Alright folks, strap in. Been a minute since I dusted off my trusty Switch, but seeing all this buzz about upcoming stuff and hidden gems, specifically Pokemon and Xenoblade vibes, got me itching. Figured I’d share my messy Saturday dive back in.
Dusting Off the Beast & Firing Up
First things first, gotta dig out the ol’ console from its usual spot buried under some books. Hooked it up to the TV, dug through the drawer for the Pro Controller – took like five tries to pair it, why does it always forget? Finally got it blinking connected. Scrolled through my library, it’s like a graveyard of half-finished indies. Time for something new-ish.
Digging Through the Digital Shelves
Remembered seeing chatter online about some overlooked stuff lately. Hopped onto the eShop, scrolled past the usual big names. Took forever. Saw three titles popping up in convo again:
- Kingdom Defense something… Revenge? Oh yeah, Kingdom Rush: Vengeance. Playing as the bad guys? Sold.
- That weird Demon Summoner remake everyone says feels unique – Demon Summoner: Soul Hackers(?) The Overclocked Battalion Story (Man, these names!). Big vibe shift.
- And that Chinese Black Myth-inspired thing – Rising Power: Tianming Ren (“Life-Adder” or something). Pixel version out now, apparently.
Looked like a solid lineup for a deep dive. Hit download on all three. Grabbed a coffee. Watched the progress bars crawl… perfect time to question my life choices.
Getting My Hands Dirty (Button Smashing Commenced)
The Demon Tower Defense (Kingdom Rush: Vengeance)
Loaded this sucker up first. Hooo boy, being the monster defending your dungeon against heroic armies is a riot. Started placing Goblin Archers like crazy. They look properly shifty. Then unlocked some big nasty Orc Shaman dude throwing green goo. Love it. Waves hit harder than expected – sent my little Dark Knight hero out to clean up the mess I made. He died fast. Oops. Gotta learn the synergy between towers, upgrading paths, heroes. Feels chaotic but fair. Cartoon violence hits the spot. Definitely overlooked if you dig tower defense.
Detective Demon Wrangler (Demon Summoner)
This one’s a total vibe shift. Big hats, old Japan, demons. Started wandering some moody city streets, summoned a Jack Frost-looking thing (Pixie?) immediately to solve a puzzle. Feels clunky at first – weird mix of exploring, detective stuff, and sudden turn-based fights where you gotta find weaknesses fast or get smacked. Used that “Sword of Will” skill once I figured out how MAG builds – felt pretty cool slicing through a demon after whittling it down. The atmosphere sucks you in, super different from anything else I got going. Takes getting used to, but definitely intriguing.
The Pixel Monkey Smash (Rising Power: Tianming Ren)
Last load. Impressive pixely dark vibe. Controls felt tight. Whipped out the staff, smashed a wolf-thing. Nailed a timed dodge, went into slo-mo, hammered it with a combo, felt slick! Quickly found out you ain’t solo for long – recruited Zhu Bajie (Pigsy!). Having the pig dude tank hits while I pummel enemies from behind is the dream. Pixel art is gorgeous, dark woods look menacing. The big character portraits feel kinda plastered on though? But who cares, executing a demon with a big fancy pixel animation never gets old. Solid surprise.
Bonus Round: Team Up Disaster (Different Planets)
Saw the wife giving me the “what are you even doing” look. Mentioned that new co-op game Different Planets everyone’s raving about. She shrugged, “Fine.” Grabbed the spare controller. Downloaded it quick. Big mistake.
You’re forced to talk CONSTANTLY. But we’re supposed to have secret missions? Immediately confusing. “What are you seeing?” “Uh, blue tiles? Lift thing?” “There’s no blue! It’s green!” Pure chaos. Died repeatedly to the simplest obstacle ’cause we couldn’t convey basic info without messing up our hidden goals. Screamed, laughed, contemplated divorce over pixels. Eventually stumbled through one puzzle feeling like geniuses… only to realize we both failed our real objectives spectacularly. It’s rough, messy, but honestly? Hilarious with the right (or wrong?) partner.
Switch Needs Fuel, I Need Food
Looked up, hours vanished. Switch battery blinking red – a familiar sign. Threw it back on the dock feeling properly drained myself. Found some solid action in those overlooked corners, scratched that exploration itch the rumors promised. Gonna need pizza before round two with that grumpy Detective and his demons tomorrow. Later!