Throw ‘em in the Paddy Wagon.
My first introduction to Mighty Switch Force was actually through the soundtrack. I purchased a game music bundle that had the Mighty Switch Force OST in it and really enjoyed the music, but never actually played the game up until now. The PC gets its take on the game through Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition.
Players take on the role of the robotic police woman, Patricia Wagon. Get it? Paddy wagon? She is tasked with capturing the escaped convicts that are spread throughout a given level. There are always five in all to “collect.” The name of the game is beating the par time. This can also be no simple task, as memorization and speed are key for hitting the best times in every level.
MSRP: $9.99
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
Platforms: PC, Wii U
Rockman’s Cousin
Patricia reminds me of the Blue Bomber himself, Mega Man. With simple controls where she can fire her pistol, jump, and switch blocks from the foreground to the background, players are more focused on the actual game play. Much like other WayForward games, the platforming and handling of the character is near perfect. Patricia controls like a dream. This is a great thing because tricky jumps and quick thinking maneuvers are required for many levels.
So I noticed that I haven’t really gotten into what the game really is. Well, as I alluded to in the last paragraph, this is a puzzle platforming game. Players must navigate Patricia through each level, collecting all the convicts and reaching the exit in the allotted time. Each level has its own unique layout and style, and perfecting the levels is what the game is all about. Patricia has the ability to switch blocks on the fly. This will bring some in and out of the background for her to use as platforms. If she stood in front of a block then switched it would damage her, but then certain blocks would actually allow her to enter and be used as a cannon to rocket her across the screen. Each level has a unique way of handling the platforming and the special blocks.
If at first you don’t succeed…
There are 16 cases in all and some extra ones thrown in for good measure. While beating the game itself took me about two and a half hours, I parred maybe five of them. So there was a ton of room for improvement. On top of that, the Hyper Drive Edition unlocks remixed levels of all the original ones that offer up even more a challenge, but this is very much a speed running trial and error game.
The animations and look of the overall game is fantastic. Very colorful and vibrant and really gives off that “game” feel that I had been looking for for a while. Mix that with a crazy catchy soundtrack by Jake Kaufman(Shovel Knight, Double Dragon Neon, DuckTales Remastered) and players will find a fun and interesting presentation.
Mighty Switch Force is a really fun game. While most players will not have the time or the patience to actually par every level, there is a lot of fun to be had in this little game. It may be a bit on the short side, but replaying levels to get the best time is really the main draw of the game. The presentation is top notch, and I constantly had a song from the game stuck in my head. For $10, you get a well made, well playing puzzle platormer that I highly recommend.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.