Title: Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Aqua Style
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America/Unties (Japan)
Release Date: July 17th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is a classic rogue-like dungeon crawler RPG. This is part of a franchise that already showed up on Switch before in Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle, but that was more of an action arena fighting game. So how is this game? Let’s find out!
Title: Heroki
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Picomy
Publisher: Picomy
Release Date: July 20th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Picomy
Here’s a charming little 2.5D platformer starring a little blue guy with a propeller on his head named Heroki. This is created by a small team called Picomy who actually contributed to Level Design in Sonic Mania, true story!
In fact, this game originated on iOS and was even published by Sega. However the Switch version had no involvement from Sega, though Sega are still credited in the credits which you can view from the main menu. So how is this game? Does it fly or does it crash and burn? Let’s find out!
Title: The Lost Child
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Crim/+02/Kadokawa Games
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America
Release Date: June 19th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is a game by the creator of El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. That game was made over at UTV Ignition and specifically Ignition Tokyo. Now that Ignition is no more, the creator decided to work with Kadokawa Games in Japan from Crim to make a more classic dungeon crawler-style game similar to Etrian Odyssey, but also with seemingly some visual novel elements. How does this game fare? You know the drill, time to find out!
Title: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nihon Falcom/Nippon Ichi Software (Switch version)
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America
Release Date: June 26th, 2018 (NA)
File Size: 14.8GB
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is a game few Nintendo fans ever expected to see on Switch. Falcom are infamous for their reluctance in supporting Nintendo hardware, and only ever support Nintendo platforms via handing their games to other devs and publishers. We saw this last time with Gurumin 3D on 3DS by Mastiff (in fact check out my review on that game!). Luckily Nippon Ichi Software took the initiative and went to Falcom and they themselves arranged to get a Switch port of Ys VIII done, and they did indeed, and now it’s here!
Nippon Ichi Software America handled the localization on PS4 and Vita, and after some bumps in the road, and with their Japan HQ handling the Switch port directly, how did it all turn out on Switch? Read on and see!
Title: Happy Birthdays
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Toybox/Tabot
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America/Arc System Works (Japan)
Release Date: June 5th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is a game that was created by Yasuhiro Wada, the very same man who created Havrest Moon (well technically Bokujō Monogatari, as its current English name is now Story of Seasons). This started out on PS4 and Steam under the name Birthdays the Beginning.
This is what some might call a “god simulator” or a “god game”, because your job is creating and nurturing many forms of life, from plankton to mighty dinosaurs and other animals. You also control the passage of time, form the world you’re given, etc. It’s a very big job, but how does it fare? Let’s find out!
Title: Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: YummyYummyTummy, Inc.
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America/Arc System Works (Japan)
Release Date: May 29th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is a game created by Spencer Yip, who some may know as the founder of the popular gaming news site Siliconera. This is actually a two-pack of games previously released on PS4, Vita, and Steam; Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion, and Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire. What’s this game like and is it fun? Read on and find out!
Title: Urban Trial Playground
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Teyon
Publisher: Tate Multimedia
Release Date: April 5th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Tate Multimedia
Urban Trial is a series that began on PS3 and Vita as Urban Trial Freestyle. It was later released on 3DS to huge success. So huge in fact, that Tate decided to make the sequel Urban Trial Freestyle 2 a 3DS-exclusive. Teyon were recruited to develop the second game, and now both teams are again working together on the 3rd game exclusively on Switch. How does this game fare? Does it drive smoothly or does it crash with hilarious rag doll physics? Let’s find out!
Title: Danmaku Unlimited 3
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Doragon Entertainment
Publisher: Doragon Entertainment
Release Date: March 13th, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Doragon Entertainment
This is a classic-style shmup (shoot-em-up) in the style of classics such as Ikaruga. In these games, it’s a one vs all sort of fight where you’re a lone ship armed with multiple blasters with infinite ammo. Does this game soar across the stars? Does the Empire win? Let’s find out!
Title: Penny-Punching Princess
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software America
Release Date: April 3rd, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Nippon Ichi Software America
This is the second game by NIS/NISA that I’ve reviewed! Anyway, this is a pretty different game than The Longest 5 Minutes. While the former is a more traditional JRPG, this game is more of a beat-em-up with RPG elements, and is ALL about money. So does this game check out? Does this game offer a nice change of pace? Let’s find out!
Title: Toki Tori 2+
Platform: Nintendo Switch eShop
Developer: Two Tribes
Publisher: Two Tribes
Release Date: February 23rd, 2018 (NA)
Review copy provided by Two Tribes
Toki Tori is a little yellow bird (not related to Tweety) that was created by Two Tribes way back in 2001 when he debuted on the Game Boy Color. Then at around 2008 he made his comeback with a remake of that game on WiiWare in beautiful Donkey Kong Country-esc pre-rendered graphics. Then on April 4th, 2013 Two Tribes released the sequel Toki Tori 2 on the Wii U eShop. Two Tribes actually then only a few months later on September 12th, 2013 released an enhanced version, free of charge for Wii U owners of the game titled Toki Tori 2+.
Unfortunately the game’s extended development caused the budget to balloon and the sales didn’t make up for the increased costs, and thus caused the team to heavily downsize to the point where after their follow-up game RIVE (also on Switch eShop), the team would no longer create new games, just re-release their prior games as needed. RIVE on Switch was ported from Steam by Engine Software (the same team behind Toki Tori 3D on 3DS eShop), where as Toki Tori 2+ on Switch is actually by Two Tribes themselves.
So with the history lesson out of the way, how does the game fare? Let’s find out!
