Switch eShop Game Reviews scoring 9 or 10/10
Review Mega Man Legacy Collection (Switch eShop)
A legacy to be proud of
Until recently, it seemed that Capcom wasn’t all too interested in the Mega Man series, which understandably upset a lot of fans who grew up alongside the Blue Bomber. Though Mega Man has starred in a lot of games, it’s the original NES releases that arguably stand as the most iconic, which makes Mega Man Legacy...
Review Sky Rogue (Switch eShop)
"You don't own that plane! The taxpayers do!"
There once was a time when the 3D combat flight simulator was the genre of choice for seasoned players; during the 16-bit revolution, home computers like the Amiga and Atari ST played host to the likes of Falcon 3.0, F-15 Strike Eagle and Starglider, all of which used very basic filled polygon visuals to...
Review Sengoku 3 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Third time's a charm
SNK’s first two Sengoku games put players in control of a sword-swinging hero, with the neat ability to switch to a different character during play should they wish. Coupled with a variety of enemies to bash they were not essential titles, but could still provide some decent fighting fun. The second game built on the first,...
Review Rogue Aces (Switch eShop)
Nice plane you’re flying there. I’ll take it
In 1987, Brøderbund released Wings of Fury, a thinking-man’s scrolling shmup that borrowed Defender’s free-roaming gameplay but was otherwise an original concept. Thirty-one years later, can Infinite State’s Rogue Aces be the dream sequel you never knew you needed? Throttle up and lets find...
Review Dragon Blaze (Switch eShop)
Imagine dragons
By the year 2000, Psikyo’s TATE shmup design was already established as the de facto template for the genre and with several hits already under its belt, it's hard to imagine many more gimmicks could be added to the tried and tested formula. So what if it added a few dragons into the mix? The Demon King has risen. The Sun and the...
The only way is shmup, baby
From the western title you might not be immediately aware that Tengai’s full Japanese title is Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II. This is, in fact, the sequel to Psikyo’s very first game, the brilliant Samurai Aces. But with only a few familiar faces returning and a complete change of shmup orientation style, did...
Review Shantae And The Pirate's Curse (Switch eShop)
It hasn't aged a day
Back in 2014, Shantae And The Pirate's Curse graced Wii U and 3DS, and many hailed it as the best Shantae release yet. Since then, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero saw a release, and while that was met with similar acclaim, some fans were displeased with the slightly more linear direction taken by the gameplay. Now, WayForward has opted...
Review Steredenn: Binary Stars (Switch eShop)
My god, it's full of stars!
In October of 2015, a French studio called Pixelnest released a space shooter arcade game called Steredenn, which blended classic shmup action with roguelike elements. The final product received high praise across the board, but Pixelnest wasn’t content to simply stop there. Over the last year, the studio has been...
Review Danmaku Unlimited 3 (Switch eShop)
Dodge this!
With each passing day Nintendo Switch is becoming the go-to current generation console for shmup enthusiasts. Already offering plenty of old and new titles in the current library, plus the bonus of proper TATE mode being at a distance of a quick Switch flip, perhaps the time has come to turn things up a notch. Does Danmaku Unlimited 3...
Review Magical Drop III (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Simple, frantic fun with balloons
The lineup of retro offerings on Switch may largely be comprised of fighting games and shmups, but other genres feature too, such as platformers, sports titles and - in the case of Magical Drop III - a highly enjoyable puzzle games. With the second game in the series already receiving the ACA Neo Geo treatment,...
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Review Subsurface Circular (Switch eShop)
Illustrious train riding
A little less conversation, a little more action, please. Lyrics don’t get more popular than that, and yet it’s this Elvis Presley quote that Subsurface Circular flies directly in the face of. From the mind behind Thomas Was Alone, Mike Bithell’s latest outing is all about the spoken interaction, and it makes for one...
Review Detention (Switch eShop)
Best in class
Every so often, a little-known game with much smaller expectations than its AAA counterparts will come along and completely knock your socks off. Celeste managed it last month with its intricate 2D platforming, and no less than a month later, another crowning achievement has made its way onto the Nintendo eShop. Detention, from...
Review Crypt Of The NecroDancer (Switch eShop)
How low can you go?
When it first released on PC in 2015, Brace Yourself Game’s Crypt Of The NecroDancer was an unexpected delight: a personable dungeon crawler on a rhythm game base, it combined the procedurally-generated levels and relentless challenge of the roguelike genre with the beating heart of a dance game. Now that it’s out on Nintendo...
Review Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus (Switch eShop)
I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more Pac-Man
In 1980, Pac-Man took the world by storm, introducing arcade players to an entirely new kind of gameplay style. The titular pill muncher went on to become a universally recognised icon of gaming, while also spawning numerous sequels and spinoffs to the inaugural debut over the decades that...
Review Membrane (Switch eShop)
Insane in the membrane
For your consideration, the common housefly (Musca Domestica). For as long as mankind began to build houses, these tiny winged insects somehow always manage to find the tiniest openings to invade the peace of our homes. The genesis of Membrane is a story about such a home invasion. With an aforementioned flying tiny pest now...
Review Aegis Defenders (Switch eShop)
Get a Clu
After initially being conceptualized as a graphic novel, Aegis Defenders became a KickStarter game started way back in 2014, promising a unique blend of platforming and tower defense elements. After a successful campaign and a four year development cycle, the game has finally come out, and it was worth the wait. Aegis Defenders is a blast...
A real hoot
Owlboy is a game almost 10 years in the making; surviving a variety of ups and downs over the last decade, the developers at D-Pad Studio finally felt the sweet taste of universal acclaim when it launched on PC last year. The game tells the story a mute owl called Otus, an underdog of sorts who is always looked down upon and thought to...
Review Samurai Shodown II (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Sensational samurai
With its weapon-based combat and gameplay that often rewarded patience, Samurai Shodown was a different type of fighting game, but a very good one. SNK thought they could do better however, so went away and came up with Samurai Shodown II, a game similar to its predecessor but with some additions to the lineup and gameplay...
Review Night In The Woods (Switch eShop)
You can't go home again
Make no mistake about it, Night In The Woods will stay with you. There aren’t very many games out there that manage to leave an imprint on the people who take the time to experience them, but Infinite Fall’s emotional adventure into rural isolationism, palpable Americana and the melancholy of long lost youth does just...
Review Strikers 1945 II (Switch eShop)
Superb shmup action
Thanks to HAMSTER’s Arcade Archives and ACA Neo Geo series there are a number of retro titles available on Switch, but they’re not the only company providing games from yesteryear. Zerodiv have slowly been adding high quality titles from Psikyo’s back catalogue such as Gunbird and Zero Gunner 2. One of their first releases...
The Magic Mountain
Starting out life as an entry for a game jam back in 2015, developer Matt Makes Games (of TowerFall fame) has brought Celeste to Nintendo Switch as a fully realised action platformer. Popularised by fellow Switch indie Super Meat Boy - which was in turn inspired by designer Matt Thorson's freeware series Jumper - Celeste on the...
Review The Last Blade (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
The king of fighters?
Kaede is fighting Yuki and weapons slash quickly as the two leap about the screen. Quick strikes from both, the action is fast as each looks to string together a series of moves to end the battle. Another day, another fight between Kaede and Yuki, but this time things are playing out differently. This time the combatants have...
Review SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition (Switch eShop)
I love it when a plan comes together
After releasing the sublime SteamWorld Dig, many expected Image & Form to go the safe route of producing a follow up that more or less built on that foundation. Though we would eventually receive SteamWorld Dig 2, the company chose to defy expectations and make SteamWorld Heist, a game which belongs to...
Review Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros. (Switch eShop)
Super Mario Bros. rejigged
Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. in 1985, making a lot of people very happy due to the superb platforming action it provided and selling a lot of NES systems in the process. Numerous sequels have followed, but that first game has remained available on various machines over the years, sometimes adding things like updated...
Horrific, for all the right reasons
Some games are just a perfect match for Switch. Whether they’re designed with its portability and local multiplayer support in mind, or simply ported so well you’d think Switch was always part of the developers plan all along. Couchplay-orientated hack ‘n’ slasher Crawl comfortably fits into the latter...
Review TINY METAL (Switch eShop)
Hold me closer, Tiny Metal
It's been almost ten years since we last had an entry in Intelligent Systems' superb Advance Wars series, but don't let that depress you - we now have the next best thing in the form of Tiny Metal, the debut game from Japanese studio Area35. This is unashamedly a clone of the aforementioned Nintendo franchise and the nuts...
Truly unique
Gorogoa is not your typical video game. In fact, we’re having trouble thinking of any other games that feel and work in quite the same way as this one. Created by the one-man team of Jason Roberts, this seven year-long development project uses a beautiful, storybook-like layout to allow players to interact with elements on each page,...
Review Floor Kids (Switch eShop)
Top Rock
While the Switch has already booked an array of both dance (Just Dance 2017 and 2018) and rhythm games (like VOEZ, Deemo, and Superbeat Xonic), it’s safe to say that there’s nothing else in the system’s lineup quite like Floor Kids. In fact, this labour of love from Montreal-based duo JonJon (animator and former bboy) and Kid Koala...
Review Enter The Gungeon (Switch eShop)
Right to bear arms
Nintendo Switch received one of the finest roguelike indie games in the business earlier this year with The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+. Now it has another in Enter The Gungeon. Much like Edmund McMillen's reworked masterpiece, ETG takes the basic form of a top-down twin-stick shooter. Dodge Roll's game, however, has an...
Expanding the great adventure
Nintendo recently dropped the second DLC pack (and final part of the Expansion Pass) for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most beloved games. For many it's been the addition we've been waiting for, offering new story content and a fresh dungeon in addition to the now-standard add-ons in the forms of...
