Reviews:
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If you’ve been looking for the best brick breaker on the Switch, look no further… this is it
As an old-school arcade fan who grew up in arcades and has played on many home systems over the years, my love for a good brick breaker is deep. The problem is, since the release of Arkanoid in the arcades decades ago nobody has really done a significant amount to push the genre forward. There are certainly some variations I’ve enjoyed, including Strikey Sisters as a fellow indie shout out, but none have taken the subgenre to the next level. Shattered Remastered Deluxe changes that, taking some big swings in multiple directions to establish a new baseline expectation for what these games can be. Certainly the relatively small but smart scoring changes made are a nice touch, for instance making your score higher by opting to play more than one ball at once. Match that scoring component with global leaderboards and multiple modes to explore and you have a sustained reason to come back to it. The major revelation though, and one that adds a dimension to play that is a game-changer, is the ability to alter the trajectory of the ball. This takes some time to get used to, but especially in tough challenges like boss fights, it can make an enormous difference with you being able to essentially “juggle” the ball carefully. Not only does that greatly reduce the risk of losing a life, it can be somewhat thrilling as you can very actively take control of the situation rather than waiting for everything to come to you. Pulling all of this together and slapping a more-than-fair budget price on it, the developers behind Shattered Remastered Deluxe should be commended for showing the way forward and helping this classic subgenre to remain relevant and exciting.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [9.0]