Tag: Mini Reviews
Mini Review Gloomy Eyes (Switch) - If Captain Toad Were A Cosy Horror Game
Zom-besties
Growing up, I absolutely loved MediEvil on the PS1. The spooky yet lighthearted aesthetic really spoke to me as a child and would ultimately help foster a lifelong passion for the horror genre. So when I saw trailers for Gloomy Eyes from developer Fishing Cactus, I was instantly enamoured with the Tim Burton-esque vibes. Drawing...
Mini Review Dead Reset (Switch) - A Gory, Sci-Fi Take On Groundhog Day
What if there were no tomorrow?
Developer Wales Interactive is back with another FMV game, this time joining forces with movie studio Dark Rift Horror to present an Alien-inspired sci-fi romp with Dead Reset. Much like previous titles such as The Bunker and Five Dates, this latest effort has you make key choices at frequent intervals to influence...
Mini Review The Exit 8 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - Unnerving Horror Loop Is Worth The Budget Price
Loop de loop
To celebrate the newly released movie adaptation of The Exit 8, the Switch version has received a minor, yet welcome upgrade for the Switch 2. If you're unaware of the premise, The Exit 8 takes place in a looping corridor within a Japanese metro station. Your job is to escape, but to do so, you’ll need to keep an eye on your...
Mini Review Arcade Archives 2: Aqua Jet (Switch 2) - Classic Aquatic Racer Lags Behind Wave Race
Let’s Jet
Once upon a time, Jet-Ski games were all the rage. Arcade cabinets and fifth generation consoles were replete with these high-speed polygonal racers that sent you careening around tracks set in sunny locales with bobbing water physics. Aqua Jet was an early example of the trend and released the very same year as Wave Race 64. Now, you...
Mini Review Is This Seat Taken? (Switch) - Sit Down And Get Comfy With This Short, Simple Puzzler
Someone's sitting there, mate
I'm the type of introvert who's made an art of choosing the right seat in public places. With such honed skills, I assumed a puzzler like Is This Seat Taken? would be second nature, and I was mostly right. This adorable indie might not bring anything radical to the table, but it's a perfectly pleasant pick-up-and-play...
Mini Review Tiny Bookshop (Switch) - The Epitome Of Cosy, Perfect For Bookworms
I like big books and I cannot lie
If you’re a self-proclaimed bookworm like me, then chances are you’ve probably fantasised about packing everything away, moving to a quaint seaside town, and starting up a cute little bookshop (don’t worry, NL, I’m not going anywhere!). Well, with Tiny Bookshop, that's exactly the pitch. Developed by...
Mini Review Apex Legends (Switch 2) - A Giant Leap Over The Tragic Switch 1 Version
Pitch perfect pings and performance, pals
I love Apex Legends. I feel like I have to remind myself of that sometimes, as I'm so bored off my face with shooters in general, and don't really play online competitively anymore. I just can't be bothered with the stress and/or real emotion of it all. However, Apex Legends, once I get over myself and turn...
Puck around and find out
It's not that often that a perfectly good and functional air hockey video game drops. In fact, considering that the grotty arcade staple translates so readily to the sphere, very few air hockey games release in general. One of life's persisting mysteries, right there. However, fear not Switch 2-owning air hockey fans (which...
Mini Review WaterField Designs Magnetic Case For Switch 2 - Simple, But Brilliant
Magnets, always with the magnets
"It’s what Indiana Jones would carry his Switch 2 around in." - Jim Norman, 2025 He’s not wrong, though. The Magnetic Case for the Switch 2 from WaterField Designs looks like something straight out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s a simple, but effortlessly timeless-looking design, and should anyone see you...
Mini Review Belkin Charging Case For Switch 2 - A Great Idea, With Middling Execution
'That'll do'
If there’s one thing that’s more important than keeping your Switch 2 charged when you’re out and about, it’s a solid, reliable case to keep it safe from harm. If you imagine that you could bring those two worlds together, you’d probably be imagining something very similar to Belkin’s Charging Case. A firm, robust outside...
Mini Review WaterField Designs CitySlicker For Switch 2 - A Classic Design Lives On
Slick as ever
The WaterField Designs CitySlicker is a design that has been around for at least 10 years, and it has barely aged a day. From its full-grain leather front flap to its pleasingly voluminous rear mesh pouch, it’s a case that oozes quality and style, which is just as well given the $129 price tag. Yeah, this is not a cheap case, we...
Mini Review tomtoc FancyCase-G05 For Switch 2 - A Slim Case That Nails The Fundamentals
Set autocorrect to 'tomato'
Sometimes simplicity is key, and when such simplicity is available for a decent price ($36.99 on Amazon at the moment), that’s an even sweeter peach to sink your teeth into. Don’t bite the tomtoc FancyCase G05, mind you, although in all likelihood you wouldn’t do any damage to the console inside. Yes, it might look...
Sow much fun
When I reviewed Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma for Switch before its release, I said the newest entry was a "must-play for Rune Factory fans and would be well-enjoyed by newcomers to the series as well". Now, having played the game on Switch 2, I can safely say that Guardians of Azuma is still an inventive twist on a beloved series,...
News Time Flies, A Game About Living Your Best Life As A Fly, Buzzes Onto Switch This Month
Buzzing
If you've ever wondered "what kind of bucket list does a fly have", then Time Flies is the game for you. Launching on the Switch eShop on 31st July, this hand-drawn adventure is a little bit like a reverse Mario Paint minigame; instead of swatting the flies, you are the fly. The game will be $14.99 (or your regional equivalent) on Switch,...
Mini Review Until Then (Switch) - A Relatable Yet Ethereal Narrative Adventure
Glitch in the Matrix
Until Then is a visual novel that tells the story of Mark Borja, a high school student who grapples with the usual day-to-day of teenage life while trying to figure out why he’s experiencing weird cases of déjà vu. It’s a slow burn; one that relishes in the quieter, mundane aspects of life that many TV shows and movies...
The ultimate life form?
When I originally reviewed Sonic X Shadow Generations on the Switch, I went bold and called it “the very best 3D Sonic game so far” – a statement I very much stand by. The combination of the nostalgia-fueled Sonic Generations and the thrillingly dark, Shadow-focused expansion made it an experience that comfortably...
Mini Review Duck Detective: The Ghost Of Glamping (Switch) - A Quacking Little Mystery
I suspect fowl play
A duck stands in a fedora and a trench coat, delivering a noir-style monologue about how his recent divorce has fueled his bread addiction. If this image doesn't tickle you, then you'd better give Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping a miss. If it does, oh boy, do we have the recommendation for you. Much like developer Happy...
Mini Review Please, Touch The Artwork 2 (Switch) - Another Absurd Little Art Exhibit
Touch, I remember touch
The first Please, Touch The Artwork was a stylish puzzler inspired by Piet Mondrian and De Styjl, the Dutch abstract art movement that reached its height around a century ago. We enjoyed Belgian dev Thomas Waterzooi's cracking little curio immensely back in 2022, and this follow-up (which has been available elsewhere since...
Now rendering
Rendering Ranger R2's original release is a layered story of mystique and intrigue. Developed by Manfred Trenz of Turrican fame, it was only ever released in Japan after its American and European incarnation, Targa, was cancelled. With only 10,000 copies produced, it’s one of the rarest Super Famicom games and by far the most...
Mini Review Breakout Beyond (Switch) - A Thrilling Iteration On An Arcade Classic
Breaking the mould
Breakout Beyond comes from Bit.Trip developer Choice Provisions and sees you paddle your way through a total of 72 levels (plus an unlockable ‘Infinite Mode’), most of which are based on iconic Atari developers or IP, like ‘NOHLENN’ (Nolan Bushnell) and ‘RAH-BAHNET’ (Warren Robinett). With plentiful neon and a gentle,...
Mini Review Mainframes (Switch) - A Fun But Frustrating PC-Inspired Platformer
No doomscrolling here
Mainframes presents an intriguing premise: What if your PC desktop was its own game world? Taking on the role of a cute, anthropomorphic floppy disk called, uh, Floppy, you set off on a journey through multiple ‘biomes’ of increasing complexity in which PC windows (or frames) are traversed to reach your goal. Though very...
Mini Review Taito Milestones 3 (Switch) - Third Time's A Charm
Getting better all the time
The Taito Milestones series has already witnessed two collections (the '3' at the end of the Taito Milestones 3 is a bit of a giveaway), but the odd thing with this series is that the quality has arguably improved with each offering, rather than diminishing as the best games are featured early on. As we noted with the...
Mini Review Pine: A Story Of Loss (Switch) - An Evocative But Oddly Anti-Immersive Tale
Pining for the fjords
'Game' is a funny word. On its face, it describes lighthearted, fun, frivolous things. Even a very serious game of snooker, in which people wear waistcoats, is 'just a game' on some level. But of course video games can be very different, and Pine is one such game. The subtitle gives it away – A Story of Loss – and it does...
Mini Review Victory Heat Rally (Switch) - Great Looks, But Can't Quite Make The Podium
Scaled back ambition
When Victory Heat Rally first appeared on Kickstarter back in 2020, the game appeared set to pay homage to Sega's wonderful Super Scaler range of arcade games from the 1980s. In the four years that have followed between that Kickstarter launch and this Switch release, something appears to have been lost along the way. Rather...
Mini Review Debris Infinity (Switch) - Retro-Styled & Addictive Twin-Stick Shooting
Infinity repeating
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. A twin-stick shooter with oodles of...
Mini Review Heroes Trials (Switch) - A Solid Little RPG (Emphasis On The Little)
Trial of the sentry
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Sometimes, simplicity and a healthy...
Mini Review UTOPIA 9 - A Volatile Vacation (Switch) - Not Bad, But Hardly A Holiday
We're all going on a run-based holiday
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Utopia 9 is a...
Mini Review The Raven Remastered (Switch) - A Decent Return For A Decent Murder Mystery
Quoth this
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. A bizarre choice for a remaster, The Raven...
Mini Review Inops (Switch) - A Cute & Creative Puzzle-Platformer
Inops-rative
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Note. This game has, unfortunately, been...
Mini Review Airheart - Tales Of Broken Wings (Switch) - Charmingly Layered Twin-Stick Shooting
Learn to fly again
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Taking us to the skies, Airheart –...
Mini Review Bad Dream: Coma (Switch) - Nightmarishly Immersive Point-And-Click Horror
Bad times good
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Horror and point-and-click adventures go...
Mini Review Bleep Bloop (Switch) - A Fun Little Puzzler For A Lazy Afternoon
Don't bleep on it
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Don’t let looks fool you; despite its...
Mini Review Pumped BMX Pro (Switch) - Bland, Forgettable Biking
Flat tyre
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Pumped BMX Pro is an arcade sports game and,...
Mini Review Big Crown: Showdown (Switch) - Good, Clean, Party-Gaming Fun
Turn that crown upside down
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Note. This game has,...
Let battle commence
With the release of The First Console War, the second DLC expansion for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, developer Digital Eclipse has seemingly completed its mission to present the most comprehensive interactive documentary on Atari possible. Much like the previous expansion, this latest release lacks some of the cohesion...
Mini Review Vampire Survivors: Ode To Castlevania (Switch) - Divine DLC Is Absolutely Essential
Finally, some vampire killers
Ode to Castlevania is a full-circle moment for Vampire Survivors. Heavily inspired by the franchise, and originally built with assets influenced by Konami’s whip-cracking series, Luca Galante and Poncle have blown all of their other excellent DLC out of the water. If your jaw isn’t on the floor by the time you roll...
Mini Review RetroRealms: Halloween (Switch) - A Fun & Faithful Slasher Romp
Everyone's entitled to one good scare
The Halloween franchise is a complicated beast. You’ve got the original timeline, the Thorn timeline, the H20 timeline, the Blumhouse timeline, the Rob Zombie remakes and, finally, the adorably weird loner that is Season of the Witch. It’s all a bit overwhelming at the best of times, so thankfully,...
Mini Review RetroRealms: Ash Vs Evil Dead (Switch) - A Gorgeous & Gory 16-Bit Throwback
Groovy
Given the sheer absurdity of the Evil Dead franchise, it’s a wonder we haven’t received anything quite like RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead in the past. Yes, there have been a handful of video games featuring everyone’s favourite boomstick-wielding drunkard Ash Williams, but this latest effort from developer WayForward and publisher Boss...
Mini Review Black & White Bushido (Switch) - A Great, If Limited, Party-Game Premise
It's black, it's white
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. A unique concept that provides some...
Mini Review Necrosphere Deluxe (Switch) - A Short, Simple, Metroidvania, But Brutally Frustrating
Sphere-ry hard
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. If you’re someone who suffers from déjà...
Mini Review At Sundown: Shots In The Dark (Switch) - A Fun Little Hide-And-Shooter
One step away from you
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. A hide-and-seek multiplayer...
Mini Review Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes (Switch) - A Poor Plot Dulls Some Shiny Strategy
Ashes to caches
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Strategic RPG Mecho Wars: Desert Ashes...
Mini Review Solstice Chronicles: MIA (Switch) A MIA-xed Bag
Mamma MIA
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a twin-stick shooter...
Mini Review Atari 50: The Wider World Of Atari (Switch) - More Of The Brilliant Same
How deep does the Atari hole go?
Dubbed The Wider World of Atari, this first entry in what will ultimately be a two-part DLC expansion for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is essentially developer Digital Eclipse digging even deeper into the Atari vaults. The result is a new timeline that, while possibly not as cohesive as those found in the...
Mini Review The Shrouded Isle (Switch) - A Great Management Sim Let Down By Its Visuals
Chernobogged down
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. The Shrouded Isle has a unique premise;...
Mini Review JackQuest: Tale Of The Sword (Switch) - Simple But Effective Questing
Jack's hit
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. Note. This game has, unfortunately, been...
Mini Review My Memory Of Us (Switch) - Powerful WW2 Allegory With Patrick Stewart & Robots
Engaging
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. The unconventional cocktail of a World War 2...
Mini Review Apocalipsis Wormwood Edition (Switch) - Surprisingly Engaging, If A Little Depressing
C'mon Harry, we want to say goodnight to you
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format...
Mini Review Bedtime Blues (Switch) - Sub-FNAF Fodder, But Just About Serviceable
Survival fodder
This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format. A static horror adventure that takes the...
Mini Review Wild Bastards (Switch) - Void Bastards' Follow-Up Is A Bland Misfire
Rio Blando
2019's Void Bastards certainly fulfilled its developer's goal of "unusual, original games that always have a strategic twist." In fact, it fulfilled it so well, and with such style and confidence, we just assumed that Blue Manchu's follow-up was going to be more of the very satisfying same, if not even better. However, what we got with...
![Rendering Ranger: R2 [Rewind] (Switch) - A Novel Run 'N' Gun/Shooter Hybrid That's Finally Affordable](https://images.nintendolife.com/0e9d68643dde0/250x183.jpg)
