Victory Heat Rally Nintendo Switch Review 7/10 "A Super Vibrant Retro Racer" 🚗💨 @skydevilpalm @PTonicFriends @VHRgame #GameDev #IndieGame

A vibrant racing game with retro-arcade style mechanics, Victory Heat Rally makes a great first impression with its energetic audio, bright graphics and kinetic sense of energy. Indeed, whilst the devs of Victory Heat Rally are based in LA, it’s very easy to assume that this is a Japanese-made game, so strong are those classic arcade vibes! 

Featuring many stages and environments, the order of the day here is super-fast arcade racing. It’s a very bare bones setup in terms of the core game loop, the tracks are often short, and you can whip around them in around thirty seconds, with the high speed action being all about avoiding other cars and managing your boosts. 

Tiny Pixels Vol. 2 – Stormy Knights Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 “Bite-sized, princess-rescuing action” 🏰👸⚔️ @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

A snappy, heavily timing-based adventure game that casts you in the role of a knight on a quest to rescue several princess trapped in separate castles, you’ll find yourself adjusting to the simple control setup quickly, and timing your movements, shield blocks, dashes, swipes and magic accordingly as you cut your way through the enemies ahead of you, in single-stage battles.

Hole Digging Master Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 “Take a deep breath, and dig...deep.” 🕳️⛏️ @nostra_games_ #IndieGame #GameDev

I have to admit to covering Hole Digging Master out of sheer curiosity, the premise seemed somewhat bland, but hey – Fishing Vacation was awesome! There was also the fact that the trailer promises mysteries and treasures, tied to relaxing gameplay...good.

Hole Digging Master begins with a swift tutorial that introduces the game mechanics and core loop, that is – you dig, you sell, you upgrade...you dig. Played out entirely in POV, Hole Digging Master takes place entirely in a garage and the nearby garden, with a large square marked out on the grass, and the surrounding paraphernalia suggesting that the reason for digging – initially, at least! - is to get a swimming pool on the go. And so you grab your – erm – battery-powered shovel, and get to work. 

ANTANK S3 MAX TV Dock Station for Nintendo Switch 2 - Unboxing & Setup Video 🎮

Join Rich as he takes a look at the ANTANK S3 MAX TV Dock Station for Nintendo Switch 2.

From first impressions to setup walkthrough, Rich covers everything you need to know about this nifty bit of kit for the Switch 2.

• Unboxing the ANTANK S3 MAX
• Step-by-step setup tutorial
• TV output test for Switch 2

Whether you're upgrading your docking station or looking for a reliable travel-friendly solution, this video gives you a clear idea of how the ANTANK S3 MAX performs out of the box

Purchase Link:

https://antank.net/products/s3-max?ref=wufbikcv

Locomoto Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 “A wonderfully cosy train ride with a few unfortunate bumps” 🚂🚂🚂 @GreenTileGames #CosyGame #IndieGame #GameDev

As the father of a four year old who loves trains, Locomoto was a no-brainer when it came to having the chance to cover it. I don’t particularly have a history with the cosy game genre, but I have enjoyed Stardew Valley in the past, and watched my other half pound hundreds of hours into Animal Crossing over the years – a game I find too oddly regimented to enjoy.

Locomoto allows you to create an animal character, who naughtily ‘borrows’ an abandoned train in a bid to help the local villages and towns with the various issues that raise their cheeky heads, thus begins our adventures in the world of Locomoto.

This Charger Costs Less Than a Soda – Can It Handle Switch 2? 🔋🔌⚡#switch2 #budgetfriendly #aliexpress

Can a budget charger really power the Nintendo Switch 2? In this quick hands-on test, I try out one of the cheapest Switch 2 chargers I could find online—priced lower than your average soft drink. But is it safe? Is it fast? And most importantly… does it actually work?

🔗 AliExpress Link [Not An Affiliate Link] :

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009183154917.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.2.f6daf19cncl43Z

“This Game Lets You Copy & Paste The World! 🤯 | Ruffy and the Riverside Ten Minute Taster Quick Look On Nintendo Switch 2 🖼️🎨🖌️ @pr_pirate @zocklabs #IndieGame #GameDev

Rich sits down to play a wonderful 3D platformer called Ruffy and The Riverside! The developers at Zockrates Laboratories drew heavily from their childhood memories of classic platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet & Clank. They wanted to capture that same sense of vibrant, cartoonish adventure and playful exploration.

👇🏻WATCH RICH'S NINTENDO SWITCH 2 GAMEPLAY VIDEO HERE 👇🏻

The real spark came from something much more personal: a confusing old drawing. The studio’s CEO, Dr. Patrick Ruckdeschel, stumbled upon a black-and-white sketch that looked like a waterfall—but he couldn’t tell if it was water or lava. 

That ambiguity led to a lightbulb moment: what if a game let you change the texture of the world itself? That’s how the game’s signature SWAP mechanic—copying and pasting textures to alter the environment—was born!

Good to Know:

• a story playthrough will take about 9-10 hours
• and average playthrough with ~80% of collectables will be 12-14 hours
• and a 100% playthrough without a guide will take you 16-18 hours

Jerry Anker and The Quest To Get Love Nintendo Switch Review (physical edition) 7/10 “An Extremely Graphic Adventure” 🍒💖 @FunboxMediaLtd #IndieGame #GameDev

 ⚠️WARNING, EXPLICIT CONTENT ⚠️

I once had a soft  massive, raging, stiff spot for more adult games... when I was in my teens, bizarrely.  There was something about playing a more lurid and provocative title that made it feel like you were playing a game ‘outside the rules’. From sheepishly purchasing Strip Poker 3 from Electronics Boutique (or rather, coaxing my mum to, brilliant!) through to discovering Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love For Sail a years later, there was always a primal thrill when I discovered something that appealed to the more base instincts that dwell in us all.

As I got older, and pornography (and dalliances with the fairer sex) became more readily available, adult gaming very much faded away, and even the more recent Leisure Suit Larry games – whilst having various positives – felt somewhat watered down when compared to previous counterparts. And so for a long while, the likes of Cobra Mission: Panic in Cobra City, and Knights of Xentar were far from my mind...

..until I caught wind of Ktulu Solutions’ Metropolis: Lux Obscura back in 2018, a game that – whilst flawed in tone – featured some saucy bare skin and reminded me of the seemingly lost adult genre – lost in  a mainstream context, at least.

Breakout Beyond Nintendo Switch 2 Gameplay 🧱 @atari

Rich bounces into Breakout Beyond on his freshly baked Nintendo Switch 2. This game is a fresh take on the classic brick-breaking game, developed by Choice Provisions (known for the Bit.Trip series) and published by Atari. Instead of the traditional vertical gameplay, this version flips the formula sideways, making players progress horizontally through neon-drenched levels.

The game features 72 levels, each with unique puzzles and special blocks that grant power-ups like explosive blasts, protective barriers, and even a laser cannon. Players can rack up combos to intensify the visual and audio effects, creating a spectacular light show. There's also a focus mode that slows down time for precision shots, though it comes at the cost of your score multiplier.

For those looking for an extra challenge, Breakout Beyond includes an endless mode with global leader boards, allowing players to test their skills against the best. Plus, local two-player co-op lets you team up with a friend for double the brick-breaking chaos.

Agent Fall Nintendo Switch Review 6.5/10 "A brief ‘n breezy 2D shooter for the casual player" 🔫🕵🏻‍♀️ @PufferfishDig @eastasiasoft #IndieGame #GameDev

Whilst the blurb for the game may look to convince you that this 2D run ‘n gun title will provide a serious challenge, it is actually a very short, simple and quite charming little title that provides an hour or so of blasting action, with a paper thin story that acts as an excuse to move from place to place, all the while taking down enemies in droves in single player, or co-op.

From the Website:
'Agent Fall is an action game inspired by classic titles, where you face an intergalactic government conspiracy. With aliens siding with the government, you, as an agent, must take down this dark alliance. Prepare for frantic combat, with powerful weapons, relentless enemies, and epic bosses.'

Kemono Heroes Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "hectic swipey-swipey action!" 🦊 @MadGearGames @JanduSoft #GameDev #IndieGame

From the developers that brought us A Hole New World – an 8-bit styled title - comes Kemono Heroes, now making the leap to a 16-bit style, complete with chunky pixels, parallax scrolling, and a lot of weapon-based swipey-swipey action. Good!

Playable with up to four players in co-op, Kemono Heroes has a mystical Eastern vibe in which the main characters are anthropomorphic animals, each with their own special skills, although the main attack of each is a ‘Strider’-esque swipe of their blade - a little nod to one of its influences. 

HORI SWITCH 2 PIRANHA PLANT CAMERA Unboxing 🌱 #switch2 #hori #piranhaplant

Rich gets his hands on the HORI Piranha Plant Camera that has been built specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2.

🔗 https://hori.co.uk/nsx-001

Rich Plays Snow Bros 2 Special On The Nintendo Switch ☃️❄️⛄ #Retrogaming

Rich plays Snow Bros 2 Special which is a remake of the 1994 arcade classic Snow Bros. 2 by TOAPLAN. Rich attempts to rescue the princess from the Demon King—by choosing from four protagonists with updated character designs and modernized graphics.

🕹️ GAME LINK: 🔗

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-games/SNOW-BROS-2-SPECIAL-2760881.html

Rich Plays Broken Sword: Shadow Of The Templars Reforged On Nintendo Switch ⚔️ @RevSoftGames #IndieGame #GameDev

 

Rich jumps into Broken Sword Shadow Of The Templars Reforged on the Nintendo Switch after last playing the original about 10 years ago. This updated version looks great and plays well on Nintendo Switch.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

🕹️ GAME LINK: 🔗

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Broken-Sword-Shadow-of-the-Templars-Reforged-2685867.html

Rendering Ranger R² [Rewind] Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "SH'MUP & RUN ANYONE?" 🔥🏃‍♀️‍➡️🛸 @playziggurat @LimitedRunGames #IndieGame #GameDev #Retrogaming

"George wasn't a fan of the new stand up tanning booths"

Rendering Ranger R² [Rewind] is a revival of a video game from the Super Famicom / Super Nintendo era of 1995, originally released in Japan. Developed by Manfred Trenz, the game combines two distinct gameplay styles: run-and-gun action reminiscent of Contra and also side-scrolling shoot-'em-up sequences akin to R-Type. 

While most people point to Contra as their fave retro run and gun from their childhood, mine was always Midnight Resistance. Specifically Midnight Resistance on the Commodore 64. There was a demo tape on the front of a C64 magazine back in the early '90s that I couldn't get enough of and me and my mate Johnny would endlessly play this demo tape in awe of the run n gun gameplay and the beautiful looking Commodore 64 graphics. 

Eventually I actually located a Midnight Resistance Arcade cabinet in the local Kebab House (which also had a pool table) and once again I fell in love with the run and gunnery of Midnight Resistance.

Accolade Sports Collection Nintendo Switch Review 5/10 🌭 "Hotdog anyone?"

"Cassidy's new glasses were rubbish! They were so bad he started pitching to 3rd base!"

Growing up I almost exclusively played sports video games. I was sports mad. I loved any sporting event you could imagine and consumed any and every sport on UK TV. I watched Grandstand, Sports Night, Final Score, Match Of The The Day, The Match, Football Gazzetta, Transworld Sport Special and any type of sport that anyone threw my way. I stayed up to watch the Super Bowl every year and I loved every Olympics from 1988 onwards. 

I was a big fan of the EPYX GAMES Series with California games and Winter Games probably being my favourites (hotdog anyone?), if I see a Track & Field arcade I just have to play it and I fell completely for the Wii Mario & sonic at The Olympics video games. 

Upon seeing that this Accolade Sports Collection was coming out, I had high hopes! After spending time with the collection I am afraid to report it's just not as much fun as I remember these games being.

Care Bears: Unlock The Magic Nintendo Switch Review 4.5/10 (also available on PS4/5) "lacking charm and magic" 🐻🐻‍❄️🐼 @MaximumEntmt

As a man in my forties, The Care Bears were very much a part of my childhood, and I watched show a lot as a kid, I was convinced that there was a Care Bears game on the C64, but in researching this article, I have very much been proven wrong, as the first released Care Bears title was in 2004! (WTF!!! - ed)

Regardless of my foggy memories, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic is unfortunately a charmless dud that feels like a half-finished game that had the Care Bears licensing slapped on during development, and really doesn’t feel that it’s taking full advantage of the rich, generation-spanning Care Bears heritage.

Effectively a single-player collection of mini-games, with an included digital art book, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic has an adventure mode that has you dancing along a 3D board in a 3D take on Snake, driving the Care Bear bus to pick up hearts in a simple vehicular section, pogoing across rivers, popping coloured bubbles a la Puzzle Bobble, and several more derivative mini-games that combine to allow you to make your way across the overworld game board, of which certain section are blocked by thunderstorms that require a certain amount of points to pass. The music is gentle and lilting, the frame rate 60fps, and the mini-games do ramp up in difficulty – so this isn’t a mindless trudge - but they always felt arbitrary, and there was no sense of charm or a love for the licence at hand.

SUMMARY

At it’s current price, Care Bears: Unlock The Magic is a tough game to recommend as it just feels like a compilation of forgettable – yet competent – mini-games that feel more at home on a mobile device. It was far too slight to engage me as an adult, and my four year old had no interest in the game, so unless you have a youngster that really has a connection with the franchise, this is a game that makes me dress up in my Grumpy Bear costume and sulkily fold my arms.

4.5/10

💧MELTED💧

🔗Care Bears: Unlock The Magic | Nintendo Switch games | Games | Nintendo UK

My Night Job On The Nintendo Switch "Ten Minute Taster" 🌃 @webcoregames #IndieGame #GameDev

Rich plays "My Night Job" which is a fast-paced arcade action-adventure game set in an abandoned mansion overrun by monsters.

Rich must use over 60 unique weapons, ranging from vases and chainsaws to shotguns and hammers, to fend off monsters while rescuing survivors and defending the building.

The game features an 80s horror movie aesthetic, blending nostalgia with bizarre humour. If too many rooms are destroyed or Rich's health runs out, his efforts will only be remembered in the high-score list.

Desktop Golf Nintendo Switch Review (also available on Steam) 8.5/10 "A Hole-in-One!" ⛳ @SAT_BOX_EN #IndieGame #GameDev

SAT BOX have quietly impressed me with their releases over the last few months, specialising as they do in simple premises done well. This latest release pretty much does what it says on the tin and casts you as a desktop golfer, you’ll be sailing your ball across fairways and dog-legs whilst making your way across bridges made of binders, whilst avoiding toys and pencils as well as the standard sand and water hazards. 

Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "This is a Terrific Turbo Trip To Take" 👍 @TinyTerryGame @SuperRareGames #IndieGame #GameDev

My evil, twisted and foul editor covered Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip on upon its PC release last Summer, and it also made his end of year list with the below comment:

"For a game that's around 4 hours long this kept me busy doing fun stuff in this open world platformer that has an awesome art style and a music sense that compliments the game perfectly. 

It's the perfect example of an indie game that benefits from not over stretching itself and making sure that what it does, it does it well. 

Go make friends with Tiny Terry and I promise you won't regret it!"

The game is centred around young Terry, who we initially meet as he stands in line at the ‘Job Application Centre’ where he is looking to get a car so that he can ‘go to space’, all completely normal and above board. Through a series of miscommunications – a throughline in the game – Terry ends up getting a job as a taxi driver… with no pay, natch.