****?game=circus-electrique-switch This is a game I’ve really struggled to review as there’s quite a bit about it that works, between its general theme, look, and its personality… but boy does it ask a lot and feels like it piles challenge on top of challenge. The tutorial really tries to help you get up to speed, but when it comes to the nuances of success you simply need to make mistakes, learn from them, and grit your teeth to hang on and try to do better. The trick of it is trying to manage to put on a decent show with performers that work well together in their roles, all the while not letting the acts go stale, but then to also front a group going out into the city to advance the story, battling it out turn-based style. The game tries to explain and prepare you for this, but it’s no small feat to get together a decent trio of acts, rest performers who need it, and keep your combat team working as well. It really all feels like it hinges on you looking over every detail you can when recruiting, finding role-players that compliment what you have rather than simply giving you more of the same. I do appreciate what the developers are trying to do, and there’s a lot of upside I can see if you’re willing to put in the effort, but this absolutely won’t be for anyone not feeling up for a formidable challenge.
****?game=catmaze-switch While not necessarily extraordinary in any particular way, there’s something satisfying about this budget Metroidvania that I like. Perhaps it’s the old-school feel of the enemies and general platforming you’ll do, the pretty laid back level of its challenge, the generally sensible map layout… but I’m thinking it’s a combination of all the above. That said, people looking for something more than a light challenge or something innovative will likely want to just keep on moving. This is a thoroughly average Metroidvania that doesn’t aspire to change the world, but if you’re working with limited means and want something to simply enjoy it’s not a bad match.
****?game=deathrun-tv-switch One of the worst enemies of modern indie games that have an arcade-like feel is old-ass people like me, pulling along a lifetime of previous experiences and sometimes pretty high expectations. Knowing the premise behind Deathrun TV, anyone who has been around for quite a few decades is immediately going to recall fond memories of the classic Smash TV. While that nostalgia in your mind doesn’t completely wreck the experience, it does give it a pretty severe limp. You’ll be trying to use whatever weapons and power-ups you’re able to grab to survive an enemy and death trap-filled series of rooms. Saving non-combatants by escorting them to their safe rooms unscathed is generally a good idea since it’s a good way to get some boosts, but sometimes things just go wrong. The blood and chaos can be fun for a bit, and it certainly gets challenging, but for me there’s just not enough personality to liven it up and that’s a shame. Core gameplay may be king, but when not accompanied by great tunes, an over-excited announcer, or visuals that are at a higher bar than a somewhat simplistic (though quite clean) Flash game look would go a long way. There’s fun to be had here, but not nearly as much as I’d hoped.
******** Ah, the ubiquitous Roomba. Quiet and peaceful cleaner of the… OMG, did it just grind up that body?!? JUSTICE **** is absolutely my kind of oddball title, no doubt concocted in the minds of some very sick people, and I’m here for it. You’ll control the little Roomba-esque protagonist as you try your best to defend/save your family (and yourself) from a variety of threats, whether they be burglars or perhaps corporate goons trying to shut you down. Your success will depend on a mix of stealth, planning, and sometimes some creativity as you try to trigger electronics and various items around the house to turn into lethal weapons, pick up and throw anything you can, and grind up corpses to build your blood gauge which will allow you to more directly inflict lethal harm. Oh, and then be sure to try to tidy up the best you can before your people come home. Wouldn’t want anyone to trip on severed body parts or slip in pools of blood… you are, after all, a device dedicated to maintaining a spotless house.
Budget puzzle games are a bit of a “dime a dozen” proposition on the Switch eShop these days, but when they’re made well and with a decent hook they’re still able to grab my attention. The teamwork required in Kinduo between your one electrically-powered character and your stumpier block-pushing one may not be completely original, but it’s hard to deny that it’s generally easy to understand and it simply works well with its slow-and-steady difficulty progression. The fact that you’re then able to either split the duties between you and a friend, or just as easily tackle it solo, is definitely an added perk as well and simply makes this humble offering all the more appealing if you’re a fan of puzzle titles and don’t have much to spend.
I’ve truly enjoyed the diverse set of indie titles that have come to the Switch under the category of rhythm and music. There have been nail-biting challenges like Thumper, track-mixing and more creative games like Fuser, frantic dodging to the great tunes of Just Shapes and Beats, and more… a plain cornucopia of delightful tastes and styles. I’m happy to say A Musical Story continues that trend, going completely in its own direction with a surprisingly deep collection of rhythms you’ll need to replicate that favor constantly-changing patterns and styles over tying your fingers up in knots since you’ll only need to use your 2 trigger buttons to play along. Also worth noting is that if the game sees you struggling, it will progressively lend you some help as well. As sensational as the music is though, the real feature here is the incredible wordless story the game’s unique art tells, paired only with the game’s music to convey a deep and at times dark story that really **** me in. Artistically stunning, filled with emotion, and approachable but also challenging, it’s a memorable journey on the Switch.
While fighting games have been around for quite some time, and each franchise certainly has its own signature feel, there are certain constants gamers have come to expect. Then, every once in a while, someone new comes along and shakes things up… though whether that is good, bad, or somewhere in between is typically in the eye of the beholder. I’d say Touhou Hyouibana falls somewhere squarely in the middle, absolutely innovating and possessing a unique multi-level style that, in many ways, feels like a blend of a fighter and a bullet hell shooter. Add to that the fact that its look is distinct and quite gorgeous and I don’t doubt the game will have fans. That said, while the move sets per fighter have their own sort of flow and style you can slowly get accustomed to the lack of guidance in how the moves and mechanics work feels like something out of a few decades ago where people would get a strategy guide to help progress. Regardless, there’s no doubt it’s a unique fighter worth giving a look if you’ve been looking for something to break the traditional mold. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-27th-edition.html
At first glance the voxel-based dungeons (though perhaps a bit sparse on detail) and puzzle-like elements of working your way through in Mystic Date are at least interesting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take too long before it all feels a bit too bare bones to the point where it almost seems more like an Early Access title working out the basics before fleshing everything out for a final release. Getting accustomed to the mechanics of your coin attack and how and when you’re able to retrieve them at times feels a bit too much like guesswork, and issues like trying to get consistency with aiming as you try to shoot them out is a bit too shaky for its own good. There’s potential for enjoyment here, just you need to be willing to make some serious compromises to get there. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-27th-edition.html
When you’re working in the budget gaming space it can be tricky to define a fair basis for expectations, but while a lower asking price can make room for being more forgiving you can still sense when things have sort of run off the rails. With a very unusual look, first-person puzzling play, and reasonably cool soundtrack EQI is a bit much to take in at first, especially since you’re given precious little in the way of real guidance on effective play. In the end it’s a 3D puzzle platformer that allows you to rotate the level, but the way this works can be off-putting since there’s a fixed way it rotates rather than it being relative to your perspective so this can, at times, be quite aggravating when you get turned around and aren’t sure what will happen when you trigger it. Throw in not too many levels overall, a dreadful decision to map running to pressing down on one of the analog sticks (making the attempt of running jumps uncomfortable), and just a generally unrefined experience and it has some significant issues. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-27th-edition.html
Featuring anthropomorphic buildings who have many of the same quirks, cliques, and pet peeves that their human occupants do, there’s no doubt Buildings Have Feelings Too is a bit odd. Playing out somewhere between a building sim, strategy title, and a puzzle game your key to success is in understanding how to look at what each building wants and needs and then reorganizing and developing what you have to work with into a smashing success. The tricky part is trying to divine what you need to do at times, navigating through the various screens that can feel a bit cumbersome with the controller to determine a course of action. Where it feels like it falls down a bit is where it feels like the road to success is often a predetermined one, not one you’ll have the option to work out with a style all your own. Even so, the charm and personality of the game’s writing and quirky style help to at least make it a reasonably entertaining title for strategy fans who are looking for something a bit off the beaten path. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-27th-edition.html
Appropriately named, as it combines elements of multiple styles of gaming, Smelter is a game that defies a simple explanation. One moment having you tackle enemies as a side-scrolling adventure, the next having you take on tough precision platforming levels (that are optional, but who can turn down a challenge), and then finally challenging you to engage in some real-time strategic combat in the initial going it can be a lot to take in. While I wouldn’t say all aspects are firing on all cylinders, for me the strategic element felt more bolted on than polished enough to stand on its own when compared to the other areas, it does make for an engaging experience that keeps things interested and a bit unpredictable at times. While I’d still say the thrilling opening anime sequence overshadows the in-game excitement a bit (it’s pretty damned cool and taps into my child of the 80s brain heavily) even with as many titles as I’ve played through on the Switch this stands out as being its own thing, and pretty confidently so, making it notable and worth a look. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-27th-edition.html
As the definition of what’s a game has continued to evolve and diversify over the years we’ve seen increasingly creative titles enter the space. In the case of Hitchhiker: A Mystery Game you have more of a semi-interactive experience than game, with you hopping a ride with a few very different people with whom you’ll have some very different conversations and experiences with… and with some point-and-click adventure-esque elements strewn about in between to keep you a little more engaged than simply clicking to advance the dialogue. The result is odd, at times unnerving, and certainly a bit unexpected. As would be the case in real life this won’t be a ride for everyone, for sure, but if you’re game for something different it will get you to that destination. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-23rd-edition.html
The Picross series has been around for so long at some point that it has become a sort of puzzle game staple, but that can also make people a bit numb to it. While it is true that S6 is more along the lines of a new set of levels released on the same engine that isn’t to say the experience is in any way disappointing. On top of traditional Picross, doing it’s 2-color pixel art thing you have the more challenging (and possibly divisive) Mega Picross which does add a new layer of consideration to up the difficulty. Color Picross, added to the series a few iterations ago, is also a great challenge, though I’d still say I’ve seen multi-color interfaces implemented in a slightly better way overall. For me the real meat is in Clip Picross and the Bonus puzzles though, as they get quite a bit tougher still, and appropriately you’ll need to do the work cutting your teeth on the easier stuff to then unlock the bigger and more complex challenges. If you’re a big puzzle fan, and particularly if you’ve taken a break from the Picross series for a little while, this is a rock solid place to pick it back up and enjoy its polished play and steadily-increasing challenge level. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-23rd-edition.html
Just from its pretty unusual title you could guess this will be a bit of an oddball ride, and though its length and depth are a little lacking there’s no doubt that Turnip Boy and his many associates bring a unique flavor to mostly traditional play. Playing mostly along the lines of an action RPG adventure you’ll be talking to your fellow plant life beings and working to find and then bring back the items they demand in order to advance the story. The combat isn’t particularly challenging, the puzzles aren’t often terribly inspired, and the humor is nice for flavor but is typically more quirky than laugh out loud funny. The result is suitably pleasant for a little while, but unless you’re really into the look and sense of humor it exudes you can probably hold off until it’s on sale. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-23rd-edition.html
Titles that target younger gamers are always a bit of a challenge to evaluate. Traditionally educational games have generally rightfully gotten a bad rap, as I grew up with some pretty awful examples of developers trying to make school-type subjects “fun”. Little Mouse’s Encyclopedia smartly aims at more of a semi-interactive experience, and that does further complicate evaluating it against intended games. All that said, there’s a simple charm and pleasant quality to the experience you’ll have exploring the small areas Little Mouse can get through, observing various flora and fauna and then being able to look up a variety of factoids on each of them. There may not be a gaming hook to it but the fact that it is pretty engaging and informative at once at least makes it pretty appealing as a form of edutainment. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-23rd-edition.html
Making throwback games has got to be a difficult proposition, especially when trying to find a balance between classic and modern sensibilities. The Skylia Prophecy certainly has some old school appeal if you like getting knocked around and a bit frustrated, and I don’t have an issue with games that are inherently challenging, especially when there’s some sort of reward for your perseverance. Another issue that crops up here though is that I’m not a big fan of controls and systems where it feels like you have artificially crippled controls to make things that hard for the sake of being hard, the way you trigger explosions being a great bad example. It’s not a bad game, and it is certainly easy on the budget, but there’s just a lack of overall polish that grates a bit in critical places. ****/2021/04/mini-reviews-april-23rd-edition.html
In the casual-ish space for games that feature a central hook like hidden objects (though that isn’t to say there aren’t other puzzles here, there are a variety but hidden object ones are the most common) there’s only so much differentiation you’ll see between most titles. Sure, there are ones that handle the objects and their art on a technical level better than others, I’ve seen ones with painful seams around items in particular, but for the most part the theming and general taste tend to rule. Well, if you happen to be crazy about felines this will likely be the one to get you purring as cats of all breeds, shapes, and sizes are featured in pretty well every aspect of the presentation here. Hiding in scenes, waiting to be found, being the subject of picture puzzles you’ll assemble, and more, you can’t swing a dead c-... I mean there’s a bunch of them (and in no way do I advocate furry friend violence, the joke just hit me and I couldn’t resist). If you can’t get enough cats in your life this will help you add to your collection, for sure. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-12th-edition.html
If you’ve been around for a while you’ll undoubtedly remember, and likely even participated in, the brain training craze Nintendo helped to popularize a while back with Brain Age and other copycats that were around. Perhaps helping to indicate the craze is back, QuickSpot has a much more simplified approach, focusing heavily on “spot the difference” puzzles where you compare side-by-side images, but offering up plenty of variations on that theme and puzzles dense with detail that you’ll need to carefully review in order to find every visual discrepancy (with some being quite minor and a real challenge to find). It is billed as being something you can play solo or with friends, but selling this as a social game seems a bit odd to me outside of the impulse for friends to be in a race to poke fun at each other for being too blind to see something first. With the focus exclusively on touchscreen play it can be quite quick and convenient to find things but I will note at least smaller areas can be tricky with your clunky (or, perhaps, just chunky) fingers at times, which can be frustrating. The nature of the challenges do vary a bit, seemingly at least attempting to line up with the different cognitive areas they’re looking to help you target, but even if this may not be a golden ticket for keeping your gray matter young and vibrant it’s still a reasonably well-made puzzle challenge. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-12th-edition.html
With an isometric top-down perspective, a slowly-revealed story (for what it is), and a mix of exploration, puzzles, and some zombie killing, Heaven Dust 2 at least feels pretty fresh on the generally horror-thin Switch. Obviously taking inspiration from the Resident Evil series (for better or worse), you’ll need to carefully review every area you’re able to get into, try your best to minimize your use of your ammo and healing, and very likely periodically work through some frustration as you try to figure out what you need to do next. Inheriting perhaps one of the worst aspects of the classic point-and-click genre I found some of the puzzles and elements that act as roadblocks to be highly aggravating… especially when doing something as simple as changing into a security uniform requires you to do so only in a specific area that you may need to consult the map to find. I think my frustration isn’t necessarily that any of it is impossible to figure out, just that it feels like needless padding to lengthen (but not really improve) the game. Still, if you’re starved for a little horror and suspense as you work your damndest to try to conserve your limited resources there’s very little out there in the eShop like it. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-12th-edition.html
Consistent with the rest of the Faircroft’s Antiques series, The Forbidden Crypt is among the most polished hidden item puzzlers out there. The puzzles themselves have consistent artwork, items generally blend in well with the background (well, as most as some oddball things are able to), and there are also often other puzzles of various kinds that break things up nicely. To top it off, while the stories and characters may not generate much intrigue or excitement there’s at least an attempt to pull everything together thematically, but in a light way that doesn’t add substantially to the time you put in, just enough to connect things together and add a layer of polish. While it’s hard to say any particular chapter is clearly better than the others, if you’re a hidden object fan the series and this specific title are certainly worth a look. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-12th-edition.html
While it gets off to a bit of a light start, Nova-111 is the sort of game that’ll sneak up on you with its challenge as it continues to add more complicated enemies, environmental threats, and varied tools to help you survive the further you go. Finding a space that’s less onerous than something like a tactical combat sim, but elevating the challenge beyond your typical light and breezy strategy title, depending on your level of experience and confidence you may get pretty deep before things get messy for you but I’d wager most people out there will feel the sting of a challenge at some point as complexity continues to get piled on the further you go. Where, when, and how you move in relation to what’s around you, and making the proper use of the weapons and abilities you have available, is vital to your success and the further you go the more even small mistakes or hesitations can cost you. Nova-111 may not be without its flaws, but if you’re looking for a mix of some action and strategy that doesn’t carry a terribly high cost this is well worth your consideration. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-12th-edition.html
Mixing together elements of an adventure title with a heavier-than-usual focus on puzzles, Dissolution does have some appeal. Out of the gate though, it can be a bit aggravating as it does a poor job of getting you started with what you’re supposed to be doing. Given a little time and some flailing around the rooms you’ll likely catch on, finally finding a key item or two that you’ll recall being handy for puzzles in rooms you’ve already been through. The very brute force method of working things out sort of left me cold though, with the experience often feeling less focused on smarts and ingenuity and more on simply walking around and trying everything until it pans out. The puzzles, thankfully, are generally more engaging, though as always seems to be the case they generally vary in quality. It doesn’t make for a bad experience, but given the amount of competition in the space it’s also hard to get more excited about what it has to offer. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-29th-edition.html
Jumping into the wayback machine for this one, seeing this title for the first time since the Commodore 64 era was a bit of a thrill, I’ll admit. Though I don’t remember much of the mechanical experience, I did have a recollection that it was a challenging game my friend and I worked through little by little waaay back in the day. If you have nostalgia for either this title, or for games of that era, I can tell you that the translation here is quite authentic… warts and all. But first, you’ll need to simply get used to the isometric movement scheme and simply how the game works mechanically in terms of jumping and what each button does. That’s where one of the major issues comes into play though, as the experience is absolutely authentic to the original, providing zero instruction or provisions for help of any kind. Since the style of play, switching between your two characters, and working your way through puzzles in each room doesn’t have a very contemporary feel or sensibility that lack of guidance makes the game tough to love out of the gate. However, if you’re willing to put in some effort, and perhaps look up an ancient strategy guide, retro fans may enjoy the trip down memory lane. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-29th-edition.html
While word games of this sort are probably better suited to play on a mobile device, when the challenge is there and the price is at least reasonable it’s hard to begrudge a title like Way Forward. Be warned, even among the tougher word puzzlers I’ve played on Switch, this may be the toughest with its pretty strict ruleset and pre-made boards awash with vowels that you’ll likely curse. With the objective of clearing all letters in each screen, and making judicious use of the few power-ups you have, you won’t want to be impulsive. Even if you see a great longer word you can pull off, which will give you a useful bonus letter swap ability, if it’ll put you in a corner trying to clear the board you won’t be able to use it. If you’d appreciate a thoughtful challenge that taxes your vocabulary as well as your strategic ability this could be a winner. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-29th-edition.html
I’m always down to check out games that are a little off-center, and from its basic description Dungeon Munchies certainly fits that bill. Essentially playing as a zombie who is doing the bidding of a necromancer, stirring up some trouble… somewhat literally. A central piece of this side-scrolling adventure is crafting recipes to improve your equipment and skills, quickly getting to the point where you’ll need to make some decisions on either what best compliments your style of play or what may be needed to get you through a tough section. While it has its charm, and its level of difficulty in general is reasonable, that’s not to say it doesn’t have some rough edges when it comes to the controls and just the general bones underlying the game experience. If you’re looking for some fun though, and are willing to forgive some warts in the name of something a little different, it may be a good match though. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-29th-edition.html
It’s always great to see smart puzzle games that deliver play that hasn’t been run into the ground and that provide the opportunity to get some help when needed. Mashing together puzzle platforming, old-school box pushing, and the ability to capture elements where they are and restore them to those positions later gives Filmechanism plenty of opportunity to keep its challenges fresh as you go. The opportunity to simply take the normal easier path, or one of two tougher paths, helps to give everyone a chance to enjoy the experience, and if you’re determined to take them all there’s also plenty of content. Wrap it all up with a great vintage presentation that is more than adequate and even a usable hint system to help you when you get stuck and it’s a well thought out package that’s ideal for puzzle fans of all skill and experience levels. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-29th-edition.html
Not merely settling for being just a Chess simulation, I can at least respect Pawn of the Dead for trying to spice things up. By including a story, some zombies, and a campaign built around creating scenarios you must solve rather than just having people play endless games against the AI it does try to go the extra mile for value. Unfortunately, it’s also hard not to see some flaws and missed opportunities as well. Having been a fan of the classic Battle Chess waaaay back in the day, which made the game a bit more fun with its varied animations for different pieces taking each other out, the lack of any real in the animations here is a major letdown. More critically though is just the dark and pretty muddy presentation to everything. If you think the strategic hook sounds like fun though, and are willing to live with the warts, it’s at least unique on the eShop. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-30th-edition.html
Some credit to the people behind this hidden object adventure of sorts, they’re at least trying to throw some variety into the mix. Rather than just statically move from area to area to find a simple list of objects the game throws some object collections (that don’t strictly tell you what to find, simply giving you a theme and silhouettes), small hidden areas, and connective tissue that’s a bit more like a point-and-click adventure at you. It’s a nice change of pace, but the implementation is also on the rocky side, especially where the more adventure-y elements come in, leaving you to sort of blindly move through their house trying to figure out where to go and what to do without much guidance. I could see how this could put off people who are simply showing up to find hidden objects, and the complications in simply doing so could be an impediment. Perhaps an option to streamline and simply work on the puzzles, or not simply letting people wander around would help out, but “as is” the game does work, but it’s just somewhat needlessly in its own way for being a casual title. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-30th-edition.html
Since the Switch has been pretty thin in the sporting games department, to a degree it’s exciting to see anything athletic coming the system’s way. Horatio Goes Snowboarding, unfortunately, isn’t going to deliver much of anything in terms of depth, but fans of more arcade-like experiences can still take solace in the fact that the basic gameplay it does offer is at least diverting… even if not likely for very long. Your goal is mostly straight-forward, simply wanting to get to the bottom of the hill you’ve been airdropped onto, and you’ll garner some extra points and prestige for managing to go between the periodic flags that have been set up or for weaving a little closely to obstacles like the trees that are procedurally laid out on the slopes. It’s not bad, and the further you manage to go the more complicated it will get to avoid wiping out, but sadly aside from simply trying to score higher on the leaderboard there’s really nothing else that it has to offer. Not bad for some cheap budget fun, but that’s about it. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-30th-edition.html
Considering the staggering number of indie budget puzzlers on the Switch, I don’t doubt trying to make one that stands out is a challenge. On the visual front I’ll at least credit Gardener’s Path with going to the effort to visually stand out with lush pixel art. In terms of gameplay it’s a bit more down the middle, not necessarily breaking ground with its mechanics, but at least throwing in a variety of objects with different behaviors that will regularly force you to change up your overall strategy. One critical flaw I'd say is that because it doesn't make great use of the screen real estate, with too much empty space around the edges, it does make the detail a bit of a pain to see in handheld mode. However, if you’re a fan of this style, it’s among the better overall implementations out there, but I think more than most tastes in the genre this one’s not as popular overall. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-30th-edition.html
I’ll admit that I tend to always be excited to check out an adventure with a noir sort of flavor, even if in the case of titles like Lacuna it happens to be mixed with a bit of futuristic sci-fi flavor. The main point of interest in the game, and what will likely either make you an instant fan or a bit turned off, is that the focus here is on making decisions and then really having to live with them. There’s no provision for quick-saving or loading an old save, so you’ll need to be much more mindful with the moves and accusations you may make, for fear of there being some negative repercussions for you down the road. While this works well to a degree, for me there’s also an element of aggravation with it, mainly because it makes it extremely hard to gauge which decisions may have had what influence on later events… and often I’d find myself questioning if there were any choices I’d made of real consequence at all. It’s a great conceit when you can feel the sting of a bad decision, but aside from loading it up from the start again and tracking your new decisions carefully it can make the road to outcomes a bit muddy. Trying to step away from my concerns in that area I do appreciate the attempt here to streamline the traditional point-and-click adventure experience, and it’s great for keeping things moving. I could see genre purists feeling a bit thrown off by the deviation from the norm. Overall, if you know what to expect going in, and are open to the challenge, it’s a compelling narrative adventure worth checking out though. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-30th-edition.html
I’m sure anyone who takes on the challenge of making a game and getting it released dreams of their title being truly memorable. Of course, if what sears it onto memory are the problems rather than triumphs perhaps it would be better to remain obscure. After the pretty dreadful mess that was the original Hollow on Switch I assumed that there wouldn’t be a sequel, but I was wrong. I had hoped that the return would be determined to overcome the many shortcomings of the original, among them the very ugly and muddy presentation, the lackluster (and overly-repeated) enemy models, weak first-person action, and odd overall story. I was, again, wrong. If anything it feels like they’ve either ignored that the original had problems or have even decided to lean in even harder to things that didn’t work, thinking they’d somehow work themselves out this time. They didn’t. It’s a real mess, but if somehow my words don’t sate your curiosity I’d say that of the two the original was more playable, so I’d start there if you’re determined to see the trainwreck for yourself. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-5th-edition.html
Out of the gate I’ll say that I have always been, and continue to be, a big fan of Match-3 puzzles, especially when on the go. They’re easy to pick up and put down quickly, they’re mentally engaging, and well-designed ones will actively challenge your strategy and planning abilities the further you go along. In principle, since there haven’t been too many I’ve encountered on Switch, this could have been a pretty easy sell for me. Unfortunately, my familiarity with the abundant mobile competition out there (most of them playable for free on your mobile device to boot) really sunk my opinion of this one quickly. The biggest issue is that neither the puzzles or the visuals stack up well against the mobile competition, and in many regards this looks and plays more like a game produced a good decade ago. The theming, and a bit of a story with you working with pirates to construct an amusement park, could possibly have helped to buoy the experience a bit but unfortunately there was little effort put in to make this worthwhile as well. The resulting overall experience is unfortunately underwhelming. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-5th-edition.html
Educational games are always going to be pretty tough to review, as in the minds of most people the concept of learning and fun are mutually exclusive. If, however, you happen to be a fan of all things concerning the Earth, whether geography, wildlife, or nature in general, you may like the direction this particular game is running in. You’ll be able to challenge yourself solo, responding to multiple choice questions that range in difficulty, to see how well you know your stuff or play with some friends to see who the real expert in the group is. One oddity with the experience though is that with its quiz format it feels like its educational value is a bit at odds with its entertainment value. You’ll more likely do well in quizzes the more you already know, perhaps nullifying its value as an educational tool, but I’m not sure people seeking to know more would view this as their path to greater understanding. Still, if you enjoy the trivia quiz format, to play against friends or test yourself, it may be worthwhile. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-5th-edition.html
Offering up a mix of naturalistic but simple visuals, soothing sounds, and a bit of mild strategy, Eufloria is a pretty unique experience. What little there is to know is explained quickly, putting your little spores to work to counteract those of your enemies is generally efficient, and it hits a sort of sweet spot in making you work for your success without necessarily overwhelming you with challenge or complexity. All that said, it’s probably less appropriate for traditional strategy gamers and more for people who are looking for something simple to play distractedly as a diversion. While it may not inspire a need to shout its praises it’s also reasonably priced and may be a great match for the right audience. ****/2022/01/mini-reviews-january-5th-edition.html
On a general level the My Universe titles have been light enough fare, offering up some simple mini games tied to a specific theme to enjoy on a casual level. In principle, Doctors & Nurses does the same thing, but there’s something really odd about the specifics here that’s weird and a bit off-putting. From the voices for characters being plain odd, to the constant need to navigate the hospital (wasting time), to the weird school rival subplot… there just seems to be baggage here that isn’t helping but instead hurting the experience. Throw in relatively lackluster mini games (even by the series standard) that make odd control decisions or aren’t explained well and this iteration is hard to love. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-22nd-edition.html
When you’re looking to score a decent game on a budget you can’t always afford to be overly picky, but thankfully with some help you can often find some solid deals out there. While it isn’t very impressive visually, and certainly won’t hold your hand very much, if you enjoy Metroidvania-style exploration as well as some tricky puzzle platforming, Trash Quest is worth a look. Taken as a relatively small, short, and challenging package to fill some time, completing it initially, and then competing on the leaderboard for a quick clear time once you know what you’re doing, for its low price it has quite a lot of value to offer for the right crowd. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-22nd-edition.html
These Atari classic reduces have been interesting, if sometimes a bit underwhelming, but one constant that Asteroids reiterates is that the core gameplay devised decades ago now still fundamentally does hold up well. For the most part this is what you’d expect, with you piloting a ship, shooting asteroids and UFOs, trying to stay alive as long as you can and typically not wanting to fly around too much since you’ll need to counter your momentum if you want to stop and the edges of the screen tend to be deadly. Also consistent with the series, power-ups have been added to the mix, and since they come along randomly from run to run things can vary pretty wildly. Since the main mode and chasing that leaderboard may not be enough, quite a number of challenge levels are also there to test you, which helps to round out the package and help make it feel like a worthwhile budget purchase for arcade shooting fans. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-22nd-edition.html
While time manipulation puzzling has been done before in the indie space, there’s an element of visual polish and flair that helps Timelie stand out nicely. There is a bit of a learning curve at times, as you’ll need to experiment with different methods and taking risks to proceed, but for the most part the game’s stages are designed well so they’ll sort of force your hand in trying different tactics since those you’ve used to that point won’t work any longer. It’s a solid puzzle experience that feels fresh, doesn’t overstay its welcome or get too incredibly onerous to complete, and often leaves you feeling satisfied after you’ve plotted out your perfectly-planned path and then get to watch it executed, sending you on to the next stage. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-22nd-edition.html
Omno is a bit of a challenge to review in some regards, as on a general level it’s mechanically sound and actually provides for a nice and generally low-stakes adventure. You’re not directly given much in the way of direction to start, but with a basic understanding of how a typical action-adventure works and some experimentation you’ll quickly get up to speed. Aside from the controls perhaps being a little on the loose side, lacking a crispness you’d absolutely want and need if the action were a bit more demanding, it’s a pretty carefree affair and simply thoroughly pleasant. Alas, the rub is that I’d also say that in a crowded eShop there’s not much that makes it truly memorable, as it lacks the beating heart **** story or the adrenaline rush of action that would help it make a greater lasting impression. That said, for a relatively short, sometimes visually stunning, and enjoyable romp, it provides a solid value for the price of admission. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-17th-edition.html
From an “elevator pitch” angle there’s something great about being able to cite popular and successful titles as a shorthand to describe other ones succinctly. In the case of Aspire, whether it was intentional or not, the easy choice is the gorgeous and smart adventure GRIS. Right off the bat the game’s great aesthetic style is on display, and the action has an old-school cinematic feel in line with classics like Prince of Persia. All of this works pretty well, and it makes an impression, but there are also some cracks in the facade that hold it back from the next level in spots. The first is that I think the game takes it a little too much for granted early on that people will experiment to understand both the nuances of the controls and how best to contend with your enemies. The second is that exacerbating that issue are hiccups with the at-times finicky controls when trying to interact with objects under duress. Granted, with a little repetition you’ll work things out and progress, but they are rough edges in an otherwise compelling adventure that could discourage gamers in the early going. ****/2021/12/mini-reviews-december-17th-edition.html
As someone who, oddly, never actually played Black Widow back in the day, I want to be up front that unlike many classic arcade refreshes in this case I have no potential for rose-colored feelings over this redux. In some ways that’s a shame, since I think it’s at more of a disadvantage than its Recharged brethren, but since it’s ultimately a twin-stick shooter I’ve still obviously got thoughts. I like the use of the theme, with you playing the part of a spider in her web, and you’re shooting at various assorted bugs who pose a few different threats to you which you’ll have to quickly recognize and react to accordingly to stay alive. The randomness of the power-ups you’ll be able to leverage really crank up the arcade unpredictability factor, sometimes bailing you out when you need a save, and other times not so much. The addition of the challenge stages, consistent with the Recharged series, also adds nicely to variety and longevity as it will throw different objectives at you to conquer. In the end, for a budget price, it’s reasonably good, but I would be remiss not to note the preponderance of great twin-stick shooters out there on the eShop and though this has a novel theme I wouldn’t say it breaks away to distinguish itself among its competitors. One comment I will make is the one-life style of it makes for some frustratingly brief runs where you have no opportunity to bounce back, a bad break lingering near the edge without helpful power-ups you may just end up needing to start over. ****/2021/10/mini-reviews-october-22nd-edition.html
Having been a gamer all the way back to the days of Zork and text-based adventures I’m a fan of games that evoke nostalgic charm. I do believe there’s an art in trying to make games that emulate the look and feel of titles from that era, but the tricky thing is unless you really nail it the result can just be a bit of an ugly mess. Sadly, for me, the alliterative Tew falls into the weird camp of genuinely trying to capture the limited visuals of roughly the Commodore-64 or NES days but only getting it partially right, which makes the unusual 3D movement on 2D background attempts among other issues distracting. Throw in writing and puzzles that are merely middle of the road and while it’s available at a budget price it simply struggles to feel worthwhile. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-4th-edition-nintendo.html
Local multiplayer is certainly back with a vengeance on Switch, but for developers an unfortunate side effect of this fact is that even in the budget space you need to bring an “A Game” experience to make an impression. While mechanically Bamerang delivers what it promises, a game where you’ll work to hit your enemies with a boomerang and try to pick up the most gold, there’s also a marked lack of ambition here. Pretty quickly while playing the collective family question for me was: “That’s it?” Perhaps with some more modes, stages, or some real variety this could have been a more successful title but as it is there’s more of an extended play mini game within a larger collection vibe that’s hard to shake here. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-4th-edition-nintendo.html
When you’ve got a crowded eShop first impressions can be everything, so when you struggle with a title right out of the gate it can be tough to recover. Raksasi does end up delivering a decent enough roguelike top-down slasher experience, but warming up to it can be a challenge since you’re pretty quickly left to simply figure out what to do. Certainly roguelike fans will understand some of the way things work without too much info, but for folks who are still getting acquainted this may not be an ideal title to get the introduction with. Once you’re locked into what limited skills you have to work with you’ll get your dodge and weave down, though you’ll need to be mindful of how differently a variety of enemies change up their attacks to challenge your skills with. A variety of characters and weapons can then be unlocked to then spice things up a bit and help you develop more of a style your own, but since the base combat never gets much more elaborate beyond biding your time and dodging attacks before effectively countering genre fans with plenty of exposure may find this one runs out of excitement a bit too quickly. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-4th-edition-nintendo.html
While perhaps not the bread and butter of the typical Switch gamer’s library titles that have a bit more of a casual feel can be a great way to unwind. Fly Together, as its name implies, even ups the ante with its value by throwing in support for multiplayer which is really where the experience shines the brightest and distinguishes itself from previous games of this type. It’s a game all about controlling the flight path of multiple planes between multiple color-coded airports. While this starts out simply enough, as you keep adding in more flights to manage at once, one that move through your area that aren’t under your control, and some unpredictable weather events, it gets to be a challenge if you want to keep earning all your stars. To help you’ll slowly amass a load of aircraft that are crucial in different conditions for optimizing your success. Solo or better with friends, this is a casual strategy game that delivers some fun without letting the stress level get too high. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-4th-edition-nintendo.html
In order to keep things fresh developers have a constant challenge to mix and match genres and play styles in new ways. Sometimes this game alchemy can go awry, but with some luck they can result in glimmers of hope in the form of something unexpected and fun. Starting with the mold established by titles like the glorious Dungeon Keeper 2, a great first step is that you’ll find yourself on the other side of the coin, working to thwart heroes in their quests for glory and protect your amassed horde of riches. From there it charts its own path pretty much though, and the result is a blend of strategy, a bit of tower defense, turn-based combat, and resource management. Now, at first this is a bit rocky as you’re let loose with only a moderate level of direction, and your first run will likely show growing pains as you not only try to understand how to make effective decisions, but even some fundamentals around what pitfalls to avoid and where to spend your resources most effectively to suit your preferred style. Being a roguelike, unpredictable circumstances will make this a challenge but thankfully the game’s humor and bits of originality help it to distinguish itself with plenty of flavor to enjoy for strategy fans. https://metacriticz.pages.dev/game/switch/legend-of-keepers-career-of-a-dungeon-manager/user-reviews
Ah, licensed games… Though in more recent history they haven’t been quite as much of a scourge as in generations past they have a tendency to either be a surprise, making terrific use of the property, or what feels like a thin coat of familiarity to slap on an otherwise lacking experience. Unfortunately, as quirky and silly as SpongeBob may be, Krusty Cook-Off doesn’t put a very good foot forward on multiple levels, making for a pretty overpriced but underwhelming experience. Very clearly showing its mobile roots with different in-game currencies to earn, a shop for cosmetics, and general mechanics from the free-to-play space, that this isn’t even a budget game is already tough to swallow. Throw in that there’s no voice to make more than cosmetic use of the license and that the cooking management gameplay skews on the simplistic side, with many competitors already on the system that are more engaging and fun, and this title is half-baked at best. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-7th-edition-nintendo.html
When I think of skating titles, flashes of things like Tony Hawk or the X-Games come to mind. Loud music, sick tricks, in general a load of intensity and coolness coming through your screen and controller. In Skate City, sure you can do some nice tricks, and the dual-stick control setup is at least novel and workable, but in terms of the presentation and energy it’s more like an insurance seminar. The limited locales you’re able to visit are nice enough but will loop, the tricks you can do are fine but hardly get the blood pumping, and the general lack of overall variety in what you’ll do and how just fails to make a serious impression. This isn’t just about unfairly putting it up against bigger development efforts and licenses, even among its indie brethren while Skate City is OK to visit for a while I wouldn’t recommend living there. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-7th-edition-nintendo.html
Roguelikes… the tendency is you’ll either love them or hate them, and I’ve been on both sides of the fence, sometimes against the popular grain even, when it comes to the category. While at a certain level I can appreciate the simplicity and brutality of Nongunz, as well as the promise that with persistence and maybe some luck greater truths and interest will arise… even as a roguelike fan this title feels like it’s asking a bit too much on faith of a payoff without enough of an early taste to get me invested. Really, for me that’s the most critical thing to the roguelike experience, a vision of what is to come even if it is out of reach. Instead, the path this game takes is more wrapped in mystery, which can be fine, but if you’re not willing to make a chunk of an investment to even grasp what it is the game will offer if you can get around the corner this will be a title to pass on. If you’re all about the challenge though? It seems to be a great fit for that taste. ****/2021/05/mini-reviews-may-7th-edition-nintendo.html
