Game Reviews scoring 5/10
Review SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo (Switch) - You Can't Polish A Puyo This Plain
Less ‘yo’, more ‘pu’
We’ve now reached the tenth game in the Sega Ages series, and it’s safe to say the project has been a resounding success. Over the course of the past year, Sega and the retro wizards at M2 have released a steady stream of old-school ports that have had us using the phrase ‘definitive version’ more times than...
Hollow Fragment
Sword Art Online has been around in some form or another since all the way back in the prehistoric times commonly referred to as 2002. Originally a series of light novels, it’s been praised for its exploration of themes relating to the intertwining of real and virtual worlds and the effect this has on the psyche and physicality of...
Monk-ey business
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition is the Ronseal of top-down beat-’em-ups. With no frills, bells or whistles, it does exactly what it says on the tin/box/eShop description. You’re a former soldier living in a remote monastery. And when some bad dudes attack your temple and kill your fellow monks, it’s up to you to embrace your old...
Review SolSeraph (Switch) - A God-Like Disappointment That Proves What A Classic Actraiser Really Is
Sol Sacrifice
Ace Team’s SolSeraph immediately grabbed our attention when it was surprise-announced at the end of last month. Here, finally, was a spiritual successor to SNES classic Actraiser that looked to head back to the roots of the franchise by reinstating the winning combination of platforming action and Populous-lite strategy that was...
Review The Last Remnant Remastered (Switch) - An RPG With Fine Ideas Scuppered By A Lack Of Clarity
A remnant of a different time
You’d be forgiven if, when watching the surprise announcement of The Last Remnant Remastered coming to Switch, your first thought was “What?” Though the The Last Remnant has largely been forgotten in the current gaming industry, it once hopefully represented the future of Square Enix, with the president of the...
Review PlataGO! Super Platform Game Maker (Switch) - An Awkward Super Mario Maker Clone
All the tools you need to create something you wouldn’t want to play
The definition of karma is giving a reviewer who has handed out their share of 4s and 6s in the last month a review copy of a platform game creator and effectively saying ‘you do better’. While PlataGo! presents an ample feature set that leaves mean critical types with few...
Review Among The Sleep: Enhanced Edition (Switch) - Has Some Growing Up To Do
Creepy crawling
If games like Firewatch and Gone Home typify what has come to be known as the 'walking simulator,' then Among the Sleep is more of a 'tottering simulator'. You could take that as a reference to its implausibly youthful protagonist, but it just as easily applies to the game's uneven tone and shaky gameplay. You could probably describe...
In the Nintendoghouse
“Finally, somebody made a new Nintendogs!” rejoices every preview, news article and comments section about Little Friends: Dogs & Cats on the internet. And they’re not wrong – from the moment you start Imagineer’s pet simulator and choose one of six dog breeds (Shiba Inu, Chihuahua, Toy Poodle, Labrador Retriever,...
Review American Fugitive (Switch) - A Decent Homage To Grand Theft Auto That's A Little Underdone
Grand Theft Naught-o
American Fugitive, a straight-up homage to the top-down Grand Theft Auto games of old, sees players assume the role of William Riley, a bad boy with a criminal past who’s just been framed for his father’s murder. Convicted and sent to jail in the opening moments of the game, he almost immediately manages to set himself free...
Review Assassin's Creed III Remastered (Switch) - The Franchise Runt Gets A Clunky Switch Port
Nothing is true, everything is permitted?
When we consider the Assassin’s Creed franchise, the first thing that jumps into our minds is scale. The grandiose size and scope of each entry’s setting, each new game containing a more epic, fully-realised world than the last. More content, more history, more characters and adventure; in this way the...
Review Venture Kid (Switch) - A Workmanlike And Forgettable Mega Man Clone
You're not gonna go far, kid
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; if that is indeed the case, then few games are more overtly flattering to the classic Mega Man series than Venture Kid. This new release from FDG Entertainment isn’t shy when it apes the concept of Capcom’s legendary series, and while it does a reasonably...
Review Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut (Switch) - A Cool Premise Hobbled By Poor Execution
Zero to hero?
Originally kickstarted into life on PC back in 2013, Born Ready’s Strike Suit Zero was released to somewhat mixed reviews which most commonly cited problems with terrible checkpointing during missions, dumb squad AI and the late stage at which you get your hands on the eponymous suit itself. A Director’s Cut addressing these issues...
Review Panty Party (Switch) – Nothing To Get Your Knickers In A Twist Over
Sheer nonsense
“Warning!” NO HENTAI contents in this game! All you get is funny and stupid panties! This is the warning on Nintendo’s game page and it’s worth bearing in mind. The page features the word ‘panty’ or ‘panties’ no fewer than 19 times, but also reiterates what you’re getting. ‘A story of nonsense and fools brought to...
Review SEGA AGES Gain Ground (Switch) - A Commendable Failure, But A Failure Nonetheless
No gains to be made
For some unfathomable reason, Gain Ground has something of a cult following with Sega fans. Originally released in arcades in 1988, it gained notoriety largely down to the fact that it was quite unlike anything that had appeared before; while it looked like Atari's Gauntlet, the gameplay was actually totally different, requiring...
Review Super Kickers League (Switch) - A Second Division Arcade Football Game
Misses the target
Over the decades it's been possible to track a small but beloved lineage of arcade football games that don't take the sport too seriously. From SNK's Soccer Brawl through Sega Soccer Slam and on to Mario Strikers Charged, the best of these games embellish the footy basics with fantastical settings and improbable special moves...
Review Azure Saga: Pathfinder Deluxe Edition (Switch) - A Largely Forgettable JRPG Romp
Off the beaten path
If there’s one thing Nintendo Switch already has in abundance, it’s JRPGs. There are classics from yesteryear, Triple-A odysseys from some of the biggest developers in the word and a healthy smattering of independently-made offerings. As Switch owners, we’re spoiled for choice, so if you’re bringing a Japanese-style...
Review Awesome Pea (Switch) - A Retro Platformer That Lacks Colour In More Ways Than One
A little mushy
Awesome Pea is described as "a classic run-and-jump platformer," which is about as plain and simple as the game itself. Here indeed is a platformer that looks like an old Game Boy game, and that features a whole lot of running and jumping – and precious little else. At this point, we suspect the developer would like nothing more...
Review Hell Warders (Switch) - A Hellish Experience That Really Needs To Be Played With Friends
To Hell with this
While the Tower Defence genre might not be quite as big as it once was, there’s still room for more additions if a developer can bring something new and innovative to the mix. Or, at the very least, do the job competently enough to represent its compatriots on Nintendo Switch. Hell Warders, from Hong Kong-based developer...
Review Fimbul (Switch) - An Atmospheric But Unforgivably Flaky Norse Adventure
Hitting a Thor spot
It might sound like the name of a cute character from a generic platformer, but Fimbul is actually the final, brutal winter before Ragnarök – AKA: Norse Armageddon. Which tells you an awful lot about Fimbul the game, both in terms of its icy northern European setting and its grim, violent gameplay. You play the part of...
Review Modern Combat Blackout (Switch) - Call Of Duty Has Little To Worry About
Out for the count
By now, we emphatically know that first-person shooters can work on Nintendo Switch. The console’s positioning as a semi-handheld platform – and the realistic limitations of its hardware – simply aren’t an issue when an FPS is developed in the right way. Heck, even PS Vita got a great shooter in the form of Killzone:...
Review RIOT - Civil Unrest (Switch) - A Fantastic Idea Undone By Some Sloppy Execution
I predict a riot
Ah, the strategy game. Once a stalwart of the PC gaming scene, the genre has bloomed on console in recent years as developers re-approach the genre in new and exciting ways. And it's those titles that break away from the traditional military concept that's gripped its mechanics for so long, taking the principles of an RTS and...
Go away
On paper, roguelike game design sounds like a fantastic idea. Most small developers don’t have access to the finances or resources of big studios, so it takes considerably more time to produce a quality, lengthy video game. The shortcut, then, is that smaller developers can utilize procedural generation to make a little bit go a lot...
Review Goat Simulator: The GOATY (Switch) - A Mildly Amusing Waste Of Time, But Not Much Else
Gruff around the edges
Goat Simulator: The GOATY is the kind of game you'll either get or you won't. It's either a hilarious way to kill time and affect some form of skill amid the chaos, or it's just a jumped up joke that's outlived the laughter. Wherever your thoughts might ultimately land, there's no denying that Coffee Stain Studios has produced...
Review The Liar Princess And The Blind Prince (Switch) - An Alluring Fairytale With A Sad Ending
Cool story bro
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin. Once upon a time there was a game called The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince. When you looked at a screenshot of this game, or perhaps a brief video of it in action, it seemed the fairest Switch game in all the land. Alas, that beauty hid a mortal ailment, for The Liar Princess and the...
A bit of a drag
Inti Creates has made quite a name for itself on the Switch with quality titles like Mighty Gunvolt Burst, Blaster Master Zero, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, and Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack all offering up some excellent retro run ‘n’ gun action. Going back further, however, the company put itself on the m
Review V-Rally 4 (Switch) - A Bumpy Ride That Will Only Reward Dedicated Motorsport Fans
Its roots are showing
The Switch isn’t lacking when it comes to racing games, but there’s one particular subsection of the genre in which it’s been left wanting so far: rally games. The current king of rally in the gaming world is Codemasters, but it’s been slow to support the Switch and its first offering (coming in 2019) will be a port of...
Going old, old, old school
Usually, when it comes to retro gaming compilations we tend to see two schools of thought: quality or quantity. The former usually consist of a modest helping of games, but each is given lots of care and attention and supported with heaps of extra content. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection and the recent SNK 40th...
Wince and repeat
Like most things from the late '80s and early '90s, the 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up is no longer particularly cool or relevant. Sure, a certain type of ageing nostalgist (guilty as charged) will get excited about Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle or Streets of Rage 4, but the kids have long since moved on to something else. And let's face...
Review Sports Party (Switch) - A Wii Sports-Style Social Experience That Sadly Lacks Depth
Party pooper
Once upon a time, recreational sports games with motion controls were all the rage. A decade ago, when the Wii was at the height of its mainstream popularity, there was a glut of forgettable and downright terrible games that somehow turned using a Wii Remote from a fun social experience into an exercise in unresponsive torture. Sports...
That quarterback is toast
Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is a weird depiction of arcade football. In many ways, it's nothing like an actual game of football due to (cheap) dirty tricks and on-the-field obstacles that greatly change the course of a contest. Unfortunately, these additions mar the experience, turning it into a frustrating game...
