Game Reviews scoring 8/10
Mini Review RetroRealms: Ash Vs Evil Dead (Switch) - A Gorgeous & Gory 16-Bit Throwback
Groovy
Given the sheer absurdity of the Evil Dead franchise, it’s a wonder we haven’t received anything quite like RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead in the past. Yes, there have been a handful of video games featuring everyone’s favourite boomstick-wielding drunkard Ash Williams, but this latest effort from developer WayForward and publisher Boss...
Review Kill Knight (Switch) - Relentless Bullet Hell Is Rippingly Difficult But Bloody Satisfying
Rip, tear, dodge, repeat
Ah yes, the seemingly endless embrace of death, interspersed with feverish ability management and hordes of enemies shattering your fragile health bar. This is our relaxation time. Kill Knight is a ferocious bullet hell with a heavy metal aesthetic and thumping score that recalls the modern Doom cycle. It’s an isometric...
Review Blazing Strike (Switch) - A Beautiful Love Letter To The Fighting Game Hardcore
Blazin' squad
A totally original pixel art fighting game in 2024 is certainly a welcome surprise. What’s more of a surprise, though, is discovering that Mark Minkyu Chung touts himself as a solo game developer. Known by his developer handle Rarebreed, we hopped to Blazing Strike’s credits roll to corroborate the seemingly impossible. And, sure...
Review Ys X: Nordics (Switch) - Another Great Entry, Though We're Not Sold On The Sailing
Name a more iconic Duo, I'll wait
Though the Ys series has been around for decades now (it even predates Final Fantasy), its release history in the West was rather inconsistent until the mid-2000s and the series only really became relevant again to the Nintendo fanbase with the release of Ys VIII in 2018. After a decent follow-up a few years ago...
Review Crow Country (Switch) - A PS1-Style Horror Homage That Blends Old With New
Caw blimey, it's good
Modern survival horror games looking to recapture the aesthetics and essence of classic titles from the ‘90s often make one fatal mistake. You see, when fans who were around to play Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark: A New Nightmare on the PS1 look back, they do so with a level of fondness that, frankly, makes the games...
Review F-Zero: GP Legend (GBA) - A Great Handheld Entry That Nails The Series' Spirit
Dare you to blink
This review was originally published in January 2015. We're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of GP Legend (and Climax, which was never released in the West) in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack GBA library. The F-Zero series has often dished out a steep challenge, and in GP Legend the uninitiated will be...
Review EA Sports FC 25 (Switch) - The New Best Football Game On Switch
We've been to Haaland back
If you've been following the history of the FIFA series on Switch, you'll know there was a massive plot twist last year. After delivering exactly the same FIFA game for six years in a row and getting progressively more frustrated Nintendo Life reviews in the process, EA finally stepped up its game with EA Sports FC 24 and...
Mini Review Atari 50: The Wider World Of Atari (Switch) - More Of The Brilliant Same
How deep does the Atari hole go?
Dubbed The Wider World of Atari, this first entry in what will ultimately be a two-part DLC expansion for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is essentially developer Digital Eclipse digging even deeper into the Atari vaults. The result is a new timeline that, while possibly not as cohesive as those found in the...
Review Bloomtown: A Different Story (Switch) - An Evocative, Demon-Catching RPG
Strange things are afoot
At first glance, Bloomtown: A Different Story looks like a charming addition to the world of slice-of-life RPGs, with its cosy pixel art style and comforting soundtrack. It kicks off with two siblings, Emily and Chester, being sent to their grandad’s house for summer break in the 1960s. They’re frustrated about going,...
Review Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (Switch) - A Lick Of Paint Works Wonders
Hot dog!
Back in the days of the Wii, one of the more interesting and bizarre major third-party releases was Epic Mickey, a project headed by Warren Spector—the renowned creator of the Deus Ex franchise. This 3D platformer placed the famed mouse in an unusually dark premise that presented him with various moral dilemmas, and though it had its...
Review Loddlenaut (Switch) - A Stress-Free, Subaquatic Escape For PowerWash Lovers
Come get some jetsam
Anyone who’s played PowerWash Simulator for too long while in a feverish state from having eaten too many fish fingers knows the feeling. You cease being a sanitary entrepreneur and find yourself submerged in the water, wearing a spacesuit, shooting the dirt off with a laser in a Zen-like trance while you nurture sea...
Review Gimmick! 2 (Switch): A Fluid, Feel-Good Platformer That Lives Up To Its Name
A classic, continued
It’s fair to say that Gimmick! 2 was a sequel not on many people’s bingo cards before its surprise announcement in June 2024. Its 1992 predecessor, a retro gem and Sunsoft’s take on a mascot platformer, enjoys a cult reputation as one of the rarest games for the Famicom/NES owing to its limited release in Japan and, oddly...
Review Elsie (Switch) - A Stunningly Presented Mega Man X-Esque Roguelite
X-cellent
The roguelike genre has always been a bit of a tough nut to crack for many gamers. It’s not hard to understand why: procedurally generated environments and enemies generally don’t appeal quite as much as something that’s been carefully crafted with purpose. As such, if a roguelike is going to succeed, you best hope that the actual...
Review Yars Rising (Switch) - A Stylish, Ambitious Revival Of An Atari Classic In Metroidvania Form
Qotroidvania
Over the past few years, Atari has been revisiting its storied history with compilation titles, remakes, reboots, and surprise sequels. So while a revival of Yars’ Revenge really shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, we have to admit to being a bit taken aback by Yars Rising. After all, what was once a stylish, yet basic...
Review Ace Attorney Investigations Collection (Switch) - File This With The Series' Finest
Best case scenarios
In the Ace Attorney games, Edgeworth has always been a bit like an outdoor cat. He drops in every now and again, does his job, then disappears for weeks, sometimes months at a time. Later on, you'll find out some cool tidbit of information – he was in Europe doing Important Lawyer Things, or chasing an Interpol lead in the deep...
Mini Review Gunman Clive HD Collection (Switch) - A Cracking Run-'N'-Gun Duo
Clive's handy, son
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. It’s two for the price of one with...
Mini Review Horizon Shift '81 (Switch) - A Fast-Paced Shooter That Oozes Enthusiasm & Passion
Shifty
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Paying homage to the Atari days, we have the...
Mini Review Feudal Alloy (Switch) - A Hearty, Hand-Drawn Metroidvania
Tank controls
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Feudal Alloy is a really good indie...
Mini Review Catastronauts (Switch) - Overcooked & Star Trek Collide In Engaging, Chaotic Co-op
Coolant leak! We've got a coolant leak!
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Playing in a...
Review Valfaris: Mecha Therion (Switch) - Steel Mantis Switches To Shmup For A Tight, Taut Sequel
Go big or go home
Valfaris: Mecha Therion wastes no time in getting going. During the briefest of cutscenes we’re re-introduced to series main man Therion on a gothic-styled spaceship hurtling through the stars. Hekate, his AI companion, says she’s picked up the signal of his father, Vroll, the man responsible for the destruction of Therion’s...
Review Shadow Of The Ninja - Reborn (Switch) - A Beautiful, Brutal Return To 8-Bit Basics
Stepping out of the shadow
Though Ninja Gaiden occupied the spotlight on the NES back in the day, there was another similar ninja action game called Shadow of the Ninja which proved to be just about as good and featured two-player co-op. Due to publisher issues, a planned Game Boy version was repurposed as a Ninja Gaiden prequel and a sequel was...
Review Crypt Custodian (Switch) - A Charismatic Kitty Cleans Up In This Metroidvania
Not one to throw out
Metroidvanias are a dime a dozen in 2024. In a genre so flooded with games, several releases each week, charm and a unique setting are what can help your game stand out. Thankfully, Crypt Custodian isn't going to end up swept away by the competition, as it has just that. You play as Pluto, a cat beloved by their family...
Review Bakeru (Switch) - Good-Feel's Carefree Platformer For Goemon Lovers Makes It To The West
Go, ninja, go!
Editor’s note: The text below was originally published in January 2024 as an import review of Otogi Katsugeki Mameda no Bakeru: Oracle Saitarou no Sainan!!, which launched in Japan in 2023. To coincide with the Western release of Bakeru on 3rd September 2024, we’re republishing our review with added impressions of the localized...
Mini Review Viviette (Switch) - A Horrifying Hidden Gem
Getting Vivi- with -ette
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Viviette brings a ghastly...
Mini Review Starman (Switch) - Won't Blow Your Mind, But Will Chill You Out
Let all the children boogie
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. No, not the popular Bowie...
Review SteamWorld Heist II (Switch) - A More Ambitious Caper That Rewards Patience And Planning
Steamy and challenging seas
When we played the original SteamWorld Heist, to anyone who’d listen (and to plenty of people who wouldn’t) we described Heist as the quintessential underrated indie gem. We thought everyone should play it. We were blown away by how skillfully Thunderful Games had taken everything satisfying about X-COM-style...
Review The Lullaby Of Life (Switch) - A Kaleidoscopic Puzzler With Plenty Of Bite
White noise
If you’re a puzzle fan who wants something unique to add to your library, you’re in for a treat. The Lullaby of Life is a sound-based puzzle experience which places you in the blobby shoes of a particle with the ability to create music, exploring the origins of the universe. At first glance, this game is striking. The aesthetic is...
Review Trinity Fusion (Switch) - A Roguelite Fusion Of Ideas That’s Worth Your Time
Across the multiverse
We had high hopes for Trinity Fusion after playing it at PAX East two years ago, and we’re happy to say, it doesn’t disappoint. The concept is great. A human-made multiverse — made up of Prime, the Overworld, the Underworld, and the Hyperworld — is collapsing, and the only way to fix it is to merge all of the different...
Review World Of Goo 2 (Switch) - A Superb Sequel With A Few Sticking Points
World of Good
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been a few weeks shy of 16 years since the original World of Goo barged its way onto Wii and PC back in 2008. Its wacky physics and endearing presentation stole the hearts of practically everyone who played it, and a re-release on Nintendo Switch back in 2017 reaffirmed its lofty status, but can its...
Review Bō: Path Of The Teal Lotus (Switch) - Charm Meets Challenge In This Gorgeous Metroidvania
More tea, vicar?
Metroidvania fans seem to be living through a golden age. Hollow Knight and the Ori series, indie hits of the last decade, have established themselves as all-time classics, spurring on a horde of imitators, tributes, and new ideas. Even just 2024’s entries range from the imaginative, lo-fi hit Animal Well to the lavishly presented
