Switch eShop, Switch Game Reviews scoring 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6/10
Review Perception (Switch eShop)
Far from pleasant
What is it about the horror genre that makes it so timeless? Despite the often formulaic approaches and clichés that help define these games, it’s normally the exploration and discovery of the unknown that keeps both audiences and players alike on the edge of their seats. Audience engagement with this specific genre can be...
Review Octodad: Dadliest Catch (Switch eShop)
The Suburban Life Aquatic
Originally starting out as a Windows freeware title made by a group of Delaware University students, the original Octodad made a splash on the indie scene back in 2010. Many of the group would go on to form developer Young Horses and make its sequel, subtitled 'Dadliest Catch', appearing first on PS4 and PC in 2014 and...
Gotta go fast
Sonic Forces has found itself in a rather tricky position at launch; some of the build-up to the game’s release suggested a potential flop in the making. Early impressions from the game’s demo and previews told a story of apprehension, and the fact that most review codes were sent out so incredibly late suggested that even...
Review Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers (Switch)
"Suckin' at something is the first step to being sorta good at something"
There’s definitely a weird charm to Cartoon Network’s original programming that plays to the sensibilities of children today but also harkens back to animated shows of yore. They’re pithy in their delivery of laughs, willing to riff off of in-show in-jokes and are even a...
Review Monster Jam: Crush It! (Switch)
A giant flat tire
Even to someone without an earnest interest in them, monster trucks are an awe-inspiring sight. The giant wheels, the loud engine and a gauche chassis upholding a crazily designed body scream power both literally and figuratively. It’s not hard to imagine wanting to drive one, jumping over destroyed cars and hills whilst the...
Review Monopoly for Nintendo Switch (Switch)
Should you take a 'Chance'?
If you had to think of one household board game that almost everyone is likely to know, it would be Monopoly. The centre of countless family gatherings over the years, Monopoly is often seen as that one game that can get the whole brood involved and that everybody loves; that is until they remember how ridiculously long...
Review Morphite (Switch eShop)
Reasonably fun-obtainium
It is remarkably easy to pigeonhole any game one way or the other. Last year's No Man's Sky debacle highlighted the pressure on indie games and their creators from all conceivable angles, not least from an increasingly vocal, demanding and influential consumer base. Unfortunately, that particular game became a victim of its...
Review King Oddball (Switch eShop)
Swing when you're winning
As ports of mobile games take up more and more online marketplace space, it's easy - if not completely fair - to dismiss them as competition with first party or even console-specific indie titles. Viewed by some as shallow and disposable time killers at best, and at worst... well, you get the idea. The phenomenon that...
Review Wheels of Aurelia (Switch eShop)
Anything but a joyride
Imagine a driving game that takes on the form of a visual novel. That’s loosely what Wheels of Aurelia is like; the pointed summary is that it doesn’t really align with any traditional video game experience at all. Even within the context of an indie title, this one is as art house as they come. It’s not going to appeal...
Through the Looking Glass
Point-and-click adventure games are in an interesting spot these days. There’s definitely an audience for them, but it seems that developers go out of their way to make them only cater to that specific crowd. Those who don’t have an affinity for finding hidden messages in game manuals or using an inventory item on every...
Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube768k Watch on YouTube Review Zombie Gold Rush (Switch eShop)
Yawn of the dead?
The hybrid nature of the Switch allows amazing big-name games to be played on the go, but it also allows for short gaming bursts should you find yourself with a few minutes to spare. The modestly-named Amazing Inc. hope to provide one such quick gaming fix with Zombie Gold Rush, a simple game that has you gunning down waves of...
Review Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (Switch eShop)
Become a trick shot master
With more games released every year, deciding which one to play next has become increasingly difficult. The complex progression systems and open world design commonly found in modern video games appear to have become a norm, even in some download titles. Sometimes the limitless nature of these types of games can become...
Review Spelunker Party! (Switch eShop)
Spikes and boulders and traps, oh my!
Revitalizing a decades old series is never an easy task, but Spelunker Party! manages to be a decent return while adding good multiplayer functionality. Don’t let the title throw you off. It’s easy to assume this is some kind of minigame collection or something along the lines of another Mario Party. That...
Review 88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition (Switch)
I've got 98 problems but a Switch ain't one
Apparently these new-fangled superhero movies are all the rage nowadays! People seem to really connect with demi-gods fighting insectoid aliens while destroying cities, and with such memorable characters how could you not? There's Wonder Woman, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Batman, Glass Girl, Jim Nastics,...
Enforce law and order on the city streets of Edenbyrg
Imagine a bleak dystopian future where crime is rampant and multiple citizens are being held as hostages by dangerous people. JYDGE, recently launched on Steam and now available via the Switch eShop, explores this exact scenario. When all goes to hell in the cyberpunk city of Edenbyrg, the...
Review Ninja Shodown (Switch eShop)
Bad for your stealth
Ninjas by their very nature are an elegant and elusive group - patiently lurking in shadows in order to dispatch foes without anyone ever realising they were there. Their grace and efficiency have become legendary over hundreds of years. In the medium of video games, however, ninjas have a somewhat 'varied' depiction, none more...
Review Don't Knock Twice (Switch eShop)
Seriously, don’t
Don’t Knock Twice is a first-person horror game, based on the film of the same name that was released last year. The story sees you take the role of Jess, a mother who had to give away her child at a young age but is now hoping to reconnect with her. Your daughter, Chloe, is in a bit of a pickle with some paranormal forces and...
Review Brave Dungeon + Dark Witch Story:COMBAT (Switch eShop)
Dungeon crawling and rock paper scissors - together at last!
Coming up to the Halloween season, one might be looking for something appropriately eerie on the Switch eShop, and the word 'witch' on its own might immediately get the spook sensors reacting. Unless you have a severe phobia of cute anime characters and turn-based battling, it seems...
Review The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (Switch)
Let go of this LEGO
The LEGO franchise and the Switch have been good bedfellows of late, with both LEGO City Undercover and LEGO Worlds releasing on the console so far. The former we enjoyed. The latter? Not so much. Unfortunately for all of us, The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
Review Neon Chrome (Switch eShop)
Minor oversight
Finding a home on consoles is an ongoing challenge for games that have seen success on Steam and smart devices. While free-to-play or relatively inexpensive titles are becoming available on digital marketplaces thick and fast, it could be argued that there is a degree of stigma that comes with titles making the shift from mobile to...
Review Squareboy vs Bullies: Arena Edition (Switch eShop)
Stand up to bullying
Squareboy vs Bullies: Arena Edition is an action-fighting game for one to two players. It was originally released on mobile devices (without the ‘Arena Edition’ tagline) and is inspired by Game Boy era brawlers; the mobile version’s user interface actually uses a Game Boy-like border to house its controls. The game has...
Review Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle (Switch)
Is it a knock-out?
Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle is a fighting game spin-off from the Touhou Project – a series of video games, print works, and CDs that follow protagonist Reimu Hakurei adventuring through a haunted region of Japan. Reimu, as well as the series’ secondary character Marisa Kirisame, join a host of playable characters to...
Review Unbox: Newbie's Adventure (Switch)
Does it deliver the goods?
Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure is ‘packed’ full of features reminiscent of classic '90s 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Developed by Manchester-based indie studio Prospect Games, the game has been described as a “love letter” to those legendary titles and, thanks to more modern technology, is...
Review Picross S (Switch eShop)
The S is for 'Safe'
One of the constant presences on the 3DS eShop was that of the Picross e IP, the latest in a long running puzzle series. With close to ten releases on the 3DS eShop (including a few fun spin-offs) there were certainly plenty of entries for one console, though some releases were really more like DLC packs than fully-fledged...
Review Astro Bears Party (Switch eShop)
Can you bear it?
The Nintendo Switch has got off to a promising start during its first year on the market. A number of third-party publishers and developers initially sceptical of the system’s ability to become a commercial success are now in on the action. As the impressive library of games on Nintendo’s latest device increases by the day, the...
Review Physical Contact: Picture Place (Switch eShop)
Sudoku and demons?
Physical Contact: Picture Place is the third entry in a series of games from publisher, Collavier Corporation. It is also a completely unnecessarily long and misleading name for a game that is effectively just a collection of Sudoku puzzles. We haven’t been having much joy with the first two games in the series so far (Physical...
Review Tower of Babel (Switch eShop)
Ups and downs
Not a great deal has been said about Tower of Babel; the game seems to have found its way onto the Switch’s eShop without anyone noticing where it came from. There isn’t even the slightest mention of the game on the official website or Twitter feed of its publisher, EnjoyUp Games, which is very odd indeed. EnjoyUp published...
Review Burning Fight (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
A dying flame
Scrolling beat ‘em ups are simple games that provide a lot of fun as you (sometimes with the help of a friend) wander through a number of stages giving gangs of reprobates a good kicking, before facing off against a more powerful end of stage thug; rinse and repeat. Burning Fight comes courtesy of SNK and whilst Sengoku (another...
Brick by brick
This was originally published as an unscored 'review in progress' on 11th September as we waited for online play to be added in an announced update. Following an update to add online functionality this review was edited to reflect that feature, with a score applied. When Minecraft first hit the scene years back, many likened playing...
Review Art of Fighting (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Pretty but poor
Street Fighter II took the arcades by storm in 1991, leading to a slew of one-on-one brawlers in the months and years that followed. SNK would develop a number of fighting series in the hope of tempting players away from Capcom’s game, samples of which have already arrived on Switch via HAMSTER’s ACA Neo Geo series. Now Art of...
