Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Henry Stockdale·Aug 30, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Raji: An Ancient Epic is a strong debut for Nodding Head Games but it's just a shame there isn't more of it. It brings a respectful take on Hindu and Balinese mythology, one which has a strong narrative hook that invests you in Raji's personal adventure whilst offering enjoying gameplay. Though it suffers from some unfortunate technical issues, this is one journey we still recommend experiencing, especially if you're a fan of the genre.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Aug 30, 2020

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Hypnospace Outlaw really is like nothing else out there; at once an excellent puzzle game, razor-sharp satire and meticulously crafted slice of early-internet nostalgia that you can spend hours absolutely lost in. It's frequently hilarious stuff that's impeccably well-written across the board, managing to successfully bring the crazy, lawless, early rush of creativity that formed the pre-Y2K era of the internet convincingly back to life. It delivers a truly extraordinary recreation of the GeoCities era of the internet that absolutely nails its '90s aesthetic to present a living, breathing world that's a joy to spend time browsing around, soaking up the atmosphere and reliving the anarchic early days of the internet as you slowly untangle the puzzles at the heart of its narrative.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Aug 29, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

PGA Tour 2K21 plays a solid golf game with enough flexibility in its control settings to appeal to both die-hard simulation buffs and casual golf fans just looking for a quick round. Its real-life pro players are so underused they may as well not be in here and the game may not yet have the typical 2K Sports trademarks – the polished story mode, the slick TV-style presentation – but it also isn't plagued with microtransactions, and the result is a game that, refreshingly, just gets on with it.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Aug 29, 2020

Critic100/100

Agreement—

A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Aug 28, 2020

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Linn: Path of Orchards looks and sounds fine, but it's such a banal gameplay experience that we can't recommend it in good conscience.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Aug 28, 2020

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Even if RTS titles aren't your cup of tea, we highly recommend you give this one a whirl because, outside of spiritual successor AirMech, there really hasn't been a game quite like this since.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Aug 27, 2020

Critic80/100

Agreement—

A truly pleasant game, Spiritfarer balances undemanding platforming, gentle exploration and forgiving resource management with a beautifully-realised world with a cast full of charming, likeable, memorable characters.

Nintendo Life

Jon Cartwright·Aug 27, 2020

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Nexomon: Extinction does enough to make it somewhat distinct, but the unique elements can also be its undoing. It mostly succeeds in being a more deliberate and challenging take on Pokémon, but that difficulty can oftentimes come across as exhausting and artificial. If you felt let down by Sword and Shield there may be aspects of Nexomon you really enjoy, but we can't help but feel that the slow pace of battles and lack of multiplayer features prevent it from being a true rival; it's really more like a cheap alternative, but one that's arguably worth a look if you're a hardcore fan of Game Freak's famous franchise.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Aug 25, 2020

Critic60/100

Agreement—

No Straight Roads isn't a bad game at all, but it's one that consistently falls short of the tremendous potential that it often hints at. The world, characters, music, and overall idea of its gameplay are ripe for a groundbreaking beat 'em up game, but this, unfortunately, is just a so-so one. Performance problems, camera issues, and repetitive gameplay are all factors that hold this one back from greatness, but these issues are often balanced out by the spectacular boss fights, excellent soundtrack, and charming writing. We'd recommend this one to beat 'em up fans looking for an interesting new entry in the genre, but with the big caveat that you consider this release's flaws before taking the plunge. It's certainly a worthwhile experience, but one that will likely disappoint if you come into it with the wrong expectations.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Aug 24, 2020

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Despite its flaws, Bite the Bullet is a fun experience that we’d recommend if you’re a fan of franchises like Metal Slug.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Aug 24, 2020

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Evergate is a wonderfully designed puzzle-platformer that starts off strong and goes from strength to strength over the course of its campaign. Every new world you encounter here adds a new twist to proceedings, gradually becoming more complex as it layers mechanics on top of one each other, enabling you to experiment and come up with your own unique ways to bound across its intricate levels. Speed-running here, for us, feels like it was tacked on for no real reason but, besides this one little misstep, this really is an essential purchase for puzzle/platforming fans and a standout example of its genre on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Aug 23, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

A highly original puzzle-platformer with a compelling body-manipulation mechanic at its heart. Helheim Hassle's particular sense of humour and occasionally fiddly controls might make you bristle from time to time, but you'll keep plugging away thanks to its inspired mechanics and varied challenges.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Aug 22, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

It may feel like it's a few years too late, but Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a worthwhile experience that properly celebrates a beloved IP while being a darned good action game in its own right. A striking art style, well-executed combat mechanics, and a challenging level of difficulty make this one an easy recommendation, but with the caveat that it's a little light on original ideas and that performance can often dip to sub-par levels. It may not be perfect, but Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time acts as a great companion piece to the legendary cartoon; don't dismiss this as just another tie-in.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Aug 21, 2020

Critic90/100

Agreement—

The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] is a neo-retro masterpiece. Even if you play the game from start to finish just once in a single sitting and never come back to it, this minimalist post-apocalyptic epic will stay with you for years to come. If you already have Another World and Flashback in your Switch collection and are looking for the next true evolution of the genre, look no further. They just don't make them like this any more… and we found ourselves wondering 'why not?'.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Aug 20, 2020

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Peaky Blinders: Mastermind makes clever use of its licence, incorporating Tommy Shelby's knack for scheming and planning into the core of its time-manipulating gameplay as well as working each and every one of the gang from the hit TV show into proceedings. It's a shame that it takes quite so long for it to up the ante to the point that missions are really satisfyingly complex but what's here is certainly both fun and highly replayable for those who want to perfect each job on offer and grab gold in every mission.