Latest Reviews
Mini Review Retro Bowl (Switch) - An Addictive 8-Bit Throwback That's Appropriately Super
The Bears' offence is rubbish in this, too
(American) Football is a surprisingly complicated sport; it may not look like it as we watch enormous humans endanger themselves while wearing a lot of padding, but it's a game with playbooks and elaborate calls that sound to the uninitiated like the outbursts of lunatics. For most of us fans it's a simple...
Review Swords & Bones (Switch) - Ghosts 'N Goblins-Style Indie Action, With A Dash Of Castlevania
Independent sacrifice
Firing up Swords & Bones, we were taken with a sudden sentimentality for the days of the bedroom coder, when newsagents held a revolving rack of Commodore or Spectrum cassette tape games emblazoned with wonderful cover art. This nostalgia smack could partly be down to the game’s intro sequence illustrations looking like...
Review OlliOlli World (Switch) - A Radical Departure And A Must-Play
It's an Olli, Olli, Olli, Olli World
A little over 8 years ago, Roll7 first introduced the world to OlliOlli, a fun little take on a 2D platformer that centered around skating. Barely a year later, the studio then released OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood, which built on the mechanics and scope of the original in nearly every way. With that last...
The Sign of the Eight (Out of Ten)
With an apologetic tip of the long, fancy hat to original author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, we think it's fair to say that Sherlock Holmes' many adaptations have supplanted the original text in terms of prominence. Most luridly, of course, there is Steven Moffat's Sherlock, as well as similarly contemporary take...
Review The Artful Escape (Switch) - A Thrilling Audiovisual Journey From Annapurna
Space jam
The Artful Escape hit Windows and Xbox in 2021, published by Annapurna Interactive. Over Annapurna’s brief 5-year history, its preferred flavour of stylish, quirky, thoughtful games has become well-understood, as has the “triple-I” production and publicity push that sets Indie Devs™ apart from other independent developers. Coming...
Mini Review Horrid Henry's Krazy Karts (Switch) - One For The Kids
Unlike Henry, it isn't bad
Say what you will about Horrid Henry's suitability as a role model for youngsters, but there’s no denying the popularity of the franchise. Although there don’t appear to be any new books on the way anytime soon, the fact is they continue to sell well and its five-series animated spin-off now sits proudly on Netflix...
Review Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 (Switch) - More Of The Same Short-But-Sweetness
That's pronounced "icks", not nine
A couple of years ago, Inti Creates put out Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX—an interesting spinoff featuring one of the most popular characters from the Azure Striker Gunvolt series. It may have been a bit on the short side, but Copen’s inaugural adventure in a starring role showed that his unique take...
Review Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) - One Of The Greatest Pokémon Games Ever Made
We all live in a Pokémon world
A century before it became the land of Sinnoh, the Hisui region was a dangerous place where humans and Pokémon didn’t share the close bond they have today. In fact, Pokémon were treated like dangerous creatures to be avoided, and in Pokémon Legends: Arceus it’s up to you and the Galaxy Expedition Team to...
Review Vagante (Switch) - A Roguelike Too Empty To Make An Impact
A class below the rest
Over the past decade, few genres have boomed as much as the roguelike. Indie games like The Binding of Isaac, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Dead Cells and Hades have brought attention to a genre once thought to be far too punishing for a mainstream audience, even if the core run-based gameplay is tweaked slightly into a -lite or a...
Review Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel (Switch) - A F2P Card-Battler With Potential, But Noobs Beware
I summon Pot of Greed to draw three additional cards from my deck!
Back in the late '90s and early 2000s, it felt like Yu-Gi-Oh! was seen on the playground as the game only played by the kids who wouldn’t play Pokémon. Nonetheless, the franchise has persisted for nearly as long as those popular pocket monsters, and has always maintained a...
Review Eschatos (Switch) - A Boldly Unique And Historical Shmup Package
Here comes the judgement
M-KAI began his game development life on the MSX with RPG Izumic Ballade, before moving into the shoot-em-up arena with Kanzen Kouryaku Kyokugen and Pleasure Hearts. The distinct design hallmarks of these early works — leaning toward lightweight, unpretentious fun — have remained present throughout his commitment to the...
Review Blackwind (Switch) - Hack 'N' Slash Mech Mayhem That Misses The Mark
Not much wind in these sails
Once upon a time in an unfortunate culinary incident, this writer managed to accidentally create a bowl of literally flavorless Jell-O. The Jell-O (that's jelly to you UK folk) was cold, completely clear, chewy, and somehow managed to leave a massive impression, solely because of how its flavor left absolutely no...
Review Banjo-Kazooie - Peerless Platforming Perfection, And Now Available On Switch
Kazooie, we're home
This review originally went live in 2009, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the long-awaited return of Banjo-Kazooie to a Nintendo console, available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 library. Back in the days of the N64’s prime, there was one firm that managed to stand out from the rest:...
Review Windjammers 2 (Switch) - Sweaty, Strategic, And Better Than The Near Perfect Original
We hope you like jammin' too
Update: We've now managed to play some Windjammers 2's online since the game went live yesterday and, we're pleased to say, it all seems to be working fine and dandy on Nintendo Switch, with a solid connection maintained during matches which we were able to jump into instantly. Good news, as this one really is all about...
Review Megaton Musashi (Switch) - Level-5's Import-Only Mecha Monster Deserves A Localisation
Domo arigatou, Mr. Roboto
It’s been a while since renowned Japanese developer Level-5 launched an IP that didn’t come complete with accompanying merchandise lines, manga, and anime to complement its latest game property. Professor Layton, Ni No Kuni, Inazuma Eleven, Snack World, and of course,
Mini Review Shadow Man Remastered (Switch) - A Rich, Inscrutable World To Get Lost In
He's got friends on the other side
There's no sense in pretending that Shadow Man isn't a dated experience. But games like this — originally seen on PlayStation, N64, PC and Dreamcast — rather force a re-examination of the somewhat meaningless criticism "dated". Seriously, what does it mean? A change in standards, perhaps. Differing expectations...
Review Cotton Fantasy (Switch) - A Joyful, Mischievous, And Incredibly Varied Shmup
Any Witch Way
When it comes to the cute-’em-up sub-genre, the characterful witch Cotton and the series to which she lends her name are effectively royalty. There are other games that have been important in defining a niche where shmups’ staple fighter craft, tanks and laser turrets are replaced with kittens, candy canes and cuddly toys, of...
Review Radirgy Swag (Switch) - Legwork Needed To Enjoy This Quirky Shmup
Radio for help
Merriam-Webster defines ‘Swag’, in urban slang terms, as referring to "stylish confidence”, although the origin of the word actually comes from the Scandinavian ‘svagga’, meaning to “rock unsteadily or to lurch”. Radirgy Swag, with its unusual direction and somewhat confusing properties, probably has more in common with...
Review SNK VS. Capcom: Card Fighters' Clash (Switch) - An Utterly Essential Card-Battler
Now this is a Brucie bonus
It's a result we had previously only dared to hope for. When SNK Vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium dropped on Switch almost a year ago, the fruits of the two fighting game companies' all-too-brief alliance were once again deemed "potentially in play". But when the labelled "Volume 1" of the wonderful Neo Geo Pocket Color...
Mini Review Picross S7 (Switch) - Holy Moly, They Only Went And Added Touch Support
THE NUMBERS, MASON! WHAT DO THEY MEAN!
If there’s one Nintendo franchise that has desperately needed a new entry in modern times, it’s Picross. Just nine months on from S6, barely five months since the SEGA-flavoured Picross S Genesis & Master System edition, and after the thrilling cliffhanger ending, we’ve been eager to see how Jupiter...
Review Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (Switch) - Surprisingly Charming Licensed Kart Racing
Well, there's Norway we saw this coming
Look, we know everyone has already collected all the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix memorabilia there is to collect. We're sure that as you read this you’re sitting there in your Pinchcliffe Grand Prix pyjamas and shaking with fear at the prospect of buying another piece of Pinchcliffe merchandise, because your...
Review Astroneer (Switch) - Plenty Of Genial Jank In This Addictive, Scrappy Sandbox
In space, no one can hear you scrap
The story of Astroneer is a remarkable one, and one this reviewer (hello!) has been following since the very beginning. Back in 2015, this charming little teaser trailer was released, showing a spaceman traversing lonely, low-poly alien landscapes. It wasn't fully clear what the game was, but it was instantly...
Mini Review Twelve Minutes (Switch) - A Tedious Time Loop That Squanders Its Potential
"No, Samus, no!" we cried, "It's not THAT Ridley!"
It’s almost impossible to avoid comparing 12 Minutes to the classic existential horror movie, Groundhog Day. It’s the same basic premise, after all; famous actor goes into house, eats cake, gets assaulted by policeman, chokes to death, wakes up in the time loop. Okay, maybe they’re not exactly...
Mini Review Dreamscaper (Switch) - A Carefully Crafted Roguelite With A Personal Touch
Don't sleep on this one
Sometimes you can just tell how much effort and care went into making a game, and a good example of this can be seen in Dreamscaper. Developed by a tiny three-person development team, it’s impressive how much has been crammed into this little roguelite from both a story and gameplay perspective. At its core Dreamscaper is...
Telling tall Telltale tales
Has it really been fifteen years since Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space was originally released? It still feels so contemporary. The new Sam & Max. Which is now older than Sam & Max Hit the Road was when Beyond Time and Space first launched. Aargh, skeleton, etc. Never mind, grandad! It's back now with...
Review Hollow 2 (Switch) - A Sequel That Shoots Itself In The Foot
Game over, man, game over!
Sequels are supposed to be better than their predecessors. Although such a statement doesn’t always ring true (plenty will have a lot to say about which of the Metroid Prime games is their favourite) the intention behind a sequel is to learn from and improve upon previous works - that’s the theory, at least. When...
Review Dungeon Munchies (Switch) - Not Without Potential, But Also Serious Early Access Issues
Undercooked
There’s a lot of debate these days about what constitutes a ‘complete’ game. Is a game complete when it launches, or does it only cross that threshold when the developer finally stops updating it? If it’s neither of those, how many updates or how much content have to be added until it is done? What about when a game is ‘content...
Is it worth the hype?
Well, here we are. Eight months after The House In Fata Morgana's release, and six months since our first diary entry of "the game better than Breath of the Wild", it's finally time to actually, finally review it. Fata Morgana is an subject of bafflement, a tantalising enigma, and a frequent point of mockery, all because its...
Review Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Switch) - A Masterful Marriage Of Mechanics, Themes And Visuals
Available handheld or Chicory dickory docked
There are few things more personal than art. That is, the art produced by an artist. Obviously. Even in its most commercial, populist form — including when it’s a small part of a much larger product — the work of an individual artist is ultimately recognisable, whether from obvious sweeping traits...
Review Wytchwood (Switch) - A Striking And Addictive Crafting Adventure
It's wytchcraft
Let’s start this off with just one word, shall we: crafting. There you go, now you know whether or not you’re going to enjoy Wytchwood; thanks for stopping by! In all seriousness, crafting has become such a prevalent mechanic in modern gaming, and it’s one that people rarely sit on the fence with. You either love it or you...