Switch
Here we have all the games in the Switch Section.
Switch
RPG
Very modern looking RPG in terms of its unusual, yet effective and striking, visual look. The combat allows the players to get involved and show-off a move or two. Characters futures are affected by the in game decisions.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Cave’s creation shows it still has plenty to offer with its unique Gothic graphical look that feels different to other shooters. Superb package to bring it to new platforms and display its charming attributes.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Not sure when a hard rock riff became de rigueur for shoot ’em ups, but it certainly helps to grit ones teeth through the bullet hell. Lovely parallax scrolling often reveals the boss in wait which is ominously circling in the background.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
The chain meter clanks up as players shoot down adversaries to help boost score for the cool trigger-fingered gamers out there. The Akiba influence is definitely there too as players are assaulted from enemies from high school girl assailants to mecha maids. But underpinning the pink bullet eye candy are solid shooter mechanics and some sturdy level design. The on the ground vehicles keep players eyes twitching between multi levels as tanks grind along and trains whiz by. The water transparencies are exquisite too as ships fly out from under the surface having trailed the players vessel. But the slender Switch’s raw power is also harnessed to make the bosses perform the odd 3D rotational twist workout. Also known as Dodonpachi Resurrection.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
M2 hears Genki’s cry for a Super Easy mode to go with the Arcade difficulty. The graphical style looks superb with the foreground vehicles lovingly realised and the Gothic style to the chacters making this ooze its STG style.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Claustrophobic caverns and tunnels under gigantic bosses as they skim overhead make for an intense experience. A feel of Darius’ organic amphibious bosses and superb attention to pixel perfect detail.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Claustrophobic caverns and tunnels under gigantic bosses as they skim overhead make for an intense experience. A feel of Darius’ organic amphibious bosses and superb attention to pixel perfect detail.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Another superb shmup release in the series with the human character used, as opposed to mechanical ship, adding much to the connection between player and intriguing character. It also seems to help create a greater sense of vertical depth. A real labour of love.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Back once again after the delightful PS2 and 360 versions and bursting with ideas and inventiveness, enough to put the spark back into the most jaded of veteran gamers, if not a pink bullet or two. Checking out the abilities of online players may just make you want to hide away in a deep, dark mountain in Genki’s case, but the game is full of wholesome Cave loving and sunshine.
🥇Game of the Week
Game of the Week Switch
Shoot Em Up
To truly celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gradius (or Nemisis) comes this mighty compendium tribute to the master blaster with Gradius, Gradius II, Gradius II, Life Force, Salamander, Salamander II and Salamander III. A true labour of love for the series fans with the different regional versions plus plenty of modes included such as training, easy mode and a tour of the graphics that make up the series.
Switch
Simulation
Stunning tribute to the saucy Saturn title with four adventure games making up the bumper limited edition pack. This cos-play inspired dating simulator came with a yellow label warning on the Saturn. Hats off to City Connection: its great to see these memories being revived.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shoot Em Up
Highly unusual graphical style with psychedelic characters and brash colours make this feel like a manga dream gone awry. Full of vibrant fun and originality from first credit to game over.
🥇Game of the Week
Game of the Week Switch
Shoot Em Up
Truly crazy psychedelic shoot ’em up – think Jet Set Radio meets Shibuya street style with some seriously colourful colour schemes thrown in for good measure as Mebius throws a full roster of projectiles at players. A real cult following since its Wii days and well worth a look for those looking for a shooting blast off the usual scale.
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Truly crazy psychedelic shoot ’em up – think Jet Set Radio meets Shibuya street style with some seriously colourful colour schemes thrown in for good measure as Mebius throws a full roster of projectiles at players. A real cult following since its Wii days and well worth a look for those looking for a shooting blast off the usual scale.
Switch
Puzzle
Funky, colourful and vibrant graphics bring the indie band and love quest elements of this devilishly simple puzzle game to life.
Switch
RPG
Plenty of platform action in this RPG with combat sequences that are very reminiscent of Guardian Heroes in appearance with big, bold and brash protagonists. Very colourful and fast-paced.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Image Fight, Image Fight 2 and X Multiply make up a trio of highly cherished shoot ’em ups to grace this compilation. Hardened shooters veterans may well have sampled Image Fight and its PC Engine sequel on the PC Engine, but X Multiply is well worth a look as an old school coin-op with imaginative, organic levels.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Image Fight, Image Fight 2 and X Multiply make up a trio of highly cherished shoot ’em ups to grace this compilation. Hardened shooters veterans may well have sampled Image Fight and its PC Engine sequel on the PC Engine, but X Multiply is well worth a look as an old school coin-op with imaginative, organic levels.
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Gunforce, Geo Storm and Air Duel are the trio that launch the second instalment of Irem Collection with all guns blazing. Gunforce is a take on the mighty Contra licence, but this time with mech style power suits and massive adversaries to test the architecture to the limits. Tough like Konami’s opus with one hit kills, yet some supreme weaponry soon gets players in the necessary gung-ho spirits. A few tactically placed vehicles also help – its always a joy to tear through enemy lines in motorised, marauding machine. The two-player mode also lifts moral with a bit of teamwork. The coin-op sequel feels like it inspired Metal Slug with its further use of vehicles and some sublime parallax scrolling to boot. Arcade Air Duel looks initially like a 1942 vertical scrolling tribute, before the developer reveals their license to go off the rails with imaginative adversaries.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Gunforce, Geo Storm and Air Duel are the trio that launch the second instalment of Irem Collection with all guns blazing. Gunforce is a take on the mighty Contra licence, but this time with mech style power suits and massive adversaries to test the architecture to the limits. Tough like Konami’s opus with one hit kills, yet some supreme weaponry soon gets players in the necessary gung-ho spirits. A few tactically placed vehicles also help – its always a joy to tear through enemy lines in motorised, marauding machine. The two-player mode also lifts moral with a bit of teamwork. The coin-op sequel feels like it inspired Metal Slug with its further use of vehicles and some sublime parallax scrolling to boot. Arcade Air Duel looks initially like a 1942 vertical scrolling tribute, before the developer reveals their license to go off the rails with imaginative adversaries.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Irem does have a sublime line of arcade shoot ’em up heritage to raid and this third instalment proves there is plenty still to come with the PC Engine fave Mr Heli, coin-op exclusive Mystic Riders which utilises a broomstick for close up blast encounters and finally Dragon Breed which utilises the shield element of the dragon’s tail in its blasting escapades. Really bring the flavour of the arcade era home to savour.
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Irem does have a sublime line of arcade shoot ’em up heritage to raid and this third instalment proves there is plenty still to come with the PC Engine fave Mr Heli, coin-op exclusive Mystic Riders which utilises a broomstick for close up blast encounters and finally Dragon Breed which utilises the shield element of the dragon’s tail in its blasting escapades. Really bring the flavour of the arcade era home to savour.
🔜Pre-order
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Much-cherished Milestone shoot ’em up gets a Switch reboot and there are Hitchcock overtones for this crow related shooter. Utilises power ups for the shot, sword and shield giving it a strategic element. Known as also ‘Crows’ and ‘Karous’.
🔜Pre-order
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Much-cherished Milestone shoot ’em up gets a Switch reboot and there are Hitchcock overtones for this crow related shooter. Utilises power ups for the shot, sword and shield giving it a strategic element. Known as also ‘Crows’ and ‘Karous’.
Switch
Shooter
Few will forget their first blast on Kikikaikai. The initial barrier was to be able to pronounce it to the local importer in the pre-internet days. And despite being just the early nineties, few gamers were sufficiently cross-pollinated with games of its ilk to understand the ensuing cultural chaos. Not that it requires understanding with fast paced shooting fury the order of the day. Yet a randy raccoon tanuki friend that can deflect shots with his tail did raise a few eyebrows. The Shinto inspired Japanese blaster draws on mythology as necks extend inexplicably and one-eyed umbrella ghosts hop past. Cultural references aplenty all in a luscious sprite-based world driving gamers on to see more. Unrelenting pace as you the priestess battle against all the evil of underworld armed with nothing more than a purification branch. A Super Famicom classic well-worthy of this fine update and hopefully new and old audience with new playable characters. Known in the West as Pocky and Rocky Reshrined.
Switch
Shoot Em Up
Horizontal and vertically scrolling shooting action besides a bit of free style 360 blasting courtesy of the mecha suit levels. Looking just as lush as you would expect from one of the biggest licenses in gaming, the attention to graphical detail and avatar input is astounding and squeezes so much out of the system and Macross license.
🔜Pre-order
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Mamoru Kun has a dedicated following from its Xbox 360 days and its easy to see why with appealing artwork, colourful characters and pick up and play shooting gameplay that hides devilish edge. Well worthy of reviving for the Switch – a haven for shoot ’em up fans.
🔜Pre-order
Preorder Switch
Shoot Em Up
Mamoru Kun has a dedicated following from its Xbox 360 days and its easy to see why with appealing artwork, colourful characters and pick up and play shooting gameplay that hides devilish edge. Well worthy of reviving for the Switch – a haven for shoot ’em up fans.
Switch
One on One Beat Em Up
A veritable dojo of martial artists and super heroes with the full roster being made of: X-Men, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Capcom, Marvel vs Capcom 2 and The Punisher. Only The Punisher hasn’t featured on Genki in previous format releases being a coin-op, but the Final Fight format will feel very much at home to Capcom connoisseurs and cognoscenti.
Switch
Action
Attaining new levels with its all out action gameplay as the player’s mech is often dwarfed by the ginormous bosses that need to be taken down. The sense of destruction and the all out pyrotechnic action make for an adrenalin filled, explosion-a-minute thrill.