Switch eShop, Switch Game Reviews scoring 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6/10
Review AeternoBlade (Switch eShop)
Needs more sharpening
Back in 2014, the 3DS eShop received AeternoBlade, a hack ‘n’ slash focused Metroidvania that’s centered around the gameplay concept of controlling time. After a failed attempt at Kickstarting a sequel, Corecell Technology has opted to port the game to the Switch eShop, no doubt in hopes of building up the fanbase...
Review Mad Carnage (Switch eShop)
A bit of a tame road
It’s safe to say that Mad Max: Fury Road has become a bit of a modern classic in the years since its 2015 cinema launch. Praised for its exhilarating action, humour, and narrative focus, its influence can of course be felt the most in the film industry, but videogames are also looking for a piece of the action. Mad Carnage is...
Review World Heroes 2 (Switch eShop)
An improvement over the first game, but it's not Perfect
Of the many one-on-one fighters released on Neo Geo (and now filling up the Switch eShop), World Heroes was far from top of the pile. It could still entertain however, and its colourful cast of characters inspired by historical figures helped it stand out. World Heroes 2 provides the same best...
Review Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ (Switch eShop)
A Vita throwaway
Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ arrives on Nintendo Switch four years after its original release on PlayStation Vita, where it received a rather middling reception at best. Some praised its varied stats, skills and upgrade customisation, while others criticised it for a bland plot and uninspired combat mechanics. So in 2018, how does...
Review Space Dave (Switch eShop)
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"
Some games take inspiration from those of yesteryear, weaving in classic elements or perhaps adorning a retro aesthetic to show its love for what came before. Then there are games that want to be part of a bygone era, and do such a convincing job you half expect to see them glowing, blinking and blooping...
Review Her Majesty's SPIFFING (Switch eShop)
Brexiting orbit
Video games aren't often particularly topical. A tendency towards juvenile themes like shooting aliens and saving princesses - not to mention the protracted development process - generally leads developers into safer narrative waters. The most bracingly fresh thing about Her Majesty's SPIFFING, then, is that it's built upon one giant...
Review Oh...Sir! The Hollywood Roast (Switch eShop)
Not worthy of a closeup
To make it in Hollywood, you gotta grow a thick skin. You need to be able to take criticism from fans, friends, and rivals alike, and dish it out in return. From movie sets to award ceremonies, there's always going to be someone looking to take your crown, and make you feel more like a bumbling extra than a true superstar...
Review Oh...Sir! The Insult Simulator (Switch eShop)
Sharpen your wits, not your sword
Video games frequently rely on a good old-fashioned fist fight in order to resolve conflict, relishing the chance to set up riotous action scenes at the drop of a hat. In all of that excitement it's often too easy to forget that most demoralising of attacks; the humble insult. If someone takes your seat on the...
Simple name, even simpler game
When Wii Sports helped to launch Nintendo Wii back in 2006, the Tennis mode was lauded as one of the reasons to own the console and an instant hit with gamers of any age or skill level. Its simple yet addictive gameplay was easy to pick up on and follow, and on top of that it shipped with four other excellent sports to...
Review Tachyon Project (Switch eShop)
Shmup or schmuck?
Tachyon Project is a game on a mission to shake up the twin-stick shooter genre. What started with Robotron: 2084 and then revitalized with Geometry Wars, it must be hard to deviate from the formula and succeed based on the number of games that have released since Bizarre Creations’ magnum opus that have yet to be memorable. What...
Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube766k Watch on YouTube Review Power Spikes II (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Underpowered volleyball action
In among the Neo Geo library of games there are a number of titles (some already on Switch) that take a sport and rework it into a simple, quick-to-play arcade experience. The latest arrival on the eShop is Video System’s Power Spikes II, a volleyball game that gives you a choice of eight four-person teams and then...
Review Baseball Riot (Switch eShop)
I predict a riot
Wii Sports and 1-2-Switch both brought the noble game of baseball into the homes of many a family, probably grazing a few vases and TVs in the process. The sense of satisfaction felt when timing your swing perfectly to score a home run against a parent or sibling was arguably as good as nailing a power serve in Wii Tennis or a...
Review Arcade Archives Double Dragon (Switch eShop)
Brief, flawed but enjoyable arcade action
Scrolling beat ‘em ups may be simple affairs that just have you moving along smacking groups of thugs in the face, but when they are done right they can be hugely entertaining. Before Streets Of Rage, before Final Fight the game that got people excited was Technos’ Double Dragon, which put you in control...
A whiff in the dark
It’s not uncommon to see a video game take inspiration from others; making liberal use of another’s formula, tweaking it with their own unique ideas in the hopes of pushing some boundaries and changing the gaming landscape all the while. Whereas most games will zig where others have zagged, Bloober Team’s BRAWL takes a road...
Review InnerSpace (Switch eShop)
To infinity and beyond
Right from the off, InnerSpace has a particularly mysterious and alluring quality to it. Billed as an exploration-flying game, this title is the latest offering from Dallas-based studio PolyKnight Games and it is, without question, its most ambitious game to date. InnerSpace aims to take you on a journey, ultimately...
Review 60 Seconds! (Switch eShop)
Dropping the bomb
The survival genre is one that’s seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, with a new wave of indies leading the charge. One wouldn’t think that a game intentionally designed to be difficult would be much fun, but there’s certainly plenty of satisfaction to be found in overcoming the odds and managing to eke out a victory...
Review Nightmare Boy (Switch eShop)
Boy, it's a nightmare
Despite the console only being less than year old, we Switch owners aren't exactly short of top notch Metroidvania games to call upon. Axiom Verge and and Steamworld Dig 2 spring instantly to mind - probably using hard-won jump-boots. All of which means that when an interesting-but-flawed take on the genre such...
Review Art Of Fighting 2 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Like before, but a bit better
After bringing the first Art Of Fighting game to Switch, HAMSTER made the typically HAMSTER move of skipping ahead to Art Of Fighting 3: The Path Of The Warrior. That instalment offered a different, but more accomplished fighting experience and now the gap between those two is plugged with Art Of Fighting 2 which...
Review King Of The Monsters (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Fun for a few rounds
Thanks to HAMSTER’s ACA Neo Geo series there are plenty of options for Switch owners looking to engage in some virtual fisticuffs. SNK’s King Of The Monsters offers something a bit different to the other choices however, as it is essentially a wrestling game, albeit a wrestling game with giant monsters duking it out and...
Review Pic-A-Pix Deluxe (Switch eShop)
Pick 'n' miss
Nonogram puzzles, with their grid-based picture building by numbers formula, have been a staple on Nintendo consoles since the days of Game Boy. In fact, Switch has barely been out a year and it already has two such titles to its name - Picross S and Piczle Lines DX - and now it has a third in the form of
Review Woodle Tree Adventures (Switch eShop)
Branch out
Woodle Tree Adventures from Fabio Ferrara and Chubby Pixel is a 3D platformer that takes place in a natural and soft yet rather angular world. You are the offspring of a giant mustache-toting square tree who tasks you with collecting fairy tears to quench the thirst of the increasingly demanding world you inhabit. With a rucksack on your...
Review The Coma: Recut (Switch eShop)
School's out
The Coma: Recut is a remastered 2D side-scrolling horror game that follows the life of high school student Youngho as he battles the pressure of academic success and social acceptance, which just so happens tol come to a strange and creepy crescendo on the day of his final exams. Youngho struggles with his studies all through the...
Review Stern Pinball Arcade (Switch eShop)
A classic experience
Stern Pinball Arcade for the Switch eShop prides itself on authenticity. The company Stern - as featured in the title's name - was founded in 1977, plying its trade as a pinball and arcade video game manufacturer. As the most experienced and largest producer of real pinball machines to this day, the publisher and developer...
Review Sparkle Unleashed (Switch eShop)
Lose your marbles
In a time where the eShop is flourishing, more than a dozen games are launching every week with no let up in sight, and prolific Finnish developer/ publisher 10tons continues its long run by bringing puzzle game Sparkle Unleashed to Nintendo Switch in time for the holiday season. The premise is a simple one: in an attempt to save...
Review Frederic: Resurrection Of Music (Switch eShop)
Playing second fiddle
Nintendo Switch’s music rhythm games thus far have been stellar editions to the console's library. Whether it’s the raw power of Thumper or the serene ambient songs of Deemo, the genre fits the hardware well, using either the touchscreen or traditional inputs, and with Frederic: Resurrection Of Music, developer Forever...
Review Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops XL (Switch eShop)
War can be hell (and a little bland)
Having already reported for duty on mobile platforms and other consoles, you’d think that Tiny Troopers: Joint Ops XL had seen enough tours to earn itself a little extended leave. But the top-down, ‘roguelight’ shooter has donned its camo paint one last time as it guns its way onto Nintendo Switch. This...
Review Bloody Zombies (Switch eShop)
A genre back from the dead?
Playing Bloody Zombies put us in mind of another Switch eShop game that launched recently in Guns, Gore & Cannoli. Just like that game Bloody Zombies mixes old school side-scrolling action, cartoony yet hyper-violent graphics, waves of undead opponents and a smattering of broadly drawn national stereotypes. Whereas...
Review Guns, Gore & Cannoli (Switch eShop)
Sweet but a little sickly
How do you make the well-worn platform shooter genre feel fresh and exciting? Our answer wouldn't necessarily be to mash together equally well-worn zombie and gangster tropes, but that's what the developer of Guns, Gore & Cannoli has come up with. The game casts you as Vinnie Cannoli, a prohibition-era mob enforcer...
Review The Deer God (Switch eShop)
Oh dear God
You are a hunter. In the distance is a graceful deer - a protector of the forest. Just as you go to take aim at the deer you are attacked by wolves, as if the forest was defending one of its own. From here, you awake to find that you have been reincarnated as a baby deer and are spoken to by the Deer God; she explains that you must now...
Review Mecho Tales (Switch eShop)
Unenthusiastic Homages for Blue Bombers
Mecho Tales wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Under most circumstances this means a developer is able to take away familiar and comforting concepts and design decisions and meld them with their own ideas to give us something unique. Sadly in this case, while many bits and pieces were bolted together and...
