Latest Reviews
Review Cassette Beasts (Switch) - An Inventive Monster Battler That's Far More Zelda Than Pokémon
We'd die for Traffikrab
There’s something that feels right about a monster-battling creature-collecting game coming to a Nintendo console. Originally released for PC on 26 April 2023, Cassette Beasts has made its way to the Nintendo Switch where it belongs. At first glance, Cassette Beasts clearly draws quite a lot of inspiration from Pokémon,...
Review Fights In Tight Spaces (Switch) - A Fresh-Feeling Roguelike With Turn-Based Tussling
Wham, bam, thank you ma'am
There are an almost infinite number of roguelikes on the Switch, so it could be easy for you to miss the release of Fights in Tight Spaces. First released on PC and Xbox in December 2021, this is a tactical deck-builder that offers visceral violence and surprisingly deep strategy. The concept of one person against a room...
Mini Review Nightmare Reaper (Switch) - A Roguelite, Boomer-Shlooter Bloodbath
Psychoactive
Nightmare Reaper’s procedurally generated stages are as rawly aggressive as the thrash metal motifs that drive it. Coined a looter-shooter, it’s a roguelite that revels in retro visuals, blazing speeds, and the ensuing spectacle of its bloodbath. In a novel move, it procedurally generates levels, meaning each time you die or start...
Review Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! (Switch) - Bubbles Over With Charm (And Useless Bots)
PAYONPAH!
One of the biggest games to dominate the scene of the golden age of arcades was Bubble Bobble, a cute Japanese action platformer centered around little dinosaurs that could shoot bubbles out of their mouths. While that original game eventually went on to spawn a ton of sequels and ports that iterated on the concept, it also led to the...
Positively shocking
Confusion abounds with this one. This isn’t the same Shockman that was originally released for the TurboGrafx-16 back in 1991, which was a localisation of Japan's Shubibinman 2. This, Cyber Citizen Shockman, is a new 2023 translation of the original Shubibinman game from 1989; and frankly, that’s the most special thing about...
Review Bat Boy (Switch) - 'Mega Man With A Baseball Bat' Is Fun, But Not Quite A Home Run
Shohei Ohtani meets Rockman
There’s something refreshing about playing a Mega Man-like action platformer in 2023. Instead of expansive open worlds to explore, you get a handful of themed stages to leap through. There’s no deep narrative or lore to invest in, yet the colourful cast of bad guys and allies draws you in all the same with their fun...
The sky's the limit
There’s something magical about the first time you dive from the Sky to the Surface in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That one moment feels like a complete distillation of what made Breath of the Wild feel so special to so many – the freedom, the thrill, and the scope are all captured perfectly as you careen to...
Review Molly Medusa: Queen Of Spit (Switch) - A Frustrating, Wind Waker-Inspired Throwback
Didn't float our trireme
Molinike is in a bit of a pickle. All she wanted was to learn how to be the best sculptor ever, but instead, she’s got snakes in her hair and turns everyone who gets close to her to stone. Molly Medusa: Queen of Spit starts with a fun concept but it strains against its own ambition in almost every direction. Coming from...
Review Super Dungeon Maker (Switch) - A Promising 'Zelda Maker' That Needs More Time In The Oven
Prematurely hatched
Ever since Nintendo gave players the tools to develop their own levels with Super Mario Maker, there’s been talk about the Big N expanding the concept to other franchises, especially Zelda. This was allegedly discussed at greater length behind the scenes and eventually led to the addition of the Chamber Dungeons concept in the...
Mini Review Wild Dogs (Switch) - Solid Contra-Style Running And Gunning
Contra addiction
Wild Dogs borrows almost everything from Konami’s classic Contra series, and this is a good thing. Initially glowing in perfect shades of monochromatic green and formed like a beautifully detailed Game Boy title, it’s both visually pleasing and successful in its nostalgic reimaginings. Playing as mercenary Frank Williams and...
Review Nuclear Blaze (Switch) - A Neat Little Action Platformer, Small And Cool
I don't want to set the world on fire
In April of 2021, the beloved Ludum Dare game jam took place with the theme of 'Deeper and Deeper'. Participants had 48 hours to throw together a game, and Sébastien Benard—known for working on Dead Cells—decided to give it a shot by making a firefighting game called Nuclear Blaze. After the competition was...
Review Teslagrad 2 (Switch) - A Fine Follow-Up That Leaves You Wanting More
Lighting strikes twice
When the original Teslagrad released in 2013, the indie game scene was in a very different place. Long before modern Indie Worlds and Nindie Showcases and games from small developers put out by billion-dollar publishers, indie games still felt very much independent. The original game — recently re-released in Remastered form...
Review Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed (Switch) - A Stunning Denouement, Utterly Essential
We're really feeling it
Nine months on from the release of the stunning Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and, true to form, Monolith Soft has once again delivered a hefty chunk of story-based DLC for fans to sink their teeth into, this time in the shape of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed. We’ve already had a bunch of fun new heroes and an all-new...
Review Strayed Lights (Switch) - A Genuine Surprise, Imperfect But Enchanting
Colour us impressed
As soon as we booted up Strayed Lights, we were rooting for it. The sights and sounds were beautiful and haunting, making this freshman offering from developer Embers one of the most enchanting games we’ve played all year. Unfortunately, a string of visual bugs and long loading times marred what was otherwise a glorious...
Review Bramble: The Mountain King (Switch) - Solid Puzzle Platforming In A Horrid Nordic Mythscape
Step aside, Hansel and Gretel
A young boy named Olle treks through dark woods after his missing sister. At first, nothing seems awry, yet he soon comes upon pinecones arranged in strange formations. Not long after, a massive shadow flits overhead. In the distance, obscured by the moonlight slanting through the trees, a massive, insidious shape...
Review Desta: The Memories Between (Switch) - Dreamy Dodgeball That's Surprisingly Emotional
Balls well that ends well
There’s an approach to relationship counselling where there’s a ball, and whoever is holding the ball gets to speak. Having said your piece, you toss the ball to another person and they get their chance to express themselves without interruption. But here’s an idea: what if you just threw the ball as hard as you could...
Review Minecraft Legends (Switch) - A Jankier, Less-Fun Pikmin, And A Massive Disappointment
Not quite legendary
Few games have had more cultural impact than Minecraft, but it seems that Mojang has struggled to recapture anywhere near the same success in its efforts to expand the IP beyond its sandbox origins. Minecraft: Story Mode was a decent, if uninspiring Telltale game, while Minecraft Dungeons proved to be a solid, but unexceptional...
Review Afterimage - An Attractive, Sprawling Metroidvania That Struggles On Switch
Don't walk away, Renee
There’s nothing quite like a good Metroidvania. Dense labyrinths to traverse, many kinds of demons/undead/monsters to slay, new equipment to find, hazards to leap, and, most importantly, abilities to acquire that allow you to explore even more. We’ve gotten quite a few stellar genre entries in the last decade, but now we...
Review Trinity Trigger (Switch) - A Blast From The Past For Secret Of Mana Fans
Pull my (Trinity) Trigger
Fans of '90s JRPGs, particularly those released for the SNES, will have been watching Trinity Trigger closely. The game boasts a veritable dream team from some of the best JRPGs of the past 30 years, including those who worked on Xenoblade Chronicles, Octopath Traveler, and, of course, Secret of Mana. There is a lot for...
Review Castle Of Shikigami 2 (Switch) - A Fine Version Of The Best Game In The Bullet-Hell Trilogy
Something familiar
Shikigami no Shiro, or Castle of Shikigami in localisation, is a shooting game series by Alfa System, a studio that once upon a time pitched in on the likes of Wonder Boy III and several Ys ports for the PC Engine CD-ROM. Castle of Shikigami’s main series spans three games, and, despite the third entry’s intriguing Hi-Tension...
Review Tin Hearts (Switch) - An Engaging Little Puzzler That Tugs On Your Heartstrings
Heigh ho, heigh ho
Remember when Lemmings was all the rage? It’s hard to imagine that the studio that would go on to develop the monumentally successful Grand Theft Auto franchise made such a quaint little puzzler. Lemmings was a darn good game, spawning multiple add-ons and sequels over the years. It’s honestly a little surprising that the...
Review IGS Classic Arcade Collection (Switch) - An Excellent Selection, Poorly Presented
Romance of the Arcade Kingdom
IGS, or International Game System Co., Ltd — not to be confused with '90s Japanese developer IGS (Information Global Service) — is a dedicated arcade developer hailing from Taiwan. Still going strong after 25 years in the industry, it maintains an incredibly strong foothold in both Taiwan and China, producing...
Review The Mageseeker: A League Of Legends Story (Switch) - An Enthralling Hack-And-Slash Spin-Off
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me
It’s a shame that League of Legends has become such a meme for being a source of toxicity, as Riot Games has consistently shown that the world of Runeterra has quite a bit more potential than the MOBA lets on. Through its Riot Forge publishing arm, the company has enlisted...
Six not-so-final Final Fantasies
Few series are as beloved as Final Fantasy, and given how many re-releases, remakes, and remasters we’ve gotten over the years, Square Enix knows this. Often these remakes and re-releases have questionable quality and design choices that diehard fans lament. Enter the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster, which...
Review Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (Switch) - A Pair Of Strategy Gems Delightfully Reimagined
Black Hole Sun
After two lengthy delays to its original release date of December 2021 — a combination of last-minute fine-tuning and "recent world events" (aka Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine) — Wayforward's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is finally here. This pair of Game Boy Advance classics have stood the time incredibly well...
Review Disney Speedstorm - Great Courses And Characters, But Stutters On Switch
Super karting, quite artistic, FPS atrocious
It’s hard to review a game when it has something that doesn’t bother some players but is considered a dealbreaker for others. Disney Speedstorm is a particularly tricky course to navigate, then, because it has two of them. Let’s get this out of the way first, then, so as to not waste some...
Review Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories (Switch) - A Witty Little Nostalgia Trip
Melondramatic, in the best sense
We are living in an unprecedentedly competitive attention economy, one in which time and energy are increasingly finite and precious. Because of this, it can be easy to overlook games which appear simple and unassuming at first glance: retro monochromatic Game Boy-style graphics, cute-but-childish anthropomorphic...
Review Pokémon Stadium - The Original 151 Brought To Life With Style
Your stadium tour awaits
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in Switch's N64 library via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. With the Pokémon franchise being as super effective as it was during the late '90s due to its handheld games, trading cards, television anime...
Review Cannon Dancer - Osman (Switch) - The Bold, Concise Strider Sequel You Always Wanted
Strider Too
Following his departure from Capcom, director Kouichi Yotsui was burdened with expectation following Strider's success. Sadly, despite his inventive, risk-taking approach to game development, he would never again win the limelight. In the mid-'90s he had a fling with Mitchell Corporation, a studio formed of ex-Capcom staff that coaxed...
Review Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Switch) - A Rock-Solid Compilation
Jack in!! Mega Man, Execute!
In the early 2000s, an ancient and long-forgotten era when Capcom regularly released new Mega Man games, the company decided to produce not one, but two mainline Mega Man series on the popular Game Boy Advance. Mega Man Zero would continue the gameplay and storyline that the previous action platforming franchises were...
