Last Updated: 2/2/22!
Hotshot Racing [Lucky Mountain Games] - With its low-poly look coming
straight out of classic Sega arcade titles like Daytona Racing we have Hotshot
Racing, and while it may not have incredible depth or nuance damn if it isn’t
a whole lotta fun. There’s nothing too complicated, you’ll choose from an
assortment of international racers who each have their own flair (I love my
boy Viktor), choose which of their cars you prefer, which each are tuned a
little differently for variety, and hit the tracks. This is full-on arcade
racing, with plenty of bumping and jockeying for position to put your
opponents into the wall on turns and then conserving your boost to be sure you
can fly across the finish line. The boost-building mechanic, which has you
either power-sliding around turns or drafting your opponents who are ahead of
you puts just enough technique in the picture to make you work for it and
provides a little room for skill and strategy as well. For kicks aside from
the main championships the Arcade one-off races can be switched to a cops and
robbers mode as well as elimination, helping to provide some variety as well.
It’s an absolutely outstanding old-school, fun, and great-looking arcade
racer.
Everspace - Stellar Edition [ROCKFISH Games] - As a massive fan of
the classic Wing Commander series this is a title that easily caught my eye
while it was on PC. There's absolutely no doubt that it nails the space combat
aspect very well, offering up variability with its roguelike structure, multiple
ships you can experiment with and a variety of weapons as well. While it doesn't
quite have something akin to the space opera I always enjoyed it absolutely
delivers with its solid and challenging gameplay.
Horizon Chase Turbo [Aquiris Game Studio] - Oh, to go back to the
arcades, hearing the sound of quarters being dispensed from the bill changer,
and diving into some classic gaming fun. Horizon Chase Turbo is a love letter to
arcade racing greats like OutRun (a personal favorite) but it delivers so much
more than that. With its smart pick-ups on the tracks, some great hidden
unlocked cars, and more content than I ever would have imagined it's not a
nostalgia cash-in, it's a celebration of classic arcade racing that will have
you entertained and challenged for many hours if you want to find it all. One of
my Top 10 Indie Games of 2018, this is a retro racing gem!
Skydrift Infinity [Digital Reality] - One of the subgenres I’ll say I’m most disappointed having seen ride off into
the sunset in recent generations is combat racing. It seems that the Mario
Kart series has pretty well dominated that general space for quite some time
and aside from people trying to replicate that formula (and generally failing)
there hasn’t been much to choose from. That changes with Skydrift Infinity,
which doesn’t just entertain with some great competitive combat, but also
throws in the fact that you’re trying to do this in the air, adding to the
challenge. You’ll work through a variety of events raging from being focused
on speed, to combat as everyone fights to end up in first, to elimination
races where you’ll be in a constant struggle to keep yourself out of last. Not
everything is perfect, I do wish there were more tracks available (though at
least they make full use of what they have with reverse races) and in some
cases it can be pretty easy to lose track of where you’re supposed to go and
where the boundaries are for you to race in, but the thrill of maneuvering
through tight spaces, dodging buildings, and then blowing up your enemies
helps to make up for it. If you’ve been feeling the need to race and blow some
stuff up this will do a fair job of scratching that specific itch.
Inertial Drift [Level 91 Entertainment] - While some people prefer
their racing to be a bit rough around the edges, banging around turns and
defying any sense of realism, others prefer to go the other direction and
focus on nuance. That’s certainly the case for the aptly-named Inertial
Drift, which won’t give you the arcade-like thrills of bumping into your
competitors (when you do race against a single opponent you don’t make
contact with them, they’re always effectively ghosts), but instead focuses
on skilled drifting, which offers great fun and challenge in its own
right. The big differentiator here is that the right stick controls the
angle of your drift, which is a brilliant idea, and really allows you to
have fabulously-precise control of your car through turns, and as you get
better your understanding of how best to turn versus drift continues to
evolve. There’s no doubt the degree of challenge is also higher here, but
if you find yourself struggling initially I’d very much recommend choosing
a different racer and car. Every vehicle has its own associated technique
with it in terms of how you approach turns, whether just letting off the
throttle, braking, or whatever it may be. Each feels very distinct and I
could see where different people could prefer each particular style of
racer. To top it off the hand-drawn sort of art style looks pretty
amazing, so if you prefer nuance to trading paint this may be the racer
for you.
Meow Motors [ArtVostok] - Though there’s no question that this is a
“budget racer” that can’t compete with a premium genre-defining title, Meow
Motors holds its own very respectably. In pretty well every area it addresses
the failings of its competition, providing racing that’s varied, nuanced, and
satisfying. It looks very respectable, runs smoothly, and sucked me in pretty
easily with engaging play I’ve been missing in this space for quite some time.
If you’ve been itching for a viable alternative to Mario Kart for a price that
won’t hurt your wallet, Meow Motors is absolutely the indie racer to go with.
Cruis’n Blast [Raw Thrills] - When it comes to over-the-top, crazy, and almost excessively arcade-style
racing I’m not sure anything out there can quite match the classic Cruis’n
series. Cruis’n Blast, rather than looking to make strides to evolve or
reinvent itself in any remote way, comes to the Switch fully embracing
everything (and I do mean this in the best complimentary way) stupidly
ridiculous about its lineage and puts it right in your lap whether you love or
hate it. For anyone more remotely interested in realism or tight control
mechanics you can just keep moving, this won’t be an experience for you.
However, if the thought of racing with your neon-lit and juiced-up triceratops
as you plow through your opponents, doing backflips and barrel rolls over
ramps along the way, sounds plain AWESOME this will be your jam. The adherence
to even goofy-ass things from yesteryear like every car surface being highly
reflective, something nobody would ever do now but that was all the rage back
in the day, is a sign that this port was made with respect and love. Will it
deliver hours of entertainment? That would depend on you and whether your goal
is just to “beat the game”, which could take only a few hours, or whether you
plan to enjoy unlocking and tricking out everything, sucking in the goofiness
of it all either solo or with some friends. While not for everyone, I
absolutely respect the love and care put in by the developers to honor the
essence of Cruis’n, no matter how ridiculous some of it may be to more modern
(or simply more “hardcore”) gamers.
Hot Wheels Unleashed [Milestone S.r.l] - Having spent a fair portion of my childhood playing with the
cars, tracks, and quite a few playsets there’s absolutely an element of
nostalgia in Hot Wheels Unleashed that comes in waves and puts a smile on my
face. I can only imagine what weight this collective love for the property,
and the associated expectations it comes with, put on the shoulders of
everyone working on this project. For the most part the great news is that the
resulting game is quite a lot of fun even without leaning entirely on the many
iconic cars and playsets the franchise brings to the table. Perhaps I’d prefer
an element like combat to spice things up a bit more, but going the “toy-sized
track within a full-sized environment” route does manage to help compensate to
a degree for the missing ability to blow up your competitors. It doesn’t
completely lack in technique either, as you’ll need to work on your drift
turns (which also then fill your boost gauge) and carefully manage any
situation where you may catch air or encounter transitions between a
real-world surface and the track since those can quickly lead to disaster if
you’re not careful. In terms of things that hold it back the almost
mobile-esque unboxing system and the seemingly ever-present hard sell efforts
for you to buy DLC for the game that just released can rub the wrong way. That
said, the main “local play” mode that switches up scenarios for you to unlock
gear, online multiplayer, and a track editor all help to compensate with
plenty of opportunities to explore, expand your virtual car collection, and
bask in the glory of this iconic franchise.
Retro Highway [Gearhead Games] - I’ll admit the first thing that completely drew me in with
this game was the look of the road racing itself, completely putting me in the
classic OutRun space. What was terrific though was how it delivers a pretty
unique but compelling (and often challenging) arcade-like experience, having
to weave through traffic, hit jumps, grab power-ups, and simply do whatever
you can to avoid crashing and burning. In a very mobile-esque sort of twist a
variety of objectives will encourage you to challenge yourself with avoiding
coins, some near-misses, and more which helps to keep each run from being
overly predictable. Throw in different bikes and locales that play quite
differently and this has plenty of fuel in the tank for satisfying play to go
with its budget-friendly price tag.
Super Impossible Road [Wonderful Lasers] - Rolling onto the scene and feeling like the marriage of Super
Monkey Ball, a futuristic racer, and an exercise in calculated risks and
insanity, Super Impossible Road certainly makes an impression on Switch. In
principle the goal is simple, regardless of the specific event type: get to
the goal at the end of the track as quickly as possible. Whether that’s by
trying your best to stay on the often-windy track, taking your chances jumping
off the side and trying to land on a lower section of track, or some
combination of all the above, you can bet none of the options will necessarily
be easy. One of the best ways to at least try to give yourself all the help
you can is to tune your craft with equipment that best suits your style,
usually with a focus on your grip of the track or your ability to control
yourself in the air. Whether you try to find a balance and stick with it or
even move between a few configurations to best suit the given event and track
layout is up to you. Make no mistake, the game earns its name in spades, and
racing against others tends to lead to a lot of risk-taking and paying the
price, but if you enjoy gritting your teeth and working to “git gud” there’s
nothing quite like this on the system.
The Falconeer [Tomas Sala] - Games where dogfighting takes a central sort of role have been around for
quite some time, and while there are some stand-out excellent titles like
Everspace out there that can give you that fix on Switch they still feel few
and far between. Many titles have taken the approach of stripping down story
to focus on combat, or some have been pretty in some way but relatively
shallow overall, leaving genre fans without an abundance of choices. While its
setting is more on the fantastical side, with you commanding a fighting falcon
as your steed, rather than set in space or in some sort of aircraft, The
Falconeer makes a serious attempt at providing both engaging combat and an
overarching story to add intrigue. While it doesn’t venture into the grand
territory of the likes of a Wing Commander title (though, sadly, nothing
really ever has) this is a well-made game with satisfying and somewhat unique
combat, a sense of flight that feels pretty good (though I’m thankful for the
ability to warp ahead rather than glide along for a few minutes between
objectives), and a story that may have some familiar beats but provides some
color to the action and some incentive to see things through to the end. It
isn’t perfect, but if you’re starved for this sort of experience it’s among
the short list of better options available on the eShop.
WRC 9 [KT Racing] - While simmy racing and I don’t often get along I can at least appreciate
titles that are meant to appeal to folks looking for a tougher challenge. In
the past the WRC series has always felt to me like it was on the edge of
having the entire package put together but this iteration seems to have really
found the right balance quality in all of its aspects to be worthy of
attention. Rally racing here will be a challenge to get used to as you’re not
just dealing with windy and usually narrow tracks that have no shoulder, but
then throwing in weather and surface type considerations as well. Getting the
feel of how to make optimum turns will take some investment and early on my
tendency to oversteer was also hard to get over. Behind the racing there’s
then an entire team management component as well, adding another layer to the
experience as you’ll need to be savvy about your personnel in the hopes of
making your life progressively easier with new sponsors and refinements in
your racing performance. Granted, there’s really no competition in this space
right now but if you’re bored with the relatively simplicity of the platforms
many more arcade-oriented racers WRC 9 has proven to be worthy of your time.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw [Double Damage Games] - As an old school fan of the
Wing Commander series I’m always excited to take on any new space sim
promising dogfights, exploration, and excitement. Typically new attempts at
the genre have a tendency to be incomplete in some way, lacking in their
combat, coming up short in terms of an overarching story, or just not putting
together all of the pieces in a thoroughly satisfying way. While not without
its faults in a few areas I’d say anyone looking for that nostalgic sort of
experience with Wing Commander vibes (well, specifically Privateer), or simply
someone who enjoys a well-made space sim with RPG-like elements and some
actual story will likely dig the hell out of Rebel Galaxy Outlaw. Starting out
from extremely humble beginnings, flying what essentially looks like a space
garbage truck, you’ll take on missions that offer some variety from hauling
cargo to clearing out bogeys to perhaps going on the shadier side of the law.
What you choose will carry some consequences in terms of where you’ll be able
to fly or land so don’t take that decision lightly. One of the game’s
downsides is that it can get to be a grind, working simpler missions to buy
new ships or gear, and that can make for some repetition. Don’t worry, if you
try to tackle anything outside of what you’re capable of the game will quickly
and almost rudely tell you so as you’ll get blown to bits. Combat can be
intense, but I think the left shoulder button which essentially allows you to
let your ship fly itself to pursue a target is the key to it all remaining
fun. You’ll often be taking on numerous enemies at once, so letting the ship
keep pace while periodically dodging and fine-tuning your aiming to maximize
damage is more practical than trying to do it all yourself. Feel free to try
to do it all yourself but pretty quickly I found its use invaluable to staying
alive. With a great deal of freedom, choice, and trouble to get into Rebel
Galaxy Outlaw is probably the best overall package of a space sim on the
system, delivering both rewarding combat and a story with characters that
helps to knit everything together.
War Tech Fighters [Drakkar Dev] - While there have been a few big
robots battling in space games on Switch to date none of them have quite
clicked for me. Though War Tech Fighters takes a little getting used to it’s
the first that has put the overall package together in a way that’s
compelling, if perhaps a bit repetitive. Strangely one of the elements that
made me a believer is the use of the somewhat cinematic finishers that you can
use to dispatch your enemies once their health is sufficiently low. You have a
small boost to incentivize you doing them and thankfully the wealth of ways
your mech will finish off enemies manages to make it fun, even if it ends up
stilting the flow of gameplay. While it may lean more heavily on popcorn fun
than some may prefer, a bevvy of upgrade options and a sense of flair help it
to climb to the top of the genre heap on Switch.
GRIP Combat Racing [Caged Element Inc] - Combat racing has always been
something I've enjoyed and it's also a style of play that's challenging to get
right. While its not without its flaws GRIP absolutely puts in the work to
make for a thrilling and crazy bit of racing carnage. Its gravity-defying
tracks set the base stage well but it's definitely the fun weapons and intense
moments you get while under fire that make it fun.
Manticore: Galaxy On Fire [Deep Silver] - As a total package if you
enjoy space combat there’s quite a lot to like about Manticore as long as you
reign in expectations you may have from other series. It looks great, plays
smoothly, and throws enough variety and surprises at you that it’s quite
satisfying. However, if the goal is to try to take on the best in the genre
there’s no questioning it has room to improve. I look forward to seeing more
of the series and hope they continue to flesh out more ambitious missions
against even larger-scale targets (rather than just flying around them for the
most part) and make the pilots on your wing more dynamic, interesting, and
even varied.
Skies of Fury DX [Seed Interactive] - While we'll overlook the fact that
for the most part it utterly ignores gravity as you loop through the air, Skies
of Fury DX is an excellent and often exciting dogfighting game. Playable in
pretty quick bursts, with each mission only taking a few minutes in general, it
is well suited to picking up for a few minutes and then putting back down. New
planes and loads of different cosmetic unlocks continue to keep things fresh and
fun throughout.
Mantis Burn Racing [VooFoo Studios] - If you're a fan of tight controls,
drifting, and top-down racing ala Micro Machines and the like Mantis Burn
Racing is a game you'll want to check out. While the original campaign mode
can get a bit dry and repetitive in spots the DLC pack snow, hover, and battle
packs really even out the whole package to provide a little something for all
tastes. I personally preferred the carnage of the battle mode but high-speed
thrills were also exciting and challenging in the others. The addition of
well-implemented online play is the icing on the cake.
Riptide GP: Renegade [Vector Unit] - While it has far more in common
with traditional racing games than my beloved Wave Race this mobile
conversion looks great and is generally very satisfying on the Switch. It
has a pretty solid variety in tracks that range from being very closed
courses to a few that get into open water a bit and this helps keep it
interesting. The alternative stunt mode may be a little hit or miss in some
regards but the slalom mode is an excellent test of your water-based racing
skills. Online play is included as well but for the price of admission I
found the pretty challenging single-player mode to be pretty thoroughly
satisfying.
Beach Buggy Racing 2: Island Adventure [Vector Unit] - When you load up
a kart racing game on any system, let alone the Switch, the biggest challenge
is to try to enjoy the game on its own merits and not merely compare it to
Mario Kart. Even trying to clear your mind and be open to only what has been
put in front of you though, while Beach Buggy Racing 2 has some variety in its
racing types and power-ups there’s no mistaking the feel of its more
mobile-based roots. There just isn’t much nuance or room for advanced
technique with the driving, so many of the power-ups are practically instant
hit by nature and can’t really be avoided by their target, and in the end this
all makes the experience a bit more fast food in its overall feel. That said,
the asking price is far cheaper and the lack of nuance also may make it far
more approachable to a casual crowd whose expectations aren’t set to the Mario
Kart standard.
Gas Guzzlers Extreme [GS2 Games] - Though my natural tendency is to
giggle at the use of EXTREME in any title, and I won’t try to argue that the
game’s presentation doesn’t inspire confidence, I’ll admit that I’ve had much
more fun with this combat racer than I would have assumed. Starting from the
back of the pack with a busted-ass vehicle and weak weapons, with some
determination, racing skill, and a dose of killer instincts, you’ll move up in
the world, get some sponsors, and have some fun blowing up your competitors
along the way. With combat racers being sadly under-represented in the past
generation or two I’ll at least credit GGE not phoning it in where gameplay is
concerned, the feel is good and it is satisfying to take on all comers,
including a surprise team deathmatch sort of mode it took some time to get to,
but that was appreciated. Now, the asking price does feel on the high side
given how unrefined the games looks are (for instance, understanding what
power-ups are on the track is a challenge until you’re right on top of them),
the repetitive (and somewhat lame) short list of one-liners being thrown
around, and just a general lack of polish… but if you’ve been in the mood for
some driving action and it hits a decent sale it’s well worth a look.
Gearshifters [Red Phantom Games] - This is a game that really has me
emotionally split in two, making it a challenge to review. On the one hand I
absolutely love the idea behind it, and there’s nothing else like it on
Switch. Depending on how much of a “seasoned gamer” you are you may see
elements of the likes of Spy Hunter, Road Rash, or even just classic arcade
shooters this side-scrolling combat racer. You’ll be hitting the road with
loads of enemies out there trying to stop you, and your key to survival will
be doing quite a lot of failing and then upgrading your ride with the spoils
of your runs to add new and better weaponry and support equipment, finding the
mix of gear that helps you be your destructive best. The problems? I think the
fact that it locks you into a zone once you reach it, not allowing you to fall
back and grind where you’ll be more successful, backfires. In a way it feels
like it is penalizing you for any early success, then dooming you to short
runs where you’re really underpowered and that’s frustrating. Last, while I
usually don’t make a comment on the price point, when it seems pretty
seriously out of whack it’s hard to ignore it, and the current price feels
quite high when considering the regular price of many strong indie titles out
there for half the current price (and that generally are far stronger, even if
not in the same genre and style). If just these two issues were resolved I’d
probably be singing the game’s praises far more, but right now it feels like a
“wait for a sale” proposition unfortunately.
RiMS Racing [RaceWard Studio] - Oh, the challenges of being a racing
fan on the Switch. While there have been some pretty solid titles over the
years it’s definitely one of the genres with pretty thin overall
representation and variety on the system. Bearing in mind some reasonably-good
recent arcade-style racers RiMS Racing is a title in a completely different
direction, going for a pretty hardcore simulation style that is about far more
than just the action on the track… and whose overall difficulty level on it
won’t be for the patience challenged. You won’t just be doing the normal team
and equipment management, there’s a really hands-on aspect to the maintenance
of your ride, having you actively participate in a mini-game-like way breaking
down or assembling your bike components and even jumping into the role of a
member of your own pit crew. It’s a big swing sort of move that I’d imagine
people will either love or hate but I respect the choice that’s been made to
run with the simulation angle at full speed with no hesitation. If you’re on
board with the heavy management and participatory elements the only other
warning is that the racing controls can be very fussy, in particular with the
lack of analog triggers for acceleration and braking making for a challenge in
feathering them both to avoid throwing yourself off your bike. If you’ve grown
bored of arcade racers this moves as far in the other direction as you could
ask. It may not be as accessible as perhaps would have been wise, smoothing
out its rougher edges, but it’s unapologetically committed to doing things its
own way.
SnowRunner [Saber Interactive] - Realistic all-terrain driving games are an odd breed that has emerged in
popularity in more recent years, and to date hasn’t been represented too well
on the Switch. They can be hard to get used to at first as your enemy isn’t
another driver or often even the clock, instead the focus is on simply
overcoming the elements and a variety of horrible driving conditions to break
through and deliver your loads. There’s no doubt that the controls in
SnowRunner aren’t perfect, for instance trying to figure out how to turn on
the headlights was an odd challenge until finally the game prompted me on how
to use them after I’d been struggling in the dark for quite some time. I
wouldn’t say this is a mainstream sort of experience by any means, but
recognizing that it’s a legitimate form of play in the genre a chunk of the
public appreciates, it would be a shame to dismiss this pretty challenging and
engaging driving title that will reward people who stick with its often slow
pacing.
Monster Truck Championship [Teyon] - Having never really seen the
appeal of packing into an arena to witness the over-the-top smashing, bashing,
and ear-splitting volume of monster truck madness games trying to bring the
experience home have typically fallen flat for me. While Monster Truck
Championship isn’t by any means a great racing game in a traditional sense, it
does a good enough job with what it has to work with to make it consistent and
reasonably challenging though. One advantage Championship has over the
competition is that it works with 3 different event types in its circuits to
diversify its challenges and which also allow you to struggle in some types if
you’re strong in others. Racing is interesting and can also be a real
challenge as managing the way a truck like this turns at high speed is tricky
and in particular you’re prone to oversteer. Freestyle events are more in line
with what most titles have focused on before, with you trying to stunt your
way to a high score by flipping, rolling, and then smashing anything that gets
in your way. Chaining combos is what it’s all about here, which can be rough
if you blow a stunt, but it can be fun when you’re on a roll. Somewhere in the
middle is then the last event, a sort of monster truck drag race where a solid
start, careful turning, and keeping focused on a clean run gives you the win.
Throw in full ride customization, sponsors who’ll pay you if you can complete
specific goals, and a management layer where you can customize your team to
try to help give you a boost here or compensate for a weakness there, and it
is a solid attempt at an appealing total package… even if it overall remains a
niche-y experience.
Bow to Blood - Last Captain Standing [Tribetoy] - More than anything else the positive of Bow to Blood is that it’s thoroughly unique, offering up an experience I can’t say I’ve ever had. The mix of controlling the ship, managing your crew, engaging in some combat, and then trying to plot to get as far in the competition as possible will keep you on your toes, though after awhile the missions will begin to blend together a bit in you mind as they don’t tend to play out that radically differently. If you’ve been aching for something that’ll offer a new challenge and a dose of negotiative intrigue it’s worth a look and should satisfy at least for a little while.
Pressure Overdrive [Chasing Carrots] - I’m a bit on the fence on Pressure Overdrive when it comes to scoring. One the one hand it’s a very unique idea and for the most part it works well, and offers you enough choice to allow just about anyone to find gear that works for them. On the other it has its moments but on the whole the races begin to feel a bit repetitive, not doing enough to differentiate from each other after a while. If you’re a fan of arcade racing and shooting this combination of the two may be good for some fun, but if neither are something you get super excited about it may not sustain your interest for long.
Redout [34BigThings] - Redout is a pretty impressive racing experience
that does a great job of conveying speed. Depending on your tastes, what is
sacrificed to maintain that feeling of screaming down the track will lead to
very different impressions. Without the color-coded boosting of Fast RMX or
the consistent combat of GRIP Redout stands on its own as the most pure racer
of the bunch, just understand that even though there’s a fair amount of
content and plenty of tracks none of it will matter if the game doesn’t
fulfill what it is you’re looking for in your racing title.
Rise: Race to the Future [VD-DEV] - Since there’s a general lack of
racing games on Switch, in particular those that aren’t cart racers of some
kind, it’s always good to see another option available. With its very attractive
and polished looks Rise gets quite a bit right, pulling you in with its visuals
while also including some solid track variety to keep things more interesting.
Unfortunately, without any elements of combat on one side or a greater degree of
nuance as a technical racer on the other, after a while the excitement starts to
wane which leaves the game somewhat in the middle of the overall pack, certainly
not without merit but feeling a bit too vanilla to make it a must buy.
Snowboarding: The Next Phase [Session Games Inc] - For the price the
level of polish on this title is impressive and if you set your expectations
within its limits it’s a pretty strong experience with quite a lot of content.
Unfortunately, if you’ve got nostalgia for the more complete titles of years
past this likely will only tease you with glimpses of those experiences but
never really reaching those heights from a lack of ambition. I hope to see a
new title in this series return that tackles those challenges. Pretty well all
the pieces are there, they just need to now be taken to the next level.
Aqua Moto Racing Utopia [Nacon] - Overall, as a huge fan of the Wave Race series, I’m a bit split down the middle on Utopia. There are things it does quite well and it gets points for bringing big waves to the party with some technically-challenging tracks you’ll need to maneuver well in to win. Most of the tracks are good, some are a bit lacking, but a few also move in the direction of brilliance. The most troubling issue is definitely with the frame rate while in docked mode. It isn’t constant and it isn’t crippling, but it can be difficult to miss in places. Thankfully if you don’t mind or even prefer handheld mode that becomes far less of a concern. While it isn’t a replacement for the series I love I’ll give it credit for ambition and not being a game where you race on a blue track like many other series have done. If you understand what you’re in for and have a love for racing in the waves it is certainly worth your consideration.
Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers [Pocket] - Anyone who had a NES back in the day
should probably remember RC Pro-Am and the great racing it offered up. While not
completely the same by any means Chiki-Chiki Boxy Racers is probably the only
game I've played since those days to give me that vibe. While it likely won't
take you long to get through all of its circuits and the Party modes are cute
but not terribly deep the somewhat unusual control style it uses works like a
charm and it can be fun to unlock new vehicles while it lasts.
Pilot Sports [Z-Software] - Fans of the classic PilotWings have no
doubt been upset that Nintendo really hasn't returned to the series now in
quite some time. While Pilot Sports doesn't quite have the polish of those
titles it does do an excellent job of delivering many of the same sorts of
core gameplay experiences it's famous for. Flying a plane, working with a
tricky jetpack, and a few other experiences are represented here in a way
that's fun but can also get to be quite challenging as you progress.
Sky Rogue [Fractal Phase] - As a whole package, Sky Rogue is very attractive in a very retro-esque kind of way and manages to set itself apart from the other aerial combat titles already on the system. With its focus generally concerning larger and tougher targets, rather than skirmishes with other smaller and quicker aircraft, it’s more of a planning and execution title than a “seat of your pants” one. You can certainly be reckless and try to make an aggressive run while ignoring everything but your target but that strategy only works for so long before you’ll get lit up badly. If you’re looking for a wide variety of aerial combat that’s a little lower on thrills per minute but can be satisfying in its more methodical nature Sky Rogue is a solid option.
The Next Penelope [Aurelien Regard] - As a whole The Next Penelope looks
like a racer but plays out in a way that blends in elements of adventure and
relies on strategy in a variety of ways. If you’re struggling in a particular
level the issue will usually revolve around over-use of your powers and running
too low on energy so judicious use of both should always be on your mind. While
it may not be an experience for everyone if you’ve been looking for something
different to throw several hours of unexpected challenges at you The Next
Penelope delivers.
This list will continue to grow and be pruned as time goes on, as well as numerous other lists that try to keep track of all of the best titles the Nintendo Switch has to offer in the Indie space!
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