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Switch Review

Nintendo Switch: Epyx Rogue – Game Review

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Epyx Rogue: A Timeless Classic on the Nintendo Switch!

Release Date: July 18th | Publisher: Pixel Games UK

Prepare to be transported back to the dawn of dungeon-crawling with Epyx Rogue, the game that pioneered an entire genre, now making its triumphant debut on the Nintendo Switch. Originally released in 1980, this timeless classic, developed by Imagine Software, continues to captivate players with its endless adventures and challenging gameplay.

Endless Adventure Awaits

In Epyx Rogue, you’ll embark on a thrilling quest through the infamous Dungeons of Doom, searching for the elusive Amulet of Yendor. But beware—this journey is fraught with danger. With every turn, death lurks around the corner, and survival requires sharp wits and strategic planning. Each expedition into the dungeon is unique, thanks to the game’s innovative randomly generated rooms, ensuring that no two adventures are ever the same.

Modern Features for a Classic Game

This Nintendo Switch version of Epyx Rogue brings modern enhancements that make the game even more engaging and accessible:

  • Display Filters: Relive the retro experience with an 80s-style CRT filter.
  • Play Modes: Choose between a standard mode with game-saving capabilities or the Iron Rogue mode for the ultimate perma-death challenge.
  • Intuitive Controls: Easily access common tasks with a single button press and navigate more complex functions via on-screen control wheels.
  • Virtual Instruction Manual: A full manual at your fingertips to guide you through the game.
  • Atmospheric Soundtracks: Select from several captivating soundtracks to enhance your dungeon-crawling experience.
  • Achievements: Unlock dozens of achievements as you progress through the game.
  • Global Leaderboards: Compete with players worldwide in the Global Hall-of-Fame.

A Genre-Defining Experience

Epyx Rogue is not just a game; it’s a piece of gaming history. The combination of random generation and perma-death was revolutionary, giving rise to the beloved “Rogue-like” genre. Now, you can experience the thrill of the original graphical port, where pixel-art brought the Dungeons of Doom to life like never before.

  • Unique Enemies: Face off against dozens of distinct and formidable foes.
  • Variety of Items: Collect a diverse array of armor, weapons, food, and other essential items to aid in your quest.
  • Hidden Secrets: Search for secret doors and traps within the dungeon’s labyrinthine rooms.
  • Magical Wonders: Discover and experiment with strange magical spells and potions, each offering a different effect in every playthrough.
  • Challenging Levels: Survive 26 randomly generated levels, each more perilous than the last, to finally claim the Amulet of Yendor and make your daring escape—if you can!

Dive into Epyx Rogue on the Nintendo Switch and rediscover the game that changed the world of fantasy gaming forever. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, this is a journey you won’t want to miss!

Disclaimer: Epyx Rogue game code was kindly provided by Imagine Software UK for this review.

Space Invaders Invincible Collection – Review (Switch)

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The granddaddy of all of shoot’em ups, the legendary Space Invaders has come blasting to the west onto the Nintendo Switch (and PS4), so let’s take a trip down memory lane!

In celebration of the iconic arcade game by Taito, the Space Invaders Invincible Collection packs 11 games based around Tomohiro Nishikado’s shooter that kicked off the arcade golden age 40+ years ago. Before we go on, we better let you know which games made the cut in this collection – they are:

  • Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – original black and white arcade game
  • Space Invaders (1978, Arcade) – original colour  arcade game
  • Space Invaders Part II (1979, Arcade)
  • Lunar Rescue (1979, Arcade)
  • Space Cyclone (1980, Arcade)
  • Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV aka: Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)
  • Super Space Invaders ’91 (1990, Arcade)
  • Space Invaders DX (1994, Arcade)
  • Space Invaders Extreme (2018)
  • Space Invaders Gigamax 4 SE (2018)
  • Arkanoid vs Space Invaders (2016) – included as an additional download (not available at the time of this review!)

We were a bit puzzled with Majestic Twelve: The Space Invaders Part IV, as it is the same game as Super Space Invaders ’91. Also, the inclusion of Lunar Rescue and Space Cyclone, both based on the Space Invaders arcade hardware, are an odd addition, but they are a welcome distraction from your standard Space Invaders action, even if they bear some resemblance to the classic shooter.

The vertically oriented Space Invaders games all have the option to rotate the Switch screen to Tate mode, which is a relief, as the screen is quite limited in landscape mode on those earlier arcade titles. Other features include scan lines (on the pre-2xxx games) to give you that authentic arcade monitor glow and feel, and a welcome option is the save / load, which is great if you get interrupted and want to save and come back to start where you left off.

The pre-2000 Space Invaders games (except Super Space Invaders ’91 for some reason) have two modes of play – normal, which is your standard rules arcade game; or challenge mode, which the player competes for the highest score with special rules for each game. After you have a game or two in normal mode, it is the challenge mode that will keep you coming back for more Space Invaders action. Being high score chasers ourselves, we love the challenge mode.

The conversions of all included titles are faithful to their originals, so we can’t fault the visuals, sounds or play mechanics, if you have played any of these games before, then you will feel right at home playing them on the Switch.

Space Invaders is an iconic game that is still fun for a blast 43 years after it debut in the arcades. This Invincible Collection on the Switch packs quite a few of the arcade games with a number of variations which are a lot of fun, especially Space Invaders Extreme, but the high entry cost (AU$99.99) to play Space Invaders and its variants on your Switch is a tad too steep. If you don’t have Space Invaders Forever and you are a hardcore Space Invaders fan, then this is the definitive collection to have, so grab it right away. For those of you that are on the fence, you may want to wait for a price drop to make this a compelling addition to your Switch games library.



Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Taito’s Space Invaders Invincible Collection was provided by PR Hound.

Ape Out – Nintendo Switch Review

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Busting its way onto the Switch is Ape Out, a seriously stylish smash ‘em up that gives a new meaning to the term “Ape Escape.”

Ape Out is a top down perspective game with a very deliberate feel to the way it was made. You control a gorilla that must break its way out of a cage and through various scenarios to your freedom. A relative army of humans stand between you and the open jungle. At first glance Ape Out is a game that seems like a rampaging primate power fantasy of breaking ones shackles and escaping. Hidden within its simple art style and jazzy tunes there is an underlying sadness to this tale that is all too real but is never preachy. Every play through is randomly generated and upon every death the world changes so you never know what to expect around the next corner.

Every scenario in Ape Out is presented like a record, with a different colour palette and soundtrack to match. The art style uses basic contrasting colours and is very minimalistic and striking. Enemies are white silhouettes against drab coloured floors and walls that splash with bold crimson upon taking one of them down. Through all of this the soundtrack plays a pivotal role in creating atmosphere. As you burst through glass and guards the soundtrack is always present with an experimental jazz feel. Upon killing an enemy there will be a cymbal crash and an increase in tempo momentarily, upon taking out several guards the soundtrack really reaches full strength. Alternatively, sneaking around will have you hearing the steady beat of a high hat that beautifully builds tension.

Gameplay mechanics are kept deliberately simple, boiling down to simply “push or pull” style controls. You can grab a guard and use him as a shield or throw him at another guard, wall or even through a window. There are also multiple scenarios that offer different mechanics based on the location that they are set in, from a science lab to a sky scraper. Every Run is timed and at the end the amount of deaths are given. There is also a “Harder” mode for those that like the extra challenge and an Arcade mode that gives you a score based on time and kills.

Ape Out is a beautifully designed little game with lots of care put into it. Although it may feel a little short, it is definitely worth your time. You’d be bananas not to try it!

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Ape Out [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by POWER UP PR for this review.

 

 

Nintendo Switch Review: Tengai

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Whoa, Zerodiv are absolutely on fire! Their latest Psikyo shoot’em up conversion, Tengai (aka: Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II) is brutally hard and oh so damn satisfying all rolled into one. If you are into superb mid-90s shmups, then you can never have enough shmups in your Switch line-up.

Tengai is a brilliant mix of horizontal shmup action (there is lots to shoot here which quenches the shmup thirst) with the flexibility to tweak difficulty levels, and trust us, you’ll be setting it to monkey mode in no time! Once you pick your character from a roster that consists of a Monk (Tengai) that shoots beads, a Ninja Warrior (Sho) that throws blades, a female Ninja (Junis) who uses her knives and shurikens, Katana that uses lasers, and the shrine maiden (Miko), who uses ofuda cards, then it is time to hit the skies over medieval Japan and dispense some justice. Each character of course has their own power-ups, which are pretty zany, from Tengai’s hawk, Sho’s mirrors, Junis’ mongoose, to Katana’s magical spear and Miko’s water spirit, these souped up powers should be used sparingly to clear the screen of all evil-doers.

The level design is linear till you come to level 5 where you face off against every previous mid-boss one after another. If you manage to get past these mid-bosses a branching path is presented prior to reaching the final boss for that epic final battle. By this stage you may be patting yourself on the back, but that would be premature as this end showdown is a timed affair, so if you do poorly, you will get your character’s ‘bad ending’ instead of a complete victory.

The gameplay also has a number of nuances like contacting enemies won’t cost you a life. Instead, your character’s firepower is downgraded, which makes progress tricky. So the object is to dodge and weave past all of the yellow/orange bullets that regularly fill the screen. Thankfully, Tengai doesn’t feel like a full-on bullet hell shooter, but there is certainly a lot going on all around the screen. If you think you will get some rest during play to enjoy the scenery, then think again! This game is full on – in a good way.

The sprite art in this game is damn gorgeous and the parallax scrolling is oh-so-ever-smooth, meaning that your eyes will thank you for the visual extravaganza! Complementing the visuals is the cool and distinctly oriental soundtrack which completes the atmosphere of the game.

We do sound like a broken record when it comes to games from Zerodiv, but this shoot’em up seriously deserves to be at the top of your Switch library – it’s shmuptastic!

image source: Tengai – Nintendo eShop

Disclaimer: Tengai was kindly provided by Zerodiv for this review.