at home on the Nintendo Switch.