Pure Nintendo
HomepagePure Nintendo's Reviews
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a welcome return to the spotlight for our favorite princess. It oozes charm, with loads of variety, providing plenty to do across multiple transformations, levels, and modes. It’s not super difficult, but it’s so entertaining that I don’t care. There are also multiple challenges and collectibles to keep players coming back for more.
Developer Fallen Squirrel worked with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to create The Vale: Shadow of the Crown for blind gamers, but it should appeal to anyone who enjoys a good action adventure. What it lacks in visuals it makes up for with its unique use of familiar RPG elements and its stunning audio presentation. The Vale's somewhat repetitive gameplay doesn't outlast its welcome.
Unicorn Overlord is one of the best tactical strategy RPGs to have been released for the Nintendo Switch. Maybe one of the best games, period. No matter which series first made you a fan of the genre, Unicorn Overlord will help you discover that thrill all over again.
Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore parodies a pair of uncanonical Zelda games while ensuring its experience is more than a one-note joke. The realization of these efforts makes for a good game, but one whose appeal may be limited. Still, the attention to detail here demands respect. How about following up on this release by mocking CD-i's top-down take, Zelda's Adventure, next?
It's simple; if you're a Picross fan, you'll enjoy this game. If you're a Story of Seasons fan and you like Picross, you'll really enjoy this game. With over 300+ puzzles, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is a great addition to the growing library of Picross games on the Nintendo Switch. It's highly recommended if you enjoy puzzle games, or pixel art.
UDO: Unidentified Drilling Object manages to have some success despite itself. While its numerous little issues accumulate into some unpolished real annoyances, it has that "one more time" element down, even with repetitiveness. I'm convinced there's enough good here that a sequel should jettison the roguelike confines. Udo deserves to be a proper platforming adventure where it can drill a more unique identity.
"Ultimate" in terms of content and options but not in enjoyment, Ultimate Racing 2D 2 makes a poor first impression and fails to recover. If it looks interesting to you, I'd suggest its predecessor for half the price. This game has more to it, but it's a case where less would've been more. I hope the devs take a prolonged pitstop before the third entry.
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered for Switch does a decent job of modernizing the visuals of the 2015 3DS game, but the important issues from the original still remain. Its lack of story and the difficulty spikes with its unique combat system make it hard to recommend to anyone other than the most fervent of JRPG fans.
Rough Justice '84 has a great concept and '80s setting. Unfortunately, it's executed poorly on the Switch. Despite the cool soundtrack, there are other audio issues. The idea of solving cases might be a fun concept, but this is hard to recommend. The poor controls and user interface make this one to avoid.
If you can get by the minor annoyances and want to hop on a game for a quick session before doing something like mowing your real lawn, Lawn Mowing Simulator is perfect for you. Its wide variety of implements, contracts, landscapes, and gameplay modes will keep business sim fans engaged well past the mowing season.
A very worthy addition to the Demagog repertoire, Highwater builds on the gorgeous and provocative world of the studio's other games with a story-driven escape from a flooded planet. It is a sharp critique of late stage capitalism, but it populates the devastated world with a touching story, wholesome characters, and surprisingly engaging combat.
Ufouria: The Saga 2 is a fun platformer full of cuteness and quirkiness. The colors and music pop, and the platforming is simple yet solid, though the adventure could be considered too easy for veterans.
Grime Definitive Edition is a fascinating action-platforming experience that I can't recommend experiencing on the Switch. Its unique visual and narrative presentations will compel genre fans to the end, but the game would surely be better enjoyed without Switch performance problems dragging it down.
The turn-based card battler Reigns: Three Kingdoms may not be exactly what you think when you first start, but it's a good game worth adding to your deck-building library.
As far as arcade puzzle games go, Quadroids will likely be a bit too much for most single players to wrap their brain around. If you're not worried about leaderboards, however, there's plenty of fun to be had when taking on the mind-bending action with others.
Bahnsen Knights does a great job at keeping fans of visual novel adventures involved. It's fun and unique story, visuals, and occasional minigames make it hard to put down, and it never feels repetitive or slow across the few hours it takes to complete it.
Lil Guardsman is a delightful game that draws you into the complex and nuanced story of a well-constructed fantasy world and explores its political turmoil. The characters and dialogue are wonderfully written, with a great sense of humor and clear indication that your choices, no matter how small, make an impact.
Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Clash boils the elements of the show down to a fighting game that's likely to appeal only to fans of the show. Even to them, we have to suggest there are many fighting games out there to better occupy your time.
Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling is a short, point-and-click adventure game that tells the story of a young girl whose stress leads her down some strange paths. The game can be played in as little as 30 minutes, but it does a great job conveying its message while remaining fun and haunting.
AdventureQuest 8-Bit: Dungeons & Doomknights has its heart in the right place, but it relies a bit too much on parody to appeal to most gamers. Gameplay is outweighed by the comedy, leaving a generally flat experience if you're not in on the joke.