Topic: Mighty Switch Force! Impressions

[Halbred]

Switch it up!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/30296

After a minor kerfuffle with the North American version, I was able to download the patch for WayForward’s excellent Mighty Switch Force, and spent the next few hours conquering it. The patch adds three important things: improved 3D layering, a “retry” option in the pause menu, and—most importantly—five new missions. People who buy the game for the first time will have access to this new stuff right off the bat.

The enhanced 3D effect is immediately noticeable, and I’d compare it (favorably) to Resident Evil: Revelation’s “strong” 3D enhancement. This effect seems to be accomplished by pushing more layers in the backgrounds. The enhancement is strong enough that you see its benefits with the slider halfway up; at full power, it’s really eye-popping. I’m of the mind that these sorts of 3D effects are best used in multi-layer 2D games, and Mighty Switch Force undoubtedly benefits from their inclusion.

The retry button is also an excellent addition and will help you get those nefarious par times without as much hassle. I found myself using the retry button extensively, especially when I made a stupid mistake I knew would cost me time. May as well just restart!

The new missions play out like a sampling of the main game’s block gimmicks. The first mission is a standard block puzzle; the second involves manipulating bomb enemies to destroy big blocks; the third presents a fairly complex lock-block obstacle course; the fourth gives you a “barrel cannon” maze; and the final bonus mission uses the forced switching mechanic found in the main game’s last stage. No boss this time, though. The par times are definitely challenging, although the use of Patricia’s trusty Mega Buster makes your job a little easier (especially in the second mission).

It’s a great update, and I hope WayForward continues to support Mighty Switch Force down the road. The one thing I’d still like to see is an alternate character sprite for Patricia, without her armor—a Zero Suit Patricia, if you will. It’s such an obvious unlockable, but I imagine it would take a lot of work to implement. Still, Mighty Switch Force is a fantastic game, and this bonus content just cements that status. If you don’t have it yet, what are you waiting for?

[pureval]

After hearing you rave about and recommend this game through Swapnote I finally decided to get it. Once I figured out the controls it became fun. I am enjoying the puzzles but some of those par times are impossible. One level had a 30 second time and I did it in like 4 minutes.

[leahsdad]

I don't know if I'd call the first bonus level "standard block puzzles."  They're only standard in terms of them being blocks that phase in and out, but they are significantly different from the block puzzles in the early or even mid-game levels.  They seem to be more difficult versions of the block puzzles that appear late game, maybe level 14 (?), which require you to switch in mid air, literally a hair before you would hit the block.   You are threading a needle between switching too late (and being thrown into the screen) and switching too early (in which you would hit the block, lose momentum, and fall to your death onto spikes below.   

Except in level 14, I think almost all of these "mid-air switches" were coming off a jump from a higher platform, onto a lower block surface that was at least 2 block lengths away, thus giving you a bit of wiggle room and about a half-second to get your thumb to the switch button and judge when the sweetspot was to switch blocks.  But in Bonus level 1, they are almost all coming off a jump from one surface to another that is the exact same height, and that is only 1 block length away.  This reduces the time you have to make the mid air switch by at least half.   Very, very difficult indeed.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Although I generally really enjoyed the main game and these new levels, I dislike the 'Barrel Cannon' mazes and the forced switching levels. I appreciate that they have to try and switch it up (pun not intended) but these levels just weren't as fun as the others for me. For me the mazes were boring and the forced switching frustrating.

[leahsdad]

For me the mazes were boring and the forced switching frustrating.

Eh...different strokes.  I loved those levels.   Though this may be just the way my brain works, but I find some of the more intricate barrel cannon mazes (BTW, LOVE the name) very difficult to wrap my head around...I ended up make a crude drawing and plotting out a route to make par.

I am enjoying the puzzles but some of those par times are impossible. One level had a 30 second time and I did it in like 4 minutes.

Go for par, my friend.  They are not impossible.  They are very much possible.   They're just very hard...I would say that after about Level 10, making par is about doing absolutely perfect runs with no errors or inefficiencies.   I would par, but I would literally have a second and a half to spare.   The only exception to this was Level 16.  I think they were worried that the boss fight might take longer than expected, so I think they padded out the par time for that a lot.   I had 40 seconds to spare on that one.

But more importantly, going for par will dial up the fun of this game from 7 to 11.  Going for par is what makes this game awesome.  If you don't, I don't really see this game being all that fun.  It's like playing Pilotwings and not giving a crap about getting 3 stars, much less perfects.  Or playing 3D land and seeing that Star Coin up there and saying "eh, I don't care.  It's too much effort to get that sucker."