Panda Punch Nintendo Switch Review

Panda Punch
Developed By: Cardboard Keep
Published By: Plug-In Digital
Date of Release: December 16, 2022
Price: $4.99

Panda Punch is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by the indie game studio, Cardboard Keep. It follows the story of a young panda named Dandan who lives in a peaceful village with his friends. One day, an evil force threatens to destroy their village, and Dandan sets out on a journey to stop the villain and save his home. Along the way, he faces numerous challenges and enemies, which he must defeat using his martial arts skills.

The gameplay of Panda Punch is straightforward, with players controlling Dandan as he runs, jumps, and fights his way through various levels. The controls are responsive and easy to master, making it accessible for players of all ages and skill levels. The game also has a good variety of enemies and obstacles to keep the gameplay engaging. One of the game's standout features is its charming and colorful graphics. The game has a hand-drawn art style that looks fantastic on the Nintendo Switch's screen. The game's music and sound effects are also well-done and add to the overall fun and light-hearted atmosphere of the game.

Panda Punch is a relatively short affair with only 30 levels, however it is well-designed and entertaining from start to finish. It also has some replayability, as players can collect hidden coins and unlock new outfits for Dandan. The game also has a local multiplayer mode, allowing two players to play together on the same screen. Overall, Panda Punch is a fun and charming platformer that's perfect for anyone looking for a light-hearted and enjoyable game to play on the Switch. Its simple gameplay, beautiful graphics, and appealing characters make it a must-try for fans of the genre

 Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection (Switch)

Developed By: Bliss Brain

Published By: ININ Games

Date of Release: January 26, 2023

Price: $49.99

Well here we are, once again with Wonder Boy on the Switch. ININ games is up to their usual shenanigans, after claiming that their massive Anniversary Collection for Wonder Boy would be a limited retail only affair, they have gone and released it digitally after all the fans bought the subpar digital edition that lacked most of the content. It's the same situation as their Turrican collections. it's pretty much a lazy cash grab as usual.

Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection on the Nintendo Switch contains the most iconic entries in the series. The original Wonder Boy is a platforming title which will of course feel familiar to anyone who has played Adventure Island, as it is pretty much the same game. Wonder Boy in Monster Land was the second game, and it's very much an action RPG rather than a straight up platformer (it also has some of the most horrifying boxart on the Master System). The third title, Wonder Boy in Monster World, is actually the fifth title and is a metroidvania-lite action RPG. as for the fourth title in this collection? Monster World IV is the only game in this collection that doesn't star the titular Wonder boy, and instead stars a newcomer Asha. it's a full on metroidvania and arguably the best title in this collection. The other games are great too, but anyway.

There is definitely a lot of gameplay here in this set, and unfortunately you don't get much more than that. Each game is well emulated, however some of the graphics settings are a bit odd, with the last two games in the set having forced bilinear filtering with the CRT emulation that muddles the image. All that's really on offer here is a barebones gallery that has boxart and manuals and not much else. At least digital customers finally get the best games in the series, but this could have been the case from the beginning. Which raises the question: why are digital fans getting screwed here?

 Why bother releasing the first gimped digital collection to begin with other than to screw people over with a cash grab, forcing them to buy the full collection later on tog et the rest of the games with no upgrade path for suckers loyal fans who purchased the first release? It would have made more sense to have just one collection with all the games available at the beginning, but as ININ has proven in the past they are ALL about forcing people to double dip to line their pockets. So buy this if you REALLY want the extra games, but otherwise just flip ININ the bird and download an emulator. I know that I for one won't trust any of their claims of "physical exclusives" ever again.