Kamiko (Switch) Review

Kamiko is a downloadable game on the Nintendo Switch's Eshop.  At first glance it may look like an isometric action adventure game similar to the Legend of Zelda.  However, that isn't very accurate.  For one, the emphasis is much more on puzzles than combat, though there is some of that, too.

Combat is pretty simple.  Each of the three characters has a unique weapon, which they will use to attack.  I like that they do feel different from each other, as I though at least two would be similar.  This will effect how you deal with some enemies, since the ranges are different.  Enemies tend to die very quickly.  This is good, since they can respawn very quickly too.

The puzzles are the main thing keeping you from progressing.  They are usually either hitting a switch, or bringing an orb or key to a certain spot in order to open a door.  They are not overly complicated, but there is a time or two where I didn't know where to go.  While carrying an orb or key, you cannot attack.  Also, getting hit will have you drop the item, forcing you to go back to its starting location and grab it again.  It can be a bit frustrating.  However it is easier to just not kill everything in a room, which will not trigger the enemy respawn.  That makes it much easier to navigate around them and not get hit.

Boss fights are mostly combat based, but they do have some tricks to them.  Dying just sets you back to the last time it saved.  For boss fights, this means you have to do the whole thing over again.  It's not that bad, since the boss fights aren't hard.  The game tracks how long you have played, but time since the last save doesn't seem to count against you if you die.

Kamiko is a short game.  My first run took me just under an hour.  Using the second girl, I completed it much quicker, since I had a much better idea what I was doing.  It's also a very linear game.  The areas do have a few secrets, which reward you with extra health or magic meter.  It's not really necessary to find them all, but it gives you something to do in a replay.  Even going through with all three girls only sets you back a few hours at best.  The game is made for speed running, which is not my thing.  Still, it was pretty fun, just very short.  I think it's worth trying, but I definitely suggest getting it on sale.


The Good:
A interesting puzzle/action game that is made for speed running.  Each character plays different from each other.

The Bad:
Extremely short.

The SaHD:
There's actually another hidden secret, but it's not really worth doing if you miss it.

(Kamiko was purchased by the reviewer)

Slice It! (3DS) Review

Slice It! has made its way to the 3DS E-shop after being available on mobile devices.  It is an interesting puzzle game that tasks you with drawing lines to slice an object into a set number of equally sized sections in order to complete a stage.

The game has two different ways to play, either one of the episodes, or Slice It! Quick.  The two episodes each have 100 puzzles divided evenly over 5 pages.  For each of the puzzles, you have a set number of lines to use and set number of pieces the object has to be divided into.  At first it's pretty simple.  After a few puzzles, it gets harder.  You can't cut the pieces too small, otherwise you will fail.  You also have to use each line, even if the puzzle can be done in less.  It gets pretty challenging as you progress through the game.  Hints are helpful, but they are not per puzzle, so you can quickly run out of them.  You can earn more by playing Slice It! Quick (see below), but that can take awhile as well, especially if you need multiple for one puzzle (don't judge me!).  If you use a hint, do your best to complete the puzzle, since if you exit out, the hint will not show back up, but will have been used.

The second episode is similar to the first, but adds some twists including areas that you cannot draw lines through and ones that reflect the drawn line.  These are pretty interesting ways to add something unique to the mix instead of just harder puzzles.  It is possible to skip any puzzles that you are struggling with, but you do have to complete one full page (by getting at least one star on a puzzle) to move on to the next.  Once you finish the first episode, the other unlocks.  There is also a gift area with 40 more puzzles.

Slice It! Quick is just that: trying to solve a puzzle quickly.  You start with 30 seconds and try to complete as many randomly sequenced puzzles as you can in the time frame.  Thankfully, they puzzles aren't hard in this version, since the emphasis is on speed.  If you fail a puzzle, you lose 3 seconds from your time, but a perfect will give you 3 more.  There are sometimes "challenge" puzzles that stop the clock, but are a little more complicated than the standard ones in this mode.  For every 20 that you are able to do, you are also rewarded with a hint for the episodes.

This mode is a great alternative to the main one.  While I'm not the speediest of people, it's nice to bounce between the two.  After doing some puzzles from the episodes, I like to do a round of Slice It! Quick to kind of cleanse the pallet.  Or if I need to get a hint or two back.  That's probably how it will mostly be used, but I like the dichotomy of one set for thinking and the other for speed.  Just make sure to take the extra quarter second to make sure your are lined up correctly...the penalty is not worth the carelessness!

Slice It! is a pretty fun and quick puzzle game.  Some of the stages were pretty hard for me, but being a puzzle game, that experience will differ from person to person.  It's a bit more linear that I would like, since being stuck on a puzzle can halt your progress to the next page or unlock.  There are a lot of puzzles to solve, so it's easy to get your money's worth.  It's also a good pick up and play game for when you have a few minutes to solve some puzzles.