Developer: Wayforward
Publisher: WayForward
Website: http://micro.wayforward.com/mightyswitchforce/


NA / EU / AU Release: December 22, 2011
Japan Release: no release

# of Players: 1 player (1 save file)
Nintendo eShop price: $5:99
Genre: Puzzle, Platformer


The Hooligan Sisters have disrupted the peace in Planet Land after escaping custody and unleashing monsters on the platforming streets. It’s your job, Patricia Wagon, to bring them back to justice with the help from your Siren Helmet and Pellet Shooter.

Gameplay

Officer Wagon can perform a jump with the B button and move left and right with the Circle Pad, fire at monsters with your Pellet Shooter by pressing the Y button and continuous shots with continuous presses. Officer Wagon will have to deal with yellow blocks, known as Switch Blocks that appear unhighlighted in the background that would be helpful to be place in the middle ground for her to reach the next platforming streets. Luckily, she has the authorization to use her Siren Helmet and after pressing the A button, the unhighlighted Switch Blocks will become a solid platform and vice versa. Be careful, these blocks can send you to the forbidden foreground, squash on the shattered 3DS screen, when your right in front of unhighlighted Switch Block after using your Siren Helmet. Hilariously, you can also send monsters to the forbidden foreground, sometimes mandatory. There are other types of blocks. The Launch Blocks, they’re purple with a arrow, are use to launch yourself to the same direction as the arrow by pressing A right in front of them with no harm. Force Field Blocks, green, are blocks that only your shots can gain access through the other side. Finally, the Lock Blocks, blue and red, when standing on one of the colored Lock Blocks while pressing the A button will remain solid and the rest of the same color will not switch. These blocks add puzzle elements that requires the right moment to use your Siren Helmet as well as coordinating between jumps and switches.



There are 16 main levels, each with 5 Hooligan Sisters to obtain and then successfully exit the level by entering your robotic companion, Corporal Gendarmor. You’ll also encounter a Ugly Twitching Dog that acts as a checkpoint and you’ll be returning to the recent checkpoint after being squash or fall into spikes that takes away a heart. Obtaining a blue floppy disk with a label heart will bring back a lost health. You don’t have to worry about pursuing the Hooligan Sisters as these criminals all have a personality of a lazy cheerleader, standing in the open while chewing their bubble gum. You still need to know where they are and the bottom screen known as the Hooligan Tracker helps. A green tracker beacon will point in the direction from you to the nearest criminal, the beacon will be narrower when you’re close and a green flatline means that one of them is inches away from the top screen. The Hooligan Tracker can also locate Corporal Gendarmor. The bottom screen also display your health, 3 hearts in the upper-right corner, the amount of criminals left in a level, lower-left, and a timer and Par time, upper-left.

After completing the main 16, 5 more levels unlock in a form of free DLC and you gain access to a more powerful arsenal that helps completing the Par challenges more possible by quickly dispatching monsters and no longer need exploding monsters to destroy concrete for you. There’s no room for error when trying to pursuit the Par time, non-stop platforming and switching, putting the Retry option to good use after pressing Start. You have to zigzag through the levels with multiple Launch Blocks in succession, adding more challenge when using your Siren Helmet in-between. Beating the Par time adds a star medal next to the level and completing all the main level’s Par time reveals a surprising reward, although not in a satisfying way. I’ll just say that the reward puts the girls in Sweet Memories – Blackjack to shame.



Presentation

The entire game feels like one very long stage that’s similar to the first stage of Megaman X, that’s not really a complain for those who really love Megaman X because of that stage. The level design layered with SNES architecture and the view is impeccable in stereoscopic 3D. Fortunately, there is variety in the soundtrack, which is fantastic. Think of it like multiple selection of music that fits perfectly with a futuristically cinematic police chase scene. Listening to the Mighty Switch Force! soundtrack coordinates well in terms of familiarizing with each layout of the platforming streets while actively on duty and pursuing on your fastest time.

Unfortunately there are some covert policing involve. For one thing, most of the story is incoherently presented in stills after completing a level that aren’t enough of them and the only cutscene takes place in the begin of the first level which eliminates multiple viewings. There is an error that the game embarrassingly, and worrying, takes you back to the Home Screen because during the previous session you power off while in a level instead of powering off from the Home Screen.



Conclusion

If Mighty Switch Force! was the same price tag as it was during it’s Game of the Weekend, this would easily be recommended as a reasonable purchase for a weekend session of retro inspired adrenaline. As for the actual price tag, it’s still a recommendation for those who appreciates multiple attempts on challenging speedrunning achievements and certain that you won’t be getting the Wii U version anytime soon. Patricia Wagon, let’s switch it off!

8 / 10 eShop Points

8- Great This is a great game that might have a few flaws or could have been better, but is still a game we highly recommend!