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[A retro gaming experience, now triple the fun!]

1

TalkBack / The Adventures Of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition (Switch) Review

« on: January 07, 2020, 01:38:14 PM »

A retro gaming experience, now triple the fun!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/52559/the-adventures-of-elena-temple-definitive-edition-switch-review

A new iteration of the retro-inspired platformer The Adventures Of Elena Temple adds two new dungeons for even more gameplay. While there are some missed opportunities, this Definitive Edition boasts a whopping 100-plus levels that are sure to please fans and newcomers alike.

Each dungeon will probably take the diligent gamer a couple of hours to beat. Collect coins and gems to advance to Elena’s ultimate prize in each dungeon. This game’s non-linearity makes you feel like you’re a lost explorer—and you must be careful not to get turned around! Each room has a puzzle to solve using your wits or your trusty gun, which only has a two bullet capacity. This forces creative problem solving. You might have to cleverly avoid a monster in order to save a bullet for a hard-to-reach switch. Luckily, you have unlimited lives. Although, for diehard players, a looming game-over screen might have been a fun mode of play to include for an extra challenge.  

The game’s maze is vast, but not complicated. Broken jars remain broken, so you can tell which rooms you’ve explored before. This makes it really easy to pick back up if you’re like me and can’t spend hours at a time grinding away, but it can also be really fun to sink some time into a nice, hearty session. The puzzles are challenging, and if you get stuck it is easy to move to a different room and come back later. Spikes, bats, snakes, and various booby traps stand between you and your goal. Although the game itself doesn’t have many hours of play, it packs a punch.

Part of the game’s charm is the ability to select the “console” they’d like to be playing. This acts like an overlay and affects the overall look of the game but doesn’t do anything for the way it plays. The music and sounds also stay the same, which seems like a missed opportunity. However, I liked switching between the consoles and think it’s a unique feature. It helps add to the immersive retro experience.  

I enjoyed my playthrough of The Adventures Of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition. While fans of the original release will appreciate the newly-added dungeons, newcomers, especially old-school platformer lovers, will find this edition well worth their time.

[A bright and entertaining physics-based puzzler.]

2

TalkBack / Squidgies Takeover (Switch) Review

« on: December 12, 2019, 01:30:01 PM »

A bright and entertaining physics-based puzzler.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/52356/squidgies-takeover-switch-review

Squidgies Takeover is a physics-based puzzle game that brings a lot to the table for people who love a challenge. Colorful and cute graphics make Squidgies visually appealing, and a plethora of puzzles presents a positive experience. The goal, as the title suggests, is helping the adorable squidgies take over as many planets as you can, all while exploring creative solutions to each level.

Squidgies Takeover works well both docked and handheld. Docked, you use a joy-con to point at the screen and help your squidgies. The joy-con feels surprisingly natural to use. It isn’t clunky, and is very intuitive. I personally preferred this way of playing. In handheld, the touchscreen offers you a little more security, but it honestly felt unwieldy. If the game were on a phone it might be better suited to handheld play. However, there are merits to both methods.

The puzzles themselves are challenging enough. The physics of the game is easy to grasp and offers lots of opportunities to be challenged. Each level begins with a limited number of powerups that change squidgies so that they can overcome obstacles. Oftentimes this means sacrificing one squidgie to maximize the number you can help. The levels happen fast, as squidgies are just dropped into the puzzle straight away, so you must be quick on your feet to decide the best strategy.

There are new challenges to unlock once a level has been completed perfectly. These are called “feats” and require you to complete a level again with different requirements. Sometimes this can feel repetitive, as you might have already finished the feat before unlocking it. There also isn’t too much incentive outside of personal satisfaction, so depending on the type of gamer you are, these extra challenges might feel arbitrary.

All in all, this game is well-designed and easy to pick up and play. Though it might not be for the most avid gamers, people who enjoy thinking on their feet should give it a try.

[A fun farming/exploration adventure game for fans of relaxing gameplay.]

3

TalkBack / Stranded Sails: Explorers Of The Cursed Islands (Switch) Review

« on: October 17, 2019, 05:19:43 AM »

A fun farming/exploration adventure game for fans of relaxing gameplay.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/51980/stranded-sails-explorers-of-the-cursed-islands-switch-review

You and your fellow explorers are ready to see the world and settle down in a foreign land. But after an unexpected storm, you are shipwrecked. An archipelago with five islands to explore is exciting, but you and your crew are stranded! With the captain wounded in the wreck, it is your job to maintain a camp, feed your fellow explorers, and eventually escape!

This survival adventure game is for the most part a peaceful, serene way to pass some time. There is plenty of farming to do, and growing your garden is so satisfying. As you explore the island, you can find new crops to plant and then harvest them for recipes. The cooking component of the game is interesting. Discovering new recipes requires using trial and error. While this is fun and adds a level of difficulty, sometimes it can be hard to remember which combinations have been tested and failed.

Once you cook yourself some food, you are ready to explore further. Doing most tasks requires energy, and some dishes replenish more energy than others. You must be careful not to run out of energy or you pass out and wake up back at your camp. This comes into play when fighting enemies as well, as energy is used up as you fight and when you are hurt. This makes fights a strategic challenge, because simply hacking and slashing opponents could leave your energy depleted.

On the various islands there are plenty of treasures and materials to discover. Back at the camp you can craft different components from the things you find to help build shelters and improve you temporary home. This makes your fellow explorers happy and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Along with all of these survival/adventure mechanics, the game follows a loose story structure that gives you objectives. At first, these are very repetitive, but as the game goes on they open up a lot. As you explore the island, you discover more about the mysteries it holds. If you continue to push through the story, you’ll hopefully find a way to escape the island.

Once I became comfortable with the controls, cycling through all the different items in my inventory became effortless. I preferred playing this game docked rather than in handheld mode. A peaceful adventure game like this begs to be played while relaxing on the couch and enjoying the vibrant colors on a big screen. While it isn’t the most gripping adventure, fans of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing will probably enjoy it.

[Honestly, the aliens are the least of your worries.]

4

TalkBack / Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets (Switch) Review

« on: July 11, 2019, 06:06:54 AM »

Honestly, the aliens are the least of your worries.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/51095/professor-lupo-and-his-horrible-pets-switch-review

Professor Lupo has been travelling the universe collecting very dangerous specimens and is ready to sell them to the highest bidder. That is, until Aurora Space Station falls under attack. You, the intern, are used to being the bait for various experiments, but now the only failsafe left is the evacuation protocol. Navigate through the ship to find an escape route, or else get turned into alien food.

This puzzle game is a treat to play. There is an interesting narrative that propels you along between, and sometimes during, each level. The narrative is balanced with the gameplay so that it doesn’t feel too contrived. As you learn about the aliens and the ship, you can use different techniques to solve each room and get closer to freedom. There are collectibles along the way if you are willing to take some risks, but honestly the levels themselves proved challenging enough. Though some levels are a bit repetitive in the beginning, this serves to introduce the player to different strategies. Aliens (and their appetite for snacking on humans) are your main obstacles, so you must cleverly use your knowledge about them to keep from getting eaten. Some will mindlessly sniff you out; others are smarter and require finessing. Open the wrong door and you could be toast, or maybe poisoned by leaking fumes. However, most of the environmental hazards can play a role in your escape if you are quick on your feet. The puzzles are simplistic: open doors in the right order to avoid Professor Lupo’s aliens. The fun is in outwitting his monstrosities.

The game interfaces well with the Switch’s controls, never feeling too clunky or unintuitive. And if you want, you can take advantage of touch controls in handheld mode, which is nice for a puzzle game. Professor Lupo and his Horrible Pets has so many hidden surprises, be it funny dialogue or an interesting factoid, and it’s these elements that help to further immerse the player in the world. With its wonderful art and great characters, this game is hard to beat for the puzzle aficionado.

[Make gnome mistake, this game is good ol' silly fun.]

5

TalkBack / Mowin' & Throwin' (Switch) Review

« on: June 21, 2019, 06:00:57 AM »

Make gnome mistake, this game is good ol' silly fun.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/50909/mowin-n-throwin-switch-review

​The aptly named “Mowin’ and Throwin’” is a colorful party game that has room for four people. Mow your lawn and sabotage the other players to achieve victory by trimming the most grass. This game is entertaining and a little bit silly, but could be a fun addition to any Switch library.

​As a garden gnome with a funny hat, your main objective is to cut the most grass. There are two modes of play: one vs one or two vs two. For me, it is a downside that they don’t have a single-player mode, because the gnomish lawn-mowing concept is fun. In one-on-one play, you must juggle operation of the mower as well as use of the sabotage items. You collect gas to power your mower and throw fertilizer to make your opponent’s lawn grow back or rocks to block their mowers. In two-on-two, each team has to share the work. There is one lawn mower and parachutes of rocks, fertilizer, and gasoline. Each one of the six stages offers its own challenges, so you have to work together to figure out the best strategy.

​The game’s playability makes it easy for new players to pick up the controls, even if they are unfamiliar with the Switch. The button layout of the joycons is really great for party games because it isn’t overwhelming. Mowin’ & Throwin’ itself isn’t a very challenging game either. However, this means there isn’t a lot of room for players to grow strategically. The different maps help a little but not in a major way. Therefore, if you are looking for a game to occupy a large portion of your guests’ time, this probably isn’t the one for you. However, it does work really well as a casual experience. The rounds are three minutes each, so you can play at your leisure, and if you have more than four, waiting to rotate out doesn’t take an eternity.

​The limited modes of play and lack of strategy necessary make Mowin’ & Throwin’ best suited to casual party-gamers who are looking for something fun in short bursts. Silly characters and colorful graphics along with a clever concept make it pretty entertaining. For anyone looking for a simple party game to add to their library, give this one a try!

[Not quite like the real thing, but they won’t get hair on your furniture.]

6

TalkBack / Little Friends: Dogs & Cats (Switch) Review

« on: May 28, 2019, 03:51:39 PM »

Not quite like the real thing, but they won’t get hair on your furniture.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/50595/little-friends-dogs-n-cats-switch-review

​Adopt a dog, adopt a cat, play games, and dress up your animals! In this carefree simulation, you get to play house with some adorable cats and dogs. The game is very simple, which can leave the player longing for a little more, but it delivers on its basic premise.

​You get to adopt a dog first. By feeding it and caring for it, you can level up, and once you reach level 15 you can visit the Friends Plaza to adopt more puppies and even cats. You can take home up to three at a time. You can own more than that, but you have to place them in the Friends Hotel and switch them out later.

​Caring for your pets is easy. You can pet them, brush them, play with them, and take your dogs on walks (sorry cats). The pets won’t die or run away if you don’t take care of them regularly, so some urgency is missing in the gameplay. This is good for people who don’t want to have to log in every day, but once the novelty wears off, there isn’t much motivation to spend time with your pets. Even walking your dog becomes tiresome after a while because you can’t leave the prescribed route.

​By earning Friend points you level up, and each level gets you access to different things in the shop and rewards you with stamps. Stamps are like badges that let you know you’ve spent a certain amount of time in different activities with your pets. Dogs can go for walks and play in the disc tournaments, where you earn money and tickets to spend on fun customizations. Clothing is quite varied and it is fun to dress up your pets. Even with all that, however, it is hard to feel incentivized to continue leveling up.

​Little Friends delivers on its promises, but its failure to do more to capture my attention left me mildly disappointed. The dogs and cats are adorable, and there are many outfits to buy and customize. But after the daily feeding and watering of your friends is over, the gameplay becomes a little rote. Perhaps a more laid back player will find this charming game amusing enough to occupy their sparse free-time.

[This game is not for the gun-shy.]

7

TalkBack / Revenge of the Bird King (Switch) Review

« on: January 12, 2019, 04:34:33 PM »

This game is not for the gun-shy.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/49335/revenge-of-the-bird-king-switch-review

You are supposed to be extinct, but instead, you’re planting guns and taking punny names. P. Eagle is the star of Revenge of the Bird King, a riotous 2D platformer, which is a surprisingly enjoyable title for all its inherent silliness. When intergalactic do-gooders come to your world and threaten what you hold dear, you do what you do best: fight.

The concept is basic, if a little nonsensical. You are an eagle who carries a giant sword, can’t fly, and plants guns to take down his equally outlandish enemies. Two types of guns are available to garden. One is a basic weapon that you plant and then pick up to begin using. When you start to run out of ammo you can plant a new one so the shooting can continue. The other gun is an automated turret that, once planted, fires horizontally for about 10 seconds. This is handy for clearing a path where there are multiple enemies.

Most of the game is level-based, spinning out an overworld similar to the one from Zelda II. Here you will find random encounters from baddies where you can earn coin. You can also explore and find new levels, completing them in whichever order you choose. Light RPG elements crop up here as you build up your feathered hero. Defeat bosses to get new guns, use the vending machine to get cool gadgets, and try not to get lost. The last part is important because sometimes the world map can be disorienting.

My main issue with games like this is that they try to thrive on concept alone. The puns and the unique world building falls a little flat when the plot is underdeveloped. The villains have funny names, but other than that, they are paper thin.

Even with some forgettable aspects, Revenge of the Bird King gives a lot of bang for its buck. The retro style is, on the whole, well done, the music is great, and it is an overall enjoyable platforming experience.

[Fans of the show will think it’s a knockout.]

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TalkBack / OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes (Switch) Review

« on: December 29, 2018, 05:19:00 AM »

Fans of the show will think it’s a knockout.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/49265/ok-ko-lets-be-heroes-switch-review

Based on the Cartoon Network cartoon, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes is a lively and colorful supplement to the show that fans are sure to enjoy. You play as K.O., a young kid who works at a bodega with his favorite heroes. All of K.O.’s friends are heroic enough that they have their own Holofoil cards, which show off their hero level and make them totally legit. K.O. hasn’t gotten there yet, but he is optimistic and eager to prove himself. When the evil Lord Boxman resets all the heroes’ levels to zero, it’s up to K.O. to go on quests to help them regain their levels.

While fighting Boxman’s evil robots, you level up your strength, speed, and style. You also learn new moves that make combos much easier. The combat style is pretty straightforward, especially once you’ve figured out the different types of robots. You do eventually learn moves that you can charge up, but with the speed of the battles, using them isn’t really worth it. You’re better off getting good at dodging. If you have a Holofoil card of one of your heroes, you can unlock their “Powie-Zowie,” which lets you briefly summon them into battle. These abilities charge up during fights at a reasonable rate, and it’s a satisfying way to knock your opponents down.

The game follows a very predictable format: K.O.’s mom drops him off at the plaza every day, he clocks in to work, and off he goes to complete silly tasks for his bodega buddies. There are random battles you can elect to fight, and boss levels every few days. It does get a little tiresome after a while. Walking around the plaza becomes a chore, and you rarely ever have to wonder at what your next task should be. Most of the plot-advancement is fed to you. That being said, it is apparent that the creators of the game cared about fans of the show. From the voice acting to the music, you can tell this game was made for fans. I’ve never seen the show, so for me some of the humor fell flat and I clicked through excessive dialogue. But those were minor flaws as far as the story goes. And fans of the show will probably appreciate the humor more than I could. All in all, this game is well made for its audience.

[Caffeinated ninja attempts speed run.]

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TalkBack / Super Hyperactive Ninja (Switch) Review

« on: November 09, 2018, 09:35:00 AM »

Caffeinated ninja attempts speed run.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/48872/super-hyperactive-ninja-switch-review

For this 2D platformer, put aside your decaf and get ready to grind. Super Hyperactive Ninja features more than 50 levels of caffeinated gaming that is not a walk in the park.

The main mechanic is, thematically appropriate, the caffeine. Pick up coffee cups to fill up your life meter, but be careful not to run out or it is game over. Completing most tasks besides running and jumping require the use of caffeine, which boosts you into “hyperactive” mode. This makes you highly volatile, but allows for wall jumping and attacking enemies to pull off some cool tricks.

Sometimes, however, the “hyperactive” mechanic feels overdone. It has to be used so frequently, and is difficult to get used to because it requires a charging time and is difficult to control when you stop. If you run out of caffeine, you die, but dying any other way will eternally allow you to respawn at your last check point, which kind of lessens any tension created by the need for coffee. And if I’m being honest, I almost never ran out of caffeine because the levels are challenging. This means you’re gonna die a couple times on a first run and probably will get to know the level well enough that caffeine won’t even be an issue.

The margin of error in each level is minimal. Sometimes I felt like there was really only one way to complete each level, so it got frustrating to try to perfect each and every scenario. But some people might enjoy that challenge more than I did. You get a rank for each level you complete, which factors in the time you took to complete the level as well as how many tries it took. This gives you a reason to replay levels and can be a fun incentive.

Overall, the design of Super Hyperactive Ninja is fun and engaging, but I think that more could have been done with the caffeine theme to make it feel less generic. The music is good and though the gameplay can be frustrating, people who love a challenge with find Super Hyperactive Ninja to be worth their time.

[Hate it or love it, this "shoot-‘em-down" has flair.]

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TalkBack / I Hate Running Backwards (Switch) Review

« on: October 26, 2018, 08:25:01 AM »

Hate it or love it, this "shoot-‘em-down" has flair.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/48734/i-hate-running-backwards-switch-review

I Hate Running Backwards is a funny flip on the classic shoot-‘em-up game. With simple controls, it is quick to pick up and just as easy to put down. Fans of arcade-style shooters will enjoy playing this solo or with friends, and while it has a lot of personality and unique style, it isn’t for the faint of heart

Quite a few characters are available to choose from that have different speed/health ratios, which can switch up gameplay a bit. As you are bombarded by a plethora of silly enemies, you try to outrun them while destroying your environment and picking up power-ups. These give you special abilities that can blast enemies and hold you over until the next wave. From spiders to screaming kamikazes to bosses, there are plenty of baddies to keep you occupied. You can unlock quite a few characters as you progress (some from other Devolver Digital games). They all have cool names and I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with any of them. Plus, it’s nice to get rewarded for your efforts.

And this game can take a lot of effort. Sometimes on different runs the difficulty fluctuates significantly because it generates different amounts of enemies/power-ups every time. This makes it difficult to get into a groove and really get the hang of beating levels. As the game progresses, this doesn’t improve much, and after a while of playing the same levels over and over, it becomes tiresome. Although I will say that I had a much better time when I invited my friend to play with me.

The design of I Hate Running Backwards is funny and it definitely has a lot of potential, but it didn’t really hit home for me. Co-op mode makes it an easier sell, because it is definitely fun to face challenges with friends, but it is still pretty difficult. Die-hard fans of the genre might enjoy the challenge of making it through this game, but for the casual player there are probably more casual options.

[A great start to a great party.]

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TalkBack / Retimed (Switch) Review

« on: October 02, 2018, 06:21:55 AM »

A great start to a great party.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/48540/retimed-switch-review

Retimed is a multiplayer shooter with an adorable 2D style. It is easy to grab your pals and jump right into the battle with options for team battles and free-for-alls. The controls and the concept are very simple as you fire at foes, making use of slow-motion combat. Once you get a hang of the controls, pulling off cool shots becomes easier and makes for lively, action-filled play.

The mechanic I’m assuming is referred to in the title is a slo-mo force field that arises at opportune moments. If you find yourself in the slo-mo zone, you’ve got to quickly adjust your movement to avoid bullets, or perfectly time your own to take down your opponent. This mechanic keeps the game fresh and makes the gameplay that much more satisfying.

The quick competitive matches take place in arenas, each with their own unique characteristic. For instance, one stage has rubber trees that allow you to ricochet bullets and pull off some impressive maneuvering.

And that’s about it. This game, while what it does offer is very fun and engaging, doesn’t have much to it. Plus it lacks bots, so if you find yourself itching to play you better have a friend somewhere near. This isn’t a huge issue for people who plan to use it at parties, but I think that there should be at least one option for people who are playing alone. Maybe this will come in future updates; who knows?

My family and I had a great time trying this out. My dad, who usually takes a bit to pick up on controls, even had fun playing. For anyone looking for a simple party game to add to their library, this is a great choice.

[Do not pass gas; do not collect $200.]

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TalkBack / Sigi - A Fart for Melusina (Switch) Review

« on: September 07, 2018, 03:53:08 AM »

Do not pass gas; do not collect $200.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/48249/sigi-a-fart-for-melusina-switch-review

Like its titular gaseous anomaly, Sigi - A Fart for Melusina is brief and punchy. Boasting merely one hour of gameplay, Sigi’s raucous quest to save Melusina won’t take up much of your time, but it is an entertaining enough title.

You’re on a mission to save a beautiful lady from a hulking villain. On your way, blast your way through a spicy variety of monsters and pick up different weapon power-ups, which change your projectiles. Be careful though: every time you pick up a delicious food on your journey, you break wind. This can hinder your desire to play this in public. Who wants the other people in the waiting room assuming it’s you who is letting loose intermittent toots? Headphones are a must.

This game plays on your nostalgia and some good old-fashioned corny jokes. The humor of the game worked for me as it is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The music and the design are perfect and exactly what you’d expect from a medieval-style platformer with a gassy hero. There are 20 levels with four bosses interspersed every few levels. Regular levels were easy breezy for me, but I got a little cocky and the first boss wiped me out easily. This is where hoarding lives as you go can really save you some headaches. The bosses can be tough if you aren’t a serious platformer enthusiast.

Overall Sigi is totally fine. The design is amusing and the execution is solid. My main issue with it is that there isn’t much to it. It’s not a title that has much replay value. The difficulty of the regular levels compared to the boss levels is also a bit disproportionate. I think that the life-hoarding mechanic is a cheap way to keep the player happy. I know not everyone will find the boss levels as difficult as I did, but it is something to consider.

But if you were even vaguely interested in this game, I’d recommend it. It’s fun to play and not a huge commitment, so you can indulge in a little platforming for an hour.

[Will you discover the secrets of Asposia?]

13

TalkBack / The Inner World (Switch) Review

« on: August 22, 2018, 10:10:45 AM »

Will you discover the secrets of Asposia?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/48091/the-inner-world-switch-review

Meet Robert, a naïve and relatively clueless apprentice to Conroy, the leader of Asposia. Brainwashed by his master, Robert can easily ignore the tyranny of Conroy, who has an entire people filled with fear of the dreaded Basylians. With the Basylians’ ruthless reputation for turning sinners to stone, Asposia is a population easily controlled… until one day, Robert encounters Laura.

The Inner World follows Robert the “flute nosed” Asposian as he goes on a journey through Asposia to discover who he truly is and thereby learn the truth about Conroy’s rule. With charming artwork and lovely sound design, this game is a point and click puzzle adventure that falls short of the mark.

The story itself is a bit like an adult cartoon, with mild innuendos and frequent attempts at humor. But because of the plot’s reliance on political and religious allegory, the humor falls short, leaving much to be desired. Robert does have quite a silly way of looking at the world around him, which gleans the odd chuckle, but overall the dialogue is flat, and side characters’ banter felt forced. And Robert’s odd flute-like nose becomes essential to the story, making for one of the strangest plot twists I’ve ever encountered. Who knew playing the nose flute would be such an important skill?

The actual gameplay is what you’d expect from the genre. Explore your surroundings and decide how best to use the objects you find. The solutions, while fairly amusing and clever, are needlessly convoluted. The game’s hint system is very thorough, which allows you to use as much help or as little as you like. I only wish that the puzzles had been easier to figure out without any hints.

Each area is full of items and people with whom you can interact. Using L and R, you can switch between them. I was pretty disappointed that L and R are used in place of touch controls. Using buttons to go between all the different items you have to choose from made the job of investigating highly tedious. Especially in the later parts, there are so many things to go through, and touch controls would have made it way more fun to interact with the world.

Overall, while this game has a unique charm and an interesting world, the gameplay failed to make it a fond experience. For big fans of the genre, this might be worth picking up for a few hours’ entertainment, but it’s definitely not for everyone.

[Violet’s adventure may be a nightmare, but you won’t be too eager to wake up.]

14

TalkBack / Waking Violet (Switch) Review

« on: August 03, 2018, 08:03:36 AM »

Violet’s adventure may be a nightmare, but you won’t be too eager to wake up.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/47908/waking-violet-switch-review

Meet Violet, a young, shy teenager with wonderful taste in pajamas. Violet, weary from following her parents’ orders and wishing she could just grow up already, falls asleep and finds herself in the phantasmal world that is this top-down puzzler.

Amid the dream-like artwork and mystical soundtrack, the immersive world is full of dangers and challenges sufficient to occupy your time. Each level contains a unique challenge that requires creative thinking and logic. As you learn different skills, you are able to overcome more challenges, but they also become more complex.

Violet acquires different magical abilities, such as walking on water and bursts of fire, just to name a couple. These abilities require “mana,” which you must collect in each level and use sparingly. But don’t worry too much if you accidentally waste some precious magic. If you make a fatal mistake, your moves are reversible. The game cleverly uses a time rewind mechanic that allows you to backtrack a few steps if you make an error in your puzzle solving. This helps you plan your moves and alleviates the frustration of having to start a level all over again.

This game is beautiful too look at and just as much fun to play. Some of the levels stumped me for quite some time, but luckily each area has a few different levels so you can keep playing if you get stuck on one. My only minor complaint about the game is that I wish Violet’s initial backstory, since they felt the need to include one, was a bit more compelling than frustration with her parents/desire to grow up. But maybe that is because I am past that phase in my life.

I would recommend Waking Violet to anyone interested in puzzlers. Its mechanics provide enough unique challenges to get a couple hours of mind-bending game play. That, plus the artwork and design makes this game well worth it.

[It's no Magnum Opus, but it has some merit.]

15

TalkBack / Lost in Harmony (Switch eShop) Review Mini

« on: July 02, 2018, 12:58:37 PM »

It's no Magnum Opus, but it has some merit.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewmini/47655/lost-in-harmony-switch-eshop-review-mini

In Lost in Harmony, each level is a dream in which protagonist Kaito is skateboarding on variously dangerous terrain with his close friend, Aya, holding on. The level design is unique and pleasing to the eye, and each one sets a different mood. Music, of course, plays a key role, and generally does a great job of heightening the emotion in each of the dreams.

This Switch port retains the use of touch controls, a holdover from the game’s mobile origins. These can control Kaito’s direction and allows you to jump over obstacles. However, there are certain sequences in which you have to press buttons in rhythm, which unfortunately makes for clunky transitions between challenges. These rhythm sequences come up too fast to realistically allow for touch screen controls. In some places, there is too much happening at once to really feel like the game is presenting you with anything but a barrage of obstacles.

The music (featuring Wyclef Jean) is beautiful and there are some killer remixes of classical pieces that made some levels absolutely wonderful for me. While generally gorgeous, the music isn’t always properly timed, and, to me, did not feel fully integrated into the gameplay. Oftentimes, rhythmic cues seemed like an afterthought and not necessary to really get into the swing of avoiding obstacles.

This runner also tells a story, if a slightly underdeveloped one: between dreams, Kaito seems trapped in a melancholic daze while he texts Aya. The conversations are short and fail to instill anything but the same melancholy in the player. I wish there had been more to the story—it felt more like a prelude than anything substantial. Although the story did keep me playing, it was predictable, and I only wanted to continue the story to make sure I was right about how it would end. That being said, the story really does come second to the actual gameplay, and I think it adds a certain amount of heart to the game.

“M. I. R. A. I.’s Escape,” the other story in Lost in Harmony, has a very different tone and a much different story, but it’s fun to play as well. Overall, Lost in Harmony, while providing a couple hours’ entertainment, is a well-designed runner with great music. It is a definite hit with people who love this genre, though the integration of the rhythm isn’t stellar. I won’t be getting lost in the game for a second play-through, but I enjoyed my time with it.

[Cats, frogs, pandas, and hares oh my!]

16

TalkBack / Legend of Kay Anniversary (Switch) Review

« on: June 06, 2018, 02:53:09 PM »

Cats, frogs, pandas, and hares oh my!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/47392/legend-of-kay-anniversary-switch-review

Legend of Kay: Anniversary is a 3D platformer originally released on the Play Station 2, now making an entrance, but not much of an impact, to the Nintendo Switch line-up.

The once peaceful kingdom of Yenching, home to frogs, hares, pandas, and cats living in harmony, followed the Taoist teachings of The Way, making for a pretty cheesy prologue. But slowly the kingdom lost sight of The Way. Now, gorillas and rats have taken over the kingdom, providing a demotivating dose of tyranny for all of Yenching.

Kay is feisty young cat who lives with his uncle and trains in martial arts with an old drunk fool who also has forsaken The Way. When Tak, the Rat Alchemist, announces that the fighting school must be closed, Kay begins his quest, angrily chasing down his oppressors.

For a game boasting legend in its title, the story falls very short. Kay’s interactions with his fellow animals are contrived and cheesy, and the plot does very little to support the profession of the gameplay. For people not so concerned about the story, this might not be an issue, but I love me some character motivation and without that, my play-through lacked a lot of urgency.

The biggest selling point of this game is the combat style. Early on you learn how to make basic combos and attacks that give you an edge when up against rats and gorillas. If you aren’t careful, though, the combat can turn into button mashing, as your opponents rarely require any creativity to be taken down. The twitchy camera can also be frustrating at times, especially when fending off multiple assailants.

In your adventures as Kay you ride boars, rescue animals, solve some interesting puzzles, and even befriend a dragon! Though the plot and dialogue are lacking, the combat gives a unique edge to this platformer. But with so much to compete with on the Switch, this game doesn’t really stand out in the crowd.

[You’re a princess in the dead-end job of a lifetime.]

17

TalkBack / Super Chariot (Switch) Review

« on: May 21, 2018, 06:18:48 AM »

You’re a princess in the dead-end job of a lifetime.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/46996/super-chariot-switch-review

In this surprising lively 2D platformer, it is your mission as the princess to bring the remains of your father, the late king, to be laid to rest in a sepulcher worthy of his greatness. Don’t forget to gather lots of treasure on your trip! His spirit is very protective of his material possessions, so be wary of looters and don’t let him roll away.

A re-release of Chariot, a title previously on the Wii U, this game gets a ‘super’ title because it includes the Royal gadget pack. As you travel through the levels, you gather treasure and unlock new abilities that give you different ways to solve puzzles or take down enemies.

Your character can’t pick up treasure alone. You need the chariot to gather goodies, and this in itself is a welcome challenge. It requires a bit more thinking and planning, as you have to keep the chariot on course even as you may veer into uncharted territory in search of treasures. Because you are toting the coffin of a dead guy behind you the whole way, things can get a little dicey. You can tether the chariot to you to pull it up hills and over high ledges, or you can simply push it. The physics take a little getting used to, but are very intuitive and key to getting through the levels smoothly.

If you want to play alone, there is much to do and the king’s sassy spirit will keep you company enough. But the co-op mode adds another challenge to the game and allows you to access extra puzzles. If you’re willing to stretch your patience and have a willing partner, grab a friend. The princess pairs up with her fiancé and they work side-by-side to move the chariot along. Careful, though. The co-op mode’s extra puzzles are not for the faint of heart. If they’re too much for you and your partner, you can just skip them and have fun going through the levels together.

Overall, Super Chariot has so much to do. Find all the treasures, unlock different routes on each level, and do some speed runs. Adding a second player only adds to the possibilities for return playability. And with its beautiful design and soundtrack, there isn’t much else to say about Super Chariot but that it is well worth it for the platformer enthusiast.

[This interactive story will leave you feeling melancholy.]

18

TalkBack / Three Fourths Home: Enhanced Edition (Switch) Review

« on: May 10, 2018, 02:44:41 AM »

This interactive story will leave you feeling melancholy.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/47177/three-fourths-home-enhanced-edition-switch-review

You enter this interactive story as Kelly, a college-aged young woman who is disappointed in where life has landed her: back in her small Nebraska town, under her parents’ roof again. You start your car and head for home, rows of cornfields zipping past as you fiddle with the music in your car. Then you receive a call. Your mother is worried about you. It is late, and a storm is coming. Her concern for you becomes the starting point for a conversation that grasps at a history nobody seems willing to face head on, and as you select dialogue you begin to uncover some of the secrets that have kept Kelly’s family all at a distance.

The design of this game is striking. Black and white silhouettes make up the car and the rows of corn in the Nebraska landscape. The sound of rain as the storm picks up and the soft music in your car immerse you in a space that feels almost like a dream.

There isn’t much to do, simply decide how to respond as you head home. The choices of dialogue are varied enough to give you a stake in the conversation, and you must carefully choose responses in order to find out what you can about Kelly’s tensions with her family. Besides the dialogue, nothing else is in your control, and the storm continues to rage around you, giving you an overall sense of helplessness.

In order to keep the conversation/car moving, you must hold down ZR to drive, a mechanic which, in my opinion, grew quickly tedious. Rather than adding to the sense of urgency, this left me frustrated. My finger was cramping, but any time I moved it or switched fingers the car came to a slow stop and the progress of the phone call halted. My first playthrough only took about an hour for the main story, but that is a long time to hold down ZR. It made me reluctant to go through the game a second time.

You can replay it, though, and change your dialogue choices to find out more about Kelly’s family and their relationships. The desire to replay it and find out more left me mulling over the events, which I think fits one of the themes of the story: the human tendency to replay our pasts over and over in our minds. The epilogue adds another layer to the story, and there is also some interesting bonus content you can explore to piece together what happened.

Three Fourths Home feels like reading a short story more than playing a game, which is expected for interactive fiction. I personally wish there had been more to do, but the dialogue told the story and gave me lots to think about. If you want an interesting story about relationships and regret that will give you a few hours of entertainment, this is worth picking up.

[This celestial puzzler packs a pretty punch.]

19

TalkBack / Warp Shift (Switch) Review

« on: April 19, 2018, 12:42:06 AM »

This celestial puzzler packs a pretty punch.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/47040/warp-shift-switch-review

Warp Shift begins by introducing you to its heroine, Pi, who must overcome a series of puzzles in order to find her way home. In the intro, we meet her sidekick: a floating cube that assists you along your journey. Mesmerizing music and a beautiful setting draw you in for a relaxing puzzler that is great fun.

This game is beautiful, and looks nice on the Switch. The five worlds are each carefully designed, adding to the interest of the game as you progress through the levels. Against a planetary backdrop that shifts ever so slightly as you work, you solve a series of puzzles that rely on the manipulation of your surroundings. Move blocks to help Pi get to the exit, and on to the next puzzle you go.

The puzzles are sufficiently challenging and the difficulty increases at a moderate rate. Each new world adds a different twist, requiring new ways of thinking without disrupting the core gameplay.  The levels can be solved in as many steps as you need, but using the least amount of moves gets you a perfect three stars. Efficiency is key if you want to get those perfect scores, but failing to use moves wisely won’t keep you from progressing. This allows you to play at your own pace and skill level while providing incentive to come back and replay levels.

While the three-star ratings are some incentive for replay, I would say the game is otherwise lacking in that area. Achieving three stars does not get you anything but the pride of succeeding. That being said, the game works well and is a great addition to my collection of puzzlers. The touch controls on the Switch are well used here, and I even liked them better than using the Joy-Con. It is also fun to dock it and go for those perfect scores with the help of family or friends.

If you are looking for a puzzle game to spend a couple hours enjoying, Warp Shift is a great choice. Its design is unique and pleasing to the eye, and the puzzles themselves are a challenging yet relaxing way to spend some downtime.

[Infect or die.]

20

TalkBack / I, Zombie (Switch) Review

« on: March 15, 2018, 05:27:00 PM »

Infect or die.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/46723/i-zombie-switch-review

I, Zombie is a charmingly simple game. Your mission is to get everybody on your side—by turning them into mindless zombies who follow your commands. Use your newly converted followers to strategically take over each map and turn everybody into a drooling zombie drone. That’s it. Just make the horde bigger and win.

Besides the zombie virus and terrified townspeople, this arcade-style game exudes cuteness with its music and artwork. I loved how adorable it was in spite of its darker setup. The concept is unique and the controls are easy to master.

Each map is simple, holding certain tactical challenges that gradually become more difficult through the 30 maps. I liked the gameplay, but most of the levels have the same objective (infect all the townspeople), so it was easy to get bored quickly.

There is, however, a really cool level editor that allows you to make changes to existing levels or design new ones. I had fun tinkering around with it and you can then put them online for people to play and rank, which adds to the longevity past the included maps.

The Switch, as a portable console, is great for this game. It’s always nice to have an infectious zombie on hand to pass the time when out and about. And though the gameplay itself is repetitive, it's a solid game with its tactical challenges and a great design.

21

TalkBack / Re: Radiation Island (Switch) Review

« on: March 11, 2018, 09:15:19 AM »

I haven't played Lost in Blue, but from what I've seen the survival aspects are very similar. Radiation Island is a little bit more toward the horror genre, though.

[This game is filled with monsters, mishaps, and maladies galore.]

22

TalkBack / Radiation Island (Switch) Review

« on: March 08, 2018, 03:36:58 PM »

This game is filled with monsters, mishaps, and maladies galore.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/46665/radiation-island-switch-review

Radiation Island is a wide-open survival game that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to its realism. Washed up on shore after a strange occurrence on the Devil’s Sea, your character begins with nothing but the clothes on his back and the strange, surreal music of the island in his ears.

Right away, I realized how frightfully unequipped I was for life on Radiation Island. Crocodiles lurk in the water while wolves, bears, and mountain lions roam the lush green landscape of the island. The mini-tutorial at the beginning helped me get equipped with some food and bare essentials to craft crude weapons, and then I was on my own.

Many challenges face you when night falls. Animals are less wary of your presence and attack more freely. The temperature drops, and if you aren’t careful you can freeze to death. Radiation, bleeding, broken bones, and drowning are also really easy ways to die if you aren’t careful, and I was not particularly careful when I first started exploring the island. Few directions are given, so starting out is a major uphill battle. I struggled a bit with discovering the best ways to equip myself for the dangers ahead of me, and knowing where I wanted to explore.

While starting out was a struggle, I enjoyed how free the gameplay was. I explored to my heart’s content, finding journal entries that gave me clues to the island’s existence and new materials that helped me craft better weapons and armor. The island itself is beautiful, stars lighting up the sky at night and sunsets worth watching.

My main issue with the game is the animation. Sometimes movement isn’t quite believable, and quite frankly, strange, which I don’t think is the result of the heavy radiation. I found rabbits sitting in the ocean. I fought a wolf trapped at the bottom of a staircase, running in place while I easily dispatched it. These issues were frequent and took me out of the gameplay. Fighting just isn’t satisfying when your opponent isn’t moving correctly.

Originally released as a game for iOS devices, Radiation Island makes sense on the Nintendo Switch, especially in portable mode. It looks great and functions well. The controls are a bit clunky when not handheld, but not significantly; I enjoyed playing it docked and while out and about. This isn’t a game that compels me to play for hours on end. However, it provides ample entertainment, and is one I can easily come back to for some good-old-fashioned island adventuring (plus zombies).