Latest Reviews
Review Perfect Dark (Nintendo 64) - Perhaps Not Perfect, But Still A Remarkable Achievement
Suck it, Bond
This review was originally published in March 2010. We're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack N64 library. From its debut in 1997, developer Rare and the terrifying digital avatar of Pierce Brosnan ruled over the console shooter space with the Nintendo 64 tie-in of a...
Review Dicefolk (Switch) - An Incredibly Fresh-Feeling, Monster-Catching Roguelite
Want to be the very best, like no one ever was?
These days, roguelites and deckbuilders are a dime a dozen, but it seems like developers are finding ways to get creative with the genre mechanics to produce something that sticks out from the glut of releases these past several years. Dicefolk offers one such creative take on the roguelite formula,...
Stranger stuff
Developer Cococucumber has established itself as a dependable indie studio over the past few years. Specialising in accessible throwbacks, it adds a fresh spin on old genre formats. Although its latest title Ravenlok is (pun intended) locked away behind Xbox exclusivity, Switch owners can finally try the second in the dev's...
Unsung hero
‘Underrated’ is a term too often applied recklessly, but for Rocket Knight Adventures, a series that struggled to reach global stardom despite Konami’s three-pronged stab, it’s appropriate. Its initial entry resides in the upper echelons of everything 16-bit and is one of the finest titles on the Mega Drive. Yet, Sparkster,...
Review Glory Hunters (Game Boy) - A Glorious 8-Bit Throwback With Some Rough Edges
Achievement Unlocked: Wait, wrong console
With such a wealth of homebrew and aftermarket games releasing for old Nintendo hardware, we thought we'd check out one of the most promising examples in this neo-retro Game Boy review. To reiterate, Glory Hunters isn't available on Switch, though we'll be sure to let you know if that situation ever changes...
Review Sociable Soccer 24 (Switch) - A Sensible Option For Old-School Footy Fans
Definitely worth a punt
The debate about which is the best football video game is one that has raged on for decades. Until now, there hasn’t really been much of a choice on Switch. There’s EA Sports FC (which thankfully, finally, is worth getting now), but with Konami’s eFootball (formerly PES) nowhere in sight, the other options are...
Review Monster Hunter Stories (Switch) - Showing Its Age But Still Worth The Hunt
Portable monsters for the kids (and kids at heart)
When Capcom released Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin on Nintendo Switch back in 2021, there may have been some that said, "Wait, there was a first game?" It's worth remembering that the original outing of Monster Hunter Stories came towards the end of the 3DS era; in fact, it was released...
Review Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (Switch) - Even Better Than The Stellar Original
Another HEE-HOme Run
It’s been nearly three years now since the launch of the original Shin Megami Tensei V and as is tradition at Atlus, the obligatory enhanced re-release (complete with a new storyline centered around a new girl) has now come to all modern platforms in the form of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Boasting a full-length,...
Review Star Wars: Hunters (Switch) - A F2P Hero Shooter That's Fast, Fun, And Force-ful
Drop it like it's Hoth
You would be forgiven for having a bad feeling about Star Wars: Hunters. This free-to-play, class-based, hero shooter was announced by FarmVille developer Zynga in 2021, but a duo of delays and its appearance in the already stacked genre of '
Review Overmorrow (Switch) - Intriguing, But Assumes Too Much With Its Save-Wiping Setup
'Morrowind you up
Overmorrow, the debut release from solo developer PixelManta, manages to be philosophically interesting, is evocatively written, visually distinct, and lovingly crafted. Yet, the notion of re-playing it – which you’ll effectively need to do by design – is a tall order, and therein lies the unfortunate problem with this...
Review Picross S Namco Legendary Edition (Switch) - Picross Gets Pac-Man Fever
A nest of Namco nonograms
It’s been rough out there for poor Picross fans during this generation, as they’ve been cruelly starved for content with only 23 game releases on Switch (if you count the 'e' series) that offer up a paltry sum of over 5,000 puzzles to solve. Those puzzles aren’t even all original either—if you really want to be...
Review Hauntii (Switch) - A Beautiful Tale In A Bad State
This ghost has unfinished business
Since this review was originally published, patches have reportedly addressed or improved one or more of the issues cited. While we unfortunately cannot revisit games on an individual basis, it should be noted that the updated game may offer an improved experience over the one detailed below. What do you get when...
Review Capes (Switch) - Solid Superhero Strategy That Channels XCOM
Not all heroes wear them
In a dark, futuristic world, being a superhero has been outlawed. Not by the government, but by the only force in King City that matters – The Company. Capes takes the turn-based strategy genre and gives it a comic book feel, putting you in the control of a fledgling group of superheroes trying to dish out justice in a...
Review Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord (Switch) - A Grand Remake Of An Iconic Game
Trebor SUX
You don’t get ‘lucky’ in Wizardry, not like you can do in other games. You might run into an easy enemy once in a while, but if you decide to take a chance during an expedition and descend a floor ‘just to see’ how it goes, it will not go well. "Your entire party has been slaughtered." Again. This remake of Sir-Tech's formative...
Review Paper Trail (Switch) - A Storybook Puzzler That Folds Up Beautifully
Turn the Paige
Though plenty of Paper Mario fans are eagerly awaiting the return of one of the greatest games in the series at the time of writing, there’s another new game set in a papery world that we’d suggest you pay attention to. Newfangled Games’ Paper Trail is the debut release of the boutique London-based studio, and its smart mixture...
Review Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Switch) - Still The King Of Mario RPGs
Paper, un-jammed
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has been held as the standard for Mario RPGs for 20 years. It, alongside its N64 predecessor, captured what fans wanted from their turn-based, plumber-starring adventures – silly humour, epic adventures, fantastic combat, and charm. Purists often view the GameCube original as the end of the...
Easy, tiger
We're republishing this 2021 import review because, over two-and-a-half years after its Japanese release, M2 has finally brought Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli to the West, surprise-dropping this Toaplan collection on the US Switch eShop on 16th May. There's no word on a European release just yet, but the base game is available on the US eShop for...
Out of the frying pan and into space
Following up the sublime Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster was always going to be tough. Rather than tackle another well-known franchise, Nightdive Studios has wisely chosen to revisit one of the weirdest forgotten gems of the ‘90s with PO’ed: Definitive Edition. Utilising the same principles as Dark Forces,...
Review Slayers X (Switch) - A Fun But Basic Boomer Shooter That Lacks An X Factor
The video game equivalent of Limp Bizkit
Fans of unconventional narrative-driven games may be familiar with Hypnospace Outlaw, a cool project from a few years ago that aimed to simulate an alternate take on the social environment of the late '90s internet. Though Hypnospace Outlaw will be receiving a proper sequel with the upcoming Dreamsettler,...
Review Lorelei And The Laser Eyes (Switch) - An Excellent Puzzle-Filled Homage To Resident Evil
The Eyes have it
It’s fair to say at this point that Annapurna Interactive has one hell of an eye for a good game. A laser eye, if you will. The odd stumble aside – Twelve Minutes was a bit rubbish and the likes of Last Stop and Open Roads were perfectly fine, but not quite masterpieces – for the most part, Annapurna has an exceptional track...
Review Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs (Switch) - Pac-Man 99’s Successor Is A Flop
First as tragedy, then as farce
“Comparison is the thief of joy,” said former US President Teddy Roosevelt. The gist is that sometimes a comparison can negatively skew our perceptions or diminish our appreciation of individual qualities. Roosevelt didn’t have multiplayer Pac-Man in mind when he came up with his oft-quoted consolatory aphorism,...
Review Braid: Anniversary Edition (Switch) - Exquisite Commentary Elevates This Indie All-Timer
If I could turn back time
What is time? Does the future come into existence, become the present, then vanish into the past? Or are all times equally real, only our perspective on them changing as we travel towards our destinies? And while we’re on the subject, why is it taking so much time to get a “Switch 2”? Not to worry: Braid, Anniversary...
Review Biomutant (Switch) - A Solid Action RPG Marred By A Muddy Port
Biomutant X
It's been a long road for Biomutant's Switch release. The action RPG originally came out almost three years ago, back in May 2021, with the Switch version slowly getting pushed back time and time again. However, Experiment 101’s debut title is finally here, but it maybe should have been held back for the Switch's successor. Biomutant...
Board already
There is no shortage of party games available on Switch – the console was practically made with the genre in mind. Standing out from the crowd requires some careful balancing of the rules or implementing some gimmick to make your game feel unique. Or, in the case of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board, you can let your...
Review Little Kitty, Big City (Switch) - Repetitive, But Oozes Charm From Every Paw
An adventure with cat-titude
When playing through Little Kitty, Big City, it’s difficult to avoid drawing comparisons with Untitled Goose Game. Both see you play as a cute, mischievous animal, and both have you tackle a series of emergent tasks that often come at the expense of the poor humans that inhabit the surrounding area. With Little Kitty,...
Review Animal Well (Switch) - An Exceptional Metroidvania That Stands Out From The Pack
Zoophoria
From the moment we got a glimpse of Animal Well during an Indie World Showcase last April, it sent tongues wagging with its unique premise and visual identity, becoming an easy add to plenty of ‘Most Anticipated’ lists. Its association with indie publishing label Bigmode, run by popular YouTuber Jason 'Dunkey' Gastrow, added to the...
Review CorpoNation: The Sorting Process (Switch) - A Corporate Conspiracy Worth Getting Embroiled In
Work hard and carry on
‘Cost of living multiplier’ is not a setting you expect to see in an options screen, but this is one of the numerous difficulty tweaks in CorpoNation. Canteen Games' dystopian employment simulator deftly balances mundane repetition and creeping dread. It looks and feels like a shadowy corporate follow-up to Lucas Pope’s...
Review Rainbow Cotton (Switch) - The Definitive Version Of This Dreamcast Shooter
I can sing a rail shooter
Developer Success’s flagship franchise since 1991, Cotton's enigmatic Halloween world and cutesy-witchy theme struck a chord with fans of the shoot-'em-up genre. Its zany premise of broomsticking across badlands in search of delicious candy, coupled with a magical mix of coloured gem grabbing, weapon power-ups, flashy...
Review Another Crab's Treasure (Switch) - Great Ideas, Crabby Performance
Oh Crab!
Over the years, many games have tried to recreate the precise, difficult nature of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls, a revolutionary title that created the aptly named Soulslike genre. Another Crab’s Treasure, from developer Aggro Crab, is another one of these endeavours, albeit with a significantly more colourful approach compared to the...
Review Wrath: Aeon Of Ruin (Switch) - Impressive Quake-Like FPS Is A Bad Fit On Consoles
You will not survive
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin has been a long time coming. Running on a heavily modified version of the Quake engine and developed by some of the Quake scene’s most skilled modders, Wrath looked set to take over the retro shooter world when it hit Early Access in 2019. Then it was hit with delay after delay, partially due to the...
