Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Mar 30, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Imp Of The Sun stands alongside the likes of Smelter, MindSeize and Cobra Kai as a flawed game that nonetheless has an enormous amount to offer and is likely to be criminally ignored. If you're after something off the beaten track, we urge you to consider the sixes and sevens of this world and give them a chance. We don't think Imp Of The Sun will be anyone's favourite game, but we do think that anyone who picks it up will remember it later on and go "oh yeah, Imp Of The Sun. That was a good time!"

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 29, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

.hack//G.U. Last Recode isn't a bad game, it's just aggressively mediocre. These three games weren't fantastic when they were new and, surprise surprise, they still aren't great now. Repetitive dungeon design, extremely easy combat, and an often nonsensical narrative prove to be this release's greatest weaknesses, holding it back from fulfilling the interesting concept of its premise. Still, if you want the nostalgia trip or for some reason aren't satisfied with the near-bottomless list of more interesting RPGs on the Switch, it may be worth the punt. We'd give this one a light recommendation, then, but would say you're better off picking up the remasters of Final Fantasy XII or Shin Megami Tensei III if you're looking for a worthwhile sixth-generation RPG. If it's specifically the concept of a single player MMO that interests you, then either CrossCode or one of the Xenoblade releases will scratch that itch far better.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Mar 28, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Dragon Maid is a middling shoot-em-up affair: not bad, not exceptional. Its tag team concept is a sound one: it's fun to juggle characters in an attempt to keep all your horses in the race, grabbing health items from mid-bosses and seeking out paths through the maelstrom. At the same time, its nuance and novel ideas are hamstrung by unremarkable stage action, and a few niggling missteps, which is a shame. There's definitely enjoyment to be reaped from committing to a one-credit clear, learning bullet patterns, and eking out scoring routines. But when there are so many games in the field featuring greater urgency, flow, and an all-important sense of personality, this one is more for people with cash to spare, fans of ecchi paraphernalia, or a burning desire to consume everything bullet hell.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Mar 25, 2022

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Andro Dunos II is a resounding success. That a small indie developer can bat alongside the likes of M2 and Platinum and, honestly, with greater overall success, is always uplifting. Further inspiring, is how - superficial IP notwithstanding - it manages to be so utterly exacting to arcade standards of the '90s, and at the same time feel breathtakingly original. Its craftsmanship, from weapon negotiations and experimentation, to the way each stage is cleverly built to aid a variety of approaches and play styles, is top notch. Andro Dunos II looks good, sounds great, and plays wonderfully.

Nintendo Life

Oliver Reynolds·Mar 24, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Nevertheless, for its relatively low price, The Ramp does control reasonably well, and although the range of tricks on offer is undoubtedly quite limited, there's plenty of fun to be had here if you're not bothered about gaining scores or doing tasks like collecting S-K-A-T-E tokens. If you're after something a bit meatier, then you'll be better off going for something like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2, or OlliOlli World, but The Ramp does have a certain minimal charm which we enjoyed.

Nintendo Life

PJ O'Reilly·Mar 23, 2022

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great big colourful joyride of an adventure for our little pink pal. This first fully three dimensional mainline entry in the franchise is bursting at the seams with fun and inventiveness, managing to transpose everything we know and love about past Kirby games to this all-new arena whilst adding plenty of delightful new aspects as it goes. Mouthful Mode is just as daftly entertaining as it looked in the trailers, each and every level is packed full of secrets and dripping in wonderful detail, and there are enough side activities, collectibles and co-op fun here to keep you entertained and coming back for more for a good long while. What a grand way to celebrate 30 years of Planet Popstar's finest.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 22, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Is Rune Factory 5 for you? Well, that depends. Do you like RPGs or farm sims? If you answered yes to either or both, then you're sure to find something you'll love in this release. Even so, it might be worth waiting for a modest sale before you take the plunge. The relaxing pace, RPG elements, and charming aesthetic make this a compelling experience, but issues with poor performance, disappointing visuals, and sometimes clunky gameplay hold Rune Factory 5 back from greatness. If 3D visuals aren't a dealbreaker for you, we'd recommend you pick up Rune Factory 4 Special first, as it's cheaper and oddly feels more modern in some respects. Despite flawed execution, we'd still give Rune Factory 5 a recommendation - if its precise and unique genre blend really clicks with you, you'll forgive many a flaw. Just know that it doesn't truly excel in any area.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Mar 20, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

It's a tentative "yes", then, to this fascinating and flawed stealth game with an impressive sense of place; some will bounce off it harder than our Switch bounced off the wall when we got caught by yet another guard, but many will find it atmospheric, challenging and compelling. Definitely worth your attention, even if it's just to find out you don't like it.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Mar 19, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

WRC 10 contains significantly more content than its already packed predecessor, and can provide extremely satisfying rally gameplay once you get used to its (accurately) unforgiving handling. This is let down, however, by the game's visuals, which are tolerable while docked but look awful when playing in handheld. As long as you can put up with how it looks, there should be enough here to keep you busy for months.

Nintendo Life

Stuart Gipp·Mar 18, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Dawn of the Monsters stumbles into some of the more common pitfalls of belt-scrolling fighters, but it has enough flair, polish and excitement to be a more than worthy offering, particularly played in couch co-op with a friend. We wish there were a few more playable creatures, but the ones on offer here are all very distinct and enormous fun to get to grips with. It's a richly rewarding game, with higher ranks unlocking new skins and upgrades from the in-game shop (don't worry, no microtransactions here) which offer an incentive to keep playing - though the real reason you'll stick with Dawn of the Monsters is that it is, quite simply, very good indeed. While it has a few problems, they're nothing that will stop you having a blast with this Brobdingnagian beat-'em-up.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Mar 18, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Overall, Wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is enjoyable and gives a modern classic a thrilling new spark of life. After blasting through the race classes, it's likely the itch will be back and we'll be back in the online lobbies once again, eagerly awaiting the five further waves to come between now and the end of 2023. That's the key takeaway we took early on while sampling the Booster Course Pass - you can't go far wrong with 'more Mario Kart'.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Mar 17, 2022

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Gal Gun: Double Peace knows its audience, almost too well. Its entertainment factor is centred around crass perversion dressed up like a Saturday morning kid's cartoon; and, if anyone attempts to tell you it's a play on satire addressing the difficulties Japanese women face in a largely sexist society, feel free to laugh loudly in their face. That said, this is admittedly more of a game - and an altogether better game - than most that fall into the ecchi category. While simplistic, there's nothing particularly broken about it, and its Expert Mode does offer a playable enough game to be mildly involving. But, if you don't have a particular affection for its window-dressing, there's not a great deal here to keep rail-shooting fans engaged.

Nintendo Life

Trent Cannon·Mar 16, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

It took us around 10 hours to complete our first playthrough of Wife Quest, which is not a bad run considering the low entry price. There is a lot of personality and style on display here, and players who want to go for all the trophies in the game will have plenty to come back to. Save for a few small visual hiccups and the fact that the game's humour is often an acquired taste, there isn't really a lot to pick fault with here; it's fun, short, and well-balanced enough to keep it from ever becoming overwhelmingly difficult. While it's not quite in the same league as the likes of Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge, if you're a fan of Metroidvania titles, then Wife Quest is yet another title worth checking out on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Roland Ingram·Mar 15, 2022

Critic70/100

Agreement—

In its mission to make you listen to its music, A Musical Story practically hands you a blindfold. The story asks you to relax into its acid-trip jam-session cool, but somewhat harshes the mellow with its insistence on repeating long phrases until they’re perfect. However, it looks and sounds fabulous, and will reward perseverance and repeated plays.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Mar 10, 2022

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Those of you who were big fans of Castle Crashers or Streets of Rage 4 will find plenty to love here. Young Souls smartly mixes RPG-lite elements with a compelling story, non-linear structure, and some impressively satisfying beat 'em up combat to make for an experience that you won't want to miss. Despite some rare performance hiccups which tarnish the Switch version slightly compared to the more powerful platforms, Young Souls still proves itself to be one of the best beat 'em up titles on the system, and we'd give this one a high recommendation to anyone who enjoys a good brawler, co-op or solo.