Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Apr 3, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Aero Fighters 3 is another great shmup among the growing library on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Morgan Sleeper·Apr 2, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

An emotional experience that's as much about loneliness and letting go as it is about rockets, OPUS: Rocket of Whispers captivates from start to finish. It's darker and bleaker than its predecessor, and scavenging for rocket parts isn't as immediately appealing as stargazing, but it's still every bit the affecting combination of narrative and gameplay that defined The Day We Found Earth. If you like curling up with a good book as much as sitting down with a good game, Rocket of Whispers is a perfect way to spend an enjoyable afternoon.

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Mar 30, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

Arcade Archives Star Force can be fun at times, it's unlikely to offer long-term appeal especially with so many high-quality shooters already on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Jon Cousins·Mar 30, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Considering the source material, there probably was a lot more potential in terms of story or characterisation but when all is said and done, shooters don't tend to dwell too much on nuance. Tesla vs Lovecraft is a competent top-down, twin-stick shooter and arguably the most polished title in the developer's catalogue. Taking the fun but limited template of Crimsonland and building an entertaining and visually striking, but familiar and repetitive experience. It's unlikely to get pulses racing in terms of original gameplay, however, the perks system, crazy weapons and relentless explosive action should spark enthusiasm among fans of the genre.

Nintendo Life

Ryan Craddock·Mar 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Penny-Punching Princess offers a great twist on the classic RPG formula, adding a new bribing system that takes your opponents out of the game to use for your own advantage. You'll find many hours' worth of content available here, and learning how to best use your magic calculator abilities for maximum success is highly enjoyable.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Mar 27, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Outlast 2 ramps up the tension and the technical achievement from the original, with one of the most stunningly atmospheric game worlds around. The level design has expanded along with your stealth options, creating a handful of truly memorable moments. It definitely isn't for everyone, though. Themes of religious perversion and abuse make Outlast 2 (un)comfortably the most horrific experience on Switch, while the limitations of its stealth mechanics can try the patience.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Mar 26, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Sol Divide tricks you into believing this is yet another Psikyo shmup, but it turns out to be something refreshingly different.

Nintendo Life

Morgan Sleeper·Mar 23, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

An indie adventure with a lush world, fun characters, and enjoyable battles, Earthlock brings the soul of PS1-era JRPGs to the Switch with excellent results. Inconsistent dialogue and notable load times are among its few missteps, but as a package, it captures the appeal of the epoch wonderfully. If you're looking for a fresh-feeling JRPG that still calls back to the classics, this is a lovely choice.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Mar 23, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Gekido: Kintaro's Revenge is a love letter to the original Game Boy Advance game that many probably didn't notice was pushing the envelope as far as graphics, animation, music and presentation were expected on Nintendo's 32-bit handheld. As such and despite excellent added extras to this Switch package, it stubbornly restrains itself in the past and as is only truly recommended if you fell nostalgic towards the original game. Other players should by now have learned where to better pick your side-scrolling street fights on Switch's library. The quest for the ultimate side-scrolling Switch brawler continues…

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Mar 22, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Castle of Heart looks great and offers a stern challenge to those who don't mind repeatedly playing the same level over and over before finally beating it and moving on. There's definitely some fun to be had finding the best route through each stage and delicately picking off enemies, but the constantly-depleting health bar and frustrating combat will have many players giving up and moving onto games which are less harmful to their general well being.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Mar 21, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Kona is a walking simulator that makes an admirable attempt to increase the usual level of interactivity and player agency. While not all of those attempts pay off, and it suffers from some disappointing technical issues, it remains a highly absorbing and atmospheric adventure-survival experience.

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·Mar 20, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Looking past the mediocre puzzle and adventuring elements as well as the cinematic repetition, Last Day of June excels at storytelling – conveying emotion on-screen in a way few other games manage to achieve. The developer has admittedly done a sound job at making a title involving such depressing themes as beautiful as possible – through its unique animation, perfectly synced soundtrack and stunning visuals. If you do intend on playing this, the ending is as catastrophic as it is comforting.

Nintendo Life

Richard Atkinson·Mar 20, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

With its cute and delightfully grotesque exterior, Slayaway Camp: Butcher's Cut is an easily accessible and addictive puzzler that throws in '80's references where it can, by the bucket-load. It's jam-packed with unlockables, host to some brilliant synth-heavy music and doesn't shy away from some truly gruesome but equally hilarious murder sequences. There's plenty of substance here that keeps us coming back for more, and with the help of a continuous trickle of silly and over-the-top horror humour, we are hard-pushed not to crack a smile every time we give it a stab.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Mar 19, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Clustertruck stands as a metaphor for life itself. Where do these trucks come from? Where are these trucks going? None of that matters now that you can play this game anytime, anywhere free from the tyranny of non-portable entertainment centres. An exquisite balance of arcade first-person action and physics puzzle that leaves little but one single course of action when faced with a glimpse of its pure brilliant absurdity: Keep on (cluster)truckin', baby!

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Mar 19, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Bad Dudes offers up a nostalgic slice of some of the purest arcade fighting action you could find in the late 80s salons and despite not being mandatory it is certainly a more enjoyable experience if you bring a friend to the ninja onslaught. Emulation wrapper kinks aside, the overall experience aged gracefully and it is certainly a great retro choice when you have some minutes to spare and just feel the need to take on an entire ninja army.