Review #031: Swap This! (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewed By: Frank W.
Developer: Two Tribes
Publisher: Two Tribes
Category: Puzzle
Release Date: 11.02.2018
Download Swap This! from the Nintendo eShop here.
Four of the Same
Swap This! is a touch-screen puzzle game in the vein of a match-four game. Unlike some of the more well-known titles in this genre, you can move tiles even if it doesn't make a match, which lends itself to much quicker and satisfying gameplay. I found myself constantly able to make a move while thinking about my next three moves, rather than running into moments of thought trying to see WHAT moves were available to me. I actually ended up liking this game a lot more than I thought I would, and among its genre, this might be a new favorite of mine!
Four Modes To Rule Them All…
Swap This! has four primary game modes with which to play: Minute Match, Wave Mode, Fish Fight, and Puzzles. These four modes all feel pretty unique in terms of objectives and the kind of play style it makes you adopt in order to fulfill those objectives, with Fish Fight being my personal favorite because of the cute cutscenes! All of them, in the end, revolve around making four tiles of the same color touch. This will start its animation to blow up, which comes out from the middle until it affects all of the tiles it is touching. This sequence gives you time to add more tiles onto the combo for more points, and it entices you to keep moving until it has finished giving you your combo.
Minute Match
Minute Match is your bread-and-butter quick match. It places you on a short time limit, and it is up to you to generate as many points as you can before time runs out; so, it places a lot of focus on both being quick, and generating large combos to amass the most amount of points that you can. I played this one a few times when I had just a few moments to kill, and it was good and satisfying.
Wave Mode
Wave Mode is focused on making the largest combos and popping as many tiles as you can at once. You are tasked with a number of tiles that you have to clear, as well as an amount of time in which to do it for any given level, which grows more difficult as you progress. This mode makes you think about how to connect as many tiles as possible—and recognizing when you can start two combos in one move is key! This way of thinking takes some getting used to, but it is a lot of fun once you get going.
Fish Fight
Fish Fight is my favorite. You are met with a “Boss” who is coming up from the sea floor to get you, and every tile you clear—which is a fish, essentially—will travel down to the sea floor, taking the boss with them! You need to be matching lots of tiles, as well as in big amounts, so that you can push the boss as far down as possible! It starts out pretty calmly, but it really gets very hurried quickly by the third boss! When you get a boss all the way to the seafloor, you get treated to a cute cutscene where the fish creatively defeat him. A lot of fun, and fun to look at.
Puzzle Mode
To round it off, we have Puzzle Mode, in which you are presented with a stage with a set of tiles, and an allotted number of moves you can make. Your goal is to clear the entire board in at least the number of moves stated or less. This is a classic puzzle game mode that has lasted since the early days, and there isn’t much about it I can say is wrong. It’s plenty of fun figuring out how to beat these puzzles in the most efficient way possible.
Wrapping Up
This switch exclusive puzzle game is a fantastic way to kill a little time if you don’t have time for something more involved. It’s easy on the eyes, and it’s on sale for only $1.20 at the time of writing this review, so I would say it’s a great value with which you cannot really go wrong! I give Swap This! for the Switch, a 6/10. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and you can’t undervalue the entertainment offered in this game for less than the cost of a cup of coffee!
Final Score: 6/10
Download Swap This! from the Nintendo eShop here.
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