Nintendo Switch Lightning Round

I've left this too long. How about a quick blast of stuff I've been playing on Nintendo Switch? Right, 3, 2, 1...

Super Mario Oddessy

​

This game made me glad I'd brought a Switch. I'd brought a 3DS and a Wii U and appreciated the hardware but the Switch is making me love it. Nintendo could be doing so much better right now but they're First-Party Games are not the issue here. Music is excellent, it's a genre I like that doesn't get much airing in today's market that manages to introduce new twists on established ideas and it's got some tough as nails parts in it to boot.

The enemy capture mechanic is great fun to play around with, making plenty of puzzles varied and fun. Mixing up mechanics from puzzle to puzzle feels natural. It opens up some fun and often bonkers opportunities. A must have.

Steam World Heist

​

A 2D, turn-based strategy game where you play as a bunch of steam-powered robot space pirates looking for precious gallons of water, a precious commodity for the robots that need it to survive. Think Worms but if every character was a gunslinging cowboy as the most important elements of combat tend to be about cover and circumventing cover by the use of trick shots where the bullet bounces off the walls and lands a target. Surprisingly engrossing, Steam World Heist should keep anyone looking for a fun adventure through space happy till the end.

It's pretty, it's decently funny and features cameos from Steam-Powered Giraffe, one of my favourite bands. It's normally dirt cheep and often on sale. Pick it up.

Arms

​

The theme song alone gets me excited to play this creative and charming upgrade to Wii Boxing. Which you'll remember was the best game on Wii Sports. However, flinging your arms around to bash costumed crazies will need a little more temperament as the game expects far more from you than a simple dance. Characters all have unique abilities that can be further augmented with dozens of swappable fists, each with different characteristics to tune in what you're comfortable doing in a bout. Throw in a beautiful art direction, up-tempo music that gets you pumped up, co-op and online multiplayer, Arms give you an excellent package.

If there's anything to dent it somewhat, it's not a whole lot of game for over £40. This is not a hugely single player game and you'll only be able to spend that time unlocking new fists to use in a Smash-style Championship mode. Bare that in mind.

KAMIKO

​

An adorable Hack 'n' Slash modelled after Link to the Past in terms of controls and appearance but centers around the journey of a shrine maiden attempting to use holy weapons to fight demons. A time honoured story, probably somewhere.

Honestly, it's just good. Mechanics are simple but engaging as enemy placement and variety is large enough to keep you guessing. Bosses have fun quirks. And the game looks good. And on top of that, it's pretty cheep.

Has-Been Heroes

​

I played this for about ten minutes and put it down again. I was not interested I'm afraid. Imagine if Darkest Dungeon and Plants Verses Zombies was smooshed together into a vague RPG about repelling hoards of oncoming enemies. It feels a little overly complicated and didn't hold my attention for very long. More because it's not my thing than anything wrong with the game itself.

Subsurface Circular

​

A clever and enjoyable detective game about talking and collecting keywords to progress dialogue-based puzzles. It's a simple idea; you talk to people and get picked out words and phrases added to a list that you can then freely ask others to gain more information about them. It's simple but very effective with some funny and memorable moments as you attempt to unravel a mystery of a missing friend.

The best achievement is giving character to scarcely featured robots. Though, the guy behind Thomas Was Alone seems to know a thing or two in that area.

Mario and Rabbids Kingdom Battle

​

BETTER THAN IT HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE! I make that statement in Canterlock because I'm sure you looked at it and dismissed it as another Rabbids game, desperately clinging to the Mario IP for sales but no! People cared on this one! Probably whoever came up with Rabbids, Go Home, the other Rabbids game worth writing home about.

In short, it's X-Com for the Family Entertainment crowd but with changes that actually complement the characters involved. Movement is emphasised over everything and the shooting is simplified down to allow for positioning to drive every aspect of the combat that matters. It's honestly so much fun and I cannot wait for the DLC so I can go back to shooting things in the face.

On top of this, the levels look gorgeous as well as manic, as it's supposed to be a world created by an experimental device going horribly out of control, transforming Rabbids and the contents of a young girl's mario themed room into a confused nightmare. It's also a pretty funny game, with Beep-o being the star with a surprisingly dry, sarcastic wit for a game like this. Also, the rabbids are actually funny. Mostly because they actually have jokes now. My favourite is Rabbid Peach.

Bravo, the one team at Ubisoft being allowed and able to do a good job.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

​

It is good. Bleat, bleat! Baaaaaaaaa! I am joined the heard and sing game praises! Baaaaa!

OK, a little sarcastic but this is still good. And I'm sure you're sick of people telling you that. There's actual freedom, there's stupid bananas amount to do in just the vanilla game alone. But if you go for the DLC, there's one that lets you earn an ancient technology motorcycle in the shape of a unicorn.

It's the most difficult aspect of the entire game and will put everything you've done so far to the test. But, weird, unsure-if-out-of-place motorcycle.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

​

BUY IT! IT IS BEST PUZZLE GAME! Again, use of Canterlock because I'm sure you've over looked it for it's cutesy look and the fact that you only recognise one of the games on the box. BUT! It's actually a mind-melting mash up of two puzzle games I never thought could ever go together. The first times me and my flatmates tried playing the game mode where you have Puyo Puyo and Tetris happening at the same time, on the game grid, caused the room to heat with the effort of our thinking.

Puyo Puyo might be better recognised as Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine as it's the same game but with a cuter skin on it. Multiplayer is fun, with a load of slower but still taxing modes and a single player mode with an absurd story about interdimensional travel I decided I didn't need to pay attention to in order to enjoy the many challenges it offers. Try it out and feel your brain have to vent steam within a few seconds.

Splatoon 2

​

It is Splatoon 1 with some tweaks and a new single player mode. It's all right. There's a co-op hoard mode that pops up occasionally, stats for gear has been messed around (there's no longer a generic 'up attack' or 'up defence' ability on anything) and there's improved matchmaking if you want to play as a group apparently (never tried it). I do like the fact that you can earn gear you want by taking abilities from one piece of gear you buy and adding it to others. I also like earnable boosts to experience and money gain, making grinds a little shorter. Otherwise, it's Splatoon Plus.

That'll do for now. I'm playing through some other things like Pokemon Quest (feels more like I'm a gang leader than a 'trainer' or a 'treasure hunter') and Heart and Slash (seems fun through something about the Rogue-Like Elements seem off) and Disgaea 5 Complete (I keep imagining the voices of the Prinny sound like Zoos from Gravity Falls ("Uh, we can take on any demon if we believe and kick the crap out of them with the most dangerous weapons of all, dood: numbers bigger than theirs!")). Maybe Splatoon 2's DLC will be something special too. See ya about, doods!