Mighty Switch Force! Collection

What is it with these games? Got them all from a Humble Bundle, because of Shantae, but jesus, they're bad ... Well, to be fair MSF 1 and MSF 2 I can actually see SOME merit, although the gameplay is extremely shallow. In 1 you shoot a gun, and in 2 you're a firewoman ... at least there is some variation here, but the gameplay gets repetitive fast. The art style is also fine pixel-art. Then comes ... MSF Hyper Drive Edition, which is just a "remaster" of MSF 1 with "cleaner" graphics ... arguably, it just looks worse and cheaper. It's the same game, though. That this is even a feature in this collection and not just an extra for MSF 1 with a graphics toggle is beyond me. Then, we have MSF Academy, the worst of the bunch. The levels are just "training courses", so they're all on some computer grid, but the level is super zoomed out, so you can see the entire map, which makes your character, every enemy and the platforms just tiny. So yeah, maybe okay for MSF 1 and 2, but not for that price. Cheap crap.

very fun to speedrun. hope they make more

I love WayForward, but not a fan of this game. I played the HD version of the first one, as I am not at all a fan of pixelated games (unless they're extremely good like River City, but even then I'd prefer decent graphics). I love updated versions of old school games or game concepts, especially beat 'em ups. I found the graphics to be cute on this game and the music to be fine. But it was clear from even .04 that they were expecting ridiculously perfect timing on the button presses and I found that super annoying. Why ruin what might have been a fun side scroller or puzzler, whatever this is, by requiring a brown belt in Jeet Kune Do just to do the button presses at the correct twentieth of a second? What a waste. Also, I didn't like that you couldn't toggle off the "switch" sound, which was already super annoying to hear over and over within minutes of starting the game.

I got this from a humble bundle as I like the Shantae games. I didn't know this was where the song from the Mighty Switch Force 2 opening came from. I first heard it from a YouTube video titled "Moe Shop - SYNERGY Stay Home Edition (FULL SET)", and just for that song alone I'm giving this a good review. The game seems fun, just starting now.

Quite a solid collection! Main issue I found was that the original game felt unneeded in the collection since the Hyperdrive collection just provides more along with the exact same level layouts from the original. Some of those levels were really stressful too I cannot lie, but completing the par times was really rewarding and I mostly enjoyed it all. Solitary Game Rankings: MSF 1 - C tier, pretty solid overall, but once again unnecessary MSF 2 - B tier, while I didn't care a ton for the water hose instead of the regular gun and some of the gimmicks were annoying it was at least unique MSF HD - A tier, looks the best and has the best content (no offense to the pixel art, I do just prefer the style of HD). Some of those extra levels kinda suck though lol. MSF Academy - D Tier, unless you can get anyone to play with you it is a pain to play on your own... I had to cheat in all the co-op achievements just to get them all because I knew I wouldn't get 4 people to play this.

Mighty Switch Force! Collection is a tightly assembled puzzle-platforming package that shows how a relatively straightforward mechanical idea can support several distinct adventures. Developed and published by WayForward, it combines four entries into one collection, bringing together Mighty Switch Force!, its Hyper Drive Edition, Mighty Switch Force! 2, and Mighty Switch Force! Academy. Although all four share a recognizable identity, each approaches the basic formula differently enough to make the package feel like a progression rather than four interchangeable variations. At the center of the experience is cybernetic peacekeeper Officer Patricia Wagon, whose assignments take place across colorful stages filled with criminals, hazards, environmental puzzles, and unusual characters. Her defining ability comes from the Siren Helmet, which can shift designated blocks between the foreground and background. What initially seems like a simple environmental trick quickly becomes the foundation for increasingly elaborate puzzles. Platforms can disappear beneath Patricia, new routes can materialize instantly, and enemies can become part of the solution depending on when and where the pla…