Nintendolife

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Spirit Mancer, the inaugural release from Sunny Syrup Studio, is an ambitious game that flies a little too close to the sun. It’s a hack ‘n’ slash, an action platformer, an RPG, a monster catcher, and a deckbuilder, all rolled into one. If that sounds like too many ideas to cram into one game… well, it totally is, though Spirit Mancer still comes across as a modestly enjoyable and interesting game.

Spirit Mancer follows the story of two military-trained demon hunters, Sebastian and Mary, who are suddenly transported away from the human world to Inferno, where a wicked demon queen has stolen away their friends. Armed with the titular Spirit Mancer, which gives them limited control over demons, the two set out to free their friends, defeat the queen, and save the world.

It’s a relatively thin plot, but Spirit Mancer manages to strike that perfect balance between goofiness and sincerity as it slowly introduces more of its cast. Couple this ..

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)You may not have heard of Little Big Adventure, but if you have, it’s likely you remember it fondly. It popped up on PC in the last months of 1994, then found its way to PlayStation and other platforms. It didn’t shift millions, but it gained cult status for its unique atmosphere, inventive controls, and memorable story of a despot, a rebellion, and a chosen one. Understanding Twinsen’s Quest really means understanding its origins, so it’s worth a recap.

Little Big Adventure was the first game from French studio Adeline Software, followed a few years later by a sequel. Developer [2.21] has brought back some of the original team for this remake — including composer Philippe Vachey, revisiting a memorable theme tune — as well as new creatives drawn from the LBA fan community. Designer Didier Chanfray has said that the Little Big Adventure series was always intended to be a trilogy: now the goal is to remake both of the original games in a m..

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)A couple of years ago, a little puzzle game came to the Switch eShop called Dungeons of Dreadrock, which smartly mixed the vibe of 1980s first-person adventure games with simple puzzle mechanics. Though Dungeons of Dreadrock was enjoyable enough as a standalone experience, it was recently revealed that there will be a trilogy of Dreadrock games and the second entry has now arrived. Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 – The Dead King’s Secret doesn’t prove to be much of an improvement over its predecessor, but that’s hardly a bad thing given that it also nails everything that made the original special.

In a fun and rather interesting approach, Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 takes place at exactly the same time as its predecessor, this time placing you in the shoes of a sorceress and priestess of the Order of the Flame, who works in the shadows on a journey that is tightly related to the plot of the first game in various clever ways.

Captured on Nintendo Swi..

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)It’s been a stellar year for RPGs on the Switch, with even Mario managing to squeak out three of his own within 12 months and a heavily anticipated remake of a Famicom classic hitting shelves this month with Dragon Quest III Remake. But among all these heavy hitters, be sure not to overlook the humble 8-Bit Adventures 2, as it’s possibly among the same ranks for the right player.

Developer by Critical Games, and a sequel to — you guessed it — the original 8-Bit Adventures, this is a love letter to classic titles like Chrono Trigger, Mother 3, and even (as noted by the developer) Final Fantasy X – heartfelt influences the game wears on its sleeve with pride.

First of all, the most arresting part of the game is in the name: the 8-bit visuals. Fittingly, 8BA2 (as we’re calling it) doesn’t take up all of the Switch’s screen, instead appearing in a 4:3 box. You can also squash further to emulate a ‘pixel perfect’ version like some modern ports of retro ..

Going into Carpathian Night Starring Bela Lugosi, there was an undeniable fear that this would be a cheap, throwaway knock-off of Konami’s Castlevania series; one that we’d rinse in a single sitting before casting it aside for the real deal. Instead, we were treated to an incredibly well-crafted game that can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon as a worthy homage to one of the most respected franchises in gaming history.

Taking inspiration primarily from the ‘classic’ ‘Vanias, Carpathian Night sees you traverse a total of 12 linear stages as either Abbot Dorin or Irina Dracul. The former wields a spear in a similar fashion to Castlevania: Bloodlines’ Eric Lecarde, while the latter prefers the iconic whip. Whichever you choose, their basic eight-way directional attacks feel quite similar, though they each boast unique abilities obtained by collecting green gems littered throughout the stages.

Playing around with the abilities to best suit your pla..

Nintendo Switch players have been waiting a while to get their hands on 2022’s Stray, the critically acclaimed puzzle-platforming adventure from developer BlueTwelve Studio and one-time PlayStation console exclusive that lets you explore an A.I.-populated cyberpunk world through the perspective of an adorable feline protagonist.

While we had initial concerns about its performance and visual fidelity given that this is a game built for beefier consoles, we’re happy to report that the Annapurna Interactive-published port on Switch is superbly optimised and absolutely delivers, albeit with minor graphical compromises compared to versions running on PC and other consoles.

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
Scampering across neon-drenched rooftops or curling up for a cat nap in a cosy corner of Stray’s stunningly realised world feels as engaging and immersive as ever on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Though its core gameplay is fairly simplistic, its narrative-driven storytelling and brilli..

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is celebrating its two-year anniversary with a bumper list of in-game events, all of which culminate in the arrival of shiny Rayquaza, which you’ll be able to get for a limited time via Tera Raid Battles.

The black-coloured Rayquaza will be available in Scarlet & Violet from 20th December 2024 to 5th January 2025, but you’ll have to take it down and capture it in a 5-Star Tera Raid Battle. That’s not before a whole slew of events taking place in Paldea, Kitakami, and the Blueberry Academy, however.
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Between 29th November and 19th December, three sets of Tera Raid Battle Events will be taking place. the first will feature Corbiknight and Bellibolt (until 5th December), the second Azumarill and Clodsire (until 12th December), and the third Annihilape and Kingambit (until 19th December).

Three Mass Outbreaks will also be popping up across all three regions in Scarlet & Violet during those same dates. Outb..

Believe it or not, Donkey Kong Country for the SNES has turned 30 years old after originally launching in the UK on 18th November 1994.

Often regarded as one of the greatest platformers of all time, Donkey Kong Country was the first in an SNES trilogy from developer Rare, and was really the game that properly kickstarted a fruitful relationship between Nintendo and the UK-based studio. Although it has arguably been eclipsed by the likes of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, it nevertheless remains a firm fan favourite.