
When it comes to the launch day and more general 'March' line-up for the Nintendo Switch, there are a few obvious high-profile releases that are getting plenty of attention. As we made clear in our first impressions article, however, some in our team left January preview events with a slightly unhealthy obsession for Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!, a quirky eShop title being published by Nintendo. Still listed for March without a precise date, its US price looks set to be $19.99.
When it comes to selling the Switch concept, different games have various strengths. 1-2-Switch is, so far, the best way to showcase the Joy-Con controllers and their wonderful little tricks, such as the impressive HD Rumble. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild looks set to have its best version on the new system - also playable on the go of course - and the upcoming ARMS focuses on motion controls. Snipperclips doesn't do anything fancy with the Joy-Con, but simply shows the joy of a portable system that comes with two controllers right off the bat.

Of all the games our initial UK duo played over a four hour session in January, this game felt like it delivered the most 'Nintendo' moment, right at the end of the day.
It's Snipperclips that, for this writer, best communicated the true selling point of Nintendo Switch - the way its play-anywhere setup can enable quick and ridiculously fun play sessions with friends. Sitting within elbowing distance, looking onto the console's screen and co-operating in a somewhat dysfunctional way was true gaming fun - simple, clever, and enjoyable. It's a silly and charming game, demanding teamwork while also utilising its core snip mechanic and physics to allow teams to solve puzzles the 'wrong' way.
The demo we played simply said 'copyright Nintendo', and our impressions were written bleary-eyed in an airport not long after its reveal, picking up information from Nintendo's official game page - published by Nintendo, developed by Nintendo.
As some of you pointed out, though, that's not the full story. Nintendo has clearly acquired the rights to the IP, but various senior executives have also cited Snipperclips as an example of how the Switch allows for accessible Unity programming for small third-party teams. The team behind the game, and now working with Nintendo, is SFB Games.
SFB Games consists of UK-based brothers Tom Vian and Adam Vian; for around a decade before forming the studio - with a hiatus for studies - the siblings produced a broad range of online games as The Super Flash Bros. In 2012 SFB was born, and as you can see the duo have been busy with multiple intriguing releases on smart devices, PC and Mac. That official site, though, makes no mention of Snipperclips, with the tweet above being one of the few nods made to the brothers' involvement; after all, it's now an IP owned by Nintendo.
The game was seen in 2015, though, with the broad style in place - it was called 'FriendShapes' at that stage. It was spotted in the Indie area at EGX 2015, and the brothers had previously appeared at Game Developers Conference Europe in early August 2015 as part of an Indie showcase. Their presentation is below - it's an early version of the game so the wacky facial expressions of the shapes aren't yet a feature; this is after eight days of development.
This segment stands out, and likely demonstrates why Nintendo took an interest.
Whilst we're planning to build out a full single player campaign, we're focusing mostly on the co-op at the moment. It's built in flash, but we're going to port it quite soon to Unity, because we think it's going to be really at home on a console where local multiplayer just works a lot better. We have a ton of ideas for local multiplayer levels.
Of course, that's happened with the title since making its transition to Switch. Nintendo's system is an ideal home for its blend of anarchic local co-op, of course, as it's a rare instance of a console with two controllers right out of the box. SFB Games produced a simple but clever idea that could have conceivably been a 'typical Nintendo' game, which speaks well to the talents of the two brothers.
This isn't the first time that Nintendo has found and adopted / published quality Indie efforts, of course - examples include Curve Digital's Hydroventure games (WiiWare and 3DS eShop) and even go as far back as the quirky Bonsai Barber. Though there's always room for more support like this, it shows that the big N does remain open to picking up small and smart projects.
We're looking forward to playing the final version of Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!. It's a typical Nintendo game, even if on this occasion it's from the creative minds of two brothers in the UK.
Comments 53
This is the only game i dont like.
This game will without a doubt be a winner. I imagine the same popularity Shovel Knight has experienced so far, maybe even better since it appeals to more audiences.
I think you could have a right bloody good laugh with this game.
My fiancee and I will like this. Looks cool and unique to me.
This looks promising (I can't get over how much it looks like Freakyforms; even the title is similar) and the price is right. Could be a hit for them!
This is genuinely one of the games I can't wait to purchase!
Looking forward to play this with my son in his bed. Go joy-con go!
@SuperCharlie78 Perfect!
This really looks fantastic. Well done SFB. Sniff... it makes me proud to be British!
It was a little worrying when I went to the switch event and come back finding a indie game to be the best thing there.
Games great fun. Simple and easy.
Would of loved to get this on the Wii u
This is a great little title. Besides Zelda this is the best game on Switch around launch.
@UK-Nintendo
"It was a little worrying when I went to the switch event and come back finding a indie game to be the best thing there."
Huh?
Are you saying you think this is better than Zelda...?
Next to zelda, this is my most highly anticipated game. To me this embodies the vision that I have for the switch, to be a portable fun family multiplayer device. My wife and I will have a lot of fun with this, and hopefully my daughter once she gets a little older. If Nintendo can acquire more fun unique multi-player games like this, then I think it can do extremely well.
This game looks like a ton of fun. Even the Treehouse seemed to genuinely be having fun with it as opposed to faking enthusiasm. It's easily a must-buy for me.
Not really my sort of thing. I like that Nintendo is releasing more of these experimental budget titles, though. I enjoyed a lot of the ones that released early on in the 3DS life-cycle.
System seller right here 😉
I think this will be my new Donkey Konga, that is, the game that I got to play with every single close relative for hours on end.
I didn't realize how bad offset the left control stick on the right joy-con was until I saw the picture for article. That looks so uncomfortable. I hope I'm wrong about that though.
Can't wait for this game. Looking forward to snipping my girlfriend in half and have her throw her joycon at me
I'm looking forward to this, but not at the £60 price point that I've found it at. Hoping the high prices are placeholders.
This game is how I justified my Switch purchase with the warden (My wife). She is still upset about the Wii U. I will enjoy playing this with my kids. Here's hoping that there are many more local multiplayer games to come.
@Rotgut yea. Didn't play zelda as the que was massive. 1 hour wait line. I don't like waiting when other games were more easily accessible with less waiting times
@Light same. It's a great co op experience.
An inexpensive and unique title that needs no new controller purchases! Yes!
Are those caps on the joycons? The joycons right off the switch are angular where those are rounded.
I'm sure I'll get this day one. This is a game I could see my wife really enjoying with me.
@cleveland124 yes, those are part of the wriststraps and makes for better shoulder buttons. 2 of them come with the system and 1 with every joycon.
Really hope it has a good single player mode.
I liked this game but it made me feel kind of dumb for not doing the puzzles faster.
My wife loves the games and wants asap.
@Bruh I'm more fussy about controllers than most due to dyspraxia and I felt the joycon controllers where comfortable and natural to use.
I'm not even sure I'll bother with a pro controllers.
Looks great fun, I was a little surprised by the loading screens in the video though for a game not on an optical disc. Is there a reason for this, maybe it's not a final production version?
This is a beautiful creation. It's hilarious. That trailer of the original Friendshapes has also eased my fears of the game running out of content or ideas.
It feels so fresh and polished and unique and... well, Nintendo. It's nice to know the Big N are working with small, deserving and creative companies outside of the Big J. Which is Japan.
Everything must be prefixed with 'Big'.
This is the game my daughter loved the most from the Treehouse presentation. Didn't get to play it at the Hammersmith event, sadly (that sofa was always full!) but it's a day 1 buy for me.
This looks so fun! Can't wait to play this outside with a friend maybe I can get my boyfriend to try it!
Even Mario Kart (snes) was a reskinned indie game!
I like.
@Maxz I completely agree, Big M.
I've ordered 1,2 Switch albeit with a heavy heart, mainly because I want to see what all the fuss is about with this HD rumble malarkey and as a proof of concept for friends and guests.
This for me is what I look forward to playing with the misses though in between mammoth Zelda sessions
Awwww, I want this on cartridge and I want Snipperclips duo amiibo..
Wow - this looks amazing
Even if my girlfriend is not much into gaming, this is one game that caught her attention. We are looking forward to it.
@NickOfTime90
Thanks for the info. I've read a lot about the tech in the joysticks but I don't remember any info on that. Pretty solid solution to not have to carry around another piece of plastic.
I haven't touched a Switch yet, but I made a cardboard one a while ago that I think I got the dimensions pretty much right on, and if anything, the right joycon's offset stick feels like it's going to be slightly more comfortable than the left one (though the joycons are so small that it doesn't make much of a difference — if you have a Game Boy Micro, hold it with your left thumb on the d-pad and your right thumb touching the screen above the Start button, then try it with your right thumb on the buttons and your left thumb on the screen above Select.).
The top of my general hype list is pretty much a tie between Zelda and Puyo Tetris, but Snipperclips is definitely the one I'm most looking forward to playing in the stockroom at work with my manager. And I'm still not over how great it is that the Switch is the only console ever other than the Famicom that will always come with at least two controllers.
@Sakura This was the last line of the first paragraph: "Still listed for March without a precise date, its US price looks set to be $19.99."
That looks like a pretty good price for it.
This and Puyo Puyo Tetris are the only Switch games I would buy from the launch catalog, if I had a Switch.
Zelda will be a Wii U game, even though Nintendo try their best to gimp it as much as possible.
@HailFastCore In the UK I can only find it for £60 at Argos. £20 would be much better. Argos have all Switch games at £60 though, so like I said I hope it's placeholder.
This was one of my standout games of the Switch Event.
I'm getting Zelda and this at launch definitely! Then April I'll pick up Mario kart and puyo Tetris. There's too many games coming out lol to be quite honest I'm glad Nintendo didn't push out more launch titles. When you have so much out on ps4 too I think it could have swamped buyers.
@Sakura Ah, fair enough. Could be worse, you could be in Australia and have to pay $100 per game.
@HailFastCore I think I might set up a US account as well as a UK one. Best of both worlds.
@Sakura I wonder if you'll be able to do that? I get the feeling Nintendo might do something stupid like lock the eShop to your country or something. Just my thoughts, though.
@HailFastCore I think we've had it all but confirmed that you can have accounts from different regions on one Switch console. The whole console language will change according to country and there may be some issues with eshop promotions, but it looks okay. I think I'll give it a try to check it out. Might also get a French account too since prices there might remain lower than the UK in the wake of Brexit. Worth keeping an eye on anyway.
Maybe this should have been a pack in title.
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