Mugsters – Nintendo Switch [Digital]

Retro done right - I grabbed this one for my Switch, hoping for something fun and chill, and man it really hit the spot, this game is a delightful mix of action, puzzle solving, and quirky physics that just works, its minimalist, retro inspired art style immediately caught my eye, it's vibrant, clean, and oddly nostalgic. From the get go it throws you onto these islands overrun by aliens with no heavy handed story, just a simple mission...figure out how to complete objectives in the most creative ways possible, it's all about experimenting and embracing the sandbox nature of the game, every level has you rescuing survivors, snagging crystals, and then booking it out of there, but how you do it is totally up to you, using explosives to blast through a barricade? Go for it, or do you prefer to ram it with a vehicle? Even better lol, and peaking of vehicles, they're a huge part of the fun, you've got everything from zippy go karts to lumbering trucks, each with its own feel and handling, sure, the physics can be a bit wonky at times, leading to some unexpected chaos (and a few hilarious mishaps), but that's honestly part of the charm. The game's difficulty curve is pretty spot on, starting easy and gradually ramping up the challenge, introducing new obstacles that really make you think, replayability is high too, since you can always go back and try different approaches to each level, but the real kicker is local co op, teaming up with a buddy turns the fun up to eleven, leading to some laugh out loud moments as you accidentally (or not so accidentally) sabotage each other. Sadly, there's no online multiplayer, which is a bummer. Performance wise it runs without hiccups on the Switch, with quick load times and no noticeable hiccups, even when things get crazy, the controls are intuitive, though precision can be a bit tricky with the physics based stuff, and while the lack of a deeper story and some repetition in the core objectives are minor downsides, they don't really detract from the overall experience. Honestly for the money you can't ask for more!