Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Jul 27, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Samurai Warriors 5 takes the long-running franchise, gives it a wonderfully vibrant lick of paint, throws in some excellent new combat mechanics and fills its story mode with well-directed cutscenes, resulting in a slick and stylish addition to the series that's sure to please fans and newcomers alike. Yes, it makes a few fumbles here and there - we aren't fond of its grindy system of upgrading your Dojo and Blacksmith, it limits your character choices at times in the campaign and that stripped back roster is sure to irk some - but, overall, what's here is a fine addition to the Switch's line-up of Musou titles. This is a fast-paced, flashy hack and slash effort that looks and plays fantastically well and, most importantly, performs almost perfectly whilst doing so.

Nintendo Life

Kate Gray·Jul 26, 2021

Critic90/100

Agreement—

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is two brilliant games for the price of one, and it not only gives us more of what we love, but gives us something that is visually, narratively, and historically deeper than ever before. There's a bit of a learning curve that you'll have to get on top of to meet the game where it's at, but honestly, we couldn't have asked for a better version of the game we've been wanting for years.

Nintendo Life

Zion Grassl·Jul 26, 2021

Critic90/100

Agreement—

NEO: The World Ends With You impresses in all the categories we were terrified it could fail in. The game boasts an energetic soundtrack that feeds off the energy of the original, a deep and rewarding combat system that makes a successful leap to 3D, an inspiring cast of characters that stand tall on their own, and importantly, a world that begs you to come back even after you've finished the 40+ hour campaign. After 13 long years, many fans lost hope we'd ever see a sequel to that first Reapers Game, but we're so pleased to see these talented developers never lost their calling.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Jul 25, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Ultimately, The Procession To Calvary is one of the most amusing and unique video games we've played in some time on Switch, and if you're a fan of the genre, then it's absolutely worth your time.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Jul 24, 2021

Critic90/100

Agreement—

If you're a fan of belt-scrolling fighters then Vendetta is a must-buy, pure and simple. While its arcade origins do mean it's slightly unbalanced in terms of fairness, it has enough charm, gameplay and multiplayer appeal to be well worth a look, even decades after its initial release.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jul 22, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Cris Tales offers up a satisfying take on classic JRPG tropes while sprinkling in some interesting new gameplay ideas and an incredible art style. Though some aspects of combat can be frustrating and the pacing can occasionally feel like it's wasting your time, we'd still give this one a recommendation to anyone looking for a cool new RPG for their Switch. Cris Tales does just enough to stick out from the pack and assert itself as a title worth adding to your library; JRPG aficionados should definitely give this one a shot.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Jul 15, 2021

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Out of Line tries to straddle the line between being an emotional narrative-driven experience and a consistently engaging, challenging puzzle game; unfortunately, it struggles to accomplish either. Far from a bad game, we'd absolutely recommend Out of Line for the younger audience who may want to dip their feet into the puzzle platform genre, but for those seeking something a bit more taxing, then you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Jul 14, 2021

Critic90/100

Agreement—

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD introduces a raft of technical improvements and quality of life updates that reinvigorate and revitalise this ten-year-old game. With motion controls more precise than ever before, an alternate button control scheme that totally works, crisp HD graphics, smooth 60fps gameplay and a bothersome sidekick who's been streamlined into something altogether more useful, this really does feel like Skyward Sword as it was meant to experienced. Yes, the locking off of instant travel behind the official amiibo is a misstep, but beyond this one issue what's here is a sublime experience, a technical triumph and an absolute must-play for Switch owners and Zelda fans.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Jul 9, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Boomerang X features instantly gratifying gameplay that will get its hooks into you immediately. Its arena-based combat encourages you to keep moving and flying through the air in order to avoid death, with your boomerang acting as a kind of portable teleport or hook shot. The overall difficulty is a bit tame for the most part, which incidentally means the game is a bit on the short side, but there's plenty of potential for repeat playthroughs and speed runs thanks to the fun, addictive gameplay. If you're a fan of frantic, fast-paced first-person action, then this one will be right up your alley.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jul 8, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox isn't a massive step up over its tropical predecessor, but it hits all the right beats it needs to make for an addictive and engaging action-RPG. Fast-paced combat, a memorable setting, and a surprisingly content-rich open world make for an experience that action-RPG fans won't want to miss out on. Were it not for the performance issues, we might even be inclined to say this is the best example of the genre on the Switch yet. Given those problems, however, a totally unreserved recommendation of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox on Switch is tough to make. Performance is reported to be a little bit better on PS4 and PS5, so if you have access to one of those consoles, we'd recommend getting it there. Otherwise, you're still in for a good time on Switch - just brace yourself for those frame drops.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Jul 7, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin deserves to find a sizable audience. It's full of charm and boasts depth that can immerse the committed or be dabbled with by those eager to simply experience the story. As a blend of Monster Hunter with a traditional RPG approach it's an accomplished effort, and offers the sort of meaty experience that'll keep most players busy for weeks. Switch owners will need to tolerate some disappointing performance, unfortunately, but the overall experience shines nonetheless. It's a game of bright colours and wholehearted optimism, which is very welcome indeed.Oh, and you can name your Monsties; trust us, you're gonna love these companions.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Jul 3, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

We love free stuff, and Sky: Children of the Light is perhaps the best experience you can get for free on the Switch to date. The visuals are simply stunning, whether you're playing in handheld mode or on the big screen, and the variety of the game's different worlds provides more than enough incentive to explore. The social aspect is solid, and the game's unique ability to foster bonds with complete strangers is frankly a marvel. The only real downside is that the gameplay is so simplistic in nature, so we're not certain it will keep players around for long to experience any future updates. If it does grab your attention, however, then a magical experience awaits.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Jul 1, 2021

Critic60/100

Agreement—

A game as good as Zombies Ate My Neighbors deserves a stronger package than this one, which feels in parts like a bit of a hack job. We're sure it isn't, but the lack of extras or even meaningful settings to change (again, you can't remap the controls) are a huge bummer. We could complain about the lack of the Mega Drive version, as while most favour the SNES game there is something to be said for the Sega port's always-visible status screen, but overall we still recommend this package to anyone who simply wants a slightly inferior version of a bloomin' brilliant game on their Switch, plus its much worse, but kind of okay sequel. This is - shockingly - probably the worst way to play Zombies Ate My Neighbors ever, but it's still a way to play Zombies Ate My Neighbors. So it gets the slightest of thumbs-ups.

Nintendo Life

Kate Gray·Jun 30, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Don't discount Doki Doki Literature Club because it's cute, because it's pink, or because it's an anime dating game - this is one of the most unnerving, effective horror games on the Nintendo Switch to date. The extra content adds nicely to the creeping anxiety and the heartbreaking story, but the Switch version does end up feeling slightly inferior to the PC version, despite fantastic effort on the port. You won't lose anything by playing this version, though - if it's the one you want, go for it!

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Jun 29, 2021

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Worms Rumble is a reasonably fun game in its own right; the battles feel fast, the weapons pack a decent punch, and the addition of zip wires make traversal a blast. The problem is that in transitioning to a multiplayer-focused battle royale style game, much of what made Worms so iconic in the past is now gone, with far fewer weapons and absolutely no destructible environments. Add to this a rather limited selection of levels, and you've got an experience that may well be fun for a short while, but certainly won't keep you engaged for the long haul.