January2019
Review Cursed Castilla EX - A Worthy Love Letter To The Side-Scrolling Classics Of Old
Knight life
Ports are nothing new on Nintendo Switch - in fact, a good proportion of the games that have arrived on the system over the last two years have been re-releases from other platforms - but sometimes a game getting another chance at success on another console is a cause for celebration. Cursed Castilla EX is one such example. It’s...
December2018
Review Super Hydorah - New Ideas Meet Old-School Gameplay In This Superb Indie Effort
Much more than a tribute act
Dedicated 2D shoot 'em up fans might represent a small subset of Switch owners, but they've been pretty well catered for. There's a growing roster of brilliant Neo Geo shmups like Aero Fighters 2 for them to call upon, and just recently they were given the rather splendid R-Type Dimensions EX. It's to the latter series,...
August2018
Review Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop)
A modern classic, updated
Two years on from its original release, Hyper Light Drifter might not feel quite as unique in both its art style and the relentless difficulty of its combat - especially in the company of Dead Cells and so many other pixel art indies - but that doesn’t mean this acclaimed hack ‘n’ slash odyssey has lost any of its...
August2017
Review Qbics Paint (Switch eShop)
Sit back, relax, and paint a sculpture or two
Qbics Paint is not your traditional gaming experience. In fact, you could argue that it’s not trying to be a “game” at all. Up until this point, the majority of games released on the Nintendo Switch have been dedicated to showing off the hardware’s unique features and processing power while...
July2017
Review Cursed Castilla EX (3DS eShop)
A blessing, not a curse
For a series which takes an almost sadistic delight in frustrating those who play it, Capcom's Ghosts 'n Goblins garners a surprising amount of adoration from gamers - but the company doesn't seem particularly interested in resurrecting Sir Arthur for any new adventures, so thank goodness we have games like Cursed Castilla EX...
April2016
Review Musicverse: Electronic Keyboard (3DS eShop)
Doot doot doot doot
We're not scientists, but we're pretty confident in our super-accurate theory on how most people use electronic keyboards in their waking life. Namely, the musician-at-heart walks up to one, switches it on, finds the kitschiest beat in its midi library - studies say it's "salsa" 100% of the time - bangs out some nonsensical...
April2015
Review Music On: Electric Guitar (3DS eShop)
While my 3DS gently weeps
If someone were to come up to you on the street and loudly proclaim "My 3DS is an electric guitar!!", you'd probably just smile politely and try to put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Their boasting isn't total insanity however, as Music On: Electric Guitar is an ambitious little app that aims to...
August2013
Review Carps & Dragons (3DS eShop)
Something smells fishy
Back in 2009, Abylight released Fish'em All! on WiiWare, an arcade title in which you jump around with giant nets attempting to catch the plethora of fish jumping out of the water. The concept was fine but the execution left something to be desired, as the developers decided it was a smart idea to require a swing of the Wii...
December2011
Review Elite Forces: Unit 77 (DSiWare)
Definitely forcing it
On paper, Elite Forces: Unit 77 sounds great. A number of high-profile and wealthy individuals have gone missing all over the world, and it's correctly assumed that this is just the first step in a global terrorist plot. Desperate, the world turns to a renegade troop of no-nonsense butt-kickers: Unit 77. Unit 77 consists of...
July2011
As good as Bill Nye, or would it make him cry?
Pokémon and its ilk channel a sense of wonder as players explore new worlds to learn about their inhabitants. It seems that someone over at Abylight had the revelation that our own planet is filled with fantastic creatures as well – they're just too small to see. AfterZoom has you go about collecting...
April2011
Review Music On: Learning Piano Volume 2 (DSiWare)
Beautiful harmony or sour note?
Abylight has already released seven Music On titles for the DSiWare service that teach basic instruction for such musical instruments as the keyboard and the guitar. While the Spanish studio has already released one title covering the piano, it's obviously decided that the instrument needed a follow-up with the...
January2011
Review Music On: Drums (DSiWare)
Hard to beat
Abylight's been putting out music games on DSiWare for a while, so you'd expect the Spanish studio to have it down to a fine art by now, but it's had a few bumps along the way. Thankfully Music On: Drums is a better outing than previous series entry Music On: Playing Piano, as it plays out more like an electronic drum sequencer than a...
December2010
Review Cosmo Fighters (DSiWare)
Decent multiplayer fun
If the DSiWare service is lacking one thing, it's a compelling multiplayer experience. And if it's missing two things, it's a compelling multiplayer experience and a solid fighter. Cosmo Fighters, the latest from developer Abylight, hopes to kill both those birds with one downloadable stone, and, although it's seriously...
Review Dairojo! Samurai Defenders (DSiWare)
A strong defence, or will it just offend?
Here is it, folks. Yet another entry in the ever popular tower defence genre on DSiWare. With a focus on arcade-style high score achieving rather than plot-driven level advancement, Dairojo! Samurai Defenders makes for a slightly different experience while still retaining the same basic formula. Enemies...
November2010
Review Music On: Electric Guitar (DSiWare)
It's electric!
There are distinct advantages to an electric versus an acoustic guitar, such as being able to play for a larger audience using an amplifier. Unfortunately, a title that emulates the instrument on your DSi won’t offer any of these advantages, with the exception of manipulating the sound with various effects. Unlike a real axe, the...
October2010
Review Music On: Playing Piano (DSiWare)
Slightly off key
Abylight's Music On: Playing Piano is the fifth musical outing from the Spanish developer, and one that takes a slightly different approach to its predecessors. In some ways that works out to its credit, but without the fun of free play it comes out slightly behind others in the series. Whereas Music On: Learning Piano gave the...
September2010
Review Music On: Acoustic Guitar (DSiWare)
Good guitar or bad lyre?
Music On: Acoustic Guitar is like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree – its beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you know your way around a fret board, you may see it as a fun tool to mess with when you can't lug your giant six-string around with you. Gamers with no prior guitar knowledge, however, will see it as a useless,...
Review Music On: Learning Piano (DSiWare)
Ode to Joy or odious toy?
If Music On: Learning Piano was the last source of piano-playing knowledge on Earth, the art wouldn't be lost forever. That said, it doesn't offer instruction in the traditional sense like Art Academy does. The game includes no nutty professor or girl next door to teach you how to read sheet music or enlighten you with...
June2010
Review Music On: Retro Keyboard (DSiWare)
A step up
We've already seen Abylight's Music On: Electronic Keyboard application for DSiWare, a decent but flawed attempt at putting a keyboard in your pocket. Now the company's back with Music On: Retro Keyboard, and although it shares the first game's finer features and faults it's a better buy overall. As with its predecessor, you're granted a...
Review Music On: Electronic Keyboard (DSiWare)
Hits a few bum notes
The first in a new series of portable instruments from Abylight, Music On: Electronic Keyboard offers up a range of voices including pianos and clarinets, and accompanying styles, from reggae to polka, to create a simple musical keyboard you can access on the go. One of the first issues with a portable keyboard is space, and...
December2009
Review Stop Stress: A Day of Fury (WiiWare)
Stop Stress and cause stress at the same time!
If you've ever had a job interview, you know that one of the most popular questions employers like to ask is "how do you respond to stressful situations?" Odds are good if you answered "run amok with an axe until everything in the entire building was destroyed!" you probably...
May2009
A game about fishing that isn't actually a fishing game. A worthwhile catch or the one that got away?
WiiWare's already got a fishing game - Cocoto Fishing Master, which isn't exactly very exciting. So when another one was announced, we couldn't help but hope it'd be a bit better. It seems like our prayers fell on deaf ears though, because although...
