Roland Ingram

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 18, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Loddlenaut is sort of a job sim where the job in question feels futile. Cleaned places need re-cleaning, fed loddles need re-feeding. Given that the project at hand is to purify a mega-corp-abused ocean, it's quite a downer that the game feels so unwinnable – but maybe that's the point, in a melancholy kind of way. In any case, if you don't overthink it, the environment is calm, the loddles are cute and the execution leaves few irritations. If this is a PowerWasher's fever dream, then it would be a shame to wake up.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 1, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

With ingenious puzzles, a high level of difficulty, and an educational hint system, be careful or Can of Wormholes will have you hooked.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Jul 24, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus is a game where charm meets challenge and a passion for Japanese culture is expressed with artistic flair. Its emphasis on platforming skill over exploration gives it a distinctive profile in the Metroidvania crowd and, while that might not be everyone's cup of tea, for many, the appeal will blossom like the trees in Sakura City.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·May 13, 2024

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Braid remains a landmark equally for indie game development and puzzle platformers. The time control mechanics are mind-bendingly satisfying to play with and the puzzles are wickedly inventive. This Anniversary Edition is an exquisite expression of the original concept, with everything spruced up to perfection. And, even on top of that, it includes interactive creators' commentary that sets a high watermark for in-game analysis and represents a new key text for anyone interested in how games are made. In short: this package is an all-timer.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Apr 16, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Planet of Lana intelligently combines elements of classic cinematic platformers to make something distinctive and characterful. For a tight five hours or so, it keeps up the pace, with very few taxing puzzles or tricky action segments to slow progress. Leaning into easier gameplay in favour of visual and auditory spectacle, it looks the part and runs consistently well. It's a treat for the long-suffering cinematic platforming fan – perhaps even destined to join that short list of classics.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Mar 11, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley opens with a goodbye. As an outsider, Snufkin doesn't hibernate with the Moomins and must wander lonelily through the ice. The prospect of a reunion in the spring sets up a bittersweet mood, sews a seed of hope that grows throughout the game, and kicks off a quest to restore everything to its rightful place. Accomplished gameplay design and magical sounds and visuals make the whole adventure a delight.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Jan 23, 2024

Critic80/100

Agreement—

With so many fleshed-out characters to get to know through its Papers-Please-lite gameplay, there’s good reason to grant Lil’ Guardsman entry to your Switch.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Dec 17, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

If you can overlook the technical challenges – and we could – Outer Wilds remains a wondrous experience on Switch. With almost no gating and a free rein to investigate a rich corner of the universe, it captures the quest for learning in the most direct way possible: the only reward for progress is knowledge. Starting with no information at all, you come to understand the intricacies of this little solar system better than its inhabitants. Having soared through such an epic, introspective, and existentially inquisitive adventure, we probably came to understand ourselves a little more, too.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Oct 19, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Murder on the Orient Express is impressive in its ability to breathe new life into a well-trodden story. Microids Studio Lyon has found a cute gap in the story to slide in its new character, Locke, without her getting in the way. Her tense and serious segments free up Poirot for a bit of comic relief, and the whole game sits with a relaxed atmosphere and pleasant presentation. Puzzles are mixed, but there are enough good ones to drive another enjoyable trip through Agatha Christie's classic story of mystery, justice, and moral ambiguity.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 19, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Trombone Champ is a game about perfection. Before you play, it asks you to select a stance for your tromboner: 'estudious' or 'jubilant'. Neither of these is appropriate when you know your performance will be as ear-abusive as an excited puppy mauling a bulb horn. Or are they? The true lesson is perhaps to hold your head high anyway. In life, as in Trombone Champ, faced as we all are with certain doom, be estudious if you like, be jubilant, parp like crazy, and be your very best you – no matter how imperfect that invariably is.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 17, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is a standout title in its commitment to presenting spectacular, surrealist animation. However, it does so at the expense of having much gameplay to offer. The playtime is short, the interaction is limited, and the puzzles are obtuse. Fortunately, the animation and music are good enough to distract you from those facts and provide an hour or two of great entertainment.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 16, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

With such a tight run time, Full Void’s ideas don’t have time to wear thin, but neither do they have chance to develop much depth. As a modern game, it’s far more player-friendly than Another World, its main inspiration, and looks and sounds fantastic. It also brings fresh ideas to the table, rather than simply retreading the old for the sake of nostalgia. However, it lacks a compelling narrative arc, which could have made it feel truly cinematic.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Sep 4, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Hercule Poirot: The London Case delivers on its promise of a new Agatha Christie-style story in the Poirot universe. While it doesn't have the same level of tricksy, interweaving motives and relationships as Poirot favourites, the story is entirely entertaining nonetheless. However, the game lacks polish to the extent that it's distracting, progress is not always logical and the loading times on Switch are a real problem. For all its charm, you don't have to be a world-class detective to see its flaws.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Jul 5, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Crime O’Clock adds a smart twist to the hidden object concept. By showing the characters in its lively scenes going about their business as time passes, Bad Seed has found a way to build masses of detail into the little worlds you explore. However, the minigames are very weak and we never escaped the extremely repetitive gameplay typical of this type of game. As a result, it’s one for genre fans only.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Jun 13, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

On its trip down the river, some of Dordogne's design ideas feel stodgy, performance is sometimes flaky, and it leans into its clunkiest gameplay elements as it nears the end. But to get hung up on these points is to miss a truly touching story bringing a beautiful world to life in sound and images. There's a lot to reward you here if you can navigate the obstacles and just go with the flow.