Tag: Mini Reviews - Page 2
Mini Review Poopdie - Chapter One - Like Poop, Butts And PewDiePie? Then You're In Luck!
Everyone else, not so much...
At first glance, Poopdie - Chapter One is an enormous rip-off. Every aspect of its presentation calls to mind Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl's seminal roguelike The Binding of Isaac. Taking a step back, we gave it a second glance, and yep – this game wants to bite Isaac's style so hard it's on the verge of drawing...
Mini Review Super Toy Cars 2 - A Cute Racer Saddled With Technical And Balancing Problems
Diminutive returns
Racing around everyday domestic environments in dinky toy cars isn't a fresh concept for Switch owners. Not only have we already had the original Super Toy Cars, but Table Top Racing: World Tour - Nitro Edition, too. Super Toy Cars 2 doesn't exactly have novelty on its side, then. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an awful lot else...
Mini Review Awesome Pea 2 - Old-School Challenge With Vintage Visuals To Match
Tricky petit pois
Awesome Pea 2 is a simple game. In an effort to pay homage to retro titles, it’s a 2D platformer from developer Pigeon Dev Games that completely lacks any semblance of plot, but more than makes up for this with immediately engaging, addictive gameplay and fun visual effects. You play as, well… a pea, and must navigate a series...
Mini Review Potata: Fairy Flower - A Welcome Change Of Puzzle-Platforming Pace
Potato, Potata
Potata: Fairy Flower is a whimsical platformer in which you take on the role of a novice witch who must venture away from the safety of her home and into the dangerous surrounding woods. There, you’ll encounter creatures big and small, procure weapons, fruit, and keys, and solve a variety of different puzzles as you explore...
Mini Review Game Tengoku CruisinMix Special - Jaleco's Answer To Parodius Flies Again
Mix and match
Jaleco might not be as well-known as the likes of Capcom and Konami with today's gamers, but it was big enough company back in the '90s to create its own parody shooter, taking inspiration from the likes of Parodius and Star Parodier. The result was Game Tengoku – or Game Paradise, as it's also known – which hit arcades back in...
Mini Review Indiecalypse - A Deeply Unpleasant Game About Games
That joke isn't funny any more
Humour is highly subjective, so we're quite willing to concede that you might – might – find Indiecalypse hilarious. We only wish we could say that you'll find it fun to play with the same level of confidence. This bawdy adventure sees you taking control of three nerds as they bid to make a video game. It's a...
Mini Review Fly Punch Boom! - A Fantastically Frantic Fighter That Barely Gives You Time To Think
Superpowered Smash Bros.
You're not ready for Fly Punch Boom. No really, you're not. You might think you were born to play a game that essentially throws you into an anime royal rumble, but neither your eyes nor your reactions are up to the task. Not yet. It's going to take time to acclimatise to Fly Punch Boom's level of madcap hyper-kinetic...
Mini Review Pushy And Pully In Blockland - Cute Block-Based Action, If Somewhat Forgettable
Ah, push it, push it (quite) good
Pushing blocks in video games feels as though it shouldn't be an act of aggression. The likes of Sokoban and the many games it inspired do not exactly encourage acts of crate-based violence. Much of the time if you see a box, it's probably got something useful inside. Of course, there are outliers, and Pushy and...
Mini Review Jet Lancer - Outrageously Enjoyable Aerial Combat Action
I thought the only lonely place was on the moon
There's no denying the incredible impact Japanese developers have made on the shoot 'em up genre, from the foundation laid down by Space Invaders right up to more recent examples, such as the superb Rolling Gunner. The influence of Japanese design can be felt keenly in the western-developed Jet Lancer,...
Mini Review Slayin 2 - An Engaging Action RPG Romp
The pain in Slayin falls mainly on the lanes
The original Slayin was a mobile marvel of simplicity; a lovely little bite-sized twitchy RPG-ish thing where you effectively just moved left and right putting holes in enemies and using their dropped loot to improve your stuff. It was a familiar rogue-lite approach that worked brilliantly for a few...
Mini Review Spirit of the North - Minimalistic Mystery Mired By Myriad Mistakes
The fox and the... other fox
Since the release of the hugely popular Journey, many other games have gone down the route of minimal storytelling, focusing primarily on visuals and music to evoke emotions within the player. Spirit of the North leans heavily into this, tasking you with a very simple objective; explore the environment and solve puzzles...
Mini Review Fledgling Heroes - A Fun And Fleeting Flappy Bird-Alike
Flappy fun
Cast your mind back to May 2013. Wherever you were, whatever you were doing, chances are that a certain mobile game called Flappy Bird entered your life at some point after its launch. Its insanely addictive nature and the ensuing mania ultimately resulted in its removal from mobile stores, but there’s no denying that its simple...
Mini Review Later Daters - A Poignant Dating Sim That's Over Far Too Quickly
A short-lived romance
Later Daters argues that it's never too late to find love. From developer Bloom Digital Media, you take on the role of an ageing pensioner settling into life at Ye Olde Retirement Community, where the prospect of romance fills the air. The game plays out as a visual novel, presenting you with a vast array of choices and...
Mini Review Anodyne - A Unique Zelda-Style Adventure That Keeps You Guessing
High-rule
We recently asked if there were any Switch games we'd missed which you thought were worthy of a review. Anodyne was one of the most-requested games, so there we are! Anodyne may at first glance look like just another retro dungeon crawler; a Legend of Zelda tribute act designed to scratch a particular old-school itch, however, getting to...
Mini Review Songbird Symphony - Platforming And Music Take Flight Together
Cheep thrills
We recently asked if there were any Switch games we'd missed which you thought were worthy of a review. Songbird Symphony was one of the most-requested games. Songbird Symphony is an indie rhythm-action platformer by three-person team Joysteak Studios. You play as Birb, an adopted chick in search of its birth paren
Mini Review Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche - A Surprisingly Fun Shooter
You want fries with that?
Boasting what is quite possibly one of the most ridiculous titles ever, Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse-Bouche actually started life as an April Fool’s joke back in 2013. Skip ahead seven years, and it’s now an actual, tangible game; a really good one at that. It’s a shoot-em-up at heart, but its gameplay is also...
Mini Review Chapeau - Multiplayer Fun Ruined By Awkward Controls And Limited Scope
If you want to get ahead, get a hat
Chapeau is quite possibly one of the most bizarre multiplayer games we’ve played in a good while. Pitting up to four opponents against one another, you take control of a sentient hat, with the aim of the game being to ‘tag’ as many humans as possible by leaping onto their heads. It’s a chaotic game that...
Mini Review Snakeybus - All Aboard For Some Undemanding But Enjoyable Action
A lengthy bus journey
As vehicular nomenclature goes, 'Snakeybus' is just about as apt as 'Boaty McBoatface'. Your primary means of locomotion in Snakeybus is a bus that's well and truly snake-like. It's a snakey-bus. Not that it eats mice or hisses at you or anything. Rather, your physics-defying vehicle stretches out to improbable, city-enveloping...
Mini Review Ty the Tasmanian Tiger HD - A Competent Remaster That Lacks Bite
The real tiger king?
Two of the biggest trends in gaming right now are developers making use of Kickstarter campaigns and studios bringing back their classic, nostalgia-inducing properties. TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD is a product of both of these trends. Originally released in 2002 for GameCube, Xbox and PS2, TY the Tasmanian Tiger is a 3D mascot...
Mini Review HyperParasite - Proof That It's Fun To Be Bad
Host with the most
We’ve seen quite a lot of rogue-lite games in the past few years, but HyperParasite is quite a unique one. Taking place within a typical cyberpunk cityscape, an alien parasite has invaded the planet and is looking to leech onto every unfortunate soul that happens to get in its way. The twist here is that you get to play as the...
Mini Review Wandersong - This One Can Really Hold A Tune
Pitch perfect
We recently asked if there were any Switch games we'd missed which you thought were worthy of a review. Wandersong was one of the most-requested games, so there we are! They say that music heals the soul, but can it actually save the entire universe? Wandersong seems to think so. You take on the role of a passionate bard who uses his...
Mini Review Mekorama - It May Look Like Captain Toad, But Don’t Let That Fool You
Dior-iffic
Mekorama looks a lot like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. There’s no getting around this, but in the same way that Metroid Prime looks a lot like other FPS titles, it doesn’t quite play the same. In fact, Mekorama is played entirely on the Switch’s touch screen (or with an on-screen cursor, if you wish), and feels completely...
Mini Review Mystic Vale - Green-Fingered Players Take Note
A nice spot of cardening
It's all well and good to want to save and enrich the environment, but is gardening really good fodder for a deck-building card game? Most such games we've experienced are about legendary battles between blade and magick, not cultivating plum trees. But keep an open mind and you'll find plenty to enjoy in the digital version...
Mini Review Pooplers - We’re Not Kidding, This Game Really Is Poop
Flat-ulent gameplay
After the monumental success of the Splatoon franchise, many folks were quite rightly expecting some copycats to appear. Given the high accessibility of the games and their family-friendly nature, some – this writer included – even encouraged more of the same from other developers. But we’re not sure any of us were...
Review Wunderling - A Fun And Fresh New Take On The Typical 2D Platformer
Wunderfully addictive
Since the advent of platform gaming, the genre has come on leaps and bounds. Although some (this writer included) would argue that many titles overcomplicate their gameplay, introducing unnecessary additions that threaten to overwhelm younger gamers. Thankfully then, Wunderling is perhaps one of the most accessible platform...
Mini Review Talisman: Digital Edition - A Superb Adaptation Of A Board Game Classic
You won't be bored board gaming on the go
Talisman is a superb board game that conjures forth innumerable fond memories. The vast multitude of characters to choose from, each more unbalanced than the last. The hundreds upon hundreds of Adventure Cards offering something new to see on every play. Spellcasting battles leading to pure salt from the...
Mini Review ibb & obb - Another Co-Op Gem For The Switch
To ibb, to obb
Ibb & Obb is a clever 2D puzzle platformer in which you and a friend (or an online stranger) must work closely together in order to successfully navigate a series of increasingly complex levels. The twist here is that the levels take place across two opposing planes, each with their own gravitational pull. The two playable...
Mini Review NinNinDays - A Short And Sweet Visual Novel With Some Rough Edges
An everyday tale of near-naked ninjas
There are certain things those familiar with romantic comedy, slice-of-life visual novels have doubtless come to expect by this point: a scene involving a maid costume; a heroine who can’t cook; a date at an amusement park; and some sort of boob-based misunderstanding. NinNinDays from Qureate has all of these...
Mini Review Half Past Fate - A Great-Looking Rom-Com Adventure Brimming With Personality
NOT a Steven Seagal movie
If you’re in your teens or beyond, chances are you’ve probably found yourself falling head over heels in love with someone at least once in your life. We all know the feeling: you see a stunning stranger out of the corner of your eye, someone who you’re absolutely sure is way out of your league, but your eyes lock,...
Mini Review Oddmar - An Acclaimed Mobile Platformer That Just About Holds Its Own On Switch
Inspector Norse
When Oddmar hit iOS and Android in 2018, it prompted many to proclaim its beautiful cartoon graphics and tight 2D platformer gameplay worthy of the Nintendo Switch itself. Now that Oddmar has hit the Nintendo eShop, we have a chance to put those lofty claims to the test. Do you know what? Those people were right, at least for the...
Mini Review Spartan Fist - This ARMS-Style Brawler Fails To Pack A Punch
Not quite a knockout
Spartan Fist is described as a 'first-person puncher', and for better or worse, that's exactly what it is. Taking place within a series of procedurally-generated arenas, the game is reasonably fun for short bursts, but thanks to some dodgy controls and a distinct lack of variety, it ultimately fails to pack a punch. Taking...
Mini Review Ganbare! Super Strikers - Strategic Soccer Action That Will Be Too Sluggish For Some
Strategy fans will get a kick out of this
The beautiful game of football (or soccer for those across the pond) is generally known for its face-paced, high octane action. The players are constantly moving, constantly searching for that one crucial opening to find the back of the net. Ganbare! Super Strikers is an odd little duckling, then, as its...
Mini Review One Finger Death Punch 2 - A Brutally Rhythmic Brawler
Devastating left-right combo
For all of the hard work, physical preparation, and learned technique that goes into high-level combat sport, it's all about two basic things: hitting and not getting hit. It's an appropriate analogy with which to start a review of One Finger Death Punch 2, where an increasingly elaborate fighting game plays out through...
Mini Review Willy Jetman: Astromonkey's Revenge - A Fun Homage To The Classics Of Yore
Willy or won't he?
With a name like Willy Jetman, developer Last Chicken Games seems to be courting a nostalgic audience who fondly recall the ZX Spectrum adventures of Matthew Smith's Jet Set Willy and Rare's (née Ultimate Play the Game) Lunar Jetman. It's a tried and tested move to attract interest in a crowded digital marketplace, and frankly,...
Mini Review Tilt Pack - An Accessible Yet Shallow Arena Brawler
Smash Bros. stripped to its bones
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is undeniably brilliant, but there's a fundamental disconnect at the heart of it. Despite its bright, inviting presentation, the series has traded its knock-about couch co-op appeal for an increasingly technical fighting system and reams of esoteric fan service. Don't agree? Start a game...
Mini Review EQQO - An Engaging Puzzler With A Deep Narrative
Eggcellent touch-based puzzler
EQQO (pronounced ‘echo’) is a touch-based puzzle game in which you take on the role of an unseen narrator, guiding her blind son through a sacred land filled with ancient temples, traps, and mysterious creatures. The game offers up several options for its gameplay, and you can mix-and-match depending on how you...
Mini Review Skellboy - An Amusing Take On Zelda That's Undone By Sluggish Performance
Don’t lose your head
In the once peaceful land of Cubold Kingdom, life is flipped upside down when the king’s court magician gets well and truly dumped by the princess. In a fit of rage, he unleashes death and destruction on the pixelated world, bringing forth a host of ferocious monsters. Unbeknownst to the magician, however, he has also...
Mini Review Sinless - A Cyberpunk Point-And-Click Adventure That's Over Too Soon
Sinful lens flare
The Switch most likely won’t be getting the cyberpunk game that everyone’s currently talking about (boo!), but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no examples of the genre available on the platform. Alongside titles such as Observer, Neo Cab and Astral Chain, Sinless is an
Mini Review Super Tennis - Calm Down, It's Not The Super Tennis You Think It Is
Double fault
Despite already appearing in the SNES library for Nintendo Switch Online, Super Tennis is ready to hit the court again with its very own eShop release. Boasting beautiful Mode 7 graphics and slick gameplay, Super… hang on… we’ve just got word that this isn’t the SNES game, but rather a completely new tennis title blessed with...
Mini Review Lydia - One Of The Most Emotionally Impactful Games On Switch
Some monsters can’t be seen
Lydia is a powerful game. It’s the kind of experience that, while very short, will make you stop and think about its story long after the end credits roll. It’s tense, funny, and heartbreaking all in one go, and with the option to purchase additional DLC in support of the Finnish A-Clinic Foundation, its underlying...
Mini Review Drunk-Fu: Wasted Masters - Plays Like Smash Bros. After A Few Too Many Drinks
You wanna take this outside?
Fighting games are generally known for their slick, precise gameplay. Even something like Super Smash Bros., well known for its accessibility, boasts a remarkable level of depth, perfect for competitive play. Drunk-Fu: Wasted Masters doesn’t quite match up (in fact, it really doesn’t), but its bizarre, physics-based...
Mini Review Ultimate Racing 2D - Accessible Action Which Sadly Isn't Much Fun
Stuck on cruise control
Top-down racers, whilst never boasting the same level of depth as their 3D counterparts, are reliably accessible. They tend to put a playful spin on what is otherwise an often daunting gameplay experience for newcomers, allowing almost anyone to dive right in immediately. Ultimate Racing 2D succeeds in this respect, boasting...
Mini Review Rush Rally 3 - A Cheap And Cheerful Rally Racer
Kicking up dirt
Rush Rally 3 is a pleasant surprise. Mobile racers that promise ‘console-quality’ graphics and performance rarely deliver on such lofty promises, but in this case, developer BrownMonster mostly pulls it off. It’s a solid rally game that delivers surprisingly authentic 60FPS gameplay and throws in a boatload of modes and...
Mini Review STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace - A Typical Dating Sim With Series Trimmings
Just another Switch Dating Sim?
The Steins;Gate series is famous for several things: having a time-bending narrative, a dark world and engaging characters presented in a non-linear traditional visual novel format. It’s safe to say that it's a far cry from the deluge of other visual novels present on the Nintendo eShop, so is Steins;Gate: My...
Mini Review STEINS;GATE 0 - A Classy Follow-Up For Veterans Of The Original Visual Novel
A timey-wimey sequel
Let’s not beat around the bush, Steins;Gate is a very well acclaimed visual novel, and this follow-up, Steins;Gate 0 is a worthy entry into the main series. Adopting the same format, world and style as the original Steins;Gate, those looking for a lengthy time-twisting visual novel will not be disappointed. The story takes...
Mini Review Space Pioneer - Solid Gameplay Let Down By Repetitive Design
One small hop for mankind
Just in its name, Space Pioneer immediately conjures up an undeniable sense of awe and spectacle. There’s a feeling that you’re going to be embarking on an epic journey of discovery as you take your first steps on one of many exotic planets. Space Pioneer certainly has a whole bunch of planets to explore, but the only...
Mini Review Tools Up! - An Overcooked Challenger Which Doesn't Quite Come Together
Undercooked gameplay
Let’s get one thing out of the way before we take a deeper look into Tools Up. Yes, it’s clearly a direct response to the phenomenal success of the Overcooked franchise, and no, it’s not quite as good. Nevertheless, that doesn’t make Tools Up a bad game, as such (it’s actually great fun when you get a few friends...
Mini Review Riverbond - An Undemanding But Pleasant Couch Co-op Hack And Slasher
An unbreakable voxel bond
Riverbond is perhaps one of the most easy-going, simplistic games you’re likely to play this year. Taking place within a beautiful voxel world, you’ll embark on a number of missions set within eight different environments ranging from idyllic sea resorts to dark, dingy caves. The gameplay is a typical hack ‘n’ slash...
Mini Review Raining Blobs - Can't Compete With The Best The Genre Has To Offer
Familiar territory
Anyone even remotely familiar with game franchises like Puyo Pop and Tetris will feel right at home with Raining Blobs. It’s a puzzle game in which you need to match up coloured globules that fall down the screen in order to wipe them from the board, scoring combos and points in the process. That’s more or less all there is to...
Mini Review Zumba Burn it Up! - Ring Fit Adventure Too Crazy For You? Try This Instead
Rhythmic calorie counting
Out of all of the family-centric games introduced during the lifetime of the absurdly popular Nintendo Wii, only a handful have seemingly thrived and continued into the present day. Perhaps the most prevalent is the Just Dance franchise, which releases every year like clockwork, but the Zumba series is just about hanging by...
