Nindie Spotlight
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There’s absolutely no doubt that the developers have pulled out every stop to make Lode Runner Legacy something special. The game’s look is both classic and modern at once, and the inclusion of the level and voxel editors and community support are great modern touches. The underlying question, though, is whether or not you find the fundamentals of the Lode Runner play style compelling or not. If you do, this is probably a must-buy game since I don’t think anything more could be done with that base, but if the appeal of the series is limited no amount of value added effort will redeem it.
Odd pacing, limited and sluggish control, janky enemy movement, and frustration are all pretty well constants in this title which makes no sense given its appearance that can’t be consuming more than a fraction of the system’s power. For whatever merits it could possibly have it is simply an exercise in aggravation to play and has pretty well nothing to really enjoy. This offends me on a few levels, both in terms of the perception people may walk away with about indie games but also what they may think about the quality of games from the age of the Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum that the graphics in Deep Ones mimics. Regardless of the comparatively primitive graphics games may have had in that era even then this would have still been an awful game. If you still are interested in the title be sure to check out the available demo first and be really sure you want to waste your time, let alone your money, on it.
For the most part this is a purely multiplayer-focused title, and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing...
Burly Men At Sea isn’t something that’s going to light the eShop on fire or likely excite people, it’s selling an experience far more than anything else. That said I could see it being a hit with the right audience, and yet another casual-friendly option on the system to help widen the console’s appeal. If you’re looking for a change of pace and something that you can simply enjoy exploring all of the variations in story with it’s not a bad pick up.
Over the course of playing the game I will say I was impressed with the fact that even though it very obviously is targeted at a specific audience who’d probably buy it regardless underneath it all there’s a reasonably decent game. It may be a bit repetitive but then again most shooters are in some way. Some stages, especially the ones where you’re trying to find the mini-figures, are actually pretty challenging and if you’re not on top of your game you will fail missions. Though the story takes some really odd turns and may turn things a bit too uncomfortable for some people there’s also a notable effort to try to make something out of the hodge podge of ideas and themes in the game, again doing a better job than I would have imagined for a game like this. Gal*Gun 2 is by no means a by-the-numbers thin veneer of a game on top of a bunch of pervy and weird stuff, which it likely could have gotten away with. Instead it is a middle-of-the-road game with decent mechanics that just happens to have a bunch of stuff that you wouldn’t want to be caught playing in public or by any of your loved ones. It’s very actively not a game that’s appropriate for everyone but I give it credit for indeed being a legitimate game in its own right.
What may or may not add appeal, depending on both availability and your preference, is that this game can be played with other people...
Since Generations is actually composed of 4 different experiences we’ll start with the core game, Shelter 2, which is the main event...
What you’ll find as you play is that while you can certainly work through enemies one by one the key to success is getting them into groups and killing multiples at once...
While we'll overlook the fact that for the most part it utterly ignores gravity as you loop through the air, Skies of Fury DX is an excellent and often exciting dogfighting game...
Given its very reasonable price, overall weirdness, and intense bursts of excitement #Breakforcist Battle is a pretty entertaining variation on the classic Breakout...
Starting out the game with only the game’s main character Wilson as an option you’ll find yourself dropped into the wilderness with pretty well nothing and not a whole lot of direction...
All that said Super Daryl Deluxe is a pretty substantial (easily in the 20+ hour range), challenging, action-packed, boss-filled, weird and wild adventure-action-rpg-metroidvania. Its hilariously odd soundtrack is a labor of “Daryl”-filled love, its art is like something straight out of a trippy comic book and yet looks great in motion, and it has more jokes and feel-good nods than you’d believe. Just like its title character there’s much more to Super Daryl Deluxe than some video or this review can fully convey, and its a trip (perhaps acid?) well worth taking.
Overall, Bombslinger is one of those titles where it feels like a crime if the world isn’t shouting from the rooftops about how much fun it is. Seeing only a few screenshots and a short description the possible impression would be that it’s merely a pixel art Bomberman clone and that’s a pity. Flat out, Bombslinger absolutely puts all attempts at the single-player Bomberman experience to shame, and confirms the sneaking suspicion I’ve had for years that the potential was always there for it to be much better than it was. Throw in a great generally classic multiplayer mode and the package is a real winner!
Since it isn’t a very long experience (maybe 2 - 3 hours, total) I suppose you could go back through to try to find everything or see how it could play out differently but I found my one run to be satisfying enough. Overall, if you’re down for an experience in this bleak sort of setting, with a story that intrigues and an outcome that may telegraph a bit but is still interesting to watch unfold, The Bunker is a very different kind of experience you haven’t yet had on the Switch.
It’s likely any and all criticism of the game would be centered either on the cutesy nature of it all or its more modest level of difficulty but given the abundance of brutally-hard platformers on the system already The Adventure Pals is a welcome change of pace. While it can easily be enjoyed as a solo experience the inclusion of co-op in the game is a great touch, and given its more modest overall difficulty it would seem perfectly suited to being played with someone younger or less experienced. If you’re able to play the game without cracking a smile at the sheer joy of it all you may be dead inside.
While Infernium presents itself very well, has a certain unique sense of ambiance, and can certainly be conquered given careful observation, its trial-and-error nature and pacing will likely lead to polar opposite reactions in people. For people who enjoy the puzzle adventure aspect, exploring the spaces and working out an optimal path to success while staying a few steps ahead of doom it may scratch an itch. Unfortunately I would imagine for just about anyone else it will likely be an exercise in frustration and burn through the patience of people hoping for more immediate gratification. Just be sure to go into the experience with the proper expectations and you’ll improve your chances of enjoying it.
Overall, if you’re looking for something fast and fun to play with your friends Super Rocket Shootout can be a lot of fun. While it has a few quirks, and perhaps has nuance most people will likely throw away in the heat of battle, the variety in stages and options to tune the battle settings are a value add that’s appreciated. Pick your character, grab some items, and commence the shooting of faces and other body parts!
Overall, though the lack of competition in this specific space give Urban Trial Playground some appeal be warned that its a relatively lackluster affair. With courses that never really get very technical it lacks a satisfying challenge on that level and the general lack of variety in stunts fails to scratch that itch as well. What remains is a collection of courses for you to clear with gameplay that quickly becomes repetitive and a bit dull. It can make you work hard to be successful, and force you to repeat the same course multiple times to work out the kinks, but without room for much variety its sadly lacking in fun.
What it all boils down to is that there are 10 very picturesque Japanese landscapes featured for you to make puzzles from...
It’s always a joy to see something new and different arrive to check out and Sling Ming really fits that bill. Not quite like anything else I’ve played to date Ming herself it an entertaining character making her way through a pretty tough collection of levels that really make you work. Mixing basic problem-solving with more physics-based conceptual challenges with momentum it has a style all its own and is entertaining (though sometimes frustrating) throughout.