Tag: Reviews - Page 12
Review Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch) - Familiar Fun With Friends, But Little More
Wii haven't come far
Note: At the original time of publication, online functionality was not yet live for Nintendo Switch Sports. As it is such a crucial part of the game, we decided not to score this review until we can had sampled the full online experience. Having now done just that, here's our full updated (and scored) review. When Wii Sports...
Review Bugsnax (Switch) - A Charming Idea That Struggles In Execution
To snack or not to snack
Ever since Bugsnax was announced for PlayStation systems back in 2020, the game has grabbed people’s attention like few others. With plenty of merchandise and its catchy theme song, it seemed as though the googly-eyed strawberries were everywhere despite being Sony-exclusive at the time. Now, a year and a half later, the...
Review The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (Switch) - A Mind-Bending Mess Of Wonderment
The end is never the end is never the end is never
This is the story of a man named Alex. Alex was employed by a company called Nintendo Life, and one of his many duties was to review video games. One day when at his desk Alex heard the news that The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe would be releasing on the Nintendo Switch, the games console which...
Review Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Switch) - A Thrilling New Interpretation Of A SNES Classic
Rise and shrine
Note: This review is based on the Japanese release — the game launches in North America and Europe on 24th June 2022. Pocky & Rocky, a Super Nintendo top-down run-and-gun, was developer Natsume’s gold standard, fondly remembered for its taut arcade action, adventurous stage design, and beautiful visuals. Where Tengo...
Approach this With Arms Wide Open
Hello, Nintendo fans, and welcome to a review of another Metroidvania. You'll be thrilled to know that this one is good, and if you enjoy the Metroidvania genre, you'll enjoy playing Blast Brigade. Alright, cheers. What?? You want more?!? Oh, god. Okay. It's just that there are so many of these games and so little...
Review Zombie Army 4: Dead War (Switch) - A Sweet Switch Port For This Schlockiest Of Shooters
Dead good
Rebellion has got a pretty great track record when it comes to porting its schlocky range of shooters over to Nintendo Switch, with both Zombie Army Trilogy and Sniper Elite 4 the most recent examples of how this developer manages to successfully squeeze a whole lot of slo-mo headshots, shambling zombie hordes and co-operative carnage onto...
Review Ganryu 2 - Hakuma Kojiro (Switch) - Unworthy Of Its Shinobi-Inspired Ideas
Frame hate
Since this review was originally published, a patch has reportedly addressed one or more of the issues cited below — notably the game's frame rate problems. While we unfortunately cannot revisit games on an individual basis, it should still be noted that the updated game may offer a much-improved experience over the one detailed below...
Review Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Switch) - Shallow And Short, But Passable Starfiller
"It's not a story the Jedi would tell you..."
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Disney had yet to purchase the Star Wars IP and George Lucas was still somewhat involved in its ongoing success. One of the last major initiatives before the Disney purchase was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a multimedia project that aimed to bridge the two...
Review Formula Retro Racing (Switch) - A Sega-Style Arcade Racer With Engine Troubles
Sega does what this don't
Formula Retro Racing is based on a particular era of arcade racers: namely, the very early polygonal era in which games like Virtua Racing (well, okay, it was really only Virtua Racing) were wowing arcade-goers. As in Sega’s seminal arcade racer, Formula Retro Racing uses large, chunky polygons for its cars and tracks...
Review Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars (Switch) - Satisfying Fan Service That's A Bit Bare
Hyperdimension Kagura
In the world of fan service games, two franchises stand at the top of the pile: Hyperdimension Neptunia, which features a group of anthropomorphised game consoles fighting in a literal and hilarious console war, and Senran Kagura, which pits ninjas with assets as impressive as their fighting arts against each other in nearly...
Review Mario Golf - Strait-Laced Fun On The Fairway
Mario hits the links
This review originally went live in 2008, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival on Switch as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. After Mario's forays into non-platforming genres — you know, the Karting, the Picross-ing, the Dr. Mario...ing — Nintendo realised something: put Mario...
Review Nobody Saves The World (Switch) - A Thrilling Action RPG For Fans Of Old-School Zelda
Nobody saw it coming
The recent release of Triangle Strategy raised an interesting conversation about the role of customization in RPGs. For those of you who didn’t pick it up, progression there is almost entirely linear, with each character having a predefined class that remains rather rigid throughout the whole experience. Some enjoyed having...
Review Gotta Protectors: Cart Of Darkness (Switch) - An Inventive, Hilarious Action-Strategy Blend
Cowabunga!
Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness starts as it means to go on — with a warm-hearted parody of something only gamers of a certain age are likely to remember. Ancient's logo appears and then… nothing happens — not until you hammer the 'A' button on the side of the screen as though your Switch is a temperamental CRT TV that's seen...
Review The House Of The Dead: Remake (Switch) - Control Issues Gnaw At Sega's Arcade Classic
Stutter like G did
Two years ago, Polish studio Forever Entertainment released an HD remake of Sega Saturn classic Panzer Dragoon. Our review at the time stated that the remake was interesting but flawed, but ultimately concluded that even though it wasn’t perfect, we were glad it at least existed so that more people could at least get a chance to...
Review Slipstream (Switch) - A Neat, Sonic-Obsessed Homage To Sega's Super Scaler Tech
The skids are alright
If it’s retro racing you’re looking for, you don’t have to look far on Switch. The likes of Hotshot Racing, Formula Retro Racing, Horizon Chase Turbo and the Sega Ages versions of Virtua Racing and Out Run have ensured that anyone keen on a racing game of the vintage vehicular variety is practically spoiled for choice.
Review MLB The Show 22 (Switch) - Sony's Switch Debut Isn't Just A Sinker Feeling, Thankfully
The bottom line drive
Now over five years old, the Switch continues to delight and — despite the ageing technology within the diminutive tablet — we still have third-parties eager to support the system. It's unclear how eager Sony was to support the Switch with baseball juggernaut MLB The Show 22, as the series' move to Xbox and now Nintendo's...
Review 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch) - A Rich Narrative Adventure/RTS Hybrid With Outstanding Art
Lucky 13
Atlus is a company that’s sometimes been dubbed a ‘modern Square’ in that it’s become the place in the current industry to get well-budgeted RPG experiences that are equal parts traditional and experimental. It may be known most for its Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games, but the company also sometimes puts out something decidedly...
A not-so-radical remaster
Whenever a developer resurrects a decades-old game, the same question arises along with it: does the remaster maintain the integrity of the original while changing enough to warrant a purchase for both newcomers and longtime fans alike? For Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, that’s tough to answer. A sequel to...
Review Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Switch) - A Triumphant Return To A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Better Call Maul
More Star Wars? Really? We wouldn’t blame you in the slightest if your reaction to more Star Wars, whether it be of the film, TV series or video game variety, was somewhat apathetic at this stage given the sheer amount of it we’ve had thrown at us in recent years. Indeed, as we sat down to boot up this latest Lego Star Wars...
Review Touken Ranbu Warriors (Switch) - A 'My First Musou' That Adds Little To The Formula
The way of the Warriors
At first blush, Koei Tecmo’s Touken Ranbu Warriors appears to be something of a "My First Dynasty Warriors", or a "Diet" Musou. It’s based on DMM’s (popular in Japan) free-to-play browser-based collectable card game, targeted at Japanese women — specifically a subculture of otaku known as “katana women” – ladies...
Review Dark Deity (Switch) - A Shameless But Satisfying Fire Emblem 'Homage'
Emblematic of a certain other fantasy tactics game
Well, it's about time someone really, properly ripped off Fire Emblem: Three Houses. No, really, don't get upset; that is truly not the insult it reads like. After all, with no new mainline series title on the horizon — no, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes doesn't count — don't fans deserve a...
Review .hack//G.U. Last Recode (Switch) - Intriguing But Ageing PS2 ARPGs Get A Solid Remaster
"I'm in"
Multimedia projects can be tremendous accomplishments when pulled off right, drawing upon the unique strengths of different mediums to tell an all-encompassing tale. In the early 2000s, Bandai took a shot at one with Project .hack, which began with an anime and spun out to include a manga, a series of novels, and a four-part collection of...
Jumping on the Band Dragon
No option to rotate a display in a vertical oriented shoot-em-up is a worrying sign. Nevertheless, the option is conspicuously absent in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. What it does boast, though — unusually for a niche Japanese release — is a top-to-bottom English language translation, which makes this a more tempting...
Review Andro Dunos 2 (Switch) - A Knockout Shmup Success That Nails The '90s Arcade Feel
Pro-Gear Spec
The recent trend of resurrecting long-ceased shoot-em-up IPs from the dead, usually when the original developer has shuffled off its electronic coil, is a welcome one. M2 revived Aleste, Platinum Games reanimated the Crestas, and now small indie outfit Picorinne Soft — comprised of brothers Ryo and Satto — has ventured a sequel to...
Review Kirby And The Forgotten Land (Switch) - A Breezy Delight With Mario-Level Invention
Once more, with mouthfeeling
Well. It's finally here. In celebration of 30 whole years (!) of 2D and 2.5D adventures — with a little 3D sprinkled in for good measure — Kirby's first proper fully three dimensional mainline escapade has now arrived and, as long as you know exactly what to expect from the little pink puffball, it's an absolute...
Review Rune Factory 5 (Switch) - A Dependable Old Farmhand That Could Use A Spruce Up
Finally back in season
Farm sim games are rather difficult to mess up. Give players a welcoming town full of friendly residents, a field that they can till to make ridiculous sums of money, and a few side activities like fishing or mining to fill in any gaps, and you’ve pretty much got the basics covered. Rune Factory games have always nailed all...
Review WRC 10 The Official Game (Switch) - Lots Of Rallying If You Can Handle The Visuals
Sliding into our DNFs
The WRC series on Switch feels to us a bit like a hammer made of sponge. We appreciate the effort that went into it and it sort of looks like the real thing, but it never really properly nails it. After getting off to a rocky start with WRC 8 on the Switch then delivering a slightly improved but still shonky sequel, the series...
Review Dawn Of The Monsters (Switch) - Superior Co-Op Kaiju Combat With Pacific Rim Vibes
Kaiju feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last
A belt-scroller starring kaiju and Tokosatsu-style giant mecha isn't exactly an original idea. SNK's not-that-great King of the Monsters series did it first, but here's the scoop — Dawn of the Monsters does it better, with a game that'll make you feel five hundred feet tall. And scaly. And...
The Tour begins
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the most popular game on Switch, the very definition of an 'evergreen' title. Aside from the Battle Mode and a few minor changes, however, devoted fans have been playing the same content since the Wii U original with its DLC content, a scenario that finally changes with the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe-exclusive Booster...
Review Gal*Gun: Double Peace (Switch) - One To Avoid Playing On Public Transport
Pervert party
Look, there’s nothing wrong with a little anatomical allure, generally speaking. Hell, many an impressionable teenager hit pause to glimpse Chun-Li’s undies back in the day, and Capcom knew it. Sex sells, and, like all commercial media, video game developers aren’t immune to slapping some greasy smut on-disc in the hope of...
Review Wife Quest (Switch) - A Bawdy Metroidvania That's Well Worth A Look
Sorry monster girls, but that boy is ours
The world is a dangerous place. One minute you’re out in your fields, farming to provide food for yourself and your wife, and the next you’re being accosted by a gang of monster girls who are dead set on stealing you away for themselves. That’s the fate of poor Fernando, who gets himself snatched away...
"We have Persona 4 at home"
Welcome to Atlus, Switch fans, the company that really doesn’t want you to play any mainline Persona games, but does want you to play their canon sequels. Last year, we got Persona 5 Strikers, a surprisingly great Warriors-style follow up to the seminal Persona 5. This year, we’re getting Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, a...
Review F-Zero X - The Best The Series Has To Offer
X gonna give it to ya
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of F-Zero X on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The original F-Zero on the Super Nintendo really blew gamers away with its stunning use of Mode 7 visuals, colourful graphics,...
Review Young Souls (Switch) - One Of The Best Beat 'Em Ups On Switch, Despite Hiccups
The Young Souls of brawlers
Nearly four years ago, The Arcade Crew and 1P2P revealed Young Souls, a promising new entry in the oft-overlooked beat ‘em up genre. Then in 2021, the game launched as a Stadia exclusive and… well, we all know how that went. Unsurprisingly, the studio soon set about porting the release to other platforms, and it’s...
Review Aztech Forgotten Gods (Switch) - Stylish But Compromised By Its Combat And Camera
An az-technical disappointment
Considering its instantly recognisable iconography, the Mesoamerican Aztec culture is one that has rarely featured in video games. We’ve seen games like Aztec: Empire, sure, but there are a lot more examples tied to periods like the Second World War, the American Revolution, and Ancient Rome, to name but a few...
Review Triangle Strategy (Switch) - Square Enix Plots A Total Tactical Triumph
Royal Rumble
When we previewed Triangle Strategy's opening hours just a few weeks ago we came away suitably impressed by its slick mix of choice-driven narrative, detailed world-building and satisfyingly strategic combat action. It's a setup that immediately engaged us, introducing a strong cast of characters, embroiling us in some fascinating Game...
Review Chocobo GP (Switch) - A Surprising Mario Kart 8 Alternative For Final Fantasy Fans
Tweet Racer
Note. Since this review was published, the game has changed quite a bit as Square Enix removed the Lite version and Mythrill shop microtransactions. While the base karting gameplay remains the same, please be aware that the experience described in the text below may differ in some respects from the game as it stands today. Square Enix...
Review The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Magnificent, Unique, And Worth Revisiting
Okay, campers, rise and shine
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the release of Majora's Mask on Switch, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. The Zelda games have a lot of fans and there's also been plenty of opportunities over the years to revisit...
Review Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist Of The Mysterious Dream (Switch) - Another Intoxicating Blend
Dare to dream
Before Ryza came onto the scene and changed up the Atelier game, many would agree that the previous darling of the series was Atelier Sophie. Evidently, Gust thought so too, as it decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series not with the inevitable conclusion of the Secret trilogy, but with a rather unexpected sequel...
Review Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection (Switch) - Ageing Classics And Glitches Galore
Ah, Desmond
One of the Nintendo Switch’s biggest supporters from the begining has been Ubisoft. Games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition, and Starlink: Battle for Atlas show the developer's commitment and how its partnership with Nintendo has blossomed over the years. However, it wasn’t until relatively...
Review Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece For Cloud (Switch) - A Great Series That Deserves Better
Not like this
Note: For more details on the games in this cloud version package, check out our individual reviews for Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re:Mind. For an overview of the Integrum Masterpiece collection of all those games, read on.
Review Kingdom Hearts III + Re:Mind - Cloud Version (Switch) - Shot Through The Heart
Re:Mind us not to buy this
And so we come to the end – for now – of Tetsuya Nomura’s iconic and in-no-way-confusing Kingdom Hearts series. Additionally, then, this is the end of our excursion into the nebulous Cloud; pun extremely intended. Yet, of course, for all the shade we throw at the concept of Cloud Versions and the myriad flaws they...
Review FAR: Changing Tides (Switch) - Mindblowing Moments Of Scale, Detail, And Discovery
Sail away, sail away, sail away
As game fans, we all believe deeply in going from left to right. If we waste a whole day gaming, and feel like we’ve got nothing done, no one can deny we did at least go from left to right. And if a game’s story is limp and can’t find any import for its platform contrivances, it can at least fall back on the old...
Review Ocean's Heart (Switch) - Charming 2D Zelda-Like With Obvious Nods To Minish Cap
The Legend of Talia: The Wind Wannabee
When someone talks about spiritual successors in the video game industry, a few names immediately come to mind. Stardew Valley, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and Yooka-Laylee all aimed to bring back genres synonymous with long dormant franchises. If a spiritual successor exists to bring back something...
It's not just your connection that'll Drop
And so it goes on. With Square Enix uploading all of the past Kingdom Hearts games to The Cloud, naturally the enthusiastically-titled Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue has arrived – another compilation, this time bringing one full game, one four-hour teaser for Kingdom Hearts III and another...
Review Voice Of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden (Switch) - A Fine Follow-Up To Yoko Taro's Cosy Card RPG
Fast and fabulous
Well, that was fast, wasn’t it? Not even four months ago, Square Enix released Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, which proved itself to be an enjoyable, relaxing, and interesting take on a classic JRPG from creative director Yoko Taro and his team. The title subtly hinted at the possibility that there would be more entries...
Review River City Girls Zero (Switch) - An Authentic, Endearing 16-Bit Brawler Romp
Hit and run
The first entry in the convoluted Kunio-kun saga, localised in 1986 as Renegade, is considered the progenitor of the scrolling beat-em-up. While later efforts would evolve its arena-based model into the classic belt-scrolling format we know today, it was Technos that established the genre’s significant hallmarks: damsels in distress,...
We put Cloud in your cloud
We begged for this, you know. We begged on our damn, dirty knees for Kingdom Hearts to come to Switch. Not Melody of Memory, that's a half-measure. We wanted the full shebang, 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix. And now we've got it... in the most cursed form possible, a Cloud Version. Don't worry, we're not going to spend the whole review...
Review Monark (Switch) - A Solid SRPG From Veteran Shin Megami Tensei And Persona Devs
Freud would be proud
Not even a year ago, FuRyu revealed a curious new game called Monark that was heavily marketed as being the lovechild of several ex-Atlus staff who were instrumental in the early days of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. Monark has certainly managed to deliver on that promise, as this is a title that retains the dark...
Review Sol Cresta (Switch) - PlatinumGames' Intriguing Shmup Doesn't Do Enough To Stand Out
Ready, aim, formation change
Platinum Games, best known for the Bayonetta series, is an odd fit for a sequel to an '80s shoot-em-up that started life as a Galaxian hack. Moon Cresta, by Nichibitsu, introduced a ‘docking’ system that would power up the craft after four alien attack waves. It was a novel idea at the time, and landed well with...