That is, indeed, the question. Many of us gamers have sought solace in our favourite pastime the last few months of being locked indoors. However, it can be a monumental task to decide which titles are worth the expenditure of our hard-earned, furloughed dosh. Fortunately for you, dear reader, I have sampled some of what Nintendo eShop has to offer so you don’t have to.
Consequently, I have compiled a series of quickfire reviews below to inform you of which of these titles are worth your time and money, and which are best left untouched.
Without further ado, let us see the games I encourage you to buy… and not to buy.
Fledgling Heroes – To Buy
Fledgling Heroes is an adorable title where players take control of infant birds so cute that I scarcely succeeded in composing myself during my brief playthrough.
The art-style is wondrously colourful, with players being afforded the ability to customise the colour scheme of their feathery avatars. However, if the prospect of manually altering each individual facet of your bird daunts you, fear not. Alternative skins can be easily unlocked during missions.
Not only are the eyes destined for a treat, but the ears will be sweetly serenaded by Fledgling Heroes‘ delightful soundtrack that incorporates musical motifs associated with the title’s pirate theme.
While narrative takes a back seat to the easy to learn, yet difficult to master, gameplay, there is still something here. What is here is a tale full of adventure, subtle life lessons and rhyming text that would make Dr. Seuss blush. Though it may offer little for the adults, Children will be enthralled.
Gameplay will see players flapping, diving, and gliding through each level to avoid obstacles, knock out enemies, and attain important collectibles that allow them to further advance through the game. Of course, this all starts off simple enough, but soon increases in difficulty for those seeking the best scores possible. There are also additional challenge levels to satisfy this brand of gamer, and level editors which introduce children to video game development in a comprehensive manner for their age group.
If you are the proud parent of young children and are looking to introduce them to the realm of video games, then I can recommend no greater title worthy of your money on Nintendo eShop.
Piczle Cross Adventure – To Buy
The entire Earth has been transformed into a pixelated abomination, and now it is under threat of becoming monochromatic. There is only one person who can save mankind from such a fate: you!
Fledgling Heroes may have imparted words of wisdom upon your child, but the logic-puzzling that dominates Piczle Cross Adventure’s gameplay will challenge them in a disparate, yet equally fun manner.
A great many objects in the game’s world have pixelated all the way out of existence. Therefore, players must reassemble them by solving logic puzzles as seen in the image above. As is to be expected, these puzzles are initially simple to solve so as to provide players with an idea of how the game functions. Then, aside from the option to activate sufficiently useful clues, the training wheels are removed, and you must fully utilise the power of your brain. Though I recommend this game for children, it is sure to challenge adults in equal measure.
Earlier, I described the world of Piczle Cross Adventure as a pixelated abomination. In fact, this was done merely for dramatic effect. The lo-fi, pixelated style of the game is beautiful to behold, especially as more of the formerly missing elements of the title’s environments are restored. Further, with a soundtrack that demands you to repeatedly nod your head at a steady pace, even coming across a puzzle that stumps you will fail to consume your being with frustration.
Fortunately, the sense of style present in Piczle Cross Adventure does not end here. The dialogue exchanges between the game’s characters elicit intentional laughs. This is true also of the names bestowed upon characters and objects alike, which are often programming references, though this may go over the heads of some.
Regardless, this is an adventure that is sure to be suitably fun for all the family.
Taimumari: Complete Edition – To Buy
Allow me, if you will, to transition from one pixelated beauty all the way to another. If you are a great lover of Japanese animation and classic, side-scrolling platformers, then the most complete edition of Taimumari may just seize an unrelinquishable control of your heart.
The task set before the player is to defeat four rather unkind individuals, with impeccable dress sense, who seek to destroy the world so that they may create a new one. During my brief playthrough, I succeeded in meeting two of these challenging and unscrupulous characters. Therefore, this insinuated to me that the game would be quite brief. However, it is unwise to judge the game as such without actually seeing it through to its conclusion. Especially when there is a bonus stage cordoned off from us via mysterious question marks.
Regardless, if the experience does so happen to be short, it at least carries the added benefit of being sweet. Navigating each screen by the means of increasingly difficult platforming, while you combine melee-based attacks with powerful magic spells to dispatch of your foes is always a joy. Successful execution of the latter awards you stars, which can be used to purchase upgrades in the admittedly miniscule hub world. While there is not a large quantity of upgrades to sift through, this system is classical in its simplicity, which should attract nostalgic gamers of a certain age.
If all of this were not enough to satisfy, then this package comes complete with a combat-based mini-game built to entice those who enjoy chasing high scores. There is not much to it, but if you desire to squeeze in some game time during a busy schedule, it is perfectly serviceable.
Ultimately, Taimumari: Complete Edition is perfect for those seeking a beautiful, classic experience in short bursts.
Star Horizon – Not to Buy
The penultimate entry on our review rundown today is a title that seemingly takes inspiration from Star Fox/Star Wing, failing to reach the heights set by this pop culture icon, and so it subsequently barrel rolls into oblivion.
I would commence proceedings by discussing the aesthetically displeasing visuals. However, this may have something to do with the fact that this title initially graced the smaller screens of mobile devices. Regardless, aside from some eye-catching lens flare effects and some nice instances of colour contrast, there is little that superior hardware can do to make these visuals pop on your television set.
The writing and voice acting is equally unimpressive with questionable delivery and phrasing. Relationships between the characters are established, but their chemistry lacks the strength that titles like Star Fox present for us to become invested in these relationships.
Gameplay is basic and repetitive, with precious few surprises or interesting additions to encourage me to play much further than the opening missions. As previous paragraphs insinuated, if you are familiar with Star Fox, then there is little to shock you in Star Horizon. Players can even perform barrel rolls. Of course, the ability to upgrade your ship is readily available to players who wish to do so. Alas, this system is rather shallow, denying these same players the RPG elements they desire, and that this system demands.
There are plenty of other titles that are willing to offer everything this game is, only with a greater degree of overt effort, which makes them more deserving of your cash.
Rigid Force Redux – To Buy
The last of the space fighter games on this list, and the better of the two. Rigid Force Redux is also the concluding entry on the list. So, shall we be ending it with a bang, or dead space.
Rigid Force Redux is more of an arcade-style shooter, with players dispatching of foes with the various weapon pickups they encounter on their way to the boss that bookends each stage. To ensure that, unlike the prior entry, boredom does not seep in, each stage introduces new locales and enemies which each behaving distinctly from those that crossed paths with you before.
While the gameplay is as simplistic as the previous space shooter title that demanded my attention, Rigid Force Redux offers more bang for your proverbial buck. For instance, players will earn trophies, not unlike those seen from Sony, that unlock special displays of art, which they can browse at their leisure.
Completing each stage in the main campaign subsequently unlocks it as an arcade mission. Players can revisit each one to pursue high scores and rankings they can establish as bragging rights. Unfortunately, it offers little more for those who have a fledgling interest in rankings.
Visually, Rigid Force Redux is substantially more attractive than the space shooter that preceded it on this list. Testing the eyes with striking lighting and particle effects that contrast nicely with the detailed backdrops. In addition, the musical accompaniments excel. Throughout my short play through, my ears were graced with melodically discordant 80s cyber synth, perfectly complementing the classic sci-fi visuals and the game’s overall nature as a loving call back to the glory days of arcade shoot ‘em ups.
Those seeking retro thrills with a modern coat of paint would do well to pick this up from Nintendo eShop.
Round ‘Em Up for Curtains
There you have it, folks! A nigh unanimous verdict of praise for our roundup of games you can purchase right this instant on Nintendo eShop. Each entry has something unique to offer players of all kinds: children, nostalgic gamers of decades past, and even adults looking to test their logical intelligence.
I can only hope that this article has assisted you in making an informed choice on which games will be taking up a comfortable residence in your digital library. After all, during these times of hardship, we are all in need of delightful distractions, and if the distractions that you receive are anything but delightful, never be deterred from demanding better.
