[h1][b]MIGHTY SWITCH FORCE! umm... ah, yes, HYPER DRIVE EDITION![/b][/h1]
I originally found out about this game because of listening to its soundtrack. Somewhere in the world, on 21st of November 2018, I bought this game and started my adventure. After getting all of the achievements and a good amount of playtime, I decided to write a review on this game. So, let's actually start then!
I'll write some pros/cons first, while the more detailed explanations will be put below that.
[b]Pros:[/b][list]
[*]Energetic and fast-paced
[*]Music is great, no, even better, it's Jake Kaufman!
[*]Simple mechanics
[*]Responsive controls, don't break your keyboard/controller if you die xD
[*]Gradually increasing difficulty, the player isn't just thrown into the game like a pile of trash
[*]Good visual style, and of course, cute girls!
[*]Good for both people who play casually, and people who want a challenge
[/list]
[b]Cons:[/b][list]
[*]Story is ___________ (haha get it xD?)
[*]Later (hyper) levels sometimes require jumps with extreme precision and timing
[*]Pretty short, I wish there were more levels
[*][b]I completed everything and now I can't take Patricia off of my menu screen, send help[/b]
[/list]
[h1]On to the details...[/h1]
Mighty Switch Force is a fast-paced puzzle/action platformer. This version is actually an HD remake of the original Mighty Switch Force fot the Nintendo 3DS. You play as Patricia Wagon, a police officer, and your goal is to (re)capture all 5 of the Hooligan Sisters, who have escaped custody, and get to the exit.
The story is as minimal as it gets, and essentially the previous sentence describes the story perfectly. If you want a story-driven puzzle platformer, I recommend [b]Iconoclasts[/b] instead, which I will write a review on at some point.
The mechanics of the game are simple in terms of buttons, you can move, jump, shoot, and of course, switch blocks on/off. Switching blocks of different types are what defines this game, and all the other MSF games (besides the cute girls, of course). The gun is pretty simple to use, although after you complete a level, you have the option to replay it with the Mighty Shot, an upgraded version of the gun that can surpass Metal Gear!
At first glance, the game is not difficult or complicated. The initial levels aren't difficult at all and you think that this is a relaxing game to play. Almost seems slow at first. [u]Think of it like a tortoise equipped with jet engines[/u]. What are you talking about, Paul??? Well, it starts out slow, but it gets faster. And then, even faster.[i] FASTERER[/i]. You need to press more buttons, to react quicker. Enemies will be more frequent, and jumps more difficult. Then you get to the final level, and everything you know will be turned upside down while you try to understand what's happening. But don't worry, it's not unfair. It's actually really fun, and the awesome music helps with that too. Jake Kaufman. 10/10
After you complete the final level, you have Bonus Levels. And after that, Hyper Levels, which are remixed, much harder versions of all the previous levels you played. Even when playing Hyper levels, you'll learn some useful things that you didn't know existed! It's a learning process, and I will admit that it took me a lot of time to learn how to properly do those insane jumps. These levels, of course, are not mandatory, but I found them really fun. Fun enough to get all of the achievements for this game. And, for an extra challenge, completing a level under a certain "Par Time" will grant you a star. Is it challenging enough now?
Now, even with those added levels, the game is still on the shorter end, but the actual problem with this is that it doesn't really offer much replayability after you complete every level, unless you want to try speedrunning. A shame, but that's just how it is.
[h1][b]FINAL VERDICT: 8/10[/b][/h1]
A great game, which is best consumed in little quantities, like a short session after work, school, etc. But for the hardcore gamers out there, I think this game will provide quite a challenge if you give it a shot. Shame it's not longer though. So, is it worth the $10? Well, I would say yes, but it is kind of short, so if you don't plan on playing all of the levels, you could also wait for a sale. Do I recommend it? Without a doubt, yes.
See you in the next review!
My other reviews:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/prismaticpaul/recommended/
