Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Jun 5, 2018

Critic90/100

Agreement—

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is an utterly accomplished 2D fighting game. Bursting with content and featuring the visual spectacle of combat that uses up every single trick in the book while doing so with the possibility of calling up a second character into the fray on demand sets Arc System Works title as the de facto current generation game fighting game to own on the Nintendo Switch. While we certainly appreciate the likes of Capcom and SNK (via HAMSTER) safely releasing previously proven hits of the genre, we were beginning to wonder when companies would notice that Switch is more than able to accommodate current generation titles as well. A few strange decisions aside it is very hard for us not to recommend you make this title a priority among your future acquisitions if you're a fighting game fan. Even if you never heard or are a fan of any of the franchises represented in this game because by the time you are done with this game (something we wonder is it is even possible with a strong online community) you will most certainly be.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Jun 5, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Samurai Defender: Ninja Warfare may not bring anything new to the table among the castle defence genre, but it does so in a charming feudal Japanese cartoon wrapper. Despite not setting the video gaming world ablaze (unlike the poor fools rushing at your door) anyone looking to blissfully slaughter wave upon wave of enemy cannon fodder soliciting at your castle gate need not look further.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Jun 4, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Legend of Kay felt dated in 2005, back when the PS2 platforming renaissance was already fading, so its transition to Wii U - and now Nintendo Switch - brings with it all the same tropes that were already out of fashion long before its inception. Anniversary's combat offers something of a saving grace, with plenty of depth to be found with its combos and warping, but you'll have to contend with camera issues and poor voice acting while you're at it.

Nintendo Life

Daniel Lipscombe·Jun 4, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The saccharine visuals and bold colours will easily attract the eye and when new species appear you'll be begging for a photo mode. But that's only if you aren't looking at the endless lists or stats, or charging the ever-depleting energy banks. Interesting, educational and pretty, but ultimately soulless and a little boring.

Nintendo Life

Glen Fox·Jun 1, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Pokémon Quest is a fun little time waster that will satisfy your collect 'em all urges until the real deal launches on Switch in November. This is, for all extents and purposes, a free-to-play mobile game though, so you will have to splash the cash if you want to get the most out of it, but it's far from a money sink. You can get everything you need in a single purchase, or unlock most of it slowly by playing for free. It's one of the most generous freemium systems out there. Overall, it's a great jumping off point for new fans of the series, and the cutesy art style just might win over veterans. Give it a shot.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·May 31, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Shift Quantum is an impressive and fresh experience among the strange coincidental influx of dual colour/polarity themed games assaulting Switch at this moment. Often crossing the line between art and entertainment, it is impossible not to be impressed by how it interactively tells you a dystopian story using nothing more than its minimalist aesthetics. While we are still not sure we found happiness at the end of our journey, we were certainly blissfully making our journey there. If that doesn't make Shift Quantum a very successful mind prison, we don't know what will.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·May 31, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Smoke and Sacrifice is an attractive take on the survival genre with a diverting story examining our reliance on fossil fuels and class-dependent economies. Juggling your gear is more finicky than it should be, which is disappointing when inventory management is such a fundamental part of the game. However, if you're prepared to keep on top of things, and you have the fortitude to brave the oppressive smoke, there's plenty to enjoy in Sachi's quest and the core crafting loop.

Nintendo Life

Daniel Lipscombe·May 31, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Yesterday's Origins doesn't attempt to change the formula of the point and click adventure and that's okay. The story is delightfully bonkers and it looks pretty, but if you dig deep there's some repetition, some odd stylistic choices and you might not recall it in years to come, but it's nice to see such a game on Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Life

Simon Miller·May 31, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon is undoubtedly aimed at a very specific audience, and you'll know if you're part of that just by looking at the screenshots. If those, combined with words such as these, make your heart sing, however, it's definitely worth your time. It's like Castlevania just decided to come soaring back into all our lives, and how can that ever be a bad thing? Exactly.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·May 29, 2018

Critic90/100

Agreement—

While some of the games included in this compendium are rendered somewhat superfluous by the fact that far superior sequels and updates exist alongside them, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection remains an utterly essential purchase for any self-respecting fighting game fan. Because of Street Fighter's importance to the genre, this is like a history lesson in how the one-on-one fighter has evolved over time; from its rather bumbled inception with the original Street Fighter to its break-out moment with the sequel and its slow and steady refinement with the Super, Alpha and Street Fighter III sub-series. Granted, you'll end up wanting more – it would have been nice to see some of the spin-off titles like X-Men Vs. Street Fighter make the cut, if only as bonus items – but it's not the fault of the game that we're inherently greedy by nature. The only other point to make is that the experience really benefits from using the right controller; while the Joy-Con are perfectly acceptable when you're hosting impromptu local multiplayer challenges and the Pro Controller's D-Pad is passable, we found the 8bitdo SN30 and SN30 Pro pads to be much better options, and if you have an arcade stick that's compatible with Switch, now is the ideal time to dig it out – this is fighting game nirvana, pure and simple.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·May 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

ATOMINE delivers a solid albeit somehow mundane interpretation of the twin-stick shooter that will still satisfy those with cravings for something new within the realm of the genre but will probably not convert any newcomers to the format. We still give it a recommendation despite feeling that while polished, its premise might have allowed for a more extravagant visual experience. Hack away humble little program, hack away.

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·May 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

White Night does serve up some scares and a few twists along the way, however, there's nothing particularly different about what this title has to offer over only a handful of hours, even with consideration of the black and white film noir aesthetics including the special mechanics built around it. Despite its eagerness to run with clichés, it at least sticks with its style through to the end and does everything competently enough to make it a satisfactory experience for anyone looking for a colourless curio.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·May 29, 2018

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Yoku's Island Express is a genuine breath of fresh air, combining pinball and Metroidvania mechanics in a way that feels truly inspired. Add in one of the most appealing fantasy worlds you'll find on the eShop, and you have yourself an instant left-field classic.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·May 28, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Die For Valhalla! is a successful mix of several genres that mainly presents itself as a lengthy side-scrolling beat-'em-up and just like the majority of such games is best enjoyed with friends along the way. There is still a lot to chew for the lonely solo player out there, so if you into the genre and Norse mythology, do consider giving this one a possession. Odin would approve and so do we.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·May 24, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Punch Club is an effective casual management sim with a well-observed 16-bit aesthetic, but its grindy hands-off mechanics soon start to grate. Here on Nintendo's flagship console, it just feels a little too remote and repetitive to be in with a genuine title shout.