Bridge Constructor Portal - Review

I enjoyed the previous Bridge Constructor games, and this portal version of the game was something different to try with the franchise. I have always liked these type of games for getting the brain going, getting me thinking about what my next step is or how am I going to tackle this next obstacle.

The basic idea for the game is that you have to try and build a sturdy enough structure to allow a forklift over it without it collapsing. There are 60 levels to complete with levels getting progressively harder the further you get into the game with more and more items coming into play as obstacles for you to build over or around.



You will find that when playing this game that there are going to be a lot of failings, and when I say a lot, I mean it. I lost count of how many times I managed to fail levels, but the idea behind it is to make tweaks to your design and try again. If it shall fall once more, back to the drawing board. This was the same on the previous Bridge Constructor and I liked the fact that they’ve stuck with the core gameplay here.

There is a tutorial to the game and this guides you through nicely, teaching you the essentials and getting you ready for what lies ahead. Things aren’t thrown at you quickly, and new introductions are done quite timely in a way to not overwhelm. Which I have to admit was a kind of blessing, especially after mentioning above about the failings you’re going to suffer, the game allows you to get used to things, while still not making it stupidly easy, it keeps you at a level before bumping it up slightly and introducing something new for you to play with.



The latter stages can be tedious and get a bit repetitive. The further you get into the latter stages you will start to find that levels start to take a little bit more time to complete, sometimes taking up to 50 minutes to an hour to complete. This is all down to failings and having to tweak your design to make sure that your forklift can get across.

Button and touch controls are good, they are well thought out and do the job, however the zooming of the camera isn’t the best and you can tell that it would be better suited to using a mouse for it as it does need precision, and there is a lot of clicking what has to be done when it comes to placing the items you want, which isn’t the best for using a controller and again can become tedious.



I found that the use of the Portal license has fallen a bit flat. Jokes don’t really hit the spot and it seems that they’ve decided to thrown this onto it after. Suddenly deciding when the levels are designed that they need to add a little more to it, it doesn’t hurt the game and the game is still fun, it just feels like something is missing and it could have been used a lot better than it has been.

Bridge Constructor Portal is a good game, just like its predecessors it hits the spot in terms of an enjoyable puzzler, it plays well on the Switch both docked and handheld and if you like your puzzlers and haven’t played any of the other games in the series, that won’t matter. This is a good of a starting point as any and if you enjoy this, I would recommend the other games in the series.

7/10

Aperion Cyberstorm - Review

Aperion Cyberstorm is a twin-stick space-based shooter which has 3 available modes for it. Campaign, which is basically as it says on the tin, it's the story mode for the game, there is a versus mode which is a game mode for you play against your friends or against AI opponents and includes 8 different game modes within it, and finally there is an onslaught mode where you have to survive as long as you can.

The campaign mode for me was the bulk of expedition for this game, and within this mode, it is your task to try and find members of your team who disappeared 2 years earlier. Lovely. There are 6... count them, 6 difficulty settings for this game, 3 of which are unlockable. What kind of got me about this was, do you need 6 difficulty settings? Surely with 6, there isn't going to be much difference between them? I have to say though, saying that I can see the good and the bad with it. The good being that if you wanted to tickle your way up the difficulty settings it is a good way to do so instead of going from 0-60 in the click of your fingers. The bad being, could you really play this game 6 times over just for slight boosts to the difficulty? After playing it, I would have to say no, for me, the campaign was only there to be played once. I'll explain why further in the review.



Throughout the campaign, you can collect different abilities and ships, each of which will give new or enhanced perks to take through each level. I did have some issues with the game, particularly the campaign and this was down to the atmosphere that was created with the story. There wasn't any, it was lacklustre at best, I'm meant to be getting pounded left, right and centre by enemies and the music is as calm as anything, nothing to heighten the tension and what was going on, big enemies would appear and you would think that something was about to kick off, but nope, nothing untoward here, just going about my day as normal killing things.... The game needs that tension for space battle, it's meant to be a rescue mission, not a toddlers lullaby.

Speaking of enemies, nothing really posed a challenge to me, I had it on the middle setting, which I think is the average difficulty, but I didn't really have any issues, enemies didn't really cause a problem as long as I was moving about while shooting, they seemed to die quite easily. Which was nice.

The overall story I found quite dull, it was meant to be this epic rescue mission which I think because of the lacklustre atmosphere created meant I didn't really care whether I saved the members of the team or not. Which if I'm honest shouldn't be the case, it should be there to grab you, drag you in and want to make you find the team, but as the game didn't really give any self-importance to the mission, I didn't care about what I was doing, just flying around these levels shooting stuff up. Which in the grand scheme of things, got a little boring.



Level designs and the lighting used is an interesting one, there is only a certain amount of area around the ship that is shown the rest of it is dark, so sometimes you can't see whats about to come up around the next corner, which did make things interesting as sometimes you might have to make quick manoeuvres to get out of enemies way.

Onslaught was a mode that I enjoyed, just playing against wave after wave of enemies and trying to get as high as I can each time. You can earn stars with the mode and this helps to unlock more maps for you to play in, the longer that you stay alive the more stars you will get! It's a simple mode, but for me with the type of game this is, it works quite well.



Overall, within the campaign there is a lot of room for improvement, the tension and atmosphere created for the story just aren't there and a shaking screen to represent an explosion just isn't going to cut it. The game does have a saving grace within its Onslaught mode, which is entertaining and a time guzzler.

Crimsonland - Switch Review

Crimsonland is a top down twin stick shooter which pays homage to Old School Doom through the promotional image for the game.

When you start the game you have 2 options, A Survival Mode and Quest Mode. Survival mode is as you would expect, going through level after level trying to survive wave and wave of enemies. However, to get the most out of the survival mode you will have to trawl through the campaign, which I have to admit did get a little repetitive and stale after so many levels.



Crimsonland does try and hold onto you to go ‘Just one more game’ but unfortunately as the levels become more of the same it gets harder to want to keep going in a single sitting. The main objective of the game is to kill whatever is on the screen at the time until the progress bar at the top of the page is full, at which point the level will end and you can move on. There are a fair amount of weapons to try out throughout the game which unlocks as you go through.

From the not so trusty pistol to the all-out full auto rifles and shotguns there are plenty of weapons to choose from and as you’re in each level you can swap and change if an enemy is going to drop one for you. It’s not just guns that are dropped, there are other items as well, such as nuclear blasts, which causes a massive explosion and any close enemies will be instantly killed. There are others as well that can give health, freeze time/enemies etc. All aimed at helping the greater good, and if used correctly and timed right can be a great help if you’re getting overwhelmed. However, I will say that the enemies didn’t really cause me any problems and they were more of a nuisance than anything. The enemies do vary but not by much, you’re either looking at zombies, spiders or lizards. As you get further along, you do start getting spawn/portal points which enemies start to spawn out of, and these do need to be dealt with rather swiftly.



Also throughout the levels, perks will crop up once the blue bar has been filled which does add a little strategy to the game, as you have to think about the best course of action for yourself at that point, so whether you need to freeze, have more accuracy, health etc. If the world is getting busier for you and it’s going to be harder to clear it, then you may go for health or maybe freeze your enemies to help rid of a few of them.

When in a level, as mentioned above the only objective is to kill what’s there and fill the progress bar, that is it, there is nothing else to do within the level. There aren’t any altering aesthetics such as buildings, anything to navigate, just a big square with different backgrounds to show the environment, which was pretty disappointing.



Despite some of the visual and aesthetic disappointments, when the action picks up, it can get tense with waves and waves coming at you and the further you progress the more it ramps up the action and making use of the weapons, perks and drops becomes more important.

You can see what Crimsonland is trying to do, and I have to admit it is the type of game that was designed for the Switch, to sit in handheld mode on the sofa, but doesn’t take anything away from the game as it plays well in both handheld and TV mode.

5/10

Venom Nintendo Switch Racing Wheels Review

When playing Mario 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch, there might be times when you want to play with someone else, however, you only have the standard joy cons available to use.

Now, from playing with just the joy cons between 2 of us in split screen, I can say how uncomfortable they were to play with, it didn't take long for my hands to start to cramp up and the ZL and ZR buttons to become awkward to use. I think this is partially down to the size of a person's hands, I have rather large hands, whereas my wife has tiny mouse hands and she found the joy cons quite comfortable to use, but awkward after a while.

This is where the racing wheels come into play for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I was out having a little perusal of the gaming section in my local supermarket, looking at Nintendo section I noticed these Vemon racing wheels, and my family being keen Mario Kart players, I thought £12 for 2 wheels, you can't go wrong. Hopefully, they will make the experience a lot more enjoyable.



I had a pro controller with me, so the 2 joy cons could slip into the wheels and this allowed for my mum, myself and my wife to enjoy an evening of Mario Kart. First impressions of the wheels when I took them out of the box was that they were a nice size and lightweight, which was good as I didn't want anything that was going to be too heavy while I was holding this for the races. Especially as we ended up playing every track available (I think my mum was getting a bit competitive as she kept asking for the next lot lol!)

I will be honest though, I didn't expect much from the wheels, especially something that was going to be as simple as this, but I was quite surprised by them, the bumpers on the back were an added bonus, they were a good size as well as very responsive. This for me is an excellent design choice and has been well utilised.



The joy cons were also very easy to fit into the wheels, slot the back part down first, push on the front and bobs your uncle. Ready to go. The joy cons aren't going to fall out either, there nicely placed in the wheels but not to snug that it becomes a crystal maze quest to get them out again.

Another box that was ticked for me was the comfort factor. The wheels made the joy cons feel a lot larger and for my big ham hands, it was a joy to play with and I will be using them a lot while playing Mario Kart 8.



The wheels although lightweight feel sturdy and quite reinforced, and I can imagine these being good with little kids playing around with them and getting a little rough. I don't think these would break too easy, although I'm not one to try and find out.

Overall, a very good set of wheels, especially for playing Mario Kart 8 on Switch, they're sturdy, comfortable to use and all round a good buy to get those multiplayer races going.

 

Super Mario Odyssey - Review

Super Mario Odyssey is one of the most highly anticipated releases this year. The story follows Mario as he once again has to save Princess Peach…. Surprise Surprise… Ok, let’s calm down Cilla…

Bowser intends to marry the princess, however, there are a few things he needs before doing so. A dress, a cake, some flowers… Gotta be prepared for the big day!

You start on Bowser's ship trying to rescue the princess, but end up getting kicked over the edge and his cap being crushed and thrown with him. Cappy follows him and turns into a new cap for Mario, however, he isn’t there out of the goodness of the heart, Cappy’s friend is still aboard Bowsers ship being used as Princess Peach’s Tiara. So he has a mission as well.



The game proceeds with you going through different and varying Kingdoms to try and find Moons which you are using to fuel your ship which is called ‘The Odyssey’.

The Kingdoms that you visit are beautiful in each of their own varied ways, the colours that are using are bright and vibrant and used to perfection, each Kingdom as well is also very much brought to life in its own way by the people/enemies that are living there. There are people who you can speak to around each kingdom that will give you hints as to where moons are, either that or you can find talkatoo the parrot and he will give you a subtle hint as to where a moon is.

When you have finished the story for each Kingdom, Toad and the Amiibot show up by the Odyssey to also give you a hand, although the Amiibot does require an Amiibo to help you out. I had the Wedding Mario Amiibo to try out with, which marked a Moon on my map as well as gave me a Wedding outfit. Some Amiibos, when tried out on this, will give you bonuses, and you can also use them at any point, when I tried it with my Wedding Mario he sparkled as though he had just had a star and the music kicked in, which was awesome to see and hear!



Throughout each of the kingdoms, there are some points where you go back into 2D old school Mario, which was a brilliant addition to the game, and if you died in the 2D version is played the original music as well, which when I first heard it send goosebumps down my arms and brought a smile to my face, I didn’t care I had just died, that sound was just unexpected and I couldn’t have been happier to have heard it.

The biggest element of the game is Cappy and his ability. Being able to throw Cappy on pretty much anything and either take control of that item or gain a moon/coins from it is brilliant. It’s not only about the throwing and controlling things though, it’s the abilities that it brings to Mario. There is a completely new dimension here, as you can throw Cappy and then find yourself doing bigger jumps or putting jumps together to get somewhere that you normally wouldn’t have been able to reach. Cappy can also help you defeat some of the enemies within the world which is useful… One thing I loved about Cappy is in one level making the ultimate Goomba tower!  The power!!!

In Mario games you’re usually collecting just one set of coins, however in Odyssey there are 2 sets to collect, the usual gold ones and now purple ones, which are Kingdom specific and can only be used in the Kingdom they’re collected in. I have to admit, I wasn’t really seeing the point in them, items in the shop were just split into 2 and you could use one or the other to purchase, however, there were different items with each person, but I feel that they could have just used the one and had everything with the one shop. One reason I think this has been done is that to make it more difficult to be able to collect everything quite quickly. The game wants to prolong some longevity and this is one of the things that does it.



Also, with collecting moons, some don’t become obtainable until you have completed the story within the kingdom itself or the whole story arc for the game. So in that sense, the game will have you going back if you want to collect all the Moons that are available.

I have to admit that after finishing the story and going back to look for all the Moons, it did get very boring, the worlds are brilliant to revisit and to not burn myself out on each Kingdom I would chop and change to different ones to try and keep the game fresh. However I will say that I love the open world aspect to this, being able to go anywhere in the Kingdom from the moment you land is brilliant, getting stuck into the puzzles and exploring is brilliant.

The overall plot to the game is very linear as you go from one Kingdom to another, however, the openness of each Kingdom makes up for this as there is so much to do on each. Each Kingdom does have differing number of moons which can be checked through the map to see what your progress is.



One of the levels that was a game changer and ramped up the enjoyment was the Metro Kingdom and New Donk City, the city is so full of life and the amount of things there are to do in this level is simply astonishing, I don’t think I’ve even scratched the surface of it, and I have to admit that the festival part of the game was one of the best moments in gaming I have experienced in a very long time if ever! Simply brilliant.

With the theme tune as well, Nintendo knew they were onto a winner with this one, it is included in the game at a certain point, but the fact that they’ve put the lyrics within the physical case shows they had a lot of confidence with this being a hit. It also made my wife very happy who continues to sing along with the Lyrics… She is my 1up girl … Ha!

There is no doubt that Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece, a bit of repetition with what you have to do, however, the varied Kingdoms that you end up landing on makeup for this as there is so much to see and do that you kind of forget that you’re only there for the moons!

9/10

Violett - Nintendo Switch Review

Violett is a story about.... you guessed it, Violett. A girl whose family moves into a new home, with her parents arguing she heads up to her room and while she's sat on her bed notices something glowing in the hole in the wall, when removing she notices it's an amulet of sorts that suddenly sends her to an unknown world.... Down the rabbit hole, Alice? No? Just me that thought of that reference?

Anyway, Violett notices that the Amulet thing shes found is incomplete... Enter the mission for the game. You have to complete it, this is the only way that Violett is able to get home.



The game is a point and click adventure game and I usually find these quite laborious and frustrating as I usually find myself just trying to click on everything I can or throw everything in my inventory around until it does something. There is still a lot of this in Violett, however, thanks to the little help guide that you can call upon you can get little handy graphical hints and tips in no time to help you move onto the next part. The best thing about these is that they're totally free and you don't have to collect or pay anything to get them, just there for whenever you need them.

The designs of each level as well is good as the game does a good job visually of what is going on as well as other things, such as when the cursor turns to a hand to indicate that something can be interacted with, it's very clear for you, just whether it's helpful to move onto the next part is another matter. However, it is always good to remember the different items as they could come in handy later on in the level.



The detail that has also gone into each level is simply brilliant as well, the colours and layout, the weird and wonderful things that have been included in the game as well such a giant caterpillar adorning a man's face who happens to be fencing with spiders... Yup. You read that correctly. I like the colours and design of each of the levels, it kind of gives me a Tim Burton sort of feel to it, which I will admit I love the artwork from his films such as Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride etc.

The game does offer 2 controls schemes with it, one is using the touchscreen and the other is the left joystick to move around etc. However, I will say that none of them felt 'comfortable' to use. The touchscreen setting was quite sluggish in that the responsiveness that it gave wasn't the best and when using the joystick, it felt like I was dragging my feet at times and not very fluid, which for a game you're constantly moving around the screen with a cursor, it should have been a lot more fluid in its approach.



The game is your classic Point and Click adventure game, however for me there was far too much clicking, mainly because I didn't want to constantly use the hints, I wanted to be able to try and do things myself, but I found myself getting far too frustrated at times and having to use them. Even then though sometimes I would look at the hints and just be like, huh?

If you're into your Point and Click adventure games I would recommend this as your going to enjoy it, if you're not really a fan then I would stay away as the frustration would be all too much.

6/10

Time Recoil - Switch Review

Time Recoil is a twin-stick top-down shooter, the story consists of you having to go back through time

to save different people and change the course of history, and as always there is a bad guy at the centre of it all, this time he is called 'Mr Time'.... Has a ring to it right?... Time travel.... Mr Time.... I'll stop...

As mentioned above, you go through time, to stop Time. Each mission has you either collecting intel, securing scientists, or assassinating someone to try and change the course of history. As with most games, TV shows, etc you don't just go back in time and kill said person taking a dump or in the shower. Nope, you go after there organisation and take the long way around things, but then I guess it wouldn't be a game if we did that?



From the start, the game has you gripped and puts you straight into the action. I found very quickly with this game that you had to be quick with your shots as well as finding cover, which in some levels where there are explosives all over the place that can be rather difficult, however with each kill you get time slowing down, which can be a great help when there are multiple enemies about. As you go through the game, you open up special attacks such as dashes which can help you break through walls and enemies.

The controls for the game are simple enough, RZ shoots, the sticks move you about and LZ does your special dash move. The game does feel buttery smooth, however when there are lots of explosions going on the game does tend to stutter, however, I am actually undecided as to whether that's because there are enemies being killed by the explosions, or it's a drop in frame rate. The jury is out on that one, I would like to think it's time slowing down because the explosion is killing them.



I love the music from this game as well, because it's set in the 80's it brings in that nostalgia of those 80's action films Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark etc. Loved those films, and Time Recoil does give that nostalgic sense at times.

There are several options available within the game, you can go in and do the story mode, which as it says on the tin, takes you through the main story, there is then the Time Attack mode which is re going through the levels and trying to do them as fast as you can. However, you can only do the Time Attack levels once you have completed them through the story mode, so it probably is best to go through the story first and then go back and do the Time Attack mode. Time Recoil is a bit limited in what you can do after the main story, but if you're one for pushing yourself and trying to better your score, then the Time Attack mode is going to be good for you and there are plenty of levels in it to keep trying.



You have several difficulty options within the game: Standard for those who want to play casually, hardcore for those who like a challenge and then murderous for those with a death wish. Murderous does become available after playing through the game.

Overall I thought it was a very good game, graphically it does look a bit wooden, however for what the game is this is this can be forgiven. Time recoil is a thoroughly enjoyable experience and one I would highly recommend to anyone. Good work 10tons.

7.5/10

 

Binaries - Switch Review

Binaries released last month on the Nintendo e-shop adding to what is already a very strong list of puzzlers, and not only that but high-quality puzzlers, and I have to admit that I didn't have high hopes for this game, I thought it was going to be one of those just to add to the numbers. But I have been pleasantly surprised by what I have played of it.

The main aim of the game is basically, there are 2 balls.... an orange and a blue one and you have to get them from one side where they start to there respected finishing stands. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

Well, I thought that too, the first few levels lure you into a false sense of security, making you think 'ah this isn't too bad...' before suddenly realising that you're not in a clapped out old car but a Porsche and you can actually hit 0 to 60 in only a couple of seconds and you're looking at the level you have to do and how to get the balls through it as though quantum mechanics are going to required to solve the issue. I have to admit that the game had me sweating on a few occasions, I had died about 33 times trying to solve this, I had had my eureka moment, but just couldn't get it to work, I knew this was how I did it, was confident of it, but it just wouldn't come off.



Timing in this game is crucial, getting the balls in the right place, or knowing which to move first will probably mean a few deaths first before you manage to get it, or know what the hell that you have to do. What was more frustrating was there were some levels that I was dying loads and loads on, but when I finally figured it out, I was kicking myself for not seeing it sooner, and that's what this game does, it likes to make you think that the levels are harder than what they actually are.

I liked the little messages that were placed within the levels, giving you hints, or which were just random messages that didn't mean anything... Or maybe they did and I just didn't get it... Who knows! It goes with the complete craziness that is this game. There are times where the game tries to mock you by saying things like "You're doing well at this... Too well...." and then on the next part going "That's slowed you down..." - These did make me laugh, sometimes there was a guffaw!



Now, onto the controls, both balls are controlled by one controller, and it took me a while to realise that and take the controller out of the holder and use one Joy Con singularly... I honestly nearly gave up with the review as I couldn't figure out what was going on.... Then it dawned on me... Stupid Joon!

Controlling both balls with one controller is what really puts the mind bender to this game, mainly because both balls do exactly the same when pressed on the controller, both jump and move and do the same thing, so using the environment to control movement was essential in some levels.

The music was very enjoyable and I think at some points it helped stopped me from completely raging out on the game, but this was a good rage, as the game was doing what it was designed too, and that is to be challenging while at the same time laugh at you for your stupidity and move choices.... Hence the 30+ deaths on a lot of levels.



I have to admit that I liked the game, it was challenging and for me, it was something different to play. I also have to admit that I don't think I've said the word balls so much in one review and it to be a good thing... Balls.

If you like challenging puzzlers, and also once complete going for speed runs through the game, I would highly recommend this game.

7.5/10

FIFA 18 - Switch Review

Every year we always know that the usual suspects are going to turn up, FIFA is one of those, but this year saw the franchise return to Nintendo with a version for the Switch.

Quite eager to see how this version turned out, especially since it was the first year that Ultimate Team (FUT) had been included on a Nintendo console. What intrigued me the most about trying this version was that in previous years, the last one being FIFA 13 for the Wii U, was pretty basic, nothing really special, the Xbox and PlayStation versions would always eclipse the Nintendo versions.

This is where the Nintendo Switch version has a test to pass, having played the PlayStation 4 version extensively as well, I can say that it is a joy to play, the gameplay being smooth, animations are brilliant, but I digress, we're here to talk about the Switch version.



First thing I noticed when I started up the game and got to menus, were the options that were available to me. FUT was there, brilliant I thought, I personally love FUT, takes me back to my card trading days at break times in school.... Anyone got a Shiny to trade? There was a career mode, Kick off and local and online seasons. For what is being classed as a portable version, it does have a fair depth to it.

One noticeable absentee from the lineup was The Journey. Due to the Switch not being able to handle the Frostbite engine, a new engine has been created for the Switch to allow FIFA 18 to run, which also meant that this version wouldn't be able to have The Journey. (Could they do this for Battlefield?) Sad Times.

How does the game feel to play I can hear you shouting. Well, I will say that the game plays OK, I'm finding that the game doesn't have that sharpness that other versions have. Passes going in totally the wrong direction to where I'm sending them.



Goalkeeper animations are a little rusty and wooden at times and look like they're from 2/3 years previous, I have found that Goalkeepers do seem really easy to beat, especially from distance with the ball not moving very fast, hopefully, this is something that can be patched as I'm finding myself shooting from distance and scoring really easy goals, which is just encouraging me more to do it, who doesn't like a 30/40 yard screamer?

However, I will say that for what the game is, it is decent. I have happily taken this into work with me to enjoy on my breaks, and I think this is what is going to appeal to most gamers for this. The portability aspect, going on a long car journey (when you're not driving) you can sit back and relax and enjoy some games in your career unless there are 2 on the road trip with a Switch and FIFA and you can go all out on Seasons! Nice.

That being said though, you do get the feeling that you're holding a full console version in your hands, yes there are always going to have to be limitations but as EA has shown, there are workarounds for this.

A disappointment I can't ignore on this version though is FUT. Squad battles which have been included in this years Xbox and PS4 version is missing from the Switch version. A mode which I very much enjoyed as it has helped me to build a decent side there and it would have been nice to have seen this here. Especially as it's the first year that FUT has been included on a Nintendo console, it could have helped players to build up, get used to packs as well as create more transfers, because at the moment, the last time I checked there were only 35k transfers on Switch compared to the 6 million on PS4. This is probably to be expected, however, I would have thought it might have been higher, and the asking prices because of this are at least 3x the price on the PS4 version, which is a bit of a sting in the tail when trying to get a decent squad together as it has taken me a lot longer to try and get some players together.



The career mode included is the same as FIFA 17, again, because of the lack of Frostbite the new negotiations haven't been able to be included, so it's all done through email, same as previous versions.

The game looks decent, it does have a fair bit of crispness to it, but it just lacks the edge and some of the textures are a little bland, an example of this would be the crowd and the grass, little things, but it is the attention to detail that matters.

However, I will say when you look at it, you can see where this version fits into Nintendo's philosophy with the Switch, easy to pick up and take with you on the go, not feeling like a 6-hour marathon on something? Well, this is going to be just for you, play just one or 2 games to pass the time, and after that, pop it back in your bag/case if you're out, back on the dock whatever you want to do, the world is your oyster.

Final thoughts on this, would I recommend it? If you're a FIFA fan and would love to be able to play a decent version of the game, then yes. The game does lack some serious depth and options, and probably won't keep you entertained for hours unless Career mode is your thing. FUT for me was disappointing, but I'm hoping when it comes to next years version we will see a lot more options, modes and changes to improve the game overall.

6.5/10

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Is Nintendo’s online system keeping big games from coming to the Switch?

We all know that Nintendo is not at the forefront with their online systems and network. Just like most of its style of games, it’s kept simplistic, and easy to access. A bonus of it so far as well is that it is free (Although this is changing in 2018 it’s only minuscule compared to the charges for Xbox and PlayStation)

However, when the Switch was announced there wasn’t really much information regarding things like party chat, then when Splatoon 2 was announced and that it was going to be the first to use party chat, there was an air of excitement that there was going to be a proper party chat system for the Switch.

Then we were shown to the mobile app connecting, wires everywhere mess that we use today… I say ‘use’ in the loosest term. I tried once and gave up, far too much messing about. There is a 3.5mm jack on the top of the system, why wasn’t an app placed on this so all you had to do was connect a headset to the jack, go into the app, create the party and voila, or connect the headset to the jack, and you can talk to people in the lobby…. Voila!



The most probable reason behind this is because of the deal that was struck by Nintendo with DeNA to make their mobile apps. Nintendo has probably thought that this was the most convenient thing to do as pretty much everyone has a smartphone or access to one for younger people with parents, but then, I must admit that if my young child came up to me and asked me to download the party chat so they could speak to people, I wouldn’t do it. Splatoon 2 is the only game at the moment that uses it, and for me it’s not needed really, only if I wanted to party up with people to talk while playing, then yeah, I would be up for it, but I’m not the most social person when playing with random people, I just like to sit back and play.

So this begs the question, because of this insane system, is this what is keeping games like Call of Duty, Battlefield 1 etc off the Switch?

People are going to say that they don’t think that those games can run on the Switch, but I beg to differ, I think that a resource hungry game like DOOM can be brought to the Switch and Wolfenstein 2 as well, why not games like CoD and Battlefield? Yeah, there is going to be downgrades and compromises, but at the end of the day, if it plays well, feels good and gives the experience that gamers are looking for why not? Well, because these types of games do rely heavily on party chat.

A lot of communication is needed, especially when it comes to playing some of the bigger modes in Battlefield such as Conquest, getting your team organised to go after whichever flag it does need you to be able to talk to your teammates. I have found that I have a better chance of winning if I have people on the team who are communicating.



In my eyes, the way that Nintendo has done the party chat may have alienated these games from coming to the system, for now at least anyway. Unless there is going to be a workaround or Nintendo decides to put a dedicated party app onto the Switch for it (when they decide to release apps) I’m not sure whether games like CoD and Battlefield will be able to implement a party chat into it.

At the end of the day, if they truly want these games on the system, then I am positive that they will find a way around it, whether it’s using Nintendo’s app, or just not including party chat. Which in this writers opinion would be a disaster for the objective based games.

More shooters are needed on the Switch and I think a Call of Duty or Battlefield game would be amazing, but I think one of the things that are putting off Activision and EA bringing their big shooters to the system is the party chat feature.



Another question to ask is, with the hardware within the Switch, would an app be all it needed? A simple update to allow for party chat, or is it now beyond the realms of possibility to get this feature direct onto the system?

I personally hope that Nintendo changes the app on mobile into a dedicated app for the system which will allow for direct connection to the 3.5mm jack and hey presto, you’re ready to go. Whether they will take on the feedback or not, as there have been a lot of grumblings from gamers about this, is yet to be seen, but we can just keep our fingers crossed.

What next for the Switch?

There is no denying that the Switch has had a strong launch and the lineup of games coming for the rest of the year is again very strong.

There are plenty of games announced for next year as well, and from the system still being out of stock in a lot of places (here in the UK) is there going to be enough stock to cover the holidays? Nintendo did say that they were trying to up production from August to try and make sure that the backlog of people who were after one managed to get one and that they would have enough for the Holidays. However, at the moment I can see there being a shortage at Christmas and that we may have a Wii situation on our hands. Intentional or not from Nintendo, it's going to keep the flow of systems running for a long time, which means software sales keeping up as well, hence the reason why games like Zelda, Mario Kart 8D etc keep up to the £40/45 mark all the time. A steady flow of sales and plenty of people still wanting to buy.

The question to ask ourselves now is, what is next for the Switch? There are a steady amount of games being released and more and more being announced on a weekly basis with more and more developers getting on board the Switch hype train.

However, it's no secret that when it comes to other features that the system is a little threadbare. There isn't an internet browser, no apps are on the system currently and nothing new has been added since launch, just general stability updates that are being released quite sparingly.

But my questions are, where are the apps or other features coming from? When are they coming? What's the deal with Virtual Console? Is that going to come along when the paid online system kicks in? Is this going to be the same for most of the new features?

There are a few tweaks that I would like to see added to the Nintendo Switch, the first of which being the homepage. When you get 12 items on the homepage, there comes an icon at the end that says 'All Software'.



When you press this little button, it takes you to a page which displays all your games in a full page grid as displayed below:



My thought to this was, why can't this be the homepage and make it scrollable? Why are we restricted to just the one row of 12? Surely it would be more productive to have them all on the screen and make that scrollable? It would also make it quicker to find the game that you want as you wouldn't have to scroll to the end, click the 'All Software' button, wait for the page to load and then potentially scroll some more to find it.

This can also be adjusted as well so that maybe folders can be implemented, so you can put Cartridge games in one, digital in another, or one for games, and when they're released another for apps. There could also be the option like they have for Xbox pins to be able to move the games about so you can keep your favourites at the top. Lots of ideas possible for this, and some that I hope get implemented.

Speaking of the Homepage, there is a lot of unused space and if you check the first Homepage image out you will see what I mean, there is a lot of space above and below the games and this could be better executed, maybe one updates start coming along it will, but at the moment, there is a lot of room there for improvement.

The next thing I would like to see as an improvement is the joy con battery alerts and display. Currently, if you would like to see the battery levels of your joy cons, you have to go through the menus, to the controller page, where it gives you the battery levels. You can see this below:



My beef with this is that why can't this be placed on the homepage? So, say you're changing games, and want to know how the new game is affecting your Joy Cons battery life, all you would need to do here is press the homepage button and voila, there is it. You can then go back to the game as quick as you got to the homepage. All good.

Another improvement I would like to see made is to the capture feature. I'm not going to mention video recording as Nintendo has said that this is coming to the system. What I would like to see improving is how captures are shared. Currently, once you've taken a screenshot, you have to go back to the homepage, to the album, select the screenshot you want to upload and then do it.

Why can't this be improved? Made a lot quicker so that it can be done in-game? Keep the one press for saving screenshots, but why not have a hold down or double press feature which takes, and saves the screenshot and opens up a window to upload it to whichever outlet you would like?

That would make things a lot simpler when wanting to share a screenshot straight away, because if you're like me and carry on playing and say 'Ah, I'll do it later' - You're bound to forget after a few hours of playing and it goes lost of days and maybe weeks if you don't check your album.

Next, I'm going to talk about the friend's list and adding friends. I came back to 30+ friend requests one day on my Switch and I had to go through each of these individually. My question here is why? Why do you have to do this one by one?

Why can I not select the friends I want in a mass batch and click an add or approve friend button? It gets a bit of a pain when you have to do it one by one, especially when I found that the pages don't load that quickly either.



The games are coming to the system, and I'm hoping that apps will become available sometime soon. As mentioned above there are tweaks and improvements that can help the system be a lot quicker and easier to use.

Fingers crossed we get to see these improvements made or something along those lines. Is there anything else that you would like to see improved on the Nintendo Switch is terms of the UI or anything that could make it faster?

 

*Images are copyright of respected owners.

3rd Party Games and Nintendo Switch: No Excuses?

One of the main talking points before the Nintendo Switch launched was the support that it would get from Third Party game developers. After the poor showing that the Wii U had when it launched and pretty much right through its life, it was more than acceptable to be a little bit apprehensive when it came to third-party games.

Nintendo did show us a strong backing at the reveal of the Switch and promised that there would be a bigger third party support. Again, apprehension had crept in as this was kind of De Ja Vu from the Wii U when they said that EA and others were on board with the system and that more games would be coming. The Wii U died out pretty quickly and this was mainly down to the lack of third party AAA games not being brought to the system. It was down to the first party games of Nintendo and Indie developers, which there were some good games, but a lot of them were pretty dire and did nothing to sell the console.

The Switch launched to massive applause, complete with Zelda releasing on the same day, the console did lack a library of big games at the start however over the first 6 months the system has been available, that has changed considerably and the future is also looking brought for the console.



Plenty of first-party games have launched on the system with Zelda, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, Splatoon 2 and Mario/Rabbids crossover and the third party support hasn't been too bad either with Skyrim coming to the system in November, 2K bringing NBA as well as their WWE franchises to the system, EA will be launching FIFA on the console next week, and as I mentioned Skyrim above, Bethesda recently announced that DOOM and Wolfenstein 2 will also be coming to the system, DOOM at the end of the year and Wolfenstein 2 in 2018.

This brings me to my question. If Bethesda, who are seemingly loving supporting the Switch and are trying to bring their games, and you have to admit, that these aren't small games, they're big hungry and demanding games, if Bethesda can bring these to the Switch what is stopping other developers jumping on board? What's the stop Rockstar bringing GTA V? Yes, they've already announced LA Noire, which is good, and this is a game I enjoyed playing and would enjoy playing again on the Switch. But, why shouldn't the Switch have something more demanding like GTA V?



If the system can cope with something as demanding as Skyrim, then surely it can cope with GTA V? OK, we are going to have to live with games being downgraded due to limitations, but this isn't stopping the games being brought to the system.

Bethesda is showing the gaming world that this little device can literally handle anything that is thrown at it, and personally, I think it's getting developers scared, developers are running out of excuses to say no to bringing their game to the Switch. They can no longer turn round and say "The system is powerful enough".



The games can be adapted/downgraded however you want to describe it, but the games can be played on the system. How long you're going to get with battery life is a whole different issue. You get around 3 hours from Zelda, so I would expect the same from DOOM, maybe less given how hungry that game can be.

It will be interesting to see with Skyrim, DOOM and Wolfenstein how much battery life they take up, they're all massive games with wonderfully designed worlds that will no doubt use a lot of the power from the system. Can the games be optimised to help with this? Are we going to see improvements that way, graphically downgrading the games, which most of them will be as the system can't compete on that level with Xbox and PlayStation, will this help when the games are in handheld mode? Will they still be as resource hungry as they are on Xbox and PS? One thing that we have seen lately is that DOOM is running well on the Switch and people who have had a hands-on with it have said that it plays well.

Below you can see some off-screen gameplay footage of DOOM running on the Switch which is brought to us by Gamespot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eOdEkmTP0o

It's certainly an interesting argument and I am excited to see what games are going to be announced for the console in future. Are we going to get more games ported over to the Switch? Bethesda seem to be on a fine run of bringing games over, will we see any more games being brought over? Fallout maybe?

If FIFA sells well on the system, will EA be tempted to bring more of there sports catalogue over, Madden, NHL, NBA? 2K has already brought there NBA game over, maybe this is something that could spur EA next year to enhance their library for the Switch.

With the current sales figures for the Switch and the fact these are only going to rise, are we going to see an influx of developers who haven't really invested in the Switch put more effort into it?



Rockstar releasing LA Noire, is this them dipping their toes into test the waters and see if it's worth bringing games GTA or even Red Dead to the system? Maybe. Who knows though, only time will tell, and at the moment, there are plenty of games out there for us to play on the Switch and much more still to come. Fingers crossed that this is only the start for the system and this is going to grow and grow for it. I personally love my Switch and can't wait to see how it grows over the next 12 months.

I think it's going to be interesting to see, especially from E3 next year when the console is getting into its momentum, what type of games and support it still has at that point. If we're still with the strong support at that point and the games are flooding in, I think the system is going to be onto a winner for years to come. Only time will tell though.

The Troll and I - Review (Nintendo Switch)

The Troll and I was a game that I was really looking forward to and when the kind folks over at Maximum Games sent me a copy for the Nintendo Switch I was quite excited. I had seen some clips online and loved what I saw, the whole idea of the game was intriguing to me, the crafting elements, the open world even the story sounded brilliant on paper and from the trailers that had been released.

However, upon playing an hour of the game, in which I struggled to get that far, the game is an absolute mess. The game stutters with constant framerate issues which made my eyes go funny at one point and I had to turn the game off. I’ve fallen through the world and got stuck, the game has lost its bearings and when I was meant to be going on a certain path to escape the village at the beginning, but the game decided to take me through a few mountains before killing me against the side of the tree. The third and final nail in the coffin for me was that while walking around the world getting some spears a random loading screen appeared and I got stuck there. When pressing the + button on the Switch I could hear the menu come up in the background and I could hear the distinct ping when moving from option to option.



The game isn’t the best looker and this isn’t helped by the constant stuttering. When pressing X to get resources there is a delay to this happening. The main thing that has upset me most about this is that where is the QA testing? How has a game in this state been allowed to be released? It’s not as though it’s a one off, after checking Metacritic for reviews on the Xbox and PlayStation version they are pretty much the same, with the game averaging 39%. Being honest, this is no better than an early PS2 game. Terrible

Surely this should have been a wakeup call for the devs to get themselves into gear to get it sorted. A lot of gamers do base their opinion on whether to get a game by looking at reviews and going by what this game has scored, there won’t be many of those games who would have got the game.



I am eternally grateful for being provided the code and given the chance at reviewing this game, but the state it is currently in, it’s unscorable. I don’t think I’ve played a game before that is in such a poor state.

This review is a lot shorter than our normal, but there isn’t really anything that we can say about the game other than what is above. If a patch is released for the game for it to be in a playable form, I will revisit this review, but as stated above, this game is currently unscorable.

Splatoon 2 - Review

Since the release of the original Splatoon on the Wii U, this has become one of Nintendos most favourite franchises, offering something different for Nintendo fans, it's a third person shooter with a twist. The matches are mainly objective based as by the end of the match your team has to have painted the most area on a map. Sounds simple? Well, in theory, it should be, but with the various amount of weapons and styles of maps available, each one brings its own unique playstyle, or at least I thought so and you will find that no 2 matches play out the same.

The maps are on rotation at 2 every 2 hours, so every 2 hours you will get a different combination of 2 to play through. Even with this, the games won't be the same, even if you play the same map 3 times (which can happen), it might not be the same outcome. You could have a crushing victory or loss first time round and then it could reverse for the next game. However, I think this is mainly down to after each match it's kind of like a reset and teams are changed around. Unfortunately though, if you continually get one person on your team who does nothing you don't stand a chance of winning any matches. Several times I came across people who were in for the full match and at the end of it still only had 0p.



Which to me begs the question, why? Simply cheating with friends to help boost them up? If you need to do that then I would just suggest giving up. I'm nowhere near the best player and will admit that this game took me a while to get used to and to find the balance that was right for me in terms of weapons and clothes/bonuses attached, but I worked hard for where I am and it does sort of make a mockery of the game if people are doing this. Hopefully, Nintendo is sorting this kind of stuff out.

I will say though that after I got used to Splatoon 2 and got the balance that I enjoyed using that then it became a lot more enjoyable and I found myself playing for longer periods. I love how a lot more of the maps have been designed within the game. Each of which provides their own challenges, but also can make you play slightly differently to the last map(s). An example of this would be one map you could be on a map designed like 2 towers, which makes it a lot harder to get to the enemies spawn and the main fight is the middle part of the map, where as another map could be a skate park, a lot easier to get around and you have to be watching all angles as people can come at you from nowhere. Which is what I found out quite quickly that some people will lurk in ink and wait to pounce on you, but it you're quick enough and can see them moving about, you might still be able to get a splat.



I love the variety in weapons in the game as well, they can go from Paint brushes to rollers to straight up guns, all having different fire rates and uses. Rollers and brushes are used more for quick painting and getting a large area done quickly. Gun's are more for precision splatting and are also best (in my opinion) for getting opponents, however, some are good are quickly getting larger areas, but use up (again in my opinion) more ink and need refilling a lot more.

One of the better and more sneaky features as well is that when you're in a map and running around painting the area if you need to get to a vantage point, all you need to do is paint the wall up to the ledge and then enter squid form and swim up to it and voila, there you go! Squid form is also used for refilling your weapon, which if you're sneaky about it, as I mentioned above, you can hide in the ink while doing so and surprise an opponent if they don't spot you first.



The main thing that I love about this game is that is its simplicity in how it's designed. When you start the game up you're placed into the main lobby area where you have other people which show the designs they've made (which some can be hilarious) and there is also the shops where you can buy hats, tops, shoes, and guns. More of which become available as you rank up and better versions also unlock. So if you get attached to a certain type of weapon then you will more than likely get another one further down the line as you rank up. I would also like to say that when playing the game online it has been buttery smooth. There have been disconnections here and there from matches and lobbies, but when you're playing the game it is unreal and I think this is one of the things that I love about Nintendo. It's there do it right or go home attitude.

I would highly recommend trying out a variety of weapons as you might be surprised at some of them. I never thought I would get on with the rollers, but managed to have a good few rounds until I got hold of my current weapon.



I love the use of colours within the game as well, having a change every round does make a difference and not sticking with the same 2 colours for the ink provides a nice change and the overall use of colours within the game is nicely used, especially for the design of the maps and the clothes that you can pick from.

There is a single player mode within the game, which is basically using the various skills you learn to get through different levels which finally ends up at a boss level. Pretty standard and I have to admit that it maybe felt a little bit tact on to expand the game a little bit further than just the online experience, but it does help get to learn the game and the mechanics as the shooting with the guns can be classed as a little bit pray and spray!



The game overall is brilliant, it took me a while to get used to it and find a balance that was suitable for me, but once I got there it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and one I found myself playing more and more of.

9/10

Bulb boy - Review

Bulb boy is a horror point-and-click style adventure game. The story starts where our protagonist has found that his home has been taken over by evil and he needs to try and get his family back. Bulb boy utilises a mixture of exploration as well as puzzles to try and get your way through each of rooms/levels that are ahead of you, you will also find out that Bulb boy having a light bulb for a head is pretty useful.

The game mixes things up a little bit as you go through each room/level which does keep it fresh, however, it's not all different and you will find your self with a few repetitive things, but it doesn't get too much as the game will throw in something new for you here and there, which was nice to keep me on my toes through out my playthrough.



Each room/level throughout the house kind of has its own identity with the main goal to get to, however, you have little mini stages to do in the mean time. For example, you're in your room, trying to get out, but there is a nasty spider blocking the door, when trying to get past the spider, a pop up will show some symbols, these are linked to certain items which you can use to scare the spider away, you just have to find one of those items first by searching the room. You may find other items within the room, and if you go to use the wrong item Bulb boy will just shake his head and off you go looking again!

One little neat thing is that some of the objects can be used in weird and wonderful ways thanks to the fact that Bulb boy can detach his head, meaning that this can bring a whole new way to do things such as hide.

Controls for the game are really simple and easy to work with, the left control stick will move Bulb boy as well as the cursor to select any objects within the levels and the shoulder buttons scroll through your 'inventory' so that you can see the items that you have collected. One missing thing from the game is the use of the touchscreen, which at first may seem a bit of an oversight, however, it has been done well to balance between TV and Handheld modes and to also stop people from just clicking on things within a room to find them quicker, effort has to be made to move around and look for items instead of taking the lazy gamers way out.



The game is nicely designed with the brilliant use of light and colours, and I have a feeling that the quirkiness and originality of the game will appeal to a lot of games. Yes, OK it is like most point and click adventures, but the way this has been done, adapted and brought its own originality is what makes Bulb boy what it is, and that is a Charming little adventure, and after playing this, who couldn't love Bulb boy?

Every now and then you do get to play through some flashbacks of Grampa and Mothdog (Yup, a Moth, and Dog... I know, right?) and these parts to happier times to provide a welcome break from the story and gives a nice overview of the Bulb boy family.



For me this is the type of game that makes indie devs stand out, taking a story and something out of the norm and saying 'Screw it, let's do it'. This is what Bulbware has done, and for me, it's paid off with a gem of a game, and one I couldn't recommend enough. If you get a chance to play this, please do as I can promise that you won't be disappointed by it at all. My only issue is that it is very short, it only took me a few hours to complete and while it is a brilliant game I personally don't think that it is one that will live long in memories. If you love a bit of weirdness and want to play a short game to take your mind away, this is going to be the game for you.

7/10

Nintendo Switch Hardware Review

Before the Switch was announced and it was simply known as 'NX', there was a lot of intrigue about what the console would be like as well as sentiments that this could be Nintendo's last chance to get it right with Home Consoles, especially after what happened with the Wii U and the lack of support that it had from 3rd party developers.

At the announcement Nintendo made it clear about the 3rd party issue showing us a list of developers/publishers that were on board with the projects, as well as outlining their first party plans and showing us upcoming games. The fact that they have been able to get games like Skyrim on board to the Switch is a little bit of faith towards that third party support and also putting gamers mind at ease. However, one game doesn't make a console and a steady supply of big third party games are needed and I think over the coming months as well as what happens at E3 will show how the Switch means business and whether it is going to be sink or swim. My honest opinion for games and Switch is that I'm hoping Nintendo get some big third party games shown during their presentation. They have a massive area on the floor this year so I'm hoping that's going to mean that they have a lot to show off. Only time will tell I guess.

Now the console itself. I was lucky to be able to get my hands on the console early, only a day early, but still... It gave me a chance to have a play around with the system and to find out all the different little bits and bobs that are available at launch. Luckily for me as well the servers hadn't long been 'Switch'ed on, so I was able to update my console to version 2.0.0.

The e-Shop hadn't been updated when I updated the console and still just showed games that were coming to the system. I will admit that there weren't many there and still aren't in the European store, I'm not able to see any demos either and the store does look very bare, however over the coming weeks this will change as there will be more games being introduced etc.



I had always said that I would probably mainly play the console handheld, this is the standout thing that appealed to me, being able to play these big games on the go. There was mention about the battery life not being great (I'll get onto this later in the review) but I wouldn't be playing with it outside and would probably have a dabble on my breaks at work, so wouldn't be playing for long, or when I went go visit my mum, so I can take the charger with me and plug in, crisis averted.... lol. The other times will be played at home where I can charge or plug in and play. All is well there for me anyway. Others who may want to play outside might have issues when it comes to battery life.

The setting up of the console was very quick and easy. When I turned the console on, it asked me to pick a nickname for the console, and then connect to the internet. Once I was connected to the internet it popped up to let me know that there was an update available, and within 2 minutes it was done. Far from the scenes that were witnessed with the Wii U and the length of time it took to update that console. I did have slight heart palpitations when it told me there was an update, but all was well with the world. I hope that this is the same for everyone and the servers don't get under too much stress at launch.

The UI of the system is very simplistic. It's kind of like an XMB where you have your games/apps across the middle of the screen and options underneath to go to the news section, e-shop, controller settings/syncing, system settings and power options.



The UI is very user friendly but at the moment it does seem a bit bland, however I think that's because the only game that I have for it currently is Zelda. So there is only one square being occupied right now but hopefully that will all change in the near future.

Screenshots have been introduced and just like the PS4 they have their own dedicated button in the left Joy Con, and it is so easy to use, press and done. You then have a gallery on the home page where you can edit and post your screenshots to Twitter and Facebook to share with the world.

One thing I have found a bit disappointing with the system is the lack of any apps, I understand that this might not a priority as it would require a constant connection (Unless offline watching was enabled on Netflix etc) but for those who are going to be using it as a home console, I would have thought that it would be been something that Nintendo would have thrown out for launch, let's just hope that this is sorted out rather quickly. You may have noticed that I didn't mention about a browser, the main reason behind this is that this really doesn't bother me, the awkwardness of using Edge on Xbox One and Browser on PS4 means I am rather glad there isn't one on the Switch (For the time being).

If I wanted to browse online I would either use my phone if I'm out and about with my Switch or if I'm at home I will use my laptop, simples.



When I saw the Joy Cons staring up at me from the top of the box, I was pleasantly surprised, they had looked smaller in videos and demonstrations, but from what I saw, they looked a decent size. When seperated and placed in each hand they do feel a bit small, but I always thought that was because of my big ham hands, and I found it a little awkward to hold them separately.

When I attached them to the Switch screen and played handheld, we had a different kettle of fish on our hands. I loved how it felt when holding and playing Zelda. For once I had a handheld that I could sit and play for hours as the controllers felt comfortable and the whole system didn't feel heavy. This was one of my concerns about the Switch, whether it would be heavy or feel awkward, but all of that was put to bed after I managed to get comfortable with the console.

The battery life was mentioned by Nintendo at the announcement and they said it can last up to 6 hours, however this will depend on what you're playing. I charged the console overnight and started playing Zelda this morning on 100% battery. 2 and a half hours later my charge was down to 20%, so as you can see from that, Zelda does drain the battery quickly. It will be interesting to test other games on this to see what the battery life is like, unfortunately I don't have any other games at the moment so cannot comment.

In terms of charging times, after charging it earlier it has taken an hour and a half to get from 15% to 80%. I estimate a full charge is going to take around 2 and a half hours, which isn't too bad, but I do feel that better battery life is needed, especially for a system that can be used on the go.

My overall assessment of the system at launch is that at the moment it is very threadbare, but that's because it seems not all games that were announced for release have been added to the e-shop, there aren't any apps on the system, which isn't a bad thing as there are games to play, but there could have been more customisable options available such as using your screenshots as a background, which is a feature I really hope that they introduce.

I think the main question that is being asked at the moment is, do I get one now?

If you're a fan of Zelda/Nintendo in general, then I would say yes, it's an investment for the future for when more games come out, which they will as we already have numerous games coming out in the next 10 weeks, one of which is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

If you're not and can wait for more games to come out and get them all at once, then I would say wait, but I have to admit that I am having a lot of fun with my Switch, mainly because of Zelda, but that's a story for another day.