Mighty Switch Force is a new game from famed DSiWare developer WayForward, who brought us great games like Shantea: Risky's Revenge, Mighty Flip Champs, and Mighty Milky Way. Mighty Switch Force is the newest in their download lineup. It's part side-scrolling shooter, part puzzle game, and a good amount of fun.
The game is set up very simply, with a level selection screen as its main menu. You must play each consecutively to unlock the next one. In each level, you must capture the 5 Hooligan Sisters, escaped convicts, and then return to your mechanized partner to complete the level. You play as Officer Patty Wagon, and it your duty to round them up.
The catch of the game is the "switching". Quite literally, there is button you can press at any time that "switches" platforms on or off. This provides some fun puzzles and obstacles to overcome as you progress through the game, with each level becoming more and more complex. While these switchtastic platforms are the source of most of the game's challenges, some of the levels focus more on the side-scrolling and shooting of a more traditional 2D platformer.
Mighty Switch Force isn't a very long game, but it is built on replayability. There are only 16 levels to play through, but as you play each level, there is a clock on the bottom screen and a "par" time. Now, for your first playthrough, you will probably never meet par for any level. It's going to take a lot of replaying levels in order to master them to make it through fast enough to meet par. For speedrunners and completionists, this is great. For people who have no desire to beat a game to 100% completion, the short game length might be a let down. It will still be fun for both parties.
The game has great music and sound. There are quite a few catchy tunes that remind me of some better Sega Genesis music (I couldn't help but wonder if that's the style they were going for). Couple this with quirky voicework and satisfying sound effects and you get a pretty nice package. The visuals of the game aren't bad, either. It very much reminds me of a classic SNES or Genesis title.
Overall, a solid game. Not the strongest offering from WayForward, and it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a good game to play on the go.
3/5 stars.
