Nintendo Life

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

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

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

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.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Mar 16, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

If you've played the first Attack On Titan you'll have to contend with replaying the first season of the anime/manga again, but the sequel does a much better (and more comprehensive) job of bringing the canon to life in a different medium. Combat is fast, frenetic and exhilarating, but it can get a little repetitive when played with AI teammates. However, camera issues and the occasional drop in framerate aside, Attack On Titan 2 is one of the best action adventures on Switch and the closest we're going to get to another Monster Hunter on a Nintendo console on the West - for the time being, at least.

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Mar 14, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

The mix of gameplay styles works fine, but the game is quite simple with neither style standing out among examples of each genre. It's a tough game with the limited range of your weapon and the lack of continues being the biggest hurdles to completion, although successfully speeding through a section is very satisfying. It can entertain and the usual online leaderboards add some replay value as you take on the world, but Arcade Archives: Heroic Episode is unlikely to be a game often played on your Switch with so many retro goodies already available on the eShop.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Mar 14, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

If you've played the series before, Scribblenauts: Showdown won't be the game you're expecting. If you haven't, you might be left wondering what all the fuss was about. Yes, it shares the name and the look of those previous games, but it lacks the all-important creative heart of its predecessors, and ends up being a by-the-numbers affair that goes through the motions in a shallow attempt to turn Scribblenauts' unique premise into a multiplayer party game. It's certainly not the debut Maxwell and company deserved on Switch, and while its mini-game focus does suit the local multiplayer ethos of the console, it ends up feeling like a discount 1-2-Switch.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 14, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

All in all, Kirby Star Allies is a fun, relaxing game that does a good job of showing off what makes the main Kirby series so great. The slow pace, diverse powers, beautiful environments, adorable enemy designs, and light difficulty ensure that this is an enjoyable ride from start to finish. But with that being said, there's a lingering sense that the developer was a little too keen to play this one safe, and the lack of new ideas may come as a disappointment to series veterans. This is not the Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild of the Kirby series, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad game. If you've never played a Kirby game before, this is a fantastic place to jump in, but if you're a longtime fan, you may not be blown away.

Nintendo Life

Morgan Sleeper·Mar 14, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

It's not out to break new ground, but with enjoyable strategy gameplay and an appealing board game aesthetic, World Conquerer X is certainly a welcome addition to the Switch's library.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 14, 2018

Critic90/100

Agreement—

All told, Steredenn: Binary Stars is a fantastic release that does a great job of providing an experience that feels simultaneously classic and modern. It's high difficulty, rewarding gameplay, endless variety, and beautiful presentation make this an essential buy for any fans of the genre, and a high recommendation for those who aren't. If you're looking for a tightly made arcade game that can be played both in short bursts and for hours on end, look no further than this.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Mar 14, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

A quirky 2D adventure with hints of psychological horror and some classic puzzles. Though its gameplay is riddled with glitches and its narrative full of flaws, The Long Reach keeps tempting you to peer around the next murky corner.

Nintendo Life

Richard Atkinson·Mar 13, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Bit Dungeon Plus does exactly what it says on the tin and it does it fairly well. The title won't draw you in with an intricate story of medieval rivalry and bloodshed involving a vast fantasy world, but the pick-up and play nature of the game will.

Nintendo Life

Gonçalo Lopes·Mar 13, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Neonwall is a fresh new take on the old physics puzzler genre, immensely enjoyable thanks to the Joy-Cons IR tracking control mode. A beautiful package of endless neon glows and electronic music filled with some stiff concentration and reflex challenges makes it very easy for us to recommend this unusual yet deeply satisfying addition to Nintendo Switch's digital library.