Review: Mighty Switch Force! Collection (Nintendo Switch)

If you are like me, you may have missed Mighty Switch Force, the HD remaster and Mighty Switch Force 2. Unfortunately, despite all the positive feedback regarding the games, I never had a chance to play them. Luckily, WayForward just released an all-in-one package for the Nintendo Switch. 

In Mighty Switch Force and the HD Remaster, players play as Patricia Wagon who comes equipped with a gun and siren. Her goal is to capture the “Hooligan Sisters” who are a group of criminals, recently escaped from prison. Patricia has unique ability; which allows blocks to be interchanged from the background to the foreground. Doing so can help Patricia knock off enemies, solve puzzles, or just serve as a platform to reach higher ground. 

In Mighty Switch Force 2, Patrica switches out her gun for a fire hose. All of her previous abilities remain. This time around she is trying to save the “Hooligan Sisters” who have been reformed, just somehow caught it the blaze. There is also a baby to be saved in each level, that serves as a bonus.  

Mighty Switch Force Academy is built for two-four people multiplayer action. The levels reminded me of the old Mario Bros. game. Players must work together to solve puzzles, defeat enemies and capture the “Hooligan Sisters.” The local multiplayer is a great addition to the game. It should be noted that if you don’t have a second player, you can still enjoy the game alone.

It is important to keep in mind though that the Mighty Switch Force games are built with speedruns in mind. Each level has you trying to accomplish getting the lowest time known as “par.” There were times where solving the puzzle was not the issue but rather more pressing the right button at the right time. This lead to some rather frustrating times, trying to make the speed par. 

Each game Patrica is dodging enemies, other dangerous obstacles, such as spikes. After taking damage three times, you will have to restart the level; Each time you take damage, you restart the level at the last checkpoint crossed. Another cool feature of the game; you can regain health by finding a floppy disk in each stage (which is earned through the vanquishing of enemies). 

The puzzles throughout all the games never felt too complicated. However, with each stage completed, the next stage would build upon the previous things learned. This made the game feel very well balanced and not overly hard or irritating. 

As a fair balance of figuring out the puzzles, the game does have an arrow that will point you to the nearest “Hooligan Sister” that needs to be captured or rescued. This allows players to focus on solving the puzzle rather than focusing on where on the stage they need to be to find their objective.  

Players who have not experienced any of the titles, just one, or just want them all together in one place, should pick this up. Fans of puzzlers and platforming alike should certainly look into the Mighty Switch Force! Collection. Honestly, the price of $19.99 is an amazing value, considering the amount of content included.