Game Review #204: Joggernauts (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewer: Jordan M
Developer: Space Mace
Publisher: Graffiti Games
Category: Action/Platformer/Puzzle
Release Date: 10.11.2018
Price (at time of review): $14.99
Purchase Joggernauts on the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
Time to Switch on the - err… Switch
Joggernauts is a side-scrolling action game released in October 2018 on the Nintendo Switch. As your alien team of athletes make their way home from the Uranus Invitational, an accident (don't cry over spilled Joggernade) causes your engine to explode! Now it’s up to you to find not only the missing engine parts, but all the trophies your team has lost and are now scattered across several different moons in space. There are all kinds of trophies to find and secrets to explore as you run, jump, and switch your way across several different stages. The game also allows for co-op where you and friends can play with a team of up to four people at a time.
The game overall is basically a constantly moving side-scroller. The premise for the game itself is pretty simple: each member of your two person team is assigned a different color. You are allowed to select both different teams and different colors in the character select screen. I like red and blue. As your characters move across the map, they will be presented with different walls, power-ups, etc. with colors which correspond to your characters. Your job is to constantly switch the character with that color to the front of your team, smashing the barrier or using that color to collect power-ups or special items. Each level will also have two trophies for you to find. Sounds easy right? Don't let that fool you. This game became quite the challenge for me.
In Control Of My Workout
The controls are fairly easy. Y will allow your character in the back to switch to the front of your team. The B button will make the character in the front jump. The character in the back has a separate jump, which is controlled by pressing down on your direction pad. You will need to be pretty quick on the reflexes. The controls for the co-op mode I'm honestly not sure about as I didn't get to experience any of the game other than solo play. Each character controls their own alien so I'm assuming it must be the same except without the D pad.
This is Where I Talk About Graphics and Music
Each stage in the game really looks great. The game has its own unique style and charm and I really enjoy the variety of characters it allows you to choose for your team, plus unlockable teams available later on. The maps look fun and the colors and animation are nice. The soundtrack for this game could definitely use a bit of an improvement, as it is really just a few short songs and quickly gets a little repetitive. I would have loved to see a more high-energy soundtrack in this game. It would have added an extra level to the gameplay for sure.
Should I Jog Out To Grab This?
The game is undeniably fun, however one of my issues with this game is I feel the levels become slightly repetitive. The game is not very long and doesn't offer a lot of different levels for play but each level still has replay value if you're trying to collect all the trophies and such. This is a game I think would really be a lot more fun with friends instead of in single player mode. I hate that I really didn't get to experience co-op mode. Having control of your own individual character instead of trying to control two at the same time would be quite the game changer I'm sure. With two aliens the game can be quite challenging sometimes. The game looks great and is still good if you're looking for a short, fast paced side scrolling game for the Switch on the go.
Score: 7.5/10
Purchase Joggernauts on the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
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*Review Code Provided by VIM Global