Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Kate Gray·Oct 21, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

You most likely know that Harvest Moon has been pants for a while now, and Story of Seasons hasn't been much better. For those of us who've been burned before by Natsume's underbaked offerings, we weren't expecting greatness from Winds of Anthos. But for once, this newest game is a step in the right direction, establishing Natsume's voice at last in a crowded market. Here's hoping the next Harvest Moon goes even harder.

Nintendo Life

Em Stonham·Oct 21, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Despite these problems, the overall game was still fun. It was rather short, with our playthrough taking us just over the two-and-a-half-hour mark, so the issues didn't have time to grate on us. If you want to see all the endings, you'll either need to rely on auto-saves or replay the entire game. If you're a fan of visual novels and witchy games specifically, though, the gorgeous art and meditative gameplay loop are sure to outshine the issues we've highlighted. For the right people, this game will be enchanting.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Oct 20, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Crymachina is like the RC Cola of action RPGs; it'll do if you're desperate for something to satisfy your craving, but it'd be tough to argue that it's anyone's top choice. The so-bad-it's-good story and fast-paced combat ultimately make this one worth the punt, but the game's overreliance on repetition wears off its sheen before too long. We'd give Crymachina a light recommendation to any fans of FuRyu's previous work or anyone looking for a low-investment action RPG that's all style and little substance. Crymachina is a decent outing, but you may want to wait for a reasonably deep sale on this one.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Oct 19, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Murder on the Orient Express is impressive in its ability to breathe new life into a well-trodden story. Microids Studio Lyon has found a cute gap in the story to slide in its new character, Locke, without her getting in the way. Her tense and serious segments free up Poirot for a bit of comic relief, and the whole game sits with a relaxed atmosphere and pleasant presentation. Puzzles are mixed, but there are enough good ones to drive another enjoyable trip through Agatha Christie's classic story of mystery, justice, and moral ambiguity.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Oct 19, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Gargoyles Remastered is an okay remaster of an okay game. Its moody 16-bit visuals and challenging difficulty will no doubt appeal to some, especially fans of the show, but its short length and often unfair design certainly hold it back from greatness. We'd say this one might be worth picking up if you can find it on a pretty decent sale down the road-it's entertaining enough despite its shortcomings-but you're not really going to be missing out on a ton if you choose to pass on it.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Oct 18, 2023

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is, quite simply, the best 2D Mario game since Super Mario World. This is the slickest, sharpest, and smartest that two-dimensional Mario has felt since 1991 and in its Wonder Flowers, badges, and online aspects, it serves up an endlessly inventive and impressive platforming adventure that we've been utterly hooked on. With local co-op and online fun adding to the replayability factor and nigh-on perfect performance in both docked and handheld modes, this feels like 2D Mario with its mojo back, and one of the very best platformers we've played in quite some time.

Nintendo Life

Trent Cannon·Oct 17, 2023

Critic50/100

Agreement—

The combat kept us from enjoying Front Mission 2: Remake due to its over-reliance on dice-roll luck to succeed, but the plot has some decent story beats if you aren't bothered by obvious localisation errors. We did enjoy the customisation options of the Wanzers, but battles felt slow and dull when the RNG gods weren't on our side. Just like with the first game, this one will service longtime fans of the series and its combat adequately if they can overlook this remake's rough edges.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Oct 17, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

We had a few issues with Sonic Superstars - the local co-op could have greatly benefited from split-screen support, and the online Battle Mode feels incredibly shallow and tacked on - but this is the first original 2D Sonic game that feels truly authentic to the Genesis titles without aping the classic pixel-art style, and for a lot of longtime fans, that's frankly an absolute miracle. Zipping through the 12 zones in the excellent campaign made us feel like kids again, but it will also prove a great entry point for new players looking to see what all the fuss is about. Developer Arzest's reputation has taken a beating in recent years, but this is a triumphant effort from the studio and a great return for '2D' Sonic.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Oct 16, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Fans of Hot Wheels will feel well served from a nostalgia point of view, and inspired by its huge number of new modes. Unleashed 2: Turbocharged combines furious arcade race challenges with childlike creativity, being able to build tracks any which way, and race them to breaking point. You can feel the Switch's lack of muscle, with a markedly smudgier feel than the grip offered by more powerful consoles, but as a racing experience bursting with customisation, modes, and creativity to mine, it's both an excellent successor to the 16-Bit Micro Machines legacy and sits firmly in pole position over its predecessor.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Oct 14, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Though many doubted how well Borderlands 3 would work on the Switch, we're pleased to report that this is a well-built port that effectively squeezes down almost the entirety of Borderlands 3 onto Nintendo's handheld. The deep loot system, stable performance, goofy tone, snappy gunplay, and enormous amount of content all come together to make this one an easy recommendation, though those who prefer multiplayer may be disappointed at the diminished options here. Gearbox rightly deserves praise for the work the team put in here to make this happen; Borderlands 3 on the Switch is well worth your time.

Nintendo Life

Trent Cannon·Oct 12, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

The gameplay and tone of Company of Heroes hold up wonderfully more than two decades after its initial release, but the lack of any multiplayer options a launch makes Company of Heroes Collection feel sadly incomplete. The updated controls take some getting used to but still let you feel like a general moving their troops across the fields of Europe. Even with these flaws, though, this game is well worth investing in if you're an RTS fan looking to step back into a classic title. Fingers crossed for the planned multiplayer update.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Oct 10, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Wild Card Football is an ambitious take on the sport, with a decent mix of modes and pleasing depth for those keen to go all in. The offline Season mode may keep a lot of Switch players going, but once you dive into the Ultimate Team-style 'Dream Squad' you'll eventually feel the pull to take your hard-earned fantasy roster online. That's where a lack of fluidity and clarity in gameplay can really bite. A sport as frantic as American Football needs a slightly slicker performance level than we found here. However it's only just short of a first-down, so if you're happy to live with the compromises then this may still be worth a punt.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Oct 7, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Performance issues aside, Fate/Samurai Remnant is a hugely enjoyable action RPG that showcases a strong evolution of the very familiar Musou formula. Dynamic combat, rewarding exploration, loads of content, and an appealing art style all work in this one's favor, though be warned that the story can get a bit too verbose at times. All the same, we'd give this one a recommendation both to anyone looking for a decent action RPG to add to their collection and to any fans of Warriors games. Fate/Samurai Remnant is well worth your time - if you can handle the performance dips on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Michelle See-Tho·Oct 5, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Cocoon is a fun and addictive puzzler. Its unique mechanics and gameplay had us glued to our screens, and it’s gorgeous to boot. Its lack of story is a minor disappointment, but if you love puzzles and aren't bugged by fast-paced combat, this game will be an easy favourite — even if it flies by all too quickly.

Nintendo Life

Trent Cannon·Oct 4, 2023

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai suffers from a chronic lack of focus. The vibrant visuals and fun combat can't make up for the fact that you'll spend hours doing little more than watching static images tell the plot of the anime. The result is a game that will frustrate action RPG fans with a lack of action and fails to do justice to the story it is trying to tell. Unless you're desperate for a new Dragon Quest game to play, you're better off just watching the anime and skipping this spin-off entirely.