Mighty Switch Force! Collection has arrived on the Nintendo Switch. It is a puzzle platformer that I think you should learn more about. It has an original artstyle and plenty of creativity. Wayforward also created the Shantae series and were involved with Ducktales Remastered a few years ago, so you may have played a game or two by them before. Let’s dive in and find out more about what Mighty Switch Force! Collection has to offer.

30 Second Review

+ Creative and Unique Puzzle Mechanics

+ Perfect Game for Speedrunners

+ Up to 4 players can play locally in Mighty Switch Force! Academy

– Mighty Switch Force! being included is a little redundant

– Mighty Switch Force! 2 plays a little differently

Grab Your Pellet Gun

It’s time to grab the pellet gun and the switch block Siren and chase after those pesky space hooligans. Grasping the game concept in Mighty Switch Force! Collection is super easy. You are a police officer protecting Planet Land, and you have to capture 5 space hooligans per level. Just like common criminals, some of these hooligans have better hideouts than others, so you’ll really have to work in some of the levels to capture all 5. Just like most platformers, jumping is key, and shooting while jumping will certainly help.

Now what makes this platformer special is you have a Siren that switches blocks in and out of the platforming level. Some blocks will be obstacles, while other blocks will be required to jump onto and help you get to locations you couldn’t get to without them. Picture this: you have Block A and Block B. Block A is blocking your path. Hit the Siren and Block A is now out of the play field but Block B has entered it. Move up to Block B then hit the Siren again. Block B is out of play and Block A has returned, now move on and you’ve successfully passed both blocks. Not only are the levels filled with 5 space hooligans and blocks, but their are also enemies and hazard spikes. You can also use the switch blocks to throw enemies off screen in spectacular fashion. In some ways, Mighty Switch Force! Collection gives you those satisfying Mega Man vibes as far as level designing goes, ignoring the boss fights of course. Some of the games even have secrets.

I recommend everyone start playing with Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition, because it has all the levels of Mighty Switch Force! plus double that amount, It’s also in HD, so of the four games, it’s the belle of the ball as far as graphics go. All the games play the same, with the exception of Mighty Switch Force! 2, where you are a firefighter instead of a police officer and you use a fire hose as opposed to a pellet gun. So the water hose mechanics makes the game play a little differently, and you are certainly fighting fire.

Speedrunning, Co-op, & Nintendo Oh My!

Mighty Switch Force! Collection is made for speed running. It’s a perfect game for those who are looking for an introductory game to speed running. Each course has a par time, and when you first start playing it, you probably won’t come close to the par time, but as you play the level more and more and get better and better you may find yourself meeting and even exceeding the par time. This title has a lot of replayability because of this feature.

Mighty Switch Force! Collection plays the same whether you are playing docked or in handheld mode. It’s a great game to take on the go, because you can quickly pick it up, play a few levels, and put it back down. Battery life is about 3.5 to 4 hours, but I also play my handheld in the highest settings. Wayforward also added HD Rumble effects to the Nintendo Switch version of the game for the first time. Sadly my Pro Controller is a Power A model which doesn’t have HD Rumble, so while I was playing I was unable to experience this feature. Just makes me want to go get a Nintendo Licensed Pro Controller.

Mighty Switch Force! Academy is the only game in the collection that supports 4 player local co op. You’re playing a zoomed out version of the level, and at first glance when I was looking at the first stage, I had this feeling of being reminded of looking at a Donkey Kong level for the first time. It just carries the weight of that retro nostalgia for some reason. The stage design is a bit long for one person, but I can see how 4 people could certainly fight over the space hooligans and rush to the traps, and I imagine that everyone being able to switch the blocks would be amazingly tense. I wasn’t able to get anyone to come over to try out this feature, but this is certainly a family game, and I think any family that enjoys puzzle platformers and is looking for something to play together should get this one.

After playing through Mighty Switch Force! Collection, I have a new goal: I want to recreate as many levels as I can from this collection to Super Mario Maker 2. I think it would be fun and interesting, and I can already picture it in my head.

Why!?!?

Now everyone that knows me, knows the formula for my reviews. I have at least 3 major things I want to talk about that are positives, and then I have 2 things I want to talk about that are somewhat negative. That way I can give a fair and balanced review. I don’t really have anything negatively to talk about in Mighty Switch Force! Collection, so I’m going to focus on 1 game that’s a little redundant, and 1 title that plays slightly differently.

• Mighty Switch Force!: I’m not sure why this is here other than a throwback to how the game has evolved and for those that prefer a low res aesthetic. All the levels that can be played in this game can also be played in Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition plus more. Including this is a little redundant, but hey, it’s history, and who am I to argue with where it all began.
• Mighty Switch Force! 2: This game is an interesting idea, but I prefer the other versions of the game. Fighting with a water hose and an arcing path of how that water travels just doesn’t appeal to me like a pellet gun does, and I think Mega Man is to blame for that. Is it fun? Sure! Does it still have the puzzle mechanics? You betcha. It just doesn’t quite grab me. The time I put into Mighty Switch Force! 2 is just time I’d rather be spending in Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition.

Mighty Switch Force! Collection is available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC for $19.99 USD as an eShop download. For Review purposes, the Nintendo Switch version of the game was played. The game is rated E 10+ and is a suitable rating, but I feel like ages 8 and above could easily grasp the concept of this game and enjoy it.