Twinworld Game Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘Switch’

TAITO has been known for creating amazing video games such as Arkanoid, Bubble Bobble, and Space Invaders, since the early 1970’s. In 1987, TAITO brought us The Ninja Warriors, a side scrolling action game for the arcade venues, and later on, the home consoles. The arcade version included a 3 screen display for players to enjoy their ninja action in a unique wide-screen format.

In The Ninja Warriors arcade game, you controlled 1 of 2 robotic ninjas created by an anarchist group led by Mulk. The ninjas were built to assassinate Banglar, the Tyrant president of the United States, who has issued martial law and given total control to the military.

On October 15th, TAITO released The Ninja Saviors: Return of The Warriors in North America on the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 home consoles. This release was a reboot of their 1994 sequel, also titled The Ninja Warriors, which was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Instead of going with a modern art style, TAITO chose to remain faithful to the original release and keep the 16-bit art style while improving on the actual game resolution and animations.

With many companies bringing older 2D titles to modern consoles with 3D character models, I’m quite happy that TAITO didn’t go the same route. Sure, the game might look good if a lot of effort was put into the 3D models, but that has not been the case with many of the reboots from other companies. The character animations in The Ninja Saviors are quite smooth and the background artwork is fantastic. I’ll take gorgeous 2D artwork over mediocre 3D character models any day of the week!

The Ninja Saviors include 5 ninjas for you to pick from, with 3 being available from the beginning. Each ninja has their own move set which consists of basic attacks, aerial attacks, specials, etc. One example would be the red ninja, who is able to unleash a round of shurikens in front of her by spending some of her stored up battery power. The ninjas are also able to block many attacks, as well as pick up various objects in a stage to use against their adversaries.

The game consists of 8 stages, each more challenging than the last. As you progress into the later stages, previously defeated bosses are thrown into the mix to push your skills to their limits. With how challenging the game can get, you need to make sure your reflexes are as fast as ever. During my play-through, I didn’t notice any major frame-rate issues and the character movement seemed to be on point. The load time between stages was minimal as well, which is always a good thing.

Another addition to the title are online leaderboards and a Time Attack mode. In the SNES title, you had a timer that counted down in each stage that you were in, pushing you to complete the stage before it hit 0. With the reboot, the counter is now going up. If you can beat the game without dying (as you only get 1 life before having to re-pick your ninja), your time will be uploaded to see where you rank against fellow ninjas. Since you only have the 1 life to get onto the leaderboards per run, you’ll want to utilize the items placed throughout the stages to help replenish your health and battery power. As you complete each stage in normal mode, a time attack mode will unlock for that stage. This allows you to challenge each stage individually for the best time instead of going through all 8 stages each run.

The game does have 2 difficulty modes, normal and hard. Hard mode is locked when you first start the game, but will unlock after you’ve beaten normal mode at least once. The game also allows you to customize your controller buttons, which is something folks are always happy to see included. The developers included an option to enable / disable blood effects, which is something the SNES was known for having removed from many titles that were published to the console. While the SNES version was only a single player game, this reboot provides you with a local co-op mode so that you and a friend can unload some ninja mayhem on the enemies together.

The developers have included multiple high quality audio soundtracks in this reboot, but only 1 is available by default. Luckily the game tells you what you’ll need to do to unlock the other soundtracks for your listening enjoyment. Multiple language options are available as well for those who want to play the game in a language other than English.

The Ninja Saviors include a built-in manual which is a nice touch. The pages list each ninja’s move sets, so you don’t have to randomly press buttons to figure out which button does what. I am surprised that the manual shows off the character moves for the 2 hidden ninjas though right from the start, which essentially spoils what the 2 ninjas look like. I would have preferred that the manual hide those pages until the appropriate ninja was unlocked.

TAITO has done a wonderful job in bringing The Ninja Warriors to modern consoles with their reboot of the SNES classic. Even though the game can be completed within an hour or 2 once you’re familiar with everything, the unlockable difficulty modes & bonus characters help justify playing through the game multiple times.

Between the graphical improvements, audio soundtracks, new game play modes, online leaderboards, extra playable characters, and revised character move sets, this is one reboot you don’t want to miss out on. If you enjoyed The Ninja Warriors back in the day, or if you’re just looking for a challenging side-scrolling action game, make sure to check out The Ninja Saviors – Return of the Warriors!

Stuttgart, October 21, 2019  – Stuttgart, publisher Strictly Limited Games, specializing in the release of strictly limited physical Collector’s Editions of digital games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch, today announced the limited Standard and collector’s edition of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, the sequel to the 1986 video game classic Bubble Bobble.

From Sunday 27 October, both editions for Nintendo Switch can be pre-ordered exclusively from the Strictly Limited Games online store. The limited Standard Edition will be offered with an exclusive cover and individual numbering at a price of 39.99 Euro. The Collector´s Edition will celebrate the origins of this milestone in video game history in a very special way. Accordingly, it contains numerous items about Bubble Bobble and its history, which have been translated from Japanese with great attention to detail in order to make them accessible to fans and collectors. The Collector’s Edition will be offered at a price of 89.99 Euro.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, the latest game in the popular Bubble Bobble series, includes the original Bubble Bobble Coin-Op version from 1986 in addition to the 100 stages in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends – this means that there will be 100 more stages in the original Bubble Bobble with original music, sound and visuals in addition to the 100 stages in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends.

The Strictly Limited Collector’s Edition of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends includes the following exclusive fan items from the Bubble Bobble universe:

• High-quality collectors box with magnetic closure
• Original soundtrack from TAITO’s legendary “House Band” Zuntata (includes the soundtrack from Bubble Bobble 4 Friends and the original music from Bubble Bobble)
• Hardcover book, providing fascinating insights into Bubble Bobble
• 2 sheets with a stylish marquee and artwork stickers
• Bubble Bobble Instruction Card
• Bubble Bobble Arcade Flyer

As an additional bonus, the Collector’s Edition is shipped in a special retro-style cardboard box – a tribute to the classic packaging of vending machine circuit boards in the 1980s and 1990s.

Starting October 27th, collectors and fans of the games series will be able to pre-order the 3,500-piece limited Standard Edition or the 2,500-piece limited Collector’s Edition of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends for Nintendo Switch.

Source: PR Email

19 October, 2019 – Indie publisher Digerati and developer Failbetter Games are thrilled to announce that Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One in Q1/Q2 2020.

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition will be joined on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch by Sunless Sea: Zubmariner, which is already available for PS4, later in 2020. All of the console ports are being developed by Nephilim Game Studios.

Sunless Skies is Failbetter Games’ third title, following 2015’s Sunless Sea and the cult browser game Fallen London, which launched in 2009 and is still free to play at www.fallenlondon.com.

Sunless Skies was successfully funded in 4 hours on Kickstarter, and went on to raise a total of £377,952. It launched into Early Access in August 2017.

Originally developed for PC, Mac and Linux, Sunless Skies was released in January 2019. It was rated 9 at launch by Edge magazine, 90 by PC Gamer, and Essential by Eurogamer, and has a Metacritic score of 86. It has been named among the best games of the year so far by the Guardian, Paste Magazine, The AV Club, Gamespot and the Guinness Book of World Records.

About the game

SAIL THE STARS. BETRAY YOUR QUEEN. MURDER A SUN.

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition is a Gothic Horror roleplay game with a focus on exploration and exquisite storytelling. Ready your star-faring engine, and venture into an expanse of hostile factions, lurking deities, forbidden knowledge, vast fortune, and fates worse than death.

Key features

• A narrative RPG set in the Fallen London universe.
• Explore four regions: celestial wilderness, impossible industrial empire, pagan midnight expanse, and the mysterious Blue Kingdom.
• Choose your crew and your fate. Reveal your captain’s history and skills. Change and be changed by the world.
• Danger lurks in the heavens. Fight or flee from sky-beasts and enemy ships,  and balance fuel, supplies and hunger to carve out a life in the skies.
• 800,000+ words of intertwining stories with a depth and richness unlike anything else in games

Source: PR Email

October 17th, Warsaw, Poland – Embark on a journey to find the answer to the meaning of life. QubicGames and Kayabros proudly presents Soul Searching – a narrative survival game with an experimental vibe.

About Soul Searching:

Soul Searching is a narrative survival game where you control a lone traveler who sails from homeland to an endless sea. On the way, you’ll visit different islands, discover stories of their people, and learn about souls and dragons.

At its core, this title is all about surviving in a hostile world as a peaceful traveler. You must deal with hunger, thirst, and energy. You can fish, customize your boats and even cast magic spells. There is no one single correct way to play. Discover every mystery of this world on your own. You might get lost, but it won’t take too long to find your way in the end.

Outside the gameplay, the main goal is to think about your life. Soul Searching conveys feelings that rarely appear in games. It deals with themes like growing up, isolation, search for meaning, and direction. It’s a personal expedition deep into your soul.
Outside the main story, you can try a multiplayer in the random mode where up to 4 players work together on generated maps. More players mean more resources needed to survive – cooperation is vital. Also, there are seven other short stories that experiment with different ideas about gameplay and storytelling. Be sure to check them out; you may find them exciting and innovative.

Features:

• Single-player mode with a deep and emotional story.
• Random mode for 1 to 4 players that randomly generates a map and requires players to work together to survive.
• Creatures at sea: dragons, killer whales, and more.
• Many islands, some inhabited with lots of people who have intriguing stories to tell.
• Magic skills that let you survive at sea more easily.
• Player appearance customization.
• A day-and-night cycle that affects the gameplay subtly.
• Bonus short stories with an experimental vibe.

You can now preorder Soul Searching on Nintendo Switch. The game will be available on October 25th.

Source: PR Email

IRVINE, Calif. – October 17, 2019 – Lacking mental focus in your daily life? Maybe the best medicine is to try your hand at two mind-bending puzzle games – Ichidant-R and Columns II, now available as part of the SEGA AGES line-up for the Nintendo Switch!

Neither of these titles have ever been released in the West, so this is a fantastic opportunity for many of you to try out them out for the very first time, either locally or online. Whether you’re battling your friends in incredibly bizarre mini-games with Ichidant-R, or find yourself gripping the Joy-Con like a vice while playing the Infinite Jewel mode in Columns II, there’s plenty of amazing value here to indulge in!

About Ichidant-R

Originally released for Japanese arcades back in 1994, this unique spin-off from Bonanza Bros. features a compilation of wacky mini-games that require sharp thinking and quick reflexes, all set in a fantasy medieval backdrop where you must save a princess from the Demon King. Experience “puzzle and action” in this definitive party game.

About Columns II

Match jewels, fossils, and disks as you take a voyage through time in the second installment of this fun and exciting puzzle series. Control the falling pieces and aim for three-in-a-row in any direction to clear the screen before they stack to the top. Switch between multiple game modes, like “Flash Columns” where you target flashing jewels and unlock secret Jewel Case characters, or “Versus Columns” that pits friends against one another.

Ichidant-R and Columns II are now available individually on the Nintendo Switch eShop in the Americas and Europe for $7.99 (with commensurate European pricing).

Source: PR Email

BOSTON, MA – Oct. 17, 2019 – 3D puzzler Kine, the solo project from BioShock Infinite’s Senior Technical Animator and co-creator of Flame in the Flood Gwen Frey, launches on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and the Epic Games Store today. Kine will also be a launch title on Google Stadia when the service goes live next month.

In the streets of a theatrical and vibrant city, a band of personified instruments embark on a journey to become musicians. This hand-drawn dreamscape is filled with an original jazz soundtrack, a touching narrative, and difficult 3D puzzles. More than 100 complex challenges await Roo the Accordion, Quat the Drum, and Euler the Trombone.

With their own passions, abilities, and characteristics, this ragtag group of instruments will face a variety of hardships as they progress through this complex and colorful city and toward their big break. Complete side quests to build their relationships or head to the main stage where Roo, Quat, and Euler must use their unique abilities together to solve the most challenging puzzles and prove themselves as a band.

Kine Key Features:

• More than 100 increasingly difficult 3D puzzles
• Diverse and whimsical cast of playable instruments, each with their own personalities and abilities
• Rich narrative about following your dreams
• Hand-drawn visuals accompanied by an original jazzy soundtrack

“What if a puzzle could make you smile, or make you laugh? These are the sort of puzzles that I wanted to make,” says Gwen Frey, Creator of Kine. “I wanted to make something that invokes feelings not only through words, but through gameplay as well.”

Kine is available now for $19.99 USD and supports 9 languages including English, Spanish, German, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Source: PR Email

Don’t let this collection get away! The arcade experience comes home with Psikyo Shooting Stars Bravo for Nintendo Switch on February 18, 2020!

View these six classic shoot-em-ups in action in the latest Gameplay Trailer:

• Samurai Aces Episode I
• Samurai Aces Episode II: TENGAI
• Samurai Aces Episode III: SENGOKU CANNON
• GUNBIRD
• GUNBIRD2
• GUNBARICH

This red-hot collection is available for preorder now on the NISA Online Store, with newly revealed art cards—a must for any serious collector.

Source: PR Email

Bucharest, October 16, 2019 – KillHouse Games are pleased to announce that Door Kickers: Action Squad, the crazy action side-scroller that pits Law Enforcement against bad guys and unspoken horrors, will finally launch on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 October 24th, and Nintendo Switch October 28th, 2019!

Door Kickers: Action Squad is an old-school side-scroller with a touch of strategy and tactics on top of the ridiculous SWAT style action. Literally kick the doors down, blast the bad guys and rescue hostages in explosive Single Player and Coop Multiplayer – with Couch play included. Launched in late 2018 on the PC, the game brings the full experience to consoles while also adding one new chapter with 12 new levels (The Slums) and a fun new playable character (the Off-Duty Guy). The new chapter and character will be available on PC as well as a free-for-all-players upgrade.

Door Kickers Action Squad is currently available on PC. It launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 October 24th and Nintendo Switch October 28th,2019.

Source: PR Email

San Francisco, CA – October 16, 2019 – Zen Studios today announced that its ever-growing library of digitized classic Williams and Bally pinball tables will soon expand by two – just in time for Halloween – with the Williams™ Pinball: Universal Monsters Pack. Featuring Monster Bash and Creature from the Black Lagoon, this scary-good two-pack of Pinball FX3 DLC arrives on Tuesday, October 29 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows 10 and Steam. Mobile users can play through the Williams Pinball app for iOS and Google Play.

Players can reunite the creatures of the night in Monster Bash, and get ready to rock! They can rebuild Frankenstein, dig out The Mummy, unleash a full moon for The Wolf Man, spell out D-R-A-C-U-L-A, lure Creature from the Black Lagoon up from the slimy depths, and get Bride of Frankenstein to wail about her ball and chain.

In Creature from the Black Lagoon, players can experience all the excitement of Universal Studios’ classic monster flick with the fun of a drive-in movie date. Nostalgia meets high-tech pinball wizardry on this table, and the results are breathtaking.

Both tables will be available as classic simulations, in addition to re-mastered versions, featuring interactive and animated iconic Universal Monster characters. Williams Pinball: Universal Monsters Pack also includes the flipper physics system that debuted in Williams Pinball Volume 4, further perfecting gameplay.

Source: PR Email