Posted in: Games, Review, Video Games | Tagged: 88 Heroes, 88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition, game review, HRL, indie dev, indiedev

Saving the Day on Switch: We Review 88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition

88 Heroes was released earlier this year on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, receiving pretty good reviews all around for the game's insane platforming style and list of characters you could utilize throughout the game. Like a lot of games we've been getting for review in the fourth quarter of 2017, a special version was made for the Nintendo Switch called 88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition. So how does the Switch version hold up to the previous incarnation?

Getting right to it, this is the same game as before with some bonus features. The short version of the story is that you're commanding a set of 88 heroes who aren't the greatest in the world. In fact, they all have specific abilities that make them almost useless except for the crisis they'll be dealing with. You get a hero to go through a level with a timer of 88 seconds running above your head. Your goal is to make it through while destroying enemies and picking up items as you go, eventually making it to the exit under time. Every time a hero does, they are gone from the game until you can collect 88 coins to revive them.

Every hero is randomly generated, so you're never quite sure if you'll get the one you need to complete the mission you're on. A good example is getting a hero that can't jump that well, and then running into a room with a long stretch of spikes on the floor. You know your character is going to die, which is a big drawback to the game in that respect.

However, that doesn't mean game over, as they're quickly replaced at the start of the level with a new hero. Everyone has different abilities that can help or hinder your progress, but once you kill off all of your heroes, the game ends. Boss battles are here, as well, but they're not too difficult when you realize the pattern they fall into. There are a few additional mode such as speed run, Magnificent 8 (where you pick your 8 favorites to run through the game), a solo mode with a single hero (which is unlocked after beating the game), and a few other variations.

The reason for the "98 Heroes Edition" is quite simple, you get a bonus ten characters not available in the other editions unless you get the DLC. There's nothing particularly amazing about these characters as they mostly come from other games, like The Conga Master from Conga Master, or Vamp Girl from I Want To Be Human. They're just bonus additions to the game to make things a little more fun and interesting, as well as giving you an extra 10 heroes to help you along the way in your journey through each level.

Ultimately, I enjoyed 88 Heroes – 98 Heroes Edition. The Switch version of the game plays well on both the dock and handheld mode and is just as good as the PC version. Aside from wishing for more variety in levels and maybe some better controls on certain heroes, the game is still fun and awesome to play. Some of the pop culture jokes may fly over kids' heads, like the Rick Roll hero, but that just makes it funnier for you to watch their reactions before you jump in on the fun.

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