Latest Reviews
Review Gecko Gods (Switch 2) - A Stripped-Back Zelda-Lite, Uneven But Made With Love
A cold-blooded puzzling adventure
It took me the best part of four hours to click with Gecko Gods. Some may argue that my initial hesitations — about playing through a Zelda-lite 3D adventure as a gecko plucked straight from the wild, with little motivation beyond consuming bugs — put me in the wrong frame of mind from the start. But that was...
Stone culd classic
Culdcept has been around since the days of the Sega Saturn, but the odds are pretty good that you’ve never heard of it, let alone played it. Not all of the handful of titles released have left Japan’s shores, and of those that did, sales were low and reviews mixed. It’s the kind of game that either really clicks with you or...
Review Disgaea Mayhem (Switch 2) - The Tactical RPG Series Tackles Action To Mixed Results
It’s rough, dood!
If I asked you to close your eyes and picture a Disgaea game, what images come to mind? Ludicrously high damage number pop-ups? Oodles of customisation menus? A penguin-esque creature enthusiastically exclaiming “DOOD!” perhaps? Any of those answers would be fitting, but chances are you’d also envision some permutation of...
Never stop never stopping
Management sims sit at the busy intersection of stressful and fun. Now joining the pile-up is Go-Go Town, a city builder from Australian dev Prideful Sloth (Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles). It certainly is stressful in parts — hustle is implied in the name — but somehow manages to make that stress fun. When the...
Review Denshattack! (Switch 2) - A Satisfying Yet Bloated Dreamcast Homage
Onsen-sational?
From the moment I laid eyes on Denshattack!, there was something about it that had me instantly enamoured. Was it the Dreamcast-inspired bright, blocky colours? The upbeat music? Or the fact that you’re pulling off sick tricks and grinding rails on a freakin’ train? Probably all three, come to think of it. The only sticking...
Its about Time
It's safe to say that, while they're often unfairly compared as franchises, Digimon and Pokémon have diverged in recent years. Game Freak has stuck to the same mechanical loop, taking the odd risk with its tried and true formula, while Digimon has pushed into story-driven adventures with darker themes and monster-collecting mechanics...
Review D-topia (Switch 2) – A Sci-Fi Narrative Puzzler That Has Less To Say Than It Lets On
Human judgement required.
In a society optimised for the happiness of the many, what becomes of those who disrupt the balance? As the newest residential Facilitator at D-topia, a meticulously managed AI-run settlement, your job isn't just to resolve mechanical issues and keep the facilities running smoothly; it's to be a moral cog in the algorithm,...
Cleared for takeoff
Though Cygames has always been a mobile game developer, the company has historically been pretty good about supporting its games with some excellent console-focused spinoffs. Shadowverse got Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle, Battle Champs got Little Noah: Scion of Paradise, and Dragalia Lost got… oh. Though the company’s...
Review Deltarune (Switch 2) - A Superbly Subversive RPG That Defies All Rules
Updated with Chapter 5 impressions
With the release of Chapter 5, we've updated this Deltarune review with our impressions of the new content - scroll down and you'll find them above the conclusion. It’s going on seven years since the first chapter of Deltarune became available and after the release of Chapter 2 in 2021, we’re now finally...
Review Rhythm Heaven Groove (Switch) - A Low-Key Swansong And Perfect Mic-Drop For Switch 1
Capture the lag
I remember thinking that 2023's Tears of the Kingdom was the perfect bookend for Switch 1, a fitting sign-off for a generation which began with a transformative open-world take on Hyrule. But Switch 2 wouldn't arrive for another couple of years, which means it's a very different game that gets the 'swansong' label. And low-key as it...
Mini Review Arcade Archives 2 TEKKEN (Switch 2) - A Welcome Throwback To The Iconic Original
Still the King?
It’s been 14 years since Tekken last showed up on a Nintendo console. Yet despite supporting the Wii U and 3DS with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, Bandai Namco has yet to grace the Switch 1 or 2 with a new entry or port. Enter Hamster. The company’s latest Arcade Archives 2 release revives the original...
Mini Review Sonic Frontiers - Definitive Edition (Switch 2) - Fans Deserve Better Than This
Blue blur, indeed
Publishers these days have pretty questionable ideas of what constitutes ‘definitive’, but this really takes the biscuit. After several leaks, Sonic Frontiers - Definitive Edition is out now on Switch 2, but what it actually offers doesn’t justify its name. You’ve got the base game, the ‘Final Horizon’ expansion, and a...
Catch my drift?
Maybe the Golden Age of graphic adventures was not in fact the LucasArts and Sierra era, with its Monkey Islands and Gabriel Knights back around 1990. The Golden Age might just be right now, with a quiet resurgence of brilliant games growing throughout the last decade. This latest arrival on Switch 2 (also available for Switch 1)...
Review Star Fox (Switch 2) - Stays On The Rails, But Absolutely Hits The Target
Pigma balls
I was a little conflicted at the announcement of Star Fox's long-awaited return. One of Nintendo's finest titles with fresh visuals and updated controls? Yes please. But the same game I've already played tens of times over across various consoles and remakes? Ehh. A replay of the OG Star Fox 64 (or Lylat Wars, if you'd prefer) soon...
Review Wanderstop (Switch 2) – Relax With This Cosy Exploration Of The Importance Of Relaxing
Tea, cosy
Cosy games and tea are a perfect pairing: think curling up under a blanket, Switch in hand, cup by your side. It’s no wonder, then, that the concept for Wanderstop came about. The debut from new (and now sadly defunct) studio Ivy Road — co-founded by Davey Wreden, of The Stanley Parable fame — blends management-sim gameplay with a...
Review Dark Scrolls (Switch) - A Retro-Styled Soulslike Side-Scroller At The Right Price
On a sc-roll?
There are few better ways to spend $9.99 / £8.99 than on Dark Scrolls. The indie Soulslike side-scroller is something I’ll spend the rest of the year dipping into every now and again, itching for a run as a way to kill a train journey. It doesn’t offer the deepest gameplay, nor does it have a sprawling world hidden away in its...
No deal breaker
Capcom has become one of the most prolific and consistent publishers in recent years, putting out banger after banger with no signs of slowing down. This renaissance began in 2017 with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but it was arguably the one-two punch of Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5 in 2019 that cemented its enviable status...
Witness the Millennium
Square Enix’s HD-2D art style has done wonders for its games. From creating new IPs like Triangle Strategy and Octopath Traveler, to tasteful remakes like the Dragon Quest Erdrick trilogy and Live a Live, the charming presentation has been able to deliver modern gam
Hauer you doin'?
A dystopian cyberpunk future bombarded with rain? Check. Working-class people turning to body augmentations and drugs? Check. Rutger Hauer? Also check. Yeah, so far, so Blade Runner. Observer: System Redux isn’t shy about its influences, nor should it be, as this short-but-sweet homage to sci-fi murder mystery films delivers a...
Actually, it's more like a 30 year celebration now
In 2025, Aspyr surprised players with a shadow drop of the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot on Switch 1 & 2, with the latter port especially showcasing the power of Nintendo’s new handheld. This sudden release naturally spurred discussion over whether there would be ports of the latter two games in the...
Nostalgia hit
Late at night, I’m huddled up in bed with my Switch 2 millimetres from my face, when suddenly it feels like I’m being slapped with a Ratatouille flashback. My mind is flung back in time to the days of late evenings fervently exploring Pokémon Black and White, to weekends huddled in front of my TV playing Xenoblade on Wii, and...
Mini Review to a T (Switch 2) – Cute Narrative Sim Loses Its Teachings To Tittering
Tickling, not tremendous
When they’re done well, games with a message can be so effective, balancing the scale between teaching and transfixing you. to a T is a narrative game wrapped in a cute art style courtesy of designer Keita Takahashi (Katamari). It touches on an important theme, but that touch is light. Your happy-go-lucky character’s...
Mini Review Kabuto Park (Switch) – Gotta Catch 'Em All In This Cosy, Bug-Battling Deckbuilder
Fight and flight
Reading the description for Kabuto Park, I imagined it would be like Animal Crossing’s Bug-Off. But this quick, cosy beetle-collecting game from French developer Doot Tiny Games presents a concept that’s closer to another Nintendo series: Pokémon. The story is pretty light. Your character, Hana, visits the eponymous park for a...
Review Donkey Kong 64 - Kicks Some Serious Tail, But Goes Too Far
C'mon Cranky, take it to the fridge
This review was originally published in April 2015 alongside the Wii U eShop's Virtual Console release. We're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of the game in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack N64 library. At the mere mention of Nintendo's 64-bit console, many of us find it difficult not...
You seen one football game, you've seen Yamal
In a sense, the arrival of eFootball on Switch 2 is something of a homecoming for Konami, whose long-running football series started off as a Nintendo exclusive decades ago. Whether you want to start the timeline with NES game Konami Hyper Soccer or the legendary SNES title International Superstar...
Review Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Switch 2) - Some Rough Edges, But Still A Great Game
The Unknown Journey continues...
When Square Enix originally announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake was coming to Switch 2, it came with the promise that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and its eventual sequel would also be coming. While Remake established itself as one of the finest and most advanced titles for Nintendo’s new platform, there was lots...
Review Pictonico! (Mobile) - WarioWare In All But Name, Just On Your Phone
Wario is missing
When first revealed, Pictonico was clearly channelling serious WarioWare energy. That madcap microgame series got two Switch entries — 2021's multiplayer-focused Get it Together! and 2023's Move It!, inspired by the Wii's Smooth Moves — but the microgame format feels particularly well-
The Legend of Mina
Since its release in 2014, Shovel Knight has been a gift that keeps on giving. Groundbreaking for its hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, it also helped usher in a glorious era of throwback platforming gems like Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger. Yacht Club Games has spent years expanding the Shovel-verse while developing its...
Review Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection (Switch) - A Janky Compilation Carried By Nostalgia
Time to put these to bed
Back in the day, it was pretty well understood that seeing a popular show or brand on a licensed video game didn’t necessarily mean that you were in for a great time. Though titles such as DuckTales or GoldenEye 007 broke through as exceptional titles for their respective eras, the majority of licensed games were usually...
Review Bluey's Quest For The Gold Pen (Switch 2) - An Enjoyable Collectathon That Kids Will Love
For real life!
When Bluey: The Videogame launched toward the end of 2023, I found it a faithful yet soulless adaptation of the cartoon phenomenon from developer Artax Games, cramming some of the show’s most iconic locations into a repetitive one-to-two-hour game. It wasn’t great. Fast forward to 2026, and Halfbrick, the studio most famous for...
